computer science

Paessler PRTG

Paessler PRTG is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Paessler PRTG rather than just read about it. In short: PRTG (Paessler Router Traffic Grapher ) is a network monitoring software developed by Paessler GmbH. It monitors system conditions like bandwidth usage or uptime and collects statistics from miscellaneous hosts such as switches, routers, servers, and other devices and applications.

Key takeaways

Paessler PRTG belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Paessler PRTG to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Paessler PRTG from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PRTG (Paessler Router Traffic Grapher ) is a network monitoring software developed by Paessler GmbH. It monitors system conditions like bandwidth usage or uptime and collects statistics from miscellaneous hosts such as switches, routers, servers, and other devices and applications. It was initially released on May 29, 2003 by the German company Paessler GmbH which was founded by Dirk Paessler in 2001. The software is available in three versions: a classic standalone solution (PRTG Network Monitor), one for large and distributed networks (PRTG Enterprise Monitor) and a SaaS-version (PRTG Hosted Monitor).

Specifications The software has an auto-discovery mode that scans predefined areas of an enterprise network and creates a device list from this data. Further information on the detected devices can be retrieved using communication protocols like ICMP, SNMP, WMI, NetFlow, jFlow, sFlow, DCOM or the RESTful API.

Sensors The software is based on sensors, e.g. HTTP, SMTP/POP3 (e-mail) application sensors and hardware-specific sensors for switches, routers and servers. The software has over 200 different predefined sensors that retrieve statistics from the monitored instances, e.g. response times, processor, memory, database information, temperature or system status.

Web interface and desktop client The software can be operated via an AJAX-based web interface which is suitable for both real-time troubleshooting and data exchange with non-technical staff via maps (dashboards) and user-defined reports. An additional administration interface in the form of a desktop application for Windows, Linux, and macOS is available.

Notifications, reports and price model In addition to the usual communication channels such as Email and SMS, notification is also provided via an app for iOS or Android. The software also provides customizable reports and its price model is based on sensors.

See also Comparison of network monitoring systems

References

Literature Andrés, Steven, Brian Kenyon, and Erik Pack Birkholz. Security Sage's guide to hardening the network infrastructure. Elsevier, 2004. Elsayed, Abdellatief, and Nashwa Abdelbaki. "Performance evaluation and comparison of the top market virtualization hypervisors." Computer Engineering & Systems (ICCES), 2013 8th International Conference on. IEEE, 2013.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Paessler PRTG

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Paessler PRTG claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Paessler PRTG before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Paessler PRTG ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Paessler PRTG

In research: Paessler PRTG appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Paessler PRTG in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Paessler PRTG is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Network analyzers, Network management, Port scanners, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Paessler PRTG outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Paessler PRTG in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Paessler PRTG means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Paessler PRTG out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Paessler PRTG in simple terms?

Why does Paessler PRTG matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Paessler PRTG?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Paessler PRTG.