The Impact of Open Source Software on the Technology Sector

There are countless tools designed for network management available to consumers today. One growing portion of that market is open-source software. Open-source software is computer software whos source code is made available to anyone to distribute, study, or change. With open source software users are granted the right to both the program's functionality and methodology. However, with proprietary software programs users only have the rights to functionality [1]. Some of the great open-source software tools available are Zabbix, Fiddler Web Debugging Tool, Wireshark, Spiceworks, and SaltStack.

Zabbix is a highly efficient tool for monitoring availability and performance of your IT infrastructure in a UNIX or Windows based platform. Installation and configuration of Zabbix is simple making the learning curve low, reducing cost to your budget. All information is stored in a relational database making data easier to re-use and processing easier, this is due to its centralized monitoring system. The data is also easier to sort through because of its built-in housekeeping procedures.

The Fiddler Web Debugging Tool is a debugging proxy which logs all traffic between the internet and test computers. It also allows the user to inspect incoming and outgoing data to monitor and modify requests and responses before the browser receives them. This allows the user to troubleshoot client-side web applications by making an offline copy of the test site.

Wireshark is a simple but powerful network monitoring and analysis tool. It is very capable on any size network, making it a perfect addition to any system administators “toolbox”. Live data can be captured from multiple network interfaces, and it includes a efficient filtering system. It supports deep inspection of hundreds of protocols, and due to the nature of open-source software, more are added regularly.

Spiceworks is a portal comprised of network