Additional Troubleshooting Tools

Because there are so many interdependencies that are involved in making a network-based application work properly, there is no single tool to isolate and identify problems. Expensive suites of software and data collection probes attempt to make the process as automated as possible, but in most cases the key tool is the human operator. Based on the symptoms of the problem, or lacking a specific symptom, starting at the bottom and working your way up, the human performing the troubleshooting has to systematically use process of elimination to try to identify the problematic component, and then take steps to remedy the issue. In most cases you will not need more than the basic troubleshooting tools available with any modern operating system, such as ping, traceroute, and various commands specific to the operating system. On some occasions, some specialized software can make the task of troubleshooting much easier. A couple of my favorites are explained here.