Baselines and Performance Metrics

A baseline is a record of how the network behaves under normal conditions: typical bandwidth use, CPU load, latency, and error rates. It captures "what normal looks like." Once you know normal, you can recognize abnormal. Without a baseline, you cannot tell whether 60% link utilization is healthy or a warning sign, because you have nothing to compare against.

Baselines turn raw numbers into meaning. They let you spot deviations early, justify upgrades with evidence, and set realistic alert thresholds. If your baseline shows a server averages 30% CPU, a sudden jump to 90% clearly stands out. Baselines also help during troubleshooting: comparing current readings to the baseline quickly reveals what has changed.