Network Management Overview

IACT 918 July 2004

Gene Awyzio

SITACS University of Wollongong

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Definition of a Data Network

• A collection of devices and circuits for transferring data from one computer to another

• Enables

– Resource Sharing

– Centralised data storage

3

Role of the Network Engineer

• Responsible for

– Installing

– Maintaining

– Troubleshooting

• As networks expand

– So do the size and number of potential problems

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Role of the Network Engineer

• Sheer volume of information can become unwieldy

• Overall goal of network management is help network engineers

– Deal with the complexity of a data network

– Make sure the data can across the network with

• Maximum efficiency

• Maximum transparency

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Implementation of a Data Network• Having a network doe not automatically

guarantee that everyone in an organisation can share resources

• The network plan needs to ensure the network meets the organisations communication needs

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Implementation of a Data Network• After developing the plan the network

engineer needs to

– Build

– Maintain

– Expand

– Optimise

– Troubleshoot

• The network

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Overview of Network Management• Network management is the process of

– Controlling a complex data network

– In order to maximise efficiency and productivity• International Organisation for Standardisation

(ISO) defines five (5) functional areas– Fault management

– Configuration Management

– Security Management

– Performance Management

– Accounting Management

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Overview of Network Management• Fault management

– Locating and Fixing problems or faults• Configuration Management

– Setting up network devices• Security Management

– Controlling access to information• Performance Management

– Measuring performance of network hardware, software and media

• Accounting Management– Tracking individual and group utilisation of network

resources

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Network Management Architecture

• The ITU model

– 5 Main subsystems

Network Management

FaultManagement

PerformanceManagement

ConfigurationManagement

SecurityManagement Accounting

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Network Management Protocols• Essential factor in network management

– Ability to acquire information from and effect change to network devices

• A simple protocol would– Define common data formats and parameters

– Allow for easy retrieval of information• A more complex system

– Add change capability

– Add security• Advanced management system

– Remote management

– Independent from network layer protocol

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Interaction of Management SubsystemsFault

Management

SecurityManagement Accounting

PerformanceManagement

Configuration Management

Error rates, Response times etc

Configuration DetailsConfiguration Details

Configuration Details

TrafficLevels

Configuration Details

NetworkCostings

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The Network Management Platform• A software package that provides generic functionality for a

variety of network devices• Basic functionality includes

– A GUI

– A network map

– A database management system (DBMS)

– A standard method to query devices

– A customisable menu system

– An event system• Other features may include

– Graphing tools

– Application programming interface

– System security

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The Network Management Platform• A GUI

– Standard GUI, platform will behave in a documented manner

– Conformation by various vendors• A network map

– Useful in all areas

– Fault isolation

– Physical and logical configuration

– Graphical display of device and link performance

– Can include autodiscovery and automapping

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The Network Management Platform• A database management system (DBMS)

– Applications can use for information storage

– Relationships assists in diagnosis and maintenance

• A standard method to query devices

– Must be able to gather information from devices from many different vendors

• A customisable menu system

– Enables seamless extensions

• An event system

– Logs each event chronologically

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Network Management Architecture – Brief• Three most common

– Centralised

– Hierarchical

– Distributed

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Network Management Architecture – Brief• Centralised

– Platform on one computer system

– Single centralised database

– Complete backup to separate system for redundancy

– Gives Network engineer a single point to view ALL alerts and events

– Security easier to maintain

– Lacks degrees of redundancy and fault tolerance

– Traffic load on all network links connected to management site

– Problems with scalability

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Network Management Architecture – Brief• Hierarchical

– Multiple systems• One acting as central server

• Other acting as clients

– Key Features• Not dependant on a single system

• Distribution of network management tasks

• Network monitoring distributed throughout network

• Centralised information storage

– Management tasks distributed between central server and clients

– May make information gathering more difficult and time consuming

– May result in some devices being monitored twice

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Network Management Architecture – Brief• Distributed

– Combines centralised and hierarchical approaches

– Uses multiple peer platforms

– One platform is the leader of a set of peer network management systems

• Each peer platform can have a complete database of the network

• Allows it to perform tasks & report back to a central system

– Advantages• Single location for all information, alerts and events

• Single location to access all management applications

• Not dependant on a single system

• Distribution of network management tasks

• Distribution of network monitoring

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Network Management Applications• The platform provides generic functionality for ALL

network devices• Network management applications help the network

engineer to manage a specific set of devices and services

• Have the following goals

– Effectively manage a specific set of devices

– Avoid functionality overlap with the platform

– Integrate with a platform through the API and menu system

– Reside on multiple platforms

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Choosing a Network Management System• A practical approach could be

– Perform device inventory

– Prioritise the functional areas of network management

– Survey network management applications

– Choose the network management platform

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Choosing a Network Management System• Perform device inventory

– Identify ALL devices on the network

– Discovery of manageability

– Prioritise mission critical devices

• Prioritise the functional areas of network management

– Fault, config, security etc

– Order will depend upon your organisational environment

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Choosing a Network Management System• Survey network management applications

– Find applications that help perform YOUR key areas of network management

– Using apps designed to manage the devices you prioritised allows you to spend resources actively managing the network

• Choose the network management platform

– Ideally all the applications chosen will work on at least one common platform

– If you have a choice of platforms choose the one with an architecture that resembles the way your organisation plans to manage the network

• Eg centralised, hierarchical, distributed