Network Management

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Network Management Requirements

Fault Management Accounting Management Configuration and Name Management Performance Management Security Management

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Fault Management
A fault is an abnormal condition that requires management attention (or action) to repair Fault is usually indicated by failure to operate correctly or by excessive errors Users expect quick and reliable resolution

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Responding to Faults
When faults occur, it is critical to quickly:
Determine exactly where the fault is Isolate the rest of the network from the failure so that it can continue to function without interference Reconfigure or modify the network to minimize the effect of removing the failed component(s) Repair or replace the failed components to restore the network to its initial state
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Accounting Management
Reasons for accounting management:
Internal chargebacks on network use User(s) may be abusing access privileges and burdening the network at the expense of other users Users may be making inefficient use of the network, and the network The network manager is in a better position to plan for network growth if user activity is known in sufficient detail.
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Configuration Management
Concerned with:
initializing a network and grace-fully shutting down part or all of the network maintaining, adding, and updating the relationships among components and the status of components themselves during network operation

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Performance Management
Issues of concern to the network manager include:
What is the level of capacity utilization? Is there excessive traffic? Has throughput been reduced to unacceptable levels? Are there bottlenecks? Is response time increasing?

Network managers need performance statistics to help them plan, manage, and maintain large Business Data Communications, 4e networks

Security Management
Concerned with
generating, distributing, and storing encryption keys monitoring and controlling access to networks access to all or part of the network management information collection, storage, and examination of audit records and security logs

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Network Management Systems

Collection of tools for network monitoring and control, integrated in these ways:
A single user-friendly operator interface for performing most or all network management tasks A minimal amount of separate equipment

consists of incremental hardware and software additions implemented among existing network components
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Network Management System Architecture

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Components of the NMS

All nodes run the Network Management Entity (NME) software Network control host or manager runs the Network Management Application (NMA) Other nodes are considered agents

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Network Management Entity

Collection of software contained in each network node, devoted to the network management task Performs the following tasks:
Collect statistics on communications and network-related activities. Store statistics locally Respond to commands from the network control center Send messages to NCC when local conditions undergo a significant change
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IBM Network Management Architecture and NetView

Associated with IBMs Systems Network Architecture (SNA) IBM wants to provide the single, unifying framework into which all other network management products feed and from which all the equipment in a users network can be controlled

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Network Management Categories

SNA network management is composed of:
Problem management Change management Configuration management Performance and accounting management

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Problem Management
Problem determination Problem diagnosis Problem bypass and recovery Problem resolution Problem tracking and control

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Change Management
Software change control Microcode change control Hardware change control

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Configuration Management
Physical/logical resource identification Resource relationship identification

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Performance & Accounting Management

Response-time monitoring Availability monitoring Utilization monitoring Component delay monitoring Performance tuning Performance tracking and control Accounting
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NetView Software
Control facility
Provides the capability to operate the network.

Status monitor
Displays status information; reactivates network resources following failures

Hardware monitor
collects notifications of failures or significant events

Help facilities
Descriptions of fields on displays, and a systematic problem-solving facility

Session monitor
Collects session-related information on logical components of the network; includes measurements of data on response time, session failure

Customization facilities:
Permits a user to tailor NetView

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Technical Control
Automatic and remote testing and monitoring of the system, to reduce downtime due to the need to locate service personnel Restoring and/or reconfiguring the system upon failure in real time Providing network performance and functioning statistics to facilitate planning and management for high availability
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Component-Level Technical Control

Line Monitors
Captures the signal between a host system and the network Generally employed only on the network end

Protocol Analyzers
Can also simulate various network components Can test communication protocols and codes Typically handles up to layer 3 of the OSI architecture
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Network Technical Control Systems

Integrate control devices and centralize the control of the network

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Performance Monitoring
After availability, the second most important characteristic of a network is performance Performance data must be available in sufficient detail to be able to assess the bottleneck that is causing the problem and to plan appropriate remedial action

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Component-Level Monitoring
Response-time monitors
Measures, displays, and records response time of each transaction and the average response time

Hardware monitors
Events: Number of occurrences of specific events Timing: Timing the duration of a specific signal

Software monitors
Gathers and reports statistics on hardware and systems and applications software activity
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Network Monitoring Systems

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Indicators Reported by Network Monitors

Service Parameters
Availability Response Time Accuracy and Integrity

Efficiency Parameters
Througput Polling Utilization
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Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

Network Management Model
Management station Management agent Management information base Network management protocol

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Role of SNMP

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Protocol Specification
Transmission of a message Receipt of a message Variable bindings

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SNMPv2
Released in 1992, revised in 1996 Addressed functional deficiencies in SNMP Accommodates decentralized network management Improves efficiency of data transfer

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SNMPv3
Released in 1998, addressed security deficiencies in SNMP and SNMPv2 Does not provide a complete SNMP capability; defines an overall SNMP architecture and a set of security capabilities for use with SNMPv2 Provides three important services: authentication, privacy, and access control
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