Network management refers to the activities, methods, procedures, and tools that pertain to the operation, administration, maintenance, and provisioning of networked systems. ^[1]

• Operation deals with keeping the network (and the services that the network provides) up and running smoothly. It includes monitoring the network to spot problems as soon as possible, ideally before users are affected.

• Administration deals with keeping track of resources in the network and how they are assigned. It includes all the "housekeeping" that is necessary to keep the network under control.

• Maintenance is concerned with performing repairs and upgrades - for example, when equipment must be replaced, when a router needs a patch for an operating system image, when a new switch is added to a network. Maintenance also involves corrective and preventive measures to make the managed network run "better", such as adjusting device configuration parameters.

• Provisioning is concerned with configuring resources in the network to support a given service. For example, this might include setting up the network so that a new customer can receive voice service.

A common way of characterizing network management functions is FCAPS - Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance and Security.

Functions that are performed as part of network management accordingly include controlling, planning, allocating, deploying, coordinating, and monitoring the resources of a network, network planning, frequency allocation, predetermined traffic routing to support load balancing, cryptographic key distribution authorization, configuration management, fault management, security management, performance management, bandwidth management, Route analytics and accounting management.

Data for network management is collected through several mechanisms, including agents installed on infrastructure, synthetic monitoring that simulates transactions, logs of activity, sniffers and real user monitoring. In the past network management mainly consisted of monitoring whether devices were up or down; today performance management has become a crucial part of the IT team's role which brings about a host of challenges -- especially for global organizations.^[2]

Note: Network management does not include user terminal equipment.

Technologies and Solutions

A large number of access methods exist to support network and network device management. Access methods include the SNMP, Command Line Interface (CLIs), custom XML, CMIP, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), Transaction Language 1, CORBA, netconf, and the Java Management Extensions - JMX.

Schemas include the WBEM and the Common Information Model, MTOSI amongst others.

Medical Service Providers provide a niche marketing utility for managed service providers; as HIPAA legislation consistently increases demands for knowledgeable providers. Medical Service Providers are liable for the protection of their clients confidential information, including in an electronic realm. This liability creates a significant need for managed service providers who can provide secure infrastructure for transportation of medical data.

Notes and references

1. ^ A. Clemm: Network Management Fundamentals. CiscoPress, 2006
2. ^ Fingerpointing, Frustrated Network Engineers, and the Application Performance Blame Game

See also

• FCAPS
• Information Technology Infrastructure Library
• Integrated business planning
• Managed service provider
• Network administrator
• Network monitoring
• Network performance management
• Network traffic measurement
• Out-of-band management
• Route analytics
• Systems management
• Application Service Management
• Website monitoring
• Route analytics
• Simple Network Management Protocol
• In-Network Management

External links

• Network Management (1) at the Open Directory Project
• Network Management (2) at the Open Directory Project
• NMSWiki - Network Management Wiki
• IFIP TC6.6 on Management of Networks and Distributed Systems
• PacketTrap Network Management User Community
• IEEE Committee on Network Operation and Management
• Networks and Management Laboratory

Categories: Network management |

See Also:

• Bureau of Land Management
• Federal Emergency Management Agency

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