What Is a Network Operations Center (NOC)?

Not sure what a Network Operations Center (NOC) is or how it relates to remote
monitoring and management services? Keep reading!

Overview

In the world of managed IT

services, a network
operations center, or NOC
(pronounced “knock”), is a
centralized location where IT
technicians can directly
support the efforts of remote
monitoring and management
(RMM) software.

These technical teams are in

place to keep a watchful eye
over all monitored endpoints,
and to ensure 24x7x365
uptime for an MSP’s
customers. Whether the MSP
maintains an in-house NOC,
outsources to a third-party
provider, or deploys a hybrid solution somewhere in the middle, the NOC’s primary
functions and responsibilities remain the same.

Learn more about Continuum's NOC in our

 FREE guide: The Definitive Guide to Managed IT
Services

What are the Roles & Responsibilities of a NOC

Technician?

NOC engineers and technicians are responsible for monitoring every netflow, hop,
server and endpoint attached to an MSP’s client networks. They monitor
infrastructure health, security and capacity, and make decisions and adjustments to
ensure optimal network performance and organizational productivity.

When any action or intervention from the MSP is required, NOC technicians can
create alerts (or “tickets”) that identify and categorize the issue based on severity,
alert type, and a number of other criteria. Depending on the relationship between
the NOC and the MSP, technical teams can then work together to resolve the
problem (and identify its root cause to prevent future issues).

Technicians are categorized based on “levels”, which indicate expertise and

problem-solving ability. In the case of a hardware failure, an alert may be assigned
to a Level 1 technician at first – but if upon further inspection the problem goes
beyond the failed hardware, the ticket may be escalated to a Level 2 or Level 3
technician.

NOC techs are constantly researching anomalous activities, making adjustments,

and they can marshal resources – some that would only be used periodically in a
standalone managed services setting – to respond to emergency situations.
Additional NOC capabilities include:

 Application software installations, troubleshooting and updating

 Email management services

 Backup and storage management

 Network discovery and assessments

 Policy enforcement
 Firewall and intrusion prevention system (IPS) monitoring and management

 Antivirus scanning and remediation

 Patch management and whitelisting

 Shared threat analysis

 Optimization and quality of service reporting

 Voice and video traffic management

 Performance reporting and improvement recommendations

Learn more about Continuum's NOC in our

FREE guide: The Definitive Guide to Managed IT
Services

A Silent Partnership

When operating at peak efficiency with a managed IT service partner, an end-user

isn’t even aware of the NOC’s presence. NOC technicians coordinate only with the
MSP or solution provider they’re supporting, and never directly with an end client.
This creates an experience in which the MSP is seen as delivering world-class
support and problem resolution – even if the technicians behind the software are
halfway across the world.
 In-house vs. Outsourced

Large enterprises today may

be equipped to fully-staff and
maintain an in-house network
operations center, but for
many businesses, the fixed
labor and infrastructure costs
are simply too much to
bear. These organizations
should consider partnering
with a third-party NOC – the
heavy lifting has already been
done, and the need to
maintain a highly-qualified
staff no longer rests on the
shoulders of the MSP.

Through outsourcing, a NOC’s

technical teams can act as an
extension of the MSPs existing
workforce – an invaluable advantage over a software-only RMM solution or limited
in-house staff. When working with an outside partner, MSPs and IT providers can
ensure uptime and satisfaction across a wide customer base – without the need to
hire additional technicians, pay any added overtime, etc. In other words, partnering
with a NOC provider allows MSPs to offload day-to-day RMM maintenance and
management, allowing business owners to focus on growth and future expansion.

NOC vs. Help Desk

Despite the many things that a Network Operations Center is, there’s one thing it
absolutely is not – a help desk. This is an important distinction, and one that can
easily confuse business owners if not properly explained. The big difference? The
help desk is where all end-client interaction takes place.

The NOC provides back end maintenance, problem resolution and support, so that
the MSP can respond to issues as they arise and ensure client uptime. The help
desk, on the other hand, is a call center –designed to field front-line questions
directly from end-clients who are actively experiencing some issue. In other words –
if an end-user is having a problem, they can call the help desk. If the MSP is having
a problem, they’ll contact the NOC.

A network operations center (NOC) is a place from which administrators supervise, monitor and maintain
a telecommunications network. Large enterprises with large networks as well as large network service
providers typically have a network operations center, a room containing visualizations of the network or
networks that are being monitored, workstations at which the detailed status of the network can be
seen, and the necessary software to manage the networks. The network operations center is the focal
point for network troubleshooting, software distribution and updating, router and domain name
management, performance monitoring, and coordination with affiliated networks.

NOC engineers[edit]

A NOC engineer has several duties in order to ensure the smooth running of the network. They
deal with things such as DDoS Attacks, power outages, network failures, and routing black-
holes. There are of course the basic roles, such as remote hands, support, configuration of
hardware (such as firewalls and routers, purchased by a client). NOC engineers also have to
ensure the core network is stable. This can be done by configuring hardware in a way that makes
the network more secure, but still has optimal performance. NOC engineers are also responsible
for monitoring activity, such as network usage, temperatures etc. They would also have to install
equipment, such as KVMs, rack installation, IP-PDU setup, running cabling. The majority of
NOC engineers are also on call and have a 5-6 day rotation, working different shifts.