Network

Management
Standards
Content

▰ Goal of network Management

▰ Network Management Standards
▰ Network Management Models
▰ Network Management Architecture
▰ Network Management Structure/System
▰ Basics of Network Management Monitoring tools

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1.1 Goal of Network
Management
▰ Network management is the process of controlling a
complex data network to maximize its efficiency and
productivity.

▰ The overall goal of network management is to help

with the complexity of a data network and to ensure
that data can go across it with maximum efficiency and
transparency to the users.

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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Network Management Forum divided network management
into five functional areas:
• – Fault Management
• – Configuration Management
• – Security Management
• – Performance Management
• – Accounting Management
Fault Management
• Is the process of locating problems, or faults, on the data network
• It involves the following steps:
– Discover the problem
– Isolate the problem
– Fix the problem (if possible)

Configuration Management
• The configuration of certain network devices controls the behavior of the data network
• Configuration management is the process of finding and setting up (configuring) these critical devices

Security Management
• Is the process of controlling access to information on the data network
• Provides a way to monitor access points and records information on a periodic basis
• Provides audit trails and sounds alarms for security breaches
Performance Management
• Involves measuring the performance of the network hardware, software, and media.
• Examples of measured activities are:
– Overall throughput
– Percentage utilization
– Error rates
– Response time

Accounting Management
• Involves tracking individual’s utilization and grouping of network resources to ensure that users have
sufficient resources
• Involves granting or removing permission for access to the network
 1.2 Network Management Standards
Standard Salient Points
OSI/CMIP International standard (ISO/OSI)
- Management of data communication networks – LAN and WAN
- Deals with all server layers
- Most complete
- Well-structured and layered
SNMP/Internet - Industry standard (IETF)
- Originally intended for management of Internet components, currently adopted for WAN and
telecommunication systems
- Easy to implement
TMN - International standard (ITU-T)
- Management of telecommunication network
- Based OSI network management framework
- Addresses both network and administrative aspects of management
IEEE - IEEE standards adopted internationally
- Address management of LAN and MAN
- Adopts OSI standards significantly
- Deals with first two layers of the OSI reference model
Web-based - Web-based enterprise management (WBEM)
management - Java management extension (JMX)

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1.3 Network Management Model

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 Organization model
Describes components of network management and their relationship

. Manager . Agent . Managed object

▰ Manages the ▰ Gathers information ▰ Network element
managed elements from objects that is managed
▰ Sends requests to ▰ Configures parameters ▰ Houses
agents of objects management
▰ Monitors alarms ▰ Responds to agent
▰ Houses applications managers’ requests ▰ All objects are
▰ Generates alarms and either managed or
▰ Provides user unmanaged
interface sends them to
managers
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Information model
It is concerned with the structure and the storage of information
Structure of Management Management Information Base
Information (SMI) (MIB)
defines for a managed object: ▰ information base contains
▰ Syntax information about objects
▰ Semantics ▰ Defines relationship between
objects
▰ Additional information
such as status ▰ It is NOT a physical database. It
is a virtual database that is
compiled into management
module
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Communication Model

Communication Model will address the way information is exchanged

between systems (agents/managers)

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Functional model

▰Five conceptual areas

▻ Performance Management

▻ Configuration Management

▻ Accounting management

▻ Fault management

▻ Security management.

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Performance Management
• Goal is to measure and make available various aspects
of network performance so that internetwork
performance can be maintained at an acceptable level.

• Examples

• network throughput

• user response times &

• line utilization.
 Performance Management (Contd..)

• Three Steps
• Variables are collected (network Administrators)
• Data is analyzed to determine levels
• Data Checked with appropriate performance threshold
value
• Value exceeding each threshold value indicates
network problem
• Immediate attention need to be paid to address those
problems.
 Configuration Management
• Goal is to monitor network & system configuration
• Tracking and Managing
• Effects on network operation of various versions of
hardware and software elements
• Security and Quality areas of Network Management.
• Management of Security features in a network
• Software , hardware, firmware, documentation and test
features
• Keeps System under control
 Accounting Management

• Goal is to measure network utilization parameters

• Individual/group uses on the network can be regulated
appropriately.
• Regulation minimizes network problems - Maximizes network
access to all users

• Functions
• Controls and reports on financial status of the network.
• Analysis, planning, control

• Reporting for managerial decisions.

 Fault Management
• Goal is to detect, log, notify users of, and automatically fix
network problems

• Faults cause downtime or unacceptable network degradation

• Keeps the network to run effectively

• Determine symptoms and isolate the problem

• Fix the problem and tested on all important sub systems

• Detection and Resolution of the problem is recorded.

 Security Management
• Goal is to control access to network resources
• Access defined as per local guidelines

• Network cannot be sabotaged (intentionally or unintentionally)

• Unauthorized persons cannot access Sensitive information

• Monitors Users – access to the network resource - inappropriate users –

refuse access.

• Key component to Network Management

• Functions

• Identify Sensitive resources

• Monitor access points to sensitive resources

• Maintain log of events for inappropriate access

1.4 Network Management
Architecture

The Network Management Platform can use various

architectures to provide functionality.
1. Centralized
2. Hierarchical
3. Distributed

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1. Centralized
• The Network Management Platform resides on a single computer system
• For full redundancy, the computer system is backed up by another system
• Can allow access and forward events to other consoles on network
Used for:
o All network alerts & events
o All network information
o Access all management applications
Pros:
o Single location to view events & alerts
o Single place to access network management applications and information
Cons:
o Single system is not redundant or fault tolerant
o As network elements are added, may be difficult or expensive to scale system to handle
load
o Having to query all devices from a single location
2. Hierarchical

• Uses multiple computer systems

– One system acting as the central server
– Other systems working as clients
• Central server requires backups for redundancy
Key features:
• Not dependent on a single system
• Distribution of network management tasks
• Network monitoring distributed throughout network
• Centralized information storage
Pros:
– Multiple systems to manage the network
Cons:
– Information gathering is more difficult and time consuming
– The list of managed devices managed by each client needs to be
predetermined and manually configured
3. Distributed

• Combines the centralized and hierarchical architectures

• Uses multiple peer network management systems
- Each peer can have a complete database
- Each peer can perform various tasks and report back to a central
system
Contains advantages from central & hierarchical architectures
• Single location for all network information, alerts & events
• Single location to access all management applications
• Not dependent on a single system
• Distribution of network management tasks
• Distribution of network monitoring throughout the network
1.4 Network Management
Structure
▰ Network management requires the ability to
“monitor, test, poll, configure, analyze, evaluate
and control” the hardware, software and
components in a network.
▰ It enables the network administrator be gather
data (for example, for monitoring purposes) from
a remote entity and be able to affect changes (for
example, control) at that remote entity.

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There are three principle components of network management
architecture:
1. A managing entity
2. The managed devices
3. Network management protocol.

“Network management system is a

collection of tools for network
monitoring and control.”
Managing Entity

• The managing entity is an application running in a centralized

network management station in the network operations center
(NOC).
• The managing entity is the focus of activity for network management;
it controls the collection, processing, analysis, and/or display of
network management information.
• Here the human network administrator interacts with the network
devices and actions are initiated to control network behavior.
Managed Device
• It is a piece of network equipment (including its software) that resides on a
managed network.
• A managed device might be host, router, bridge, hub, printer or modem
device.
• Within a managed device, there may be several managed objects.
• These managed objects are the actual pieces of hardware within the managed
decide (ex: a network interface card), and the sets of configuration
parameters for the pieces of hardware and software (Ex:Routing Information
Protocol-RIP).
• These managed objects have pieces of information that are available to the
managing entity.
• There is also a resident control object in each managed device that
communicates with the managing entity, taking local actions on the managed
device under the command and control of the managing entity.
Network management protocol.

• The Network Management protocol runs between the managing

entity and the managed devices allowing managing entity to query
the status of managed devices and indirectly take actions of these
devices via its agents.
• Agents can use the network management protocol to inform the
managing entity of exceptional events (for example, component
failures or violation of performance thresholds).
• It does not itself manage the network. Instead, it provides a tool with
which the network administrator can manage monitor, test, poll,
configure, analyze, evaluate and control the network.
1.5 Basics of Network Management Monitoring tools

• The several different classes of monitoring tools.

• Network detection tools listen for the beacons sent by wireless access points, and display
information such as the network name, received signal strength, and channel.
• Spot check tools are designed for troubleshooting and normally run interactively for short
periods of time. A program such as ping may be considered an active spot check tool, since
it generates traffic by polling a particular machine.
• Passive spot check tools include protocol analyzers, which inspect every packet on the
network and provide complete detail about any network conversation (including source and
destination addresses, protocol information, and even application data).
• Trending tools perform unattended monitoring over long periods, and typically plot the
results on a graph.
• Throughput testing tools tell the actual bandwidth available between two points on a
network.
• Realtime monitoring tools perform similar monitoring, but notify administrators
immediately if they detect a problem.
• Intrusion detection tools watch for undesirable or unexpected network traffic, and take
appropriate action (typically denying access and/or notifying a network administrator).
 REFERENCES

1. Network Security and Management By Brijendra Singh, Second

Edition, Prentice Hall of India

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