Understanding the network.pdf - Back to Home

• Configuration management—In large-scale network environments
consisting of perhaps thousands of manageable nodes and devices,
configuration and version control is essential. Incompatible versions of
software can lead to many network and general interoperability-related
problems. Configuration management systems poll network devices and
create a database of the devices' hardware configuration and software
versions. Additionally, these systems provide facilities for performing
software upgrades and installing new software packages. After an accurate
configuration inventory is available for all the nodes on the network, the
database can be consulted when diagnosing system performance issues.
These systems have become popular for large scale Windows NT
installations, which do not support remote administration easily.
Configuration management also entails managing network resources.
Adding or removing nodes, manual traffic redirection, and service
prioritization during periods of high network utilization are examples of when
this kind of management would occur.
• Accounting management—The computer network is a common
enterprise-wide resource. It is common to bill various business cost centers
or customers based on network utilization. Accounting management in these
situations is also used for equipment depreciation and amortization,
staff-related costs, and interdepartmental billing. This information can also
be used for apportioning network resources between users. The historical
data can be used to substantiate the need and/or establish a basis for
justifying capital expenditures for new resources.
• Security management—This is the function of implementing and enforcing
network and computer security. The network represents a substantial
security risk for any enterprise. Networking equipment, management
systems, and access points must be adequately secured. This entails the
physical security for network equipment, the partitioning and securing of
public and private data cabling, and the use of data encryption to transmit
data between nodes and over public access links. The administration of a
trusted third party or one-time password authentication system is part of
this function, as well as the creation of an adequate security log and system
event database.
• Performance management—This process evaluates the performance of the
network. Ideally, the network should be operating in a manner that permits
the connected nodes to process network transactions at their relative
capacity. In order to ensure that network performance is maintained at an
acceptable performance level, it is common to have service level agreements
(SLAs) that govern network performance and availability. Performance and
availability are measured using variables such as the following:
o Number of CRC errors
o Bit error rates