Networking Bible

Chapter 30. Network Management

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Categories of network management

• How tools can be used to track down network faults

• How events are used to determine performance

• Network management systems in use today

Network management tools are essential for a network of any size. The development of large networks in the telephone industry and the military started a process of standardization that has led to a number of standard network protocols used to manage modern networks. This chapter uses the ITU-T classification for management software called FCAPS to organize different types of management tools. FCAPS stands for Fault, Configuration, Accounting and Administration, Performance, and Security.

Fault management software detects specific events associated with errors and helps you determine what has gone wrong. Events can be viewed inside event viewers, and the different properties associated with each event allow you to identify them. Because faults can generate many duplicate events and lead to event cascades, determining faults is a challenging enterprise.

Configuration management software allows you to determine the configuration of different network devices, change that configuration, and save your modifications. The related topics of network software deployments, upgrades, patch management, and system lifecycles are described in this chapter.

The different factors involved in managing network event accounting, security, and performance monitoring are described. All of these topics ...