Network Management and Protocols - Essay Example

Network Management and ProtocolsWe also involve our users as much as we can. If the users can be somewhat independent in their own network management functions, the whole system is more effective. If the user can determine whether the LAN segment, the entire network, or the ISP is down, then the number of calls to the technicians can be decreased. The users are also very good at keeping track of consistent problems. They can help determine patterns that result in low response times or complete outages.

The fundamental service for network management is SNMP, which stands for "simple network management protocol." It is a component of TCP/IP, which is itself the foundation of the Internet. SNMP is used to provide information about the configuration of your network, addressing schemes, performance, and traffic of packets. In its simplest form, SNMP is a client/server protocol. It has two entities: the manager and the managed. Most network equipment has the option of supporting the SNMP agent and responding to SNMP requests.

If the server, hub, router, and, eventually, workstations have the SNMP service implemented, then the manager is able to collect data in a remote mode. It is important to keep this in mind when purchasing network hardware, which should be "smart" or "manageable." The information that is available in this scenario includes inventory, configuration, network hardware and software, and operational status. Using SNMP does not cause undue stress and overload on the network. It will not affect users' response time to monitor the network on a regular basis, so long as you are not trying to replicate events too often and unnecessarily.

Even though it started as a temporary solution for network management until something better was built, SNMP has become a standard. Most smart network equipment has SNMP availability. There is a limited set of SNMP commands and actions. For most of us who are not network engineers, it is enough to know that SNMP is installed so that the third-party software we will use will be able to access the protocol. For instance, when installing Windows NT, it is important to activate SNMP service. While there are great resources for learning the commands at a very detailed level, most of us will not have the time.

The other component in the SNMP world of which we must at least have a superficial understanding is the MIB, or management information base. Simply speaking, this is the information that is managed by SNMP. Sometimes vendors include additional information, but it might only be accessible through the vendor's own monitoring software. At the most basic level, the network should be monitored for performance and bandwidth availability, down and up times and connectivity, bottlenecks, security, plus protocols in use and their impact on the network.

The plan you build for the necessary tools and what they will do depends upon the network, the users, the staff supporting the network, and the overall needs of the institution. We have selected tools that are easily used and understood while providing comprehensive levels of information. The tools are either Web-enabled or available through remote access. The more tools that are available, the more confusing management becomes. It is therefore important to select a set of criteria and pick the tools that will best meet those criteria.

Don't be enthralled by all the other information that is available but that doesn't really add value to the network. Works CitedSchmidt, K. SNMP agent enables real-time management. America’s Network, 2000. pp: S18-21.