Network Security And Management - Article Example

send'e-mail'or'SMS text'to a'mobile phone). Some notification systems also have escalation rules that will notify a chain of individuals based on availability and severity of alarm. Measurements taken at different points of a system are not random. They are coupled by the dynamics of the process. This is termed'analytical redundancy. Analytical redundancy can be employed to provide an estimate for a sensor signal in the presence of a sensor fault or even total loss of the sensor. Albeit the so calculated estimate of the sensor readout may be good enough to control the process for some time after a sensor loss, in the interest of optimal control, it is typically not advisable to abandon the sensor totally in the system design.

A process of identifying system components, tracking relationships between components, and communicating the status and flux in those components. Typically, this consists of storing detailed information about versions and characteristics for each component, as well as keeping the records current and complete. It is optimal to also track all changes to any components, so that a full history of the environment at any point can be reconstructed. Reporting the state of components is another important aspect, as any interested parties can then review the information.

The 1st step is to define the components that will be tracked. Earlier, configuration management was often applied only to tracking source code revisions, but in recent years it has expanded to cover the complete set of components that go into a system. This includes the source code, third party binaries, loose files, build tools, user environments, machine configurations, and any other items that are consumed by the system.Once the types of components are identified, a baseline should be established that details the components as of that moment.

While there is no perfect rule on what specific data should be recorded, there should be sufficient information that if there were a catastrophic loss, the system could be reconstructed from scratch. As a result, it is common to have bootstrapping procedures documented and included in the record.Most important of all periodic audits should be performed to ensure the record is accurate and complete. This is less necessary when using a mature change control process, but can still be beneficial to assess new risks and put new components under proper management.

The final step in configuration management is proper communication of the system components to interested groups. The primary use of this is for the maintainers of the system to be able to restore or duplicate environments. However, internal customers such as development and quality assurance can also benefit as they are able to see the complete system and verify that they have compatible environments.Network management'refers to the activities, methods, procedures, and tools that pertain to the'operation,'administration,'maintenance,