NETWORK MANAGEMENT FUNDAMENTALS

Network management is an essential factor in successfully operating a network. As businesses become

increasingly dependent on networking services, keeping those services running becomes synonymous with
keeping the business running. Network Management Fundamentals provides you with an accessible
overview of network management covering management not just of networks themselves but also of services
running over those networks.
Network Management Fundamentals have different technologies that are used in network management
and how they relate to each other. It provides a solid technical foundation for the practitioner to successfully
navigate network management topics and apply those concepts to particular situations. It provides a solid
technical foundation for the practitioner to successfully navigate network management topics and apply those
concepts to particular situations by using Operating large-scale IT infrastructures and IT services necessitates
the management of the involved devices (e. g., network components and servers) and applications.
IT service providers, such as hosting data canter and enterprises’ IT departments, need to manage their
IT infrastructure and services. Based on the ISO OSI model, fault, configuration, accounting, performance,
and security management (FCAPS) are the classic functional areas of network and system management.

7 Components Network Management

1. Network Administration: Network administrators are responsible for the daily management of
a network, including monitoring, troubleshooting and maintaining network devices. They ensure
optimal performance, reliability and security of the network.
2. Network Provisioning: This involves the allocation and configuration of network resources to meet the
needs of users and applications. Provisioning includes tasks such as setting up new devices, allocating
bandwidth and defining Quality of Service (QoS) parameters.
3. Network Security: Security management focuses on protecting the network from various threats,
including unauthorized access, malware and data breaches. This involves implementing security policies
and protocols, such as firewalls, access controls and intrusion detection systems.
4. Network Automation: Network automation streamlines network management tasks by using software
tools and scripts to perform routine tasks. The idea behind this is to reduce human intervention alongside
the high possibility of errors.
5. Network Maintenance: Networks must be maintained regularly to keep them working. Examples of
maintenance tasks include updating firmware, patching software vulnerabilities and replacing faulty
hardware components to ensure the network’s reliability and performance.
6. Network Protocol: Network protocols are the rules and standards that govern communication between
devices on a network. Network management involves configuring and maintaining these protocols to
ensure seamless communication and data exchange.
7. Network Analytics: Network analytics involves gathering and analyzing data from network devices and
infrastructure to identify trends, detect anomalies and optimize network performance. Analytics tools
help administrators make data-driven decisions to improve the network’s overall health.

Types of Network Management

1. Fault Management
Fault management focuses on detecting, isolating and resolving network faults or errors. It
involves continuously monitoring the network for issues and triggers alerts if there’s a malfunction. Fault
management aims to minimize network downtime and ensure maximum uptime.
2. Configuration Management
Configuration management maintains control of the network infrastructure by tracking specific
components of the network such as routers, servers, switches and firewalls, including their configuration
details. This makes it easier to implement changes efficiently while reducing errors. Configuration
management uses methods including automated scripts, templates and version control.
3. Performance Management
Performance management monitors the overall effectiveness of the network. It tracks metrics such
as link utilization, packet loss rates and network response times. The goal is to ensure the network is
running optimally and make adjustments as needed to improve speed, availability and quality of service.
Performance is usually measured through polling, synthetic monitoring and analyzing network data.
4. Security Management
Security management protects the network from unauthorized access and cyber threats. It uses
tools such as firewalls, encryption and authentication to control access and safeguard network resources.
 Security management also employs methods such as log analysis, audits and compliance checks. The aim
is to detect attacks before damage occurs and prevent future breaches.
5. Accounting Management
Accounting management monitors the utilization of network resources for accounting and billing
purposes. It tracks metrics such as bandwidth usage, storage consumption and device access. Network
providers use accounting management to properly bill clients for the services and resources they use.
Clients also use it internally to allocate costs and plan budgets.

Best Practices for Network Management

 Keep detailed records of your network configurations, IP addresses, passwords and any changes made.
This makes troubleshooting issues much easier and ensures anyone else can understand how your
network is set up.
 Use the same brands and models of routers, switches and other hardware whenever possible. This
minimizes the number of variables when issues arise and simplifies maintenance and replacement.
 Set up automated monitoring and alerts for things including bandwidth usage, uptime and security.
Use tools that can automatically update firmware, restart equipment or take other actions. Automation
reduces human error and frees up your time.
 Never make changes to a live network without testing them first in a sandboxed environment. Even
small changes can have unforeseen impacts, so test to identify potential problems before they affect
users or customers.
 Only provide users with the minimum level of access needed to do their jobs. Set strong, unique
passwords and two-factor authentication whenever possible. Monitor accounts and network activity to
detect unauthorized access attempts.
 Implement a robust backup strategy in case of equipment failures, natural disasters or cyberattacks.
Back up configurations, logs, software and data on a regular schedule and store copies off-site in a
secure location.
References:

Van Nguyen S and Tran H. (2021). An automated fault detection system for communication networks and
distributed systems. Applied Intelligence. 51:8. (5405-5419). Online publication date: 1-Aug-2021.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10489-020-02026-2

Steinke, Michael; Hommel, Wolfgang (2018). [IEEE NOMS 2018 - 2018 IEEE/IFIP Network Operations
and Management Symposium - Taipei, Taiwan (2018.4.23-2018.4.27)] NOMS 2018 – 2018
https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.1109/NOMS.2018.8406162

John Iwuozor, Cassie Bottorff (2023). What Is Network Management? Definition And Best Practices.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/what-is-network-management/?
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