An important part of any network design process involves a serious look at network management. As a customer’s network changes or grows, the need for a network management solution that provides control over network performance, troubleshooting, security, and configuration becomes more acute. When all is said and done, a network is still only a vehicle used to enable a customer’s business. Ensuring that it performs as required and expected must be a primary consideration of any network design project.
Network management is comprised of many elements including processes, protocols, and applications. Whether it’s monitoring a network for potential trouble spots, or looking for a way to ease the burden of change and configuration management, Cisco provides access to protocols and applications that can be used to help manage both the largest and the smallest of networks. The network management concepts that we’ll cover in this series of articles include:
- Network management strategies
- The five ISO network management processes
- Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
- Remote Monitoring (RMON)
- Network management applications and tools
On even the best-designed networks, problems will eventually occur. A keen eye towards network management helps to ensure that performance requirements are met today, and that potential problem areas are identified and dealt with before they become serious issues.
