ITS124 Section 12

Network monitoring

A vital network operations process where a network is monitored for performance, security, and troubleshooting reasons.

Performance monitoring

The network operation of monitoring network performance metrics.

Availability management

The network operation of ensuring a network and network resources are available for authorized uses and users.

Configuration management

The network operation of developing device configuration baselines and ensuring any baseline changes are properly managed.

Network discovery

The network operation of automatically discovering networking and networked devices.

Traffic analysis

The network operation of capturing and analyzing traffic for network performance or security purposes.

Device log

A text-based file containing various device events.

Traffic log

A device's recording of incoming and outgoing network traffic events.

Audit log

A device's recording of system-related events such as failed and successful user login attempts.

System logging protocol (syslog)

A network protocol enabling a device or application to send log entries to a syslog server.

Syslog server

A node configured to receive logs from syslog-configured devices and applications using port 514.

Shell

A program exposing an operating system's services to a user and other programs via a CLI or a GUI.

Command-line interface (CLI)

A text-based interface used to execute commands via a keyboard.

Graphical user interface (GUI)

A graphical interface used to interact with a window system via a pointing device and keyboard.

Network platform

A proprietary CLI or GUI used to execute a command or access software on a vendor-specific device.

Netflow

A Cisco-proprietary protocol system that collects inbound and outbound traffic on Cisco devices.

Bandwidth

The maximum amount of data a connection can transmit in a given amount of time.

Throughput

The actual amount of data a connection can transmit in a given amount of time.

Latency

The time it takes a packet to travel from a sender to a destination device.

Jitter

The variation in a connection's latency amount, measured in time.

Link state

An interface status indicating whether an interface is up (on) or down (off).

Ingress traffic

Network traffic entering a network or interface.

Egress traffic

Network traffic exiting a network or interface.

Speed

An interface statistic for data transmission rate.

Send/receive

An interface statistic for sent and received data transmissions.

Protocol packet count

An interface statistic for a protocol-specific data transmission count.

Byte count

An interface statistic for the total amount of bytes an interface transmits.

Cyclic redundancy check (CRC) error

An interface error occurring when a receiver calculates a different CRC value than the CRC value included in a sender's frame.

Runt

An interface error caused by a frame size of less than 64 bytes.

Giant

An interface error caused by a frame exceeding a network or interface's MTU configuration.

Encapsulation error

An interface error caused by missing or incorrect Layer 2 or Layer 3 information.

Chassis

A networking device's external enclosure that includes sensors to gather internal component metrics.

Central processing unit (CPU)

Hardware that runs program instructions and controls other hardware.

Memory

Hardware that stores data for CPU processing.

Random access memory (RAM)

A type of memory that temporarily stores data for CPU processing.

Network baseline

A parameter set describing network performance at the time of use.

Uptime

The amount of time, usually expressed as a percentage, a network or network resource is available.

Downtime

The amount of time, usually expressed as a percentage, a network or network resource is unavailable.

Simple network management protocol (SNMP)

A network protocol for monitoring and managing networked devices in an IP network.

Managed device (network element)

A network node that implements an SNMP interface that allows access to the network node's information.

SNMP manager

A system that monitors and controls a network element's activities using SNMP.

SNMP agent

The software that runs on a network element and collects and maintains information on the network element.

SNMP trap

An alert message sent from an SNMP agent to an SNMP manager to notify the SNMP manager of an event at a network element.

Management information base (MIB)

A hierarchically organized collection of SNMP managed devices and their associated properties.

Object identifier (OID)

A unique SNMP identifier for a managed device.

Command

An instruction issued to a computing device to perform a task, usually referring to an instruction issued from a CLI.

String

An array of characters that makes up a command issued from a CLI.

Argument

A command value (each string in a command).

Syntax

Grammatical rules for command execution that each argument follows.

Option

An argument modifying a command's default behavior.

Parameter

An argument providing additional input to another argument.

Packet inter-network groper (ping) command (ping)

A command-line tool used to verify source-to-destination, or end-to-end, connectivity between nodes using ICMP messages.

Traceroute command (traceroute)

A non-Windows command-line tool used to verify router-to-router, or hop-to-hop, connectivity between nodes using ICMP messages.

Tracert command (tracert)

A Windows command-line tool used to verify router-to-router, or hop-to-hop, connectivity between nodes using ICMP messages.

Netstat command (netstat)

A performance-gathering, command-line tool used to show network connection status and protocol statistics.

IP configuration command (ipconfig)

A Windows command-line tool used to view and make IP configurations.

Interface configuration command (ifconfig)

A deprecated Linux command-line tool used to view and make IP and interface configurations.

Ip command

A Linux command-line tool used to view and/or modify IP and interface configurations.

Route command

A command-line tool used to view and modify local routing table entries.

Protocol-specific tool

A command-line tool providing network protocol information.

Arp command

A protocol-specific tool executed from a command line to confirm IP-to-MAC address resolution via ARP.

Hostname command

A protocol-specific tool executed from a command line to display a local device's hostname.

Name server lookup (nslookup) command (nslookup)

A deprecated protocol-specific tool executed from a command line to confirm DNS functionality.

Domain information groper (dig) command (dig)

A protocol-specific tool executed from a command line to confirm DNS functionality.

Command-line software

Software providing advanced network analysis and management capabilities that built-in command-line tools do not provide.

My traceroute (mtr)

Installable command-line software combining ping and traceroute into a single tool.

Bandwidth speed tester

Command-line software used to measure and, in some cases, tune network performance.

iperf

A command-line bandwidth speed tester used to establish a network baseline and compare current network metrics.

Port scanner

Command-line software that shows the port status for a single node or an entire network.

Network mapper (nmap)

Command-line port scanner software used to show the port status for a single node or an entire network.

Packet capture

The process of collecting network packets for further analysis and potential action.

TCPdump

Command-line packet capture software used to collect packets for further analysis.

Protocol analyzer

Packet capture software with a built-in ability to classify and analyze network packets.

IP scanner

Network scanning software used to identify nodes by IP address.

GUI software

Software that provides advanced capabilities and offers a graphical representation of bandwidth speed testing, port scanning, and packet capture.

Angry IP Scanner

A graphical IP scanner application for various operating systems.

Wireshark

A graphical packet capture and protocol analyzer application for various operating systems.

Speedtest

A browser-based graphical bandwidth speed tester.

Acrylic Wi-Fi Home

A graphical WiFi analyzer application intended for residence-based WLANs.

WiFi analyzer

Software used to monitor a WLAN's RF behavior and identify SSIDs, channels, interference sources, noise floor, and RSSI.

Terminal emulator

Software allowing one computing device to appear as, or emulate, another computing device's platform via an application window rather than a physical interface.

Telnet

A network protocol for unsecurely operating a network service over an unsecure network.

Secure Shell (SSH)

Emulates a cryptographic and secure terminal on a network device, authenticating each node and encrypting traffic between them.

show command

A network platform command providing networking device information without making a configuration change.

show interfaces command (or show interfaces)

Displays interface statistics for all of a device's interfaces.

show config command (or show config)

Displays a device's current configuration, known as a running configuration.

show route command (or show route)

Displays a device's local routing table.

Network documentation

A collection of records documenting a network's hardware, software, and configurations.

Physical network diagram

A graphical representation of a network's physical topology.

Floor plan

A graphical representation of a location's physical layout.

Rack diagram

A graphical representation of the equipment in a structure used to house IT equipment known as a server rack.

Wiring diagram

A graphical representation of how server rack equipment is connected to an IDF and how an IDF is connected to a MDF.

Site survey report

The documentation generated by a site survey.

Logical network diagram

Text-based documentation used to record a network's logical topology.

Baseline configuration

A node's initial configuration at time of deployment.

Standard naming convention

The use of a consistent naming scheme, or convention, for computing resources.

IP schema

The use of a consistent IP addressing plan, or schema, for network resources.

Audit and assessment report

An audit and assessment of all network nodes and links for performance improvement opportunities and security concerns.

Standard operating procedure (SOP)

Network documentation detailing the specific steps for a routine process.

Memorandum of understanding (MoU)

A non-binding written agreement between two parties.