network management

network management

process of administering, managing, and maintaining computer _ to ensure they run efficiently, securely, and with minimal disruptions; involves a combination of hardware, software, policies, and procedures

systems department

network management is a crucial job of the _, whether it is handled by the in-house staff, outsourced to a vendor, or performed by a common carrier

mainframes

networks have played a role in systems ever since terminals were connected to _

multi-vendor

today, with _ distributed systems, managing the network is orders of magnitude more complex

system

in a growing number of firms, the network is the _; keeping it up and running is therefore akin to keeping the company operational

alternate routing

since processing is performed around the enterprise network, and on the Internet as well, when one or more networks go down, the entire system could be down unless there is _

network management (index foundation report)

set of activities required to plan, install, monitor, and maintain all network components in order to achieve specified service levels reliably, at an acceptable, and agreed cost.

five activities

fault handling, performance monitoring, change management, tactical planning, cost control

network monitoring

constantly tracking the performance, availability, and health; helps to identify problems such as traffic bottlenecks, outages, or security breaches.

configuration management

ensuring that network devices (routers, switches, firewalls, etc.) are set up correctly and remain in compliance with policies; includes managing changes to network configurations to prevent disruptions

fault management

detecting, diagnosing, and resolving network issues or failures; involves automated alerts and diagnostic tools to help administrators quickly identify and fix problems.

performance management

analyzing the network’s execution to ensure optimal operation; includes monitoring bandwidth usage, latency, and the quality of service (QoS) across the network.

security management

protecting the network from unauthorized access, attacks, and data breaches; include firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), encryption, and access control policies.

network provisioning

assigning and managing network resources like IP addresses, bandwidth, and storage to ensure proper allocation based on user needs and priorities

backup and recovery

ensuring that network configurations, data, and services are _ regularly to prevent loss during hardware failures, cyberattacks, or natural disasters.

traffic management

managing the flow of network _ to prioritize important services or ensure fair distribution of resources among users; includes using techniques like Quality of Service (QoS) or traffic shaping.

tactical planning

ensuring that the networks can accommodate future growth or new services in the near future.

cost control

monitoring operating _ and reconciling invoices.

automation

_ routine tasks like configuration management, fault detection, and response can save time, reduce human error, and improve overall efficiency.

artificial intelligence and machine learning

help identify patterns in data, detect anomalies, predict issues before they happen, and optimize performance; useful for automating responses to common network problems.

self-healing networks

leveraging AI to automatically detect and resolve network issues without human intervention is a growing trend, providing increased reliability and uptime.

software-defined networking

network administrators can programmatically control network behavior, abstracting away much of the complexity associated with traditional hardware-based networks; enables more agile, flexible, and dynamic network management by providing centralized control of traffic flow, improving network efficiency, and simplifying the process of provisioning and reconfiguring network resources.

network function virtualization

decouples network functions like routing, firewalls, and load balancing from dedicated hardware and instead runs them as software on standard servers; enables more flexibility, reduces hardware costs, and facilitates faster deployment of new services.

cloud networking

require centralized, unified network management solutions; they allow network teams to manage distributed networks remotely, scale resources as needed, and improve flexibility.

5G

brings ultra-low latency, high-speed data transfer, and the ability to support millions of devices; efficiently requires new tools and strategies to handle massive amounts of data and ensure quality of service (QoS).

edge computing

processing happens closer to the data source instead of in centralized data centers; reduces latency and bandwidth requirements

security-centric network management

zero-trust architectures and intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) are becoming standard in network management platforms

big data analytics

gain deeper insights into network traffic, performance, and security; insights help network teams make data-driven decisions to optimize network design, improve performance, and identify issues faster.

software-defined wide area network

organizations to leverage multiple types of connections (e.g., broadband internet, MPLS, LTE) to optimize cost, performance, and reliability; centralizes control and enables easier network monitoring and management, making it an attractive option for businesses with distributed or remote locations.

network as a service

network services are provided on-demand via the cloud; organizations can lease network resources; provides flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency, and is particularly useful for businesses that need to scale quickly or have fluctuating network demands.

user experience

as network performance directly affects the _(e.g., speed, latency, reliability), organizations are focusing on delivering seamless connectivity.

zero-trust security models

assumes that no one, whether inside or outside the network, can be trusted by default and requires verification for every user and device; help mitigate the risks of insider threats, phishing, and other security vulnerabilities

network orchestration

focused on automating and optimizing the configuration of network devices and services; integrates multiple systems to ensure seamless and efficient network operations across physical, virtual, and cloud environments.

integration

being able to manage an enterprise-wide network, from LANs through WANs; ability of network management products from different vendors to work together and appear as a single system to a network manager

roadblock of integration

each product has designed its software to be the “manager of managers,” so all other vendors are supposed to send their network alerts to this vendor’s product. In essence, there have been too many “bosses” and not enough “workers.”

chief information officer

focal point for the firm’s IT deployment.

CIO responsibilities

understand the business, establish the credibility of the is department, increase the technological maturity of the firm, create a vision of the future and sell it, implement an is architecture, develop and nurture relationships