Cisco Network Management System
NETW-420 Enterprise Network Mgmt
Professor

Introduction

Cisco uses the International Organization for Standardization network management model which defines five functional areas of Network management. The model consists of Fault Management, Configuration Management, Performance Management, Security Management, and Accounting Management. In this paper we will cover the models five functional areas.

Fault Management Fault management detects, logs, notifies users of, and tries to automatically fix network problems to keep the network running effectively. Fault management is perhaps the most widely implemented of the ISO network management elements. The reason is because faults can cause downtime or unacceptable network degradation. Fault Management uses a network management platform deployed in an enterprise infrastructure that consists of multivendor network elements. Network management platforms can be viewed as the main console for network operations in detecting faults in the infrastructure. The platform receives and processes events from network elements in the network. Events from servers and other critical resources can also be forwarded to a management platform. A standard management platform consists of Network discovery, Topology mapping of network elements, Event handler, and Performance data collector and graphed.

Configuration Management Configuration management monitors network and system configuration information so that the effects on network operation of various versions of hardware and software elements can be tracked and managed. With the increase in network devices, it is critical to be able to accurately identify the location of a network device. A detailed description meaningful to those tasked with dispatching resources when a network problem occurs should provide accurate location information. Making certain to have available contact information of the person or department responsible for the devices will expedite a resolution if a network problem occurs. Contact information should include the name of person or department and telephone number.

Performance Management Different performance metrics at the interface, device, and protocol levels should be collected on a regular basis using SNMP. The polling engine in a network management system can be utilized for data collection purposes. Most network management systems are capable of collecting, storing, and presenting polled data.

Security Management Security management controls access to network resources according to local guidelines so that the network cannot be sabotaged. A security management subsystem, can monitor users logging on to a network resource, refusing access to those who enter inappropriate access codes. Security management covers a broad spectrum, so we will cover security as related to SNMP and basic device access security. Good security management consists of Access Control Lists, User IDs and passwords local to the device and Terminal Access Controller Access Control System.

Accounting Management Accounting management is used to measure network utilization parameters so that individual or group users on the network can be regulated appropriately for the purposes of accounting or chargeback. The first step toward appropriate accounting management is to measure the utilization of all important network resources. Network resource utilization can be measured using the Cisco IP Accounting features. Analysis of the data gathered through these methods provides insight into current usage patterns. Using usage-based accounting and billing system are an essential part of any service level agreement. Usage-based accounting and billing system provides both a practical way of defining obligations under an SLA and clear consequences for behavior outside the terms of the SLA.
Conclusion
This was a brief overview of what Cisco uses for their Network Management System. Cisco dominates the market for network products so it was only appropriate to cover the process they use for Network Management. For more in depth analysis about applications and processes Cisco offers this information under the White Pages on the cisco.com website.

References

All reference material was taken from:
Cisco (2007, July 11). Network Management System: Best Practices White Paper. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/availability/high-availability/15114-NMS-bestpractice.html#networkmanage