NETW420 week 2 paper study mode
Network Management System Components
NetW420: Enterprise Network Management
DeVry University
A Network Management system, or NMS is a collection of software to be used as tools to monitor a network of computers. This software performs multiples tasked specifically designed to help keep a network managed properly and running smoothly. There are many components that can make up a Network management system. With all the options out there a network administrator is able to customize what features to utilize depending on their specific needs. This allows for real-time monitoring as well as report generated analyses. However, there are a few cornerstone components that should be explored. The Manager, Agent, MIB, Probe, SNMP, and RMON are probably the most valued components.
Let us start with the Manager and Agent. These two terms are very similar in concept to the client/server relationship. The Manager/Agent relationship is an asymmetric communication type that works in a way, much like a client\server. Take a look to the infographic (Figure 1).
You can see how the manager acts as a client while the managed system acts as a server per se. However, while similar, there is a difference from the client/server that should be noted when applying it to the Manager/Agent relationship. Where there typically is many clients to one server, there are many agent to one manager. (Clemm 77) So now that we have that straightened out, let us look at each role a little closer.
The Manager acts as the controller and reporter of the Network Management System. It can physically be either an application or a user. Typically the manager is an application that monitors various devices also known as Network Elements, (NEs) on a network. Theses network elements managed by the manager are considered Agents. Agents respond back to requests from the manager for information. They send back vital information about the devices and the overall network to the manager. This is
NetW420: Enterprise Network Management
DeVry University
A Network Management system, or NMS is a collection of software to be used as tools to monitor a network of computers. This software performs multiples tasked specifically designed to help keep a network managed properly and running smoothly. There are many components that can make up a Network management system. With all the options out there a network administrator is able to customize what features to utilize depending on their specific needs. This allows for real-time monitoring as well as report generated analyses. However, there are a few cornerstone components that should be explored. The Manager, Agent, MIB, Probe, SNMP, and RMON are probably the most valued components.
Let us start with the Manager and Agent. These two terms are very similar in concept to the client/server relationship. The Manager/Agent relationship is an asymmetric communication type that works in a way, much like a client\server. Take a look to the infographic (Figure 1).
You can see how the manager acts as a client while the managed system acts as a server per se. However, while similar, there is a difference from the client/server that should be noted when applying it to the Manager/Agent relationship. Where there typically is many clients to one server, there are many agent to one manager. (Clemm 77) So now that we have that straightened out, let us look at each role a little closer.
The Manager acts as the controller and reporter of the Network Management System. It can physically be either an application or a user. Typically the manager is an application that monitors various devices also known as Network Elements, (NEs) on a network. Theses network elements managed by the manager are considered Agents. Agents respond back to requests from the manager for information. They send back vital information about the devices and the overall network to the manager. This is