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Network management software is software that is used to provision, discover, monitor and maintain computer networks.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2019) |
Network management software is software that is used to provision, discover, monitor and maintain computer networks.
With the expansion of the World Wide Web and the Internet, computer networks have become very large and complex, making them impossible to manage manually. In response, a suite of network management software was developed to help reduce the burden of managing the growing complexity of computer networks. Network management software usually collects information about network devices (which are called Nodes) using protocols like SNMP, ICMP, CDP etc. This information is then presented to network administrators in an easy to understand and accessible manner to help them quickly identify and remediate problems. Problems may present itself in the form of network faults, performance bottlenecks, compliance issues etc. Some advanced network management software may rectify network problems automatically. Network management software may also help with tasks involved in provisioning new networks, such as installing and configuring new network nodes etc. They may also help with maintenance of existing networks like upgrading software on existing network devices, creating new virtual networks etc.
Network provisioning: This function enables network managers to provision new network devices in an environment. Automating this step reduces cost and eliminates chances of human error.
Mapping or Discovery: This function enables the software to discover the features of a target network. [1] Some features that are usually discovered are: the nodes in a network, the connectivity between these nodes, the vendor types and capabilities for these nodes, the performance characteristics etc.
Monitoring: This function enables the network management software to monitor the network for problems and to suggest improvements. [2] [3] The software may poll the devices periodically or register itself to receive alerts from network devices. One mechanism for network devices to volunteer information about itself is by sending an SNMP Trap. Monitoring can reveal faults in the network such as failed or misconfigured nodes, performance bottlenecks, malicious actors, intrusions etc.
Configuration management: This function enables the software to ensure that the network configuration is as desired and there is no configuration drift.
Regulatory compliance: This function enables the network management software to ensure that the network meets the regulatory standards and complies with applicable laws.
Change control: This function enables the software to ensure that the network changes are enacted in a controlled and coordinated manner. Change control can enable audit trails which has applications during a forensic investigation after a network intrusion.
Software Asset Management: This function enabled the software to inventory software installed on nodes along with details like version and install date. Additionally, it can also provide software deployment and patch management.
Cybersecurity: This function enabled the software to use all the data gathered from the nodes to identify security risks in an IT environment. [4] [5]
A network switch is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device.
In telecommunication, provisioning involves the process of preparing and equipping a network to allow it to provide new services to its users. In National Security/Emergency Preparedness telecommunications services, "provisioning" equates to "initiation" and includes altering the state of an existing priority service or capability.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an Internet Standard protocol for collecting and organizing information about managed devices on IP networks and for modifying that information to change device behaviour. Devices that typically support SNMP include cable modems, routers, switches, servers, workstations, printers, and more.
A system administrator, or sysadmin, or admin is a person who is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems, especially multi-user computers, such as servers. The system administrator seeks to ensure that the uptime, performance, resources, and security of the computers they manage meet the needs of the users, without exceeding a set budget when doing so.
FCAPS is the ISO Telecommunications Management Network model and framework for network management. FCAPS is an acronym for fault, configuration, accounting, performance, security, the management categories into which the ISO model defines network management tasks. In non-billing organizations accounting is sometimes replaced with administration.
An over-the-air (OTA) update, also known as over-the-air programming, is an update to an embedded system that is delivered through a wireless network. These embedded systems include mobile phones, tablets, set-top boxes, cars and telecommunications equipment.
A network tap is a system that monitors events on a local network. A tap is typically a dedicated hardware device, which provides a way to access the data flowing across a computer network.
Database security concerns the use of a broad range of information security controls to protect databases against compromises of their confidentiality, integrity and availability. It involves various types or categories of controls, such as technical, procedural/administrative and physical.
This is a comparison of notable free and open-source configuration management software, suitable for tasks like server configuration, orchestration and infrastructure as code typically performed by a system administrator.
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The following tables compare general and technical information for a number of notable network monitoring systems. Please see the individual products' articles for further information.
Junos OS is a FreeBSD-based network operating system used in Juniper Networks routing, switching and security devices.
In computing, managed security services (MSS) are network security services that have been outsourced to a service provider. A company providing such a service is a managed security service provider (MSSP) The roots of MSSPs are in the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the mid to late 1990s. Initially, ISP(s) would sell customers a firewall appliance, as customer premises equipment (CPE), and for an additional fee would manage the customer-owned firewall over a dial-up connection.
A storage area network (SAN) or storage network is a computer network which provides access to consolidated, block-level data storage. SANs are primarily used to access data storage devices, such as disk arrays and tape libraries from servers so that the devices appear to the operating system as direct-attached storage. A SAN typically is a dedicated network of storage devices not accessible through the local area network (LAN).
Avaya Unified Communications Management in computer networking is the name of a collection of GUI software programs from Avaya utilizing a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that serves as a foundation for unifying configuration and monitoring of Avaya Unified Communications Servers and data systems.
Security information and event management (SIEM) is a field within the field of computer security, where software products and services combine security information management (SIM) and security event management (SEM). They provide real-time analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware. Vendors sell SIEM as software, as appliances, or as managed services; these products are also used to log security data and generate reports for compliance purposes. The term and the initialism SIEM was coined by Mark Nicolett and Amrit Williams of Gartner in 2005.
HP Network Management Center (NMC) is a suite of integrated HP software used by network managers in information technology departments. The solutions allows network operators to see, catalog and monitor the routers, switches and other devices on their network. It alerts IT staff when a network device fails and predicts when a network node or connection point may go down. It was designed to improve operational efficiency.
A number of tools exist to generate computer network diagrams. Broadly, there are three types of tools that help create network maps and diagrams:
PA Server Monitor is a server and network monitoring software from Power Admin LLC. PA Server Monitor focuses primarily on server and network health through numerous resource checks, reports, and alerting options. The agentless, on-premises software can monitor thousands of devices from a single installation. The monitored devices can be desktop computers, servers, routers and other devices.
Endpoint security or endpoint protection is an approach to the protection of computer networks that are remotely bridged to client devices. The connection of endpoint devices such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, Internet-of-things devices, and other wireless devices to corporate networks creates attack paths for security threats. Endpoint security attempts to ensure that such devices follow a definite level of compliance to standards.