What s Next

What's Next

A network diagram is just the first step toward documentation. By no means can a network diagram provide complete documentation. Comprehensive documentation of a network is composed of various other items such as the following:

• Physical topology, including details such as the cabling layout, circuit ID, chassis serial number, and so on

• Logical topology, including details such as the IP address and VLAN information

• Hardware and software inventory, including licensing and warranty information

• Contact information, including details such as the vendor's toll-free number, website, and support contract number

• Configuration files backed up in both paper and electronic format

• Policy and procedure documents, including emergency shutdown procedures and disaster-recovery plans

A common practice is to create an Internet Information Services (IIS) or Apache-based intranet web portal that contains all relevant information. Using open source programs such as OpenOffice (or any commercial program of your choice), you can save the network information as web pages. The network diagram can be inserted in the web pages as JPEG or GIF images. The content of the portal can be further enhanced by including links to the web output of various network-availability and performance-monitoring tools.

Finally, network administration (and Cisco networking in general) is a vast field composed of various tools, technologies, documentations, certifications, audits, business objectives, government regulations, and so on. This chapter and this book is just a humble attempt to help Cisco Netadmins with some of the technical aspects of their jobs. By efficiently supporting their networks, Netadmins can help their organization achieve its ultimate business goals and objectives. This book merely serves as a starting point and should not be treated as a complete guide for network administration. While the focus is to support Cisco networks, many tools and technologies apply to networks in general.

Although this book makes every attempt to cover suitable tools, as the network grows, the Netadmins will need additional tools. Or some of the tools might become obsolete because of a change in technology. Consequently, Netadmins need to keep abreast of the latest trends and technologies. However, even the best of tools are no replacement for the skills and experience of a seasoned Netadmin. Applications and appliances worth millions of dollars can end up on the shelf if the staff is not properly trained and skilled. As an example, the author recently encountered a customer whose data center was stacked with various commercial and open source products, including Multi-Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG), HP OpenView, CiscoWorks, and WhatsUp Gold. Despite an impressive repertoire of such tools, the IT staff was not skilled in administering the network. Consequently, the IT department ended up buying more products while the network continued to experience frequent outages. Remember, tools and machines do not make companies; people make companies.