Outline of the Book

Chapter 1 presents a general overview of modern networks and introduces the area of management. Reference is made to sample enterprise and SP networks. VLAN technology and layer 3 are introduced, and the difference between ports and interfaces is described. The importance of network management is discussed and includes a brief explanation of the areas of network management. The network management pyramid is introduced to show the way different management system software layers can be deployed. Alternative techniques to SNMP are described. Aggregate network-resident objects are described, followed by the overall goal of an NMS. A closer look is taken at the elements of SNMP.

Chapter 2 describes some of the details of SNMPv3 message content. Some SNMPv3 message interactions are described with reference to an example network. Some of the problems associated with SNMP are described. The different versions of SNMP in common use are enumerated, followed by an introduction to the area of SNMP applications. A closer examination of a MIB is made to reveal the general structure of all MIBs. This is followed by a brief comparison between NMS software and more familiar applications. The generic structure of a network device is described, and an introductory section on MPLS is included.

Chapter 3 describes the fundamental operational problem in network management: scalability. The other major problem is a severe skills shortage among management system developers. The traditional approach to development of being able to specialize in application (high-level) development as opposed to system (low-level) development doesn't seem to fit the network management model. Developing management software requires a rarified mixture of skills, and some of these are enumerated and described. Likewise, operating and maintaining modern networks require a hard-to-find mixture of knowledge of layers 1, 2, and 3.

Chapter 4 presents some strategies for solving the network management problems identified in Chapter 2. This includes augmenting development skill sets, smarter management systems, smarter MIBs, smarter devices, good data models, distribution, policy, and directories. The distribution of management system servers is one possible approach to solving compute- intensive bottlenecks. The emerging area of policy-based techniques for network management is introduced, followed by a discussion of directory-enabled networking. IP Differentiated Services architecture model is introduced in the context of the ongoing MPLS discussion.

Chapter 5 presents a description of a widely used network management system. HP OpenView Network Node Manager is introduced in terms of its ability to discover networks and process notifications. Issues such as the bringing up and down of large networks are described, and the FCAPS areas are revisited. The important issue of visually depicting a network state is then described, followed by a discussion of client-side software.

Chapter 6 presents the internal software that makes up a network management system. This includes servers that talk to the network devices, clients that talk to the servers, MIBs, backend software, and database schema versus MIB content. Each of the FCAPS is described in the context of a software block description. The various databases employed in a managed network are described along with typical operations performed against them. Middleware is briefly described, and the trend toward using Java for developing network management systems is discussed.

Chapter 7 describes how to build some basic network management system components using Visual C++ and Java. Typical SNMP operations are illustrated with screenshots. A scheme for extending these rudimentary components is enumerated.

In Chapter 8, the MPLS management case study is introduced with a description of the principal components of this forwarding technology. The MPLS MIB content of interest is then introduced, and detailed directions on how to create an LSP and a tunnel are provided. The merits of using signaling for the creation of MPLS tunnels are briefly described followed by a discussion of adding new entries into MIB tables. The role of the standards process is then described.

Chapter 9 brings together all of the threads running through the book and reiterates the overriding importance of MIB structure and design for successful network management system development. There is a strong need for thin, well-separated software layers in network management systems. Scalability is also a major issue in network management, the more so given the emerging generation of dense, multitechnology NEs. The latter provide a compelling argument for pushing more decision-making into the network. We illustrate a trend in this direction with the MPLS FTN MIB. As far as possible, technology-specific code in the network management system should be minimized. Security is high on the agenda of network operators, as is the need for solutions (rather than just technology). Economic downturns may diminish operator appetite for purchasing consultancy services ”this can put more pressure on vendors to produce generic overall solutions. The need for solution mindsets has an important bearing on the roles of QA, IT, and software developers.