Network Management

Concepts and Practice

Author: J. Richard Burke

Presentation by Shu-Ping Lin

Outline

Network Components
Overview of Network Management

Communication Architecture

A communication architecture integrates

many protocols and the software that
implements them.
These parts can be developed
independently of one another as long as the
developers adhere to the standard
interfaces between them.

OSI Reference Model

OSI Reference Model

The model does not specify how to implement

the function in each layer.
The functions in each layer are defined by
protocol, which are implemented in software.
The software in each layer provides services
to the layer above it.
Layering concept simplifies the development
process and allows improvements of software
in one layer without affecting other layers.

Physical Layer

This layer defines the electrical, mechanical,

functional specifications for hardware that
connects a device to the network.
Physical layer standards would specify
Connectors size and shape
Exact number of pins
The signals that can be used to those
pins

Data Link Layer

This layer specifies the procedures in order

to achieve reliable point-to-point transfer of
information between two devices.
Data link layer can be divided into two
sublayers.
Logical Link Control
Medium Access Control

Data Link Layer (contd)

CSMA/CD is implemented in Ethernet.

CSMA means that a computer waits until
there is no signal from any other computer
on LAN before transmitting a message.
CD reduces the probability that a collision
will occur by backoff its transmission.
Bridge is a typical device working on data
link layer.

Network Layer

This layer provides the mechanisms for

transporting a packet from the source
networks to the destination network.
Packets are messages constructed by the
network layer and higher layers.
A router is called a network layer device
because it is controlled by protocols up to
and including the network layer.

Transport Layer

Transport layer provides reliable and

unreliable transport protocols.
The reliable protocol, which is called the
Transport Control Protocol (TCP), provides
the mechanisms that enable end-to-end
reliability.
TCP accomplishes this by the use of
automated acknowledgement and
automated retransmissions.

Transport Layer (contd)

The unreliable transport protocol, which is

called the User Datagram Protocol (UDP),
places no constrains on the network.
Best-effort delivery from the source device to
the destination device is all that is required.
UDP is used when speed is of the essence
and the effort spent on ensuring reliability is
not cost-effective.

Session Layer

The Session layer provides the mechanisms

necessary to open and close multiple logical
connections between processes on different
PCs.
These logical connections are called
session.
Many logical connections can use the same
physical connection.

Presentation Layer

This layer provides a common

representation of data transferred between
peer application layer entities on different
stations.
Abstract syntax notation.one (ASN.1) format
is useful for application layer.
However, the layers below the presentation
layer use a formant call transfer syntax.
The presentation layer translates between
ASN.1 and transfer syntax.

Application Layer

Common Application Service Elements

provide service generally useful to a variety
of application programs provided by
vendors.
Specific Application Service Elements
service the additional needs of particular
application programs.

Frames

Frame construction
Application program makes a request.
The request is passed to the appropriate
application-layer-entity.
The application-layer-entity constructs an
Application layer protocol data unit (PDU).
The Application layer PDU is then passed
to the appropriate presentation-layerentity. This entity constructs a
Presentation layer PDU.

Frames (contd)

PDUs continue to be constructed and

passed to the layers below. This process
continues until the Network layer PDU is
received by the Data Link layer.
The frame is construct in the Data Link
layer. The Network Layer PDU is
encapsulated in a Data Link layer header
and trailer.

Frames (contd)

TCP/IP Protocol Stack

Network Device

Workstations
Servers
Repeaters
Hubs
Bridges
Switches
Routers
Probes

Workstations

Workstations typical make use of the

services of all layers of a protocol stack
because they process the requests of
application programs for information on
servers.
Server is like workstation making use of all
layers of the protocol stack.

Repeater

Repeater amplifies the signal between

segments and extends the length of a LAN.
Repeaters are used on 10BASE2 and
10BASE5 LANs.

Hubs

A hub is a repeater with many input and

output ports.
Every transmission received by the hub on
one port is amplified and retransmitted out
of all other ports.
Hub do not examine information in any field
of the frame.
Repeaters and hubs are consider a Physical
layer device.

Bridges

Transparent bridge
divides a LAN into segments that use the
same media access control specification
and it controls what traffic is passed
between segments.
uses bridge table to learn which devices
are on which segments.
Translating bridges connects networks using
different MAC layer specifications.

Bridges (contd)

Errors and collisions that take place on one

segment are not propagated to devices on
the other segment.
The use of switches rather than bridges is
commonplace today.

Switches

A switch is a multiport bridge.

Switches are typically configured to forward
incoming frames to outgoing ports based on
destination MAC addresses associated with
those ports in the switch table.
Switches also can be configured to drop
frames based on MAC destination or to
redirect frames to other MAC address.

Switches (contd)

Higher layers of the protocol stack are now

being implemented in switches.
Layer 3 switch also can function like router.

Routers

Router reads the Network layer header in

packet to find the destination network
address and then looks up the address in
routing table.
The routing table is a list of mappings of
network addresses to ports that will get the
packet to the destination networks by the
best means.

Routers (contd)

Routing table

Probes

Probes are tools for learning about the

details of the communication between
devices.
Probes can be placed on a network and the
information they gather transferred to the
Management Station fro analysis of the
traffic.

Outline

Network Components
Overview of Network Management

Network Management

Jobs of network management in early day

Attaching PCs and server to a LAN using
Network Interface Cards (NICs)
Installing protocol stacks
Configuring NIC I/O addresses and interrupts
so as not to conflict with other NIC selections.
Using Ping application to ensure that all
devices on the network could communicate
with one another

Network Management (contd)

Access control
The manager might write a script for the
server to control access to information on
it.
The script would provide access to drives,
folders or files that use or group of users
needed.
Install a print server to manage the print
jobs from each of the PCs.

Network Management (contd)

Network configuration
If the networks were to be divided into subnets,
then a bridge would be used to connect them.
The manager would configure a routing table to
enable connectivity according to network
address, subnet address and subnet mask.
Finally, installing user applications on PCs is
necessary for interfacing correctly with OS.

Maintenance

After configuring primary network

ingredients, here comes the maintenance.
Network performance is not optimized, there
will be software and hardware failures and
network resources will change.
The manager is required to make estimates
of the network capacity.
There was a need for minimal security.

Maintenance (contd)

New work management has divided into

specialties nowadays.
Administration
Backing up servers
Maintaining security
Installing OS and applications
Network engineer
Be responsible for the health of the
network and its availability to user.

Network-Based Management

As network has grown larger and more

complicated, network manager needed to find
more efficient way to determine and control the
state of network.
Some protocols could be used by network
manager to remotely control devices.
Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP)
Management Information Base (MIBs)
Network Management Systems (NMS)

Network Management Protocol

Stack

Management Station and Management

Agent.

Network Management
Example

Step 1
NMS calls for the service of the management process
Step 2
the management process call the program the
implements network management protocol.
Step 3
NMP constructs a request packet to the program on
the management agent.
Step 4
NMP on the management agent cause the request
packet to be passed to the agent process.

Network Management Example

(contd)

Step 5
The agent process accesses the value of the
requested variable and passes it to NMP.
Step 6
NMP constructs the response packet which is sent
back to the management station.
Step 7
At the management station the program that
implements the NMP receives the response packet.
Step 8
The management process passes the requested
value to the application program.