Planning Maintenance for

Network
ELIZALDE L. PIOL, LPT, MSIT
 Chapter 1 Objectives

• This chapter covers the following topics:

• Applying maintenance methodologies
• Maintenance processes and procedures
• Network maintenance tools, applications, and resources
 Maintenance

The maintenance process is a critical part of any network. It is

recommended to carry it out in eight steps: assess, advice, procure,
provision, maintain, decommission, data destruction and disposal.
 Maintenance
Maintenance process is conducted for both hardware and software but
the process itself has different phases for each of the two. In general, the aim
of a maintenance process is to promote consistency which leads to increased
reliability and performance, improved information and analytical processes
for investment, maintenance and divestment, making it easier to identify
performance problems, faulty parts and to help extend the lifetime of the
asset. Integration with data mining and analytics tools further helps to
manage the assets.
 Maintenance
The term maintenance, when attached to software, assumes a meaning
profoundly different from the meaning it assumes in hardware, or any other
maintenance process. Many engineering disciplines refer to maintenance as
keeping something in working order, to keep its functionality in the same
order as at its release time. This does not apply to software as it does not
deteriorate with use and passing of time but there is still need to modify it.
Software is infinitely malleable and therefore often perceived as the easiest
part to change in a system.
 1- Maintenance Models and
Methodologies
The objective of network maintenance is to keep the network available
with minimum service disruption and at acceptable performance levels.

A network engineer’s job description can include tasks related to:

1. Device installation and maintenance: Includes tasks such as installing devices
and software, as well as creating and backing up configurations and software.

2. Failure response: Includes tasks such as supporting users that experience

network problems, troubleshooting device or link failures, replacing
equipment, and restoring backups.
 1- Maintenance Models and
Methodologies

A network engineer’s job description can include tasks related to:

3. Network performance: Includes tasks such as capacity planning, performance
tuning, and usage monitoring.

4. Business procedures: Includes tasks such as documenting, compliance

auditing, and service level agreement (SLA) management.

5. Security: Includes tasks such as following and implementing security

procedures and security auditing.
 1- Maintenance Models and
Methodologies

Method of performing network maintenance:

1. Interrupt driven maintenance : is the most basic method of performing network
maintenance. For example is that a company’s network engineer reviews and
improves the security of the network only when security concerns or incidents
are reported.
2. structured network maintenance : Structured network maintenance predefines
and plans much of the processes and procedures. This proactive approach not
only reduces the frequency and quantity of user, application, and business
problems, it also renders the responses to incidents more efficiently.
 Benefits of Structured Maintenance over
Interrupt-driven Maintenance
1. Proactive vs. reactive

2. Reduced network downtime: Discover and prevent problems

before they happen. Maximize mean time between failures
(MTBF). Minimize mean time to repair (MTTR).

3. More cost effective: Performance monitoring and capacity

planning for budgeting and future networking needs. Choosing
proper equipment for better price/performance ratio over the
lifetime of equipment.
 Benefits of Structured Maintenance over
Interrupt-driven Maintenance
4. Better alignment with business objectives : Time and resources are
allocated to processes based on importance to the business instead of
prioritizing tasks and assigning budgets based on incidents. For example,
upgrades and major maintenance jobs are not scheduled during critical
business hours.

5. Improved network security : Attention to network security is part of

structured network maintenance. Up-to-date prevention and detection
mechanisms can notify staff through logs and alarms. Monitoring allows
you to observe network vulnerabilities and needs, and justify plans for
strengthening network security
 Proactive Maintenance

Proactive maintenance is a preventive maintenance strategy for maintaining

the reliability of machines or equipmentThe purpose of proactive maintenance is to
view machine failure and similar problems as something that can be anticipated and
dealt with before they occur.

Proactive maintenance consists of:

• Preventive maintenance
• Predictive maintenance

Because proactive maintenance methods are currently saving industries of all

sizes thousands, even millions, of dollars on machine maintenance every year.
 Reactive Maintenance

Reactive maintenance (also known as "breakdown maintenance") are repairs

that are done when equipment has already broken down.

Reactive maintenance focuses on restoring the equipment to its normal

operating condition. The broken-down equipment is returned to working within
service specifications by replacing or repairing faulty parts and
components. Emergency repairs cost 3 to 9 times more than planned repairs, so
maintenance plans that rely on on reactive maintenance are generally the most
expensive. Breakdown maintenance is so expensive because shutdowns happen
during production runs (instead of pre-scheduled maintenance shutdowns during
downtimes); because expedited shipping for spare parts costs much more than
regular shipping; and because maintenance staff is often forced to work overtime to
repair machinery.
 Maintenance Models and
Organizations
1. IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL): This is a framework of best
practices for IT Service Management. ITIL describes best
practices that help in providing high quality IT services that are
aligned with business needs and processes. Developed by the
UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC).
2. ISO – FCAPS categories (FCAPS is first letter of each):
• Fault management
• Configuration management
• Accounting management
• Performance Management
• Security Management
 FCAPS-Model
Fault management. Errors such as dropped packets and erroneous frames in a
LAN are typical even in a well-functioning network. These types of errors need to be
logged and do not require correction unless they keep happening persistently. Some of
these may be corrected automatically but others require an administrator’s intervention.
When errors occur, the root cause should be reported and other related faults
suppressed. This will help to avoid overwhelming the administrator with reports of all
related faults. SNMP traps are a way of automating this process. Administrator can
configure a trap which will provide a notification when a set condition happens, such as
a link going down.
 FCAPS-Model

Configuration management. Tasks such as installation, identification and

configuration of hardware and services. It also includes software and firmware
management, change control, inventory management, monitoring and managing the
deployment status of devices. The aims for configuration management include planning
for scaling, simplifying configurations and backing up configuration images for
network devices.
 FCAPS-Model

Accounting maintenance. Focus on how to distribute resources optimally

among enterprise users. When there is lack of computing resources, it may be
necessary to set a limit on their usage. Automatic actions should be taken on exceeding
thresholds.
 FCAPS-Model
Performance management. Gathering network statistics, evaluating system
performance under both normal and degraded conditions and altering system mode of
operation.

Security management. Minimizing unauthorized or accidental access to network

control functions. It is mainly enforced with authentication and encryption.
 Maintenance Models and
Organizations
3. ITU-T - Telecommunications Management Network (TMN):
The ITU-T integrated and refined the FCAPS model to create this
approach, which defines a framework for the management of
telecommunications networks.
4. Cisco Lifecycle Services Phases - PPDIOO: A model that helps
businesses successfully deploy, operate, and optimize Cisco
technologies in their network. PPDIOO = Prepare, Plan, Design,
Implement, Operate, and Optimize (PPDIOO) Network
maintenance tasks are usually considered part of the Operate and
Optimize phases of the cycle.
The Configuration Management
element of the FCAPS model
 Network Maintenance Processes
and Procedures
A network maintenance plan includes procedures for the following
tasks:
1. Accommodating Adds, Moves, and Changes: Affects users, computers, printers,
servers and phones and potential changes in configuration and cabling.
2. Installation and configuration of new devices: Includes adding ports, link
capacity and network devices. Can be handled by a different group within an
organization, by an external party, or by internal staff.
3. Replacement of failed devices: Done through service contracts or by in-house
support engineers.
4. Backup of device configurations and software: Good backups of both software
and configurations can simplify and reduce the time the recovery process takes
for failed devices.
 Network Maintenance Processes
and Procedures

5. Troubleshooting link and device failures: Diagnosing and resolving failures

related to network components, links, or service provider connections are
essential tasks within a network engineer’s job.
6. Software upgrading or patching: Requires that you stay informed of available
software upgrades or patches and use them if necessary. These can address
critical performance or security vulnerabilities.
7. Network monitoring: Monitoring operation of the devices and user activity can
be performed using simple mechanisms such as router and firewall logs or by
using sophisticated network monitoring applications.
 Network Maintenance Processes
and Procedures

8. Performance measurement and capacity planning: This can help determine

when to upgrade links or equipment and justify the cost. Facilitates planning for
upgrades (capacity planning) to help prevent bottlenecks, congestion and failures.
9. Writing and updating documentation: Current network documentation is used
for reference during implementation, administration, and troubleshooting is a
mandatory network maintenance task.
 Network Monitoring and Performance Measureme
Tools

1. Capacity planning: Measure average and peak loads on the network to create a
baseline of the traffic levels and utilization. Repeat the measurements over time
to monitor trends and predict when you need to upgrade links or equipment.

2. Diagnosing performance problems: Performance problems are difficult to

troubleshoot because they are hard to quantify and very often intermittent.
Problems could be related to an application, software, a server, or the network in
between. Awareness of the network loads on the path between the client and the
server is important to isolate the problem.

3. SLA compliance: SLAs can guarantee a level of service to others to you from a
service provider. A method is required to measure whether the service
guarantees defined in the SLA are met.
 Chapter 1 Summary
• Advantages of a structured network maintenance model over interrupt-driven include reduced
network downtime and higher network security.
• Examples of structured network maintenance methodologies include ITIL, FCAPS, TMN and Cisco
Lifecycle Services (PPDIOO).
• Network maintenance plans include procedures for adds/moves/changes, software upgrades and
replacement of failed devices.
• Network maintenance planning includes maintenance scheduling, documentation development,
templates/procedures/conventions definition and disaster recovery planning.
• Network documentation includes network drawings, connections, equipment lists, IP address
administration, device configurations and design documentation.
• When a device fails, disaster recovery requires that replacement hardware, software, configuration
files and transfer tools be available.
 Chapter 1 Summary – Cont.

• The basic components of a network maintenance toolkit include CLI and GUI device management tools
as well as backup, log and time servers.
• Cisco web-based tools and resources: Dynamic Configuration Tool, Cisco Feature Navigator, SNMP
Object Navigator and Cisco Power Calculator.
• Main motivations for measuring network performance are capacity planning, diagnosing performance
problems and SLA compliance.
• TFTP, FTP, SCP, HTTP, and HTTPS can be used to transfer files between network and backup devices.
FTP, SCP, HTTP, and HTTPS are more secure than TFTP as they require authentication. SCP and
HTTPS are most secure because they also incorporate encryption.
• The configuration archiving feature can be helpful in creating configuration archives, either locally on a
remote server (introduced with IOS Release 12.3(7)T).