Network management system
Encyclopedia
A network management system (NMS) is a combination of hardware
and software used to monitor and administer a computer network
.
Individual network element
s (NEs) in a network are managed by an element management system
.
) management. Management tasks include discovering network inventory, monitoring device health and status, providing alerts to conditions that impact system performance, and identification of problems, their source(s) and possible solutions.
Computer hardware
Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...
and software used to monitor and administer a computer network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
.
Individual network element
Network element
A network element is usually defined as a manageable logical entity uniting one or more physical devices. This allows distributed devices to be managed in a unified way using one management system....
s (NEs) in a network are managed by an element management system
Element management system
An element management system consists of systems and applications for managing network elements on the network element management layer of the Telecommunications Management Network model....
.
Tasks and operational details
An NMS manages the network elements, also called managed devices. Device management includes faults, accounting, configuration, performance, and security (FCAPSFCAPS
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...
) management. Management tasks include discovering network inventory, monitoring device health and status, providing alerts to conditions that impact system performance, and identification of problems, their source(s) and possible solutions.
Protocols
An NMS employs various protocols to accomplish these tasks. For example, SNMP protocol can be used to gather the information from devices in the network hierarchy.Network statistics
The NMS collects device statistics and may maintain an archive of previous network statistics including problems and solutions that were successful in the past. If faults recur, the NMS can search the archive for the possible solutions.See also
- Network architectureNetwork architectureNetwork architecture is the design of a communications network. It is a framework for the specification of a network's physical components and their functional organization and configuration, its operational principles and procedures, as well as data formats used in its operation.In...
- Network engineeringNetwork engineeringIn telecommunications, network engineering may refer to:*The field concerned with internetworking service requirements for switched telephone networks and developing the required hardware and software...
- Network managementNetwork managementNetwork management refers to the activities, methods, procedures, and tools that pertain to the operation, administration, maintenance, and provisioning of networked systems....
- Network monitoringNetwork monitoringThe term network monitoring describes the use of a system that constantly monitors a computer network for slow or failing components and that notifies the network administrator in case of outages...
- Network administration
- List of SAN network management systems
- Comparison of network monitoring systemsComparison of network monitoring systemsThis is a comparison of some notable network monitoring systems.- Legend :Product Name : The name of the software, linked to its Wikipedia article...