Network Management Software Components Essay
Network management software components and software for network implementation are considered. FCAPS framework is considered, functions and elements of faults, performance, accounting, configuration and security servers are discussed. Perspectives of development of network management software are explained.
Network management is a complex process involving a lot of hardware and software components. The functions of network management software range from managing servers and network devices to detailed actions such as event logs, control of unauthorized activity, notification of operations about systems events, etc (Verma, 2009). The purpose of this assignment is to consider the FCAPS framework for network management software components, consider every element of this systems and describe the network implementation software.
Network Management Software Components
The components of network management software are integrated into FCAPS framework – faults, performance, accounting (sometimes transformed into administration), configuration and security management. FCAPS framework is defined by the ISO Telecommunications Management Network model (Verma, 2009).
The goal of fault server is to process notifications for network elements. Functions of fault server include listening for the notifications, problem identification, update of repositories and using elements of GUI to visualize its activity (Schinder, 2001). Software blocks of a fault server include fault update and suppression, user security block, root-cause analysis, updates of topology and duplicate suppression.
Configuration server executes directives against network elements initiated by the client. Its functions include maintaining user security (through authentication and encryption), imposing SNMP security, tracing files and updates of topology in certain situations. Elements of configuration server are user security element, topology update block, creation of network objects and database table update block (Morris, 2003).
Accounting server includes software elements for maintaining reports, mediation, correlation and aggregation of network elements, thus performing the related functions through gathering the data records generated by network elements. Performance server has similar blocks (Schinder, 2001), but its main purpose is to analyze network data and to determine possible problems, optimize utilization of network, ensure SLA compliance and generate information regarding capacity planning (Morris, 2003). Thus, performance server also has the mediation, reports, correlation and aggregation blocks. In addition to this, performance server also has separate software blocks dealing with topology updates and SLA alerts.
Finally, the purpose of the security server is to protect the nodes of the managed network from such perspectives as access application, authentication, permitted views and with regard to privileges (Morris, 2003). Security server thus might include software elements for access application (SNMP, Telnet, SSH etc.), authentication software (Kerberos, RADIUS) and software for managing security schemes and network information views.
Network Implementation Protocols and Software
The areas of network management software can be divided into several classes: server-side components, synchronous and asynchronous network-receiving components (SNMP), components for database access, network sending, components on the client side, middleware, data representation and NBI interface components (Ding, 2009).
Key software components in an NMS are server components, which handle user requests, general and specific services (scheduling, backup, restoring and distribution) etc. Database software works on the basis of 4 software components: client software, middleware, network elements and servers (Morris, 2003). For network implementation, middleware also plays an important role. Currently major middleware products are CORBA-based or rely on Java RMI, J2EE or RPC (Ding, 2009).
Conclusion
Network management software can be maintained as FCAPS servers, dealing with internal network components and entities as well as with external users. These servers shape the intermediate level between network users and network elements (Ding, 2009). Software relating to FCAPS model and various server implementations are not isolated entities and tend to work in coordination. Thus, the need for complex network management software systems covering all areas of FCAPS network is growing, and the cooperation between different software products is intensifying.
