Fundamentals of Network Management

by
Dr. Angelito F. Argete

2nd Sem 2020-2021

Network Management Standards
 OSI
 Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP)
 International standard (ISO / OSI)
 Management of data comm. Network LAN and WAN
 Deals with all 7 layers
 Most complete
 Object oriented representation
 Well structured and layered
 Consumes large resources in implementation
 Internet
 Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
 Industry standard (IETF)
 Originally intended for management of Internet components, currently
adopted for WAN and telecom systems.
 Easy to implement
 Most widely implemented NM standard.
 Lacks advanced functionality (compared to CMIP)
Network Management Standards (…)

 Telecommunication Management Network (TMN)

 International standard of the ITU-T
 Management of telecom networks
 Based on the OSI network management framework
 Addresses both network, administrative, and business aspects of
management.
 IEEE
 Addresses LAN and MAN management.
 Deals with the first 2 layers.

 Web-based Management
 Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM)
 Java Management Application Program Interface (JMAPI)
Management Architecture

 This architecture is used for both OSI and SNMP-

based management
 Consists of a number of models
OSI Models

 Organization
 Network management components
 Functions of components
 Relationships
 Information
 Structure of Management Information (SMI)
 Syntax and semantics
 Management Information Base (MIB)
 Organization of management information
 Communication
 Transfer syntax with bi-directional messages
 Transfer structure (PDU)
 Functions
 Application functions
 Configure components
 Monitor components
 Measure performance
 Secure information
 Usage accounting
SNMP Architecture and Models

 Organization
 Same as OSI model
 Information
 Same as OSI, but scalar
 Communication
 Messages less complex than OSI and unidirectional
 Transfer structure (PDU)
 Functions
 Application functions
 Operations
 Administration
 Security
Organizational Model

 Manager
 Sends requests to agents
 Monitors alarms
 Houses applications
 Provides user interface
 Agent
 Gathers information from objects
 Configures parameters of objects
 Responds to managers’ requests
 Generates alarms and sends them to mangers
 Managed object
 Network element that is managed
 Houses management agent
 All objects are not managed / manageable
Organization Model
Managed object
 Manage objects can be Manager
MDB
 Network elements (hardware,
system)
 hubs, bridges, routers,
transmission facilities
 Software (non-physical)
 programs, algorithms Managed objects
 Administrative information
Unmanaged objects
 contact person, name of group of
objects (IP group)
 Houses SNMP management agent
 Objects are classified into MDB Management Database
managed/unmanaged Agent process
 Managed object has a running
management agent Two-Tier Network Management Organization Model
Organization Model
Management Station (Manager)
 Interface for network managers to Manager
MDB
monitor and control the network
 Contains management applications
(data analysis, fault recovery, etc.)
 Translation capabilities from Managed objects
manager’s requirements into actual
Unmanaged objects
monitoring and control of remote
elements
 Contains DB of information extracted
MDB Management Database
from MIBs of all the managed entities
Agent process
in the Network
Two-Tier Network Management Organization Model
Organization Model
Management Agent
 Gathers information from objects MDB Manager

 Configures parameters of objects

(e.g., enable/disable a router port,
shut down a port on a hub, etc.)
Managed objects
 Responds to requests for
Unmanaged objects
information and actions from
managers
 Generates alarms and sends
MDB Management Database
them to managers Agent process

Two-Tier Network Management Organization Model

Organization Model
 Middle layer plays the dual role
 Agent to the top-level manager
 Manager to the managed objects MDB Manager

 collects, processes and stores data

locally MDB Agent / Manager

 Performs statistical operation on

the data and passes it to top level
manager
Managed objects
 The intermediate system could be
at a local site and passes info. to a
remote site.
MDB Management Database
 Example of middle level: Remote Agent process
monitoring agent (RMON)
Three-Tier Network Management Organization Model
Organization Model
MoM Manager of Managers
NMS Network Management System MoM MDB

Agent Agent
Agent NMS MDB Agent NMS MDB
Manager Manager

Managed objects
Managed objects

Different network domains, each managed locally

 Agent NMS manages the domain
 MoM presents integrated view of domains
 Domain may be geographical, administrative, vendor-specific
products, etc.
Peer NMSs

Dual Role of Management Process

Communication Model

SNMP MIB

MANAGER AGENT

 Resources are represented as objects (or data

variables)
 Collection of objects is a MIB (more later)
 A manager performs monitoring by retrieving the value of MIB
objects
 A manager causes an action to take place or changes the
configuration settings by modifying values of specific variables
Communication Model

SNMP MIB

MANAGER AGENT

 Management stations and agents are linked by a network

management protocol
 SNMP is used for the management of TCP/IP networks
o Get: manager or management station can retrieve the value of
objects at the agent
o Set: set the values of objects at the agent
o Trap: agent notifies manager on significant events
 Protocol Architecture
Management station Host

Network Manager process Agent process

Agent process Agent
Userprocess
process
manager
FTP, etc.
SNMP Central SNMP SNMP
MIB
-SNMP uses UDP UDP TCP
UDP
UDP UDP
port 161
- connection-less IP
IP

Network-dependent Network-dependent protocols

protocols (e.g., Ethernet, X.25, ATM)

Host Router

Agent process
Agent process Agent
Userprocess
process Agent process
Agent process

FTP, etc. Interprets SNMP

SNMP SNMP SNMP messages
TCP and controls the
UDP
UDP UDP UDP
UDP
Internetwork agent’s MIB
Internetwork

IP IP

Network-dependent
Network-dependent protocols protocols
Communication Model
 Management data is communicated between agent and
manager as well as between managers
 Three aspects:
 Transport medium of message exchange (transport protocol)
 Message format (application protocol)
 Actual message (commands and responses)

Operations /
Requests

Manager Responses Agent

Notifications / Network Elements

Applications
Traps Managed Objects

Management Message Communication Model

Communication Model
Management Application SNMP managed
application objects
manages object
GetNextRequest

GetNextRequest
GetResponse

GetResponse
GetRequest

GetRequest
SetRequest

SetRequest
Trap

Trap
Central
MIB

SNMP Manager SNMP Agent

SNMP Messages
UDP UDP
IP IP
Layer 1 & 2 Network Layer 1 & 2
Trap-Directed Polling
 SNMP encourages the
manager to use trap-
directed polling managing entity agent data
 A manager may be managing
data managed device
responsible for a large entity
number agents, each
maintains a large number of agent data
network
managed objects management managed device
 It is impractical to regularly protocol
poll all agents for all their
readable objects agent data
(management overhead on agent data
managed device
the network may be very
excessive!)
managed device
 Trap-Directed Polling
 Initially a manager may poll
all the agents for some key
information managing entity agent data
 e.g., interface characteristicsmanaging
(# pckts in/out, etc..) data managed device
entity
 Then, each agent is
responsible for notifying agent data
network
(through trap messages) the management managed device
manager of any unusual protocol
event agent data
 e.g., high pckt drop rate at
agent data
some interface managed device

managed device
 Information Model

 The representation of Example

objects and information sysDescr: { system 1 }
Syntax: OCTET STRING
relevant to their
Definition: "A textual
management description of the entity. "
 This information is usually Access: read-only
communicated between Status: mandatory
agents and management
processes MIB
 SMI (Structure of Management  Contains information about objects
Information) defines the syntax  Organized by grouping of related objects
and semantics of management  Defines relationship between objects
information stored in MIB  Agent MIB vs. Manager MIB
(Management Information  MIB Agent: local information
 MIB Manager: info. on all network components
Base)
 Information Model
 MDB physical database; e.g.. Oracle
 Contains measured or administratively
configured values of NEs MDB Manager MIB

 MIB virtual database; schema compiled into

management software
 Info necessary for processes to exchange info.
(e.g., #ports/hub)
Managed objects
 A NMS can automatically discover (periodic
broadcast of PING messages) a managed
object, such as a hub, when added to the
network
 Once detected, its information (e.g., address,
number of ports, etc.) is added to MDB
 MIB does not need to be updated if another hub
from same vendor already exist
 Management Information Tree
 Both Internet and OSI
 Designation of objects:
iso 1
define objects uniquely by org 1.3
a tree structure dod 1.3.6
 Each managed object internet
1.3.6.1
occupies a node in the tree
underneath the root

Root
itu iso iso-itu
0 1 2
Level 1

org
Level 2 Standard organizations: define 3
management of objects under them

Level 3 dod
6

Managed Objects internet

Management Information Tree 1

OSI Management Information Tree

 Object Type and Instance

Access: Object Type:

Access Object ID and
privilege Descriptor
circle
object ID unique ID
and descriptor and name for the object
syntax used to model the object
access access privilege to a managed Status:
Implementation
object (read-only, etc) requirements
status implementation requirements Syntax : Definition:
model of object
(e.g., optional or mandatory) Semantics -
textual description
definition textual description of the
semantics of object type Internet Perspective
 Object Type and Instance
Notifications
:
Notify changes in
attribute values

object class managed object

Object Class:
Elliptical
Object Class:

object
attributes attributes visible at its Circular
boundary object Behavior
operations access operations that can Operations:
Push
be applied to it
behavior behavior exhibited by it in
response to an operation
Notifications notifications emitted by :
Attributes: Attributes:
the object circle, dimension ellipse, dimension

OSI Perspective
Object Type and Instance

Characteristics Example
Object type PktCounter
Syntax Counter
Access Read-only
Status Mandatory
Description Counts number of packets
Internet Perspective

Characteristics Example
Object class Packet Counter
Attributes Single-valued
Operations get, set
Behavior Retrieves or resets values
Notifications Generates notifications on new
value
OSI Perspective

Packet Counter As Example of Managed Object

Functional Model

 Configuration management
 Set and change network
 Security management
configuration and component  Authentication
parameters  Authorization
 Set up alarm thresholds
 Fault management
 Encryption
 Detection and isolation of failures  Accounting management
in network  Functional accounting of network
 Trouble ticket administration
usage
 Performance management
 Monitor performance of network