Network management involves monitoring, configuring, and troubleshooting network components to meet organizational requirements. It has five main functions: configuration management, fault management, performance management, security management, and accounting management. Configuration management deals with the status of network entities and their relationships, and includes reconfiguration and documentation of hardware, software, and user accounts. Fault management handles the detection, isolation, correction, and recording of network faults through either reactive or proactive approaches. Performance management monitors network capacity, traffic, throughput, and response time to ensure efficient operation. Security and accounting management control user access and resource usage according to defined policies.

1. Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro
Department of Computer Systems Engineering
Basic Concepts and Types of
Network Management
Computer Communication & Networking
Presented By: SorathAsnani

2. Network Management:
Network Management can be defined as
monitoring, testing, configuring and
troubleshooting network components to meet a
set of requirements defined by an organization.
The network management system uses
hardware, software and humans.
Types of Network Management:
The functions performed by a network
management are divided into five broad
categories:
1. Configuration Management
2. Fault Management
3. Performance Management
4. Security Management
5. Accounting Management
Fig 1.Functions of Network Management
1. Configuration Management:
The configuration management deals with the
status of each entity in the network and its
relation to other entities. A large network is
usually made up of hundreds of entities that are
physically or logically connected to each other.
These entities have an initial configuration
when the network is set up, but it can change
with time.
Configuration management can be divided into
two subsystems:
a. Reconfiguration
b. Documentation
a. Reconfiguration:
Reconfiguration means adjusting the network
components and features. There are three
types of reconfiguration: hardware
reconfiguration, software reconfiguration and
user-account reconfiguration.
Hardware Reconfiguration:
It covers all changes to the hardware. Examples
of hardware reconfiguration are: replacing a
desktop computer, moving a router to another
part of the network, adding a sub-network etc.
The hardware reconfiguration is handled
manually.
Software Reconfiguration:
It covers all changes to the software. Examples
of software reconfiguration are: installing new
software on servers or clients, updating an
operating system etc. Software reconfiguration
can be automated.
User-Account Reconfiguration:
It deals with adding or deleting users on a
system, and assigning user privileges.
b. Documentation:
The original network configuration and each
subsequent change must be recorded.
Documentation can be of hardware, software
and user-accounts.
Hardware Documentation:
It involves 2 sets of documents: maps and
specification.
Maps: Map tracks each piece of hardware and
its connection to the network.
Specification:The specification document
includes the information about hardware type,
serial number, and vendor, time of purchase
and warranty information.
Software Documentation:
It includes information about software such as
software type, the version, the time installed,
and the license agreement.
User Account Documentation:
It includes the documentation of user accounts
and their privileges.

3. 2. Fault Management:
The fault is defined as the abnormal condition
u=in the system.The fault management deals
with the proper operation of the individual
components of a complex network. It is further
sub divided into 2 types:
a. Reactive fault Management
b. Proactive fault Management
a. Reactive Fault Management:
The reactive fault management system is
responsible for detecting, isolating, correcting,
and recording faults. It handles short term
solutions to faults.
Steps taken by the Reactive fault management
system:
1. Detect the exact location of the fault.
2. Isolate the fault and notify the affected
users.
3. Correct the fault by replacing or
repairing the faulty components.
4. Finally, the fault is documented.
b. Proactive Fault Management:
The proactive fault management tries to
prevent faults from occurring where it is
possible to predict and prevent the failure.
3. Performance Management:
The performance management monitors and
controls the network to ensure that it is running
as efficiently as possible. The performance of
the system depends upon some measureable
quantities such as:
a. Capacity
b. Traffic
c. Throughput
d. Response time
a. Capacity:
Every network has a limited capacity. The
performance management system must ensure
that it is not used above this capacity.
b. Traffic:
Traffic can be measured in two ways: internally
and externally.
Internal Traffic:It is measured by the number of
packets (or bytes) travelling inside the network.
External Traffic:It is measured by the exchange
of packets (or bytes) outside the network.
When the system is heavily used, blocking may
occur if there is excessive traffic.
c. Throughput:
Performance management monitors the
throughput to make sure that it is not reduced
to unacceptable levels.
d. Response Time:
Response time is measured from the time a
user requests a service to the time the service is
granted. Performance management monitors
the average response time and the peak-hour
response time.
4. Security Management:
Security management is responsible for
controlling access to the network based on the
predefined policy.
5. Accounting Management:
Accounting management is the control of users’
access to network resources through charges.
Under accounting management, individual
users, departments, divisions, or projects are
charged for the services they receive from the
network.