Management Services
Genie in a Network (GIN)™ have some basic set of management applications. The platform provides data collection and exposure for the following basic set:
A. Fault Management – tools continuously scan a network for problems, then analyze the situation and provide users with the solution they need to implement. Depending on the issue, the fault management tool may automatically dispatch restorative scripts or programs to instantly fix problems. Fault management is important in both finding and fixing network problems, and is an invaluable resource for network teams.
Fault management operates on a continuous cycle that always looks for problems on your network. While every fault management program’s specific process is different, the general fault management cycle follows the same basic steps:
- Detection. The fault management tool checks the network and discovers problems that affect performance or data transmission.
- Diagnosis. The tool determines what the problem actually is and where on the network it’s located.
- Alerting. The tool alerts the user to the problem. If a tool creates multiple alerts about the same problem, it automatically correlates them and combines them into one alert before sending it.
- Resolving. The tool automatically executes programs or scripts designed to fix the problem. If the automatic solutions don’t work, the management program recommends manual intervention.
B. Configuration Management – service for switches, routers, firewalls and other network devices helps automate and take total control of the entire life cycle of device configuration management. Some of the key features it provides are as follows:
- Real time change management – Monitor configuration changes, get instant notifications and prevent unauthorized changes to make your networking environment secure, stable and compliant.
- Compliance auditing – Define standard practices and policies, check device configurations for violations and readily apply remedial measures to ensure device compliance.
- Automatic configuration tasks – Save time by automating repetitive, time-consuming configuration management tasks and also by centrally applying configuration changes to devices in bulk.
- User activity tracking – Improve accountability and get a complete record of the who, what and when of configuration changes.
C. Performance Management – collective techniques that enable, manage and ensure optimal performance levels of a computer network. It generally requires the performance and quality service level of each network device and component to be routinely monitored.
At a minimum, business continuity demands seamless network availability and application performance. The performance manager’s service assurance will help validate performance expectations for the network while quickly pinpointing trouble spots to minimize disruptions and help users do their jobs. Network performance management helps, hopefully in a pre-emptive manner, unearth network issues that could hamper the optimal operation such as:
- Network delays
- Packet losses
- Throughput
- Packet transmission
- Error rate
The basic set of network management services can be a starting point for operators, and can easily be extended by either CCI as a product or service, by the operator themselves, or by a 3rd party, because it is built on an open architecture.