Handbook of Local Area Networks, 1998 Edition:LAN Management
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Embedded Network Intelligence
As users build networks comprising multilayer switches, it becomes increasingly important that they have a suite of switched management applications that can seamlessly manage across these devices while providing a comprehensive campus view of the network. Network administrators are burdened with configuration planning and performance analysis tasks as they prepare for new application initiatives, from data warehouses to video teleconferencing. Often the problem is a simple case of “getting the cart before the horse,” or, proceeding with far-flung application architectures before network managers are allowed to determine bandwidth requirements or optimize network infrastructures.
Network managers need an evolving, multilayer enterprise topology view that includes ATM, LAN switching, and routers. Internetwork operating system software is very helpful for tying everything together — including the standalone routers, router modules for shared-media hubs, PC and workstation file servers, multiservice remote access switches, and ATM-capable PBXs.
The intelligent operating system agents handle many of the low-level connectivity problems, resulting in less user intervention and less time spent performing routine management tasks. Additionally, this minimizes much of the administrative traffic associated with communicating to management stations.
Also helpful is a network infrastructure that combines the scalability, stability, and security advantages of routing technologies with the performance benefits of ATM, as illustrated in Exhibit 7-2-2. The infrastructure includes LAN switching and the administrative benefits of VLANs. This infrastructure offers a higher level of management capability that includes performance optimization through configuration tools, security, VLAN management functions, performance monitoring, and design analysis. The cooperation of all of these functions helps users build scalable switched internetworks.
Exhibit 7-2-2. Management of Switched Architecture
Graphical Device Management
Graphical management tools and an embedded layer of software intelligence in all network devices allow network administrators and technicians to take a proactive stance toward network management and troubleshooting. Anchoring their comprehension of the internetwork devices is a consistent graphical view of the devices themselves. The console, for example, reveals a continuously updated physical picture of routers, hubs, switches, and concentrators. Color changes, such as from red to green, help network managers quickly spot problems.
The graphical views of devices mimic what users are accustomed to seeing on the physical devices themselves.
Some of the benefits of graphical device management are:
• Providing the ability to quickly determine the interfaces, chassis types, serial numbers, and available slots. At a glance, network managers can determine the available chassis resources for adding new interfaces to routers and switches. Much of the guesswork is eliminated, as are many trips to the wiring closet.
• Ensuring that the right cabling information is on hand. This becomes a simple task with a physical depiction of every port and interface on each device. This greatly simplifies the work requirements and instructions necessary when requesting changes with network operations.
• Simplifying the tasks associated with constructing and maintaining an inventory of all active components. With simple mouse clicks, each device in the network can be examined and recorded exactly. More accurate reports can be provided as part of the asset management function.
A Cohesive Network View
One of the most common complaints that arises after installing multilayer switches is that network managers lose their visibility of the network, traffic, and users. This results in excessive time spent tracking problems when they occur. Often, managers have no idea of the amount of traffic flowing through the network, they are unable to keep track of changes being made by other administrators, and they lack complete information on how the network is connected.
Unfortunately, many current generation network management solutions do not show the connectivity relationships (physical connections) between internetworking devices. These tools reveal the router-to-router connections, but are inadequate at discovering and mapping switches and how there are linked within the network.
Understanding these connectivity relationships is fundamental to managing multilayer switched internetworks. It forms the basis of:
• Tracking the multilayer switches within the network and constructing topology maps that accurately represent where devices are located.
• Configuration checking and analysis at the physical layer, including the links between switches, routers, and hubs.
• Construction of logical topologies on top of the physical infrastructure and properly configuring the network at the logical layers.
• Understanding the flow of communication across the physical and logical layers and performing usage analysis and traffic patterns based on this flow.
• Building expert design and analysis applications that provide intelligent information on where more capacity is required and where potential misconfigurations and fine-tuning opportunities occur.
Network managers need the ability to view the network at multiple layers. One solution could be a pervasive layer of intelligence within the operating system software for understanding and maintaining topology information about adjacent devices, along with multilayer, intelligent discovery tools for constructing comprehensive topologies of switched internetworks. The value of this embedded intelligence for managing switched internetworks is two-fold. First, it offers the visibility necessary for understanding where the switches are located within the network and how they are connected. Second, it provides the base relational model for mapping RMON-based traffic data on top of it and for performing high-level configuration functions such as grouping users into VLANs and layer 3 connectivity for inter-VLAN routing and wide area communications.
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