Network Management System (NMS)

What is NMS ?
Why NMS is required ?
NMS architecture
Network Management Models

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NMS
Network management system is an application layer technology
Network management provides mechanisms for monitoring,
control and coordination of all network components within
physical and Data link layer of a node/ Device.
Models of Network management
Centralized Management
Distributed Management

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Goals of Network management

Higher network availability

Reduce network operational cost
Reduce network bottlenecks
Increase flexibility of operation & integration
Higher efficiency
Ease of use
Security

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Network Management System Architecture

It is divided into four levels based on different functions
performed at different levels

Network Management
Application
Network management
framework
Protocol support
Resources

Operating system and

hardware

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NMS Architecture (cont.)

Operating system & hardware: Operating system:- Windows 2003 server & home server,
Novell Netware, OS/2 LAN server etc.
Hardware:- Simple workstation or specific network server
devices
The resources may be on the same workstation as the operating
system or may be on separate components like a bridge or router

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NMS Architecture (cont.)

Protocol Support:- includes following
Layers below application layer in OSI or Internet architecture.
Management protocols such as SNMP, CMIP, or CMOL.
Conversion of different protocols and multi protocols which may be required
to support heterogeneous and multivendor protocols.

Network Management framework: Provides the base for various network management applications
Manager and agent functions
Database support for network management functions and application support
such as topology, status, inventory of resources and other data
View and user interface support
Network management functions (configuration & fault management)
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NMS Architecture (cont.)

Network Management Application: Open for computer industry to write their own network management
applications.
The business management application (search engines, Emails, clientserver market (banking, railway)).
Easy to use view application
Fault identification and fault diagnostic applications for system automation
Performance-tuning application based on required processing power &
memory (Image, Video, Graphics and Audio application).

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Resources to be managed
Management of computer network involves monitoring and
controlling of different hardware and software components of
networks.
Hardware components: physical & data link layer-related equipment like IEEE 802-related
products, FDDI, ISDN, B-ISDN, ATM, SONET and other emerging
protocol based devices.
Computer components:-Memory, processors, printers etc.
Connectivity and interconnection components:-repeaters, bridges, routers,
gateway, hubs and modem.
Telecommunication hardware:-modems, multiplexers, and switches.

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Resources to be managed (cont.)

Software components:

Operating system software (eg. Windows 2003)

Application software and software tools (eg. VoIP)
System software in client-server computing (Novell Netware)
Interconnection software (software used in repeaters, bridge, router,
gateway and hubs)
Application software in client- server computing (database, file & print
server)
Data communication & telecommunication software:- (FDDI, ATM, and
frame relay)
Backbone communication software:- to connect different LANs (FDDI &
SONET)

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Network Management Models

There are five types of Network Management Models

OSI Model
Internet Model
TMN (Telecommunication Management Network)
IEEE LAN/MAN Management
Web-based Management

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OSI Network Management Model

Adopted by ISO
It addresses all the seven layers of OSI reference model
The OSI management protocol is CMIP (Common Management
Information Protocol) and has built in services, CMIS (Common
Management Information Service)
CMIP/CMIS address the network management applications and
manages LANs & WAN.

Its major drawbacks are higher complexity and the CMIP stack is
large.

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Internet Model
SNMP (Simple Network management protocols) developed by
IETF.
SNMP is simple as compare to CMIP.

SNMP manages internet components, WAN and

telecommunication systems.
Now SNMP is the most widely implemented and used Network
Management System.
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Telecommunication Management Network

(TMN)
Designed by ITU to manage telecommunication network
It is oriented towards the needs of telecommunication service
providers.

TMNs specifications
considerations.

address

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services

and

business

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IEEE Model
The IEEE standards for LAN, WLAN and MAN specifications
are concerned only with physical and data link layers
Both OSI/CMIP and Internet/SNMP protocols use IEEE
standard for the lower layers management.

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Web-based model
Web-based management is based on web based technology.
A Web server for network management system and the web
browsers for stations (hosts) management are required.

No specific standard exists at present.

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Network Management Models

NM model

Protocol/Standard

Developed/Supported by

OSI Model

CMIP

Adopted by ISO

Internet Model

SNMP

Developed by IETF

TMN Model

TMN

Developed by ITU

IEEE Model

IEEE LAN/WLAN/PAN/MAN

Developed by IEEE

Web Based Model

Not specified yet

Not specified yet

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OSI Network Management Model

OSI Network Management

Organization
subModel

1.
2.
3.
4.

Objects
Agents
Manager
Tier-organization

Information
subModel

Communication
subModel

1. MIT
2. MIB
3. MDB

1. Request
2. Command
3. Notification

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Functional
subModel

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Configuration
Security
Fault
Performance
accounting

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Organization subModel
It describes the components of a network management system,
their functions and their infrastructure.
It defines terms object, agent and manager.

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Object and Functions

Object: Network Elements like hosts, hubs, bridges, routers etc.
Managed elements have management process running in them called an
Agent.
Unmanaged element do not have an agent running in them.
eg. Managed and Unmanaged switches.

Agent Function: software component which runs in network elements (devices).

reports information via NMS protocols to the manager and follow the
commands of manager.

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Object and Functions (cont.)

Manager Function:

A software component runs in central unit or server computer of network.

The manager manages managed elements only.

The manager queries the agents and receives management data, process it
and store in its database.

It controls the operation of remote agents and may send commands on the
basis of received information from agents.

The Agent can send some information to manager in unsolicited way.

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Organization Model
.Two Tier Network
Management
Organization Model

MANAGER

MDB

Managed Objects
Unmanaged Objects

MDB=Management Database
Agent Process

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Organization submodel (cont.)

.

Three Tier Network

Management Organization
Model

Manager

MDB

Agent/Manager

MDB

Managed Objects

MDB=Management Database
Agent Process
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Organization submodel (cont.)

.Network Management
Organization with MoM

MDB

MOM
Agent
Agent NMS
Manager

Managed Objects

Agent
Agent NMS
Manager

MDB

MDB

Managed Objects

Agent Process; MoM= Manager of

Manager; NMS= Network Management System
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Organization submodel (cont.)

Dual Role of Management Process (agent/manager).

Peer to peer network management (two network service

providers that need to exchange management information)

Agent NMS

Manager NMS

Manager NMS

Agent NNS

NMS=Network Management System;

a system that runs management process.
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Information submodel
eg. ISBN 0-11-022033-8 Fig. 3.7; Mobile No.
The information model specifies the information base to describe
managed objects and their relationship.
It deals with the structure and organization of management
information.

The SMI (Structure of Management Information) defines the

syntax (format) and semantics (meaning) of management
information stored in the MIB (Management Information Base).
MIB is used by both Agent and Manager to store and exchange
management information (called
Agent MIB & Manager MIB). 25
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Information submodel (cont.)

. Network Configuration with Data and Information Base

Manager

MDB

MIB

MDB=Management Database
Managed Objects
MIB=Management Information Base
Agent Process
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Information Model (cont.)

A manager contains both MDB and MIB.
The MDB is a real database and contains measured or
administratively configured value of the elements of network.

The MIB is a temporary database and contains information

necessary for process to exchange information.
eg. Adding a new switch and updating MIB and MDS.

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MIB Contains information of

Network Elements: hub, bridges, routers, transmission facilities.
Software processes: Programs, algorithms, protocols functions,
database.

Administrative Information: Contact person, account number

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Management Information Trees (MIT)

.

Root

Level 1
Level 2

Level 3
Each circle represents managed object

Generic representation of management Tree

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OSI Management Information Tree

.
itu
0

iso
1

iso-itu
2

org
3
itu, iso, iso-itu defines management
of objects under them

dod
6

internet
1
Eg. 1.3.6.1 defines: iso->org->dod->internet
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MIB Management Information Base

iso(1)

Object IDentifier (OID)

1
org(3)

- Example .1.3.6.1.2.1.1

dod(6)

- iso(1) org(3) dod(6) internet(1)

mgmt(2)
mib-2(1)
system(1)

internet(1)

private(4)

directory(1)

1
2

mgmt(2)

experimental(3)

mib-2(1)

tcp(6)

system(1)

interfaces(2)

ip(4)

MIT..

Each managed object is represented by a node in MIT.

Each organization (like ISO, ITU) defines management of object under

them.

The number in each circle identifies the designation of the object in each
layer.

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Communication SubModel
It addresses the way in which the information is exchanged
between systems.
Management data is communicated between agent and
manager functions, as well as between manager functions.
Three aspects of communication of information between two
entities:
Transport medium of message exchange (transport protocol)
Message format of communication (application protocol)
Actual message (commands and responses)
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Management Communication Model

The Messages used between manager and agent are:

Request/response/ operations(OSI)
Notifications/Traps (Unsolicited messages)

Manager

Applications

Operations / Requests

Agent
Responses

Network elements
/ Managed Objects

Notifications / Traps
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Management Communication Transfer Protocols

.

Manager
Applications

Manager
Communication
Module

Transport Layer

Operations/Requests/Responses/Traps
/Notifications

SNMP (Internet)
CMIP (OSI)

UDP (port no. 161 & 162)/ IP (Internet)

OSI Lower Layer Profiles (OSI)

Physical Medium
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Agent
Application

Agent
Communication
Module

Transport Layer

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Functional submodel
It addresses the user oriented requirements.
It consists of five sub-ordinate submodels (in future there may be
more ):

OSI
Functional SubModel

Configuration
Management

Fault
Management

Performance
Management
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Security
Management

Accounting
Management
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Configuration management

It addresses the settings and changes in configurations of networks and their

components.

Relevant management information is embedded in managed objects such as

switch, hub, router, bridges etc.
Configuration management involves setting up above objects.

eg. Alarm thresholds could be set to generate alarms when packet loss exceeds
a defined value.

Information on the object name and the person to be contacted when the
component fails could be entered in the managed agent.

The configuration data is gathered automatically and stored in NMS.

NMS displays in real-time the configuration of network and its status.

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Fault Management

It involves detection and isolation of the problem causing the failure in the
network.

NMS constantly monitors and displays in real-time all major and minor
alarms based on the severity of failures.

Service is restored as soon as possible, and it could involve reconfiguration

of the network, which is part of configuration management.

In several failure situations, the network could reconfigure automatically.

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Performance Management

The status of the network is displayed by a NMS that measures the traffic
and performance of the network.

The network statistics include data on traffic volume, network availability,

and network delay.

The traffic data can be captured based on traffic volume in the various
segments of the network.

Analyze the various application-oriented traffic such as Web traffic , Email,

file transfers, and so on.

Performance data on availability and delay is useful for tuning the network
to increase its reliability and to improve its response time.
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Security Management

It involves securing the network, access to network resources, and

secured communication over the network.

A security database is established and maintained for access to network and

network information.

Unauthorized access to the network generates an alarm on the NMS at the

NOC (network Operation centre).

Firewalls protect network resources from being accessed unauthorized

personnel and programs.

To prevent tampering of information encryption (cryptography) techniques

are used.
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Accounting Management

It administers cost of the network.

Matrices are established to measure the use of resources and services.

Traffic data gathered by performance management server is used to decide

charges of different type of services.

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Other models
Internet: Architecture for SNMP management model is not defined explicitly like in
OSI model
The organization, information, and communication models are similar to
OSI model
The functional model is addressed in terms of operations, administration
and security.

TNM: based on OSI model, focuses on application functions of services and

business considerations.

IEEE: Communication model only

Web Based Management: Organization model uses Web server Web browser architecture
Information and communication model only
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