What is Network Management?

For many Canadian organizations today, network management is a very important aspect of their business operations. As more and more companies turn to the internet and online technologies as a means to run their business, high quality network management is essential.

Network Management

Network management is a broad subject that is concerned with how organizations maintain their computer networks and ensure they are running at an optimal level at all times. It can be broken down into a number of sub topics. They include:

• Network security: This is concerned with making sure that your organization is secure and protected against threats from unauthorized users, malware, viruses, and Trojans.
• Network Administration: This component of network management deals with remaining organized and effectively tracking all resources on the organization's network.
• Network Performance: This aspect of networking management is concerned with reducing the potential for bottlenecks in your network. This means ensuring network traffic is effective handled so all users can experience optimal connect speeds.
• Network Reliability: This is concerned about ensuring that your computer network experiences optimal uptime. Therefore, companies will have to take the measures necessary to make their networks available to your users at all times without lags.
• Network Maintenance: Network maintenance is concerned with the proper scheduling and management of network upgrades and routine repairs. Successful organizations take a proactive rather than reactive approach to maintenance.
• Network Provisioning: This is concerned with configuring network resources to provide support to services

Network management functions

The following functions are included in network management:

• Planning
• Allocation
• Monitoring
• Coordination
• Allocation

Each one of these functions exists to support:

• Traffic management and routing
• Load balancing
• Network bandwidth management
• Network performance
• Security management

Networking management options

When it comes to networking management, there are two approaches that can be employed by Canadian organizations.

Internal network management:

This option is used by many companies, especially companies that have large IT department. In this situation, network management is often conducted by a network administrator or IT lead. Additionally, various network tasks many be handled by specific individuals within the IT department.

Outsourcing network management:

Many companies are also opting to hire an outside company to manage their networks, hiring an outside company for network management. These companies can be especially important for new companies. They can help develop a company’s network and advise about specific configurations and best practices.

In particular, these companies can offer a wide range of networking based services such as:

• Network security services
• IT support
• Network hardware services
• IT and networking consulting
• Web development and email management
• Network maintenance and upgrades

Networking management tools

There is no shortage of hardware and software network management tools that can be implemented by companies to effectively manage their network. Some of the most popular tools include:

• Solarwinds Orion Network Performance Manager
• Orion Netflow Traffic Analyzer
• Dartware intermapper
• Manage Engine OpManager Essential
• NTOP
• OpenNMS
• WMI Monitor
• Solarwinds IPMonitor
• VMConsole
• Kiwi CatTools
• LANsurveyor

Many of these tools are available for free or are available in a 30 day trial format. Therefore, companies have the ability to try out a number of tools before they decide to make a purchase.