Network Manager's Handbook

Table of Contents:
Contents Preface Part 1 Assembling the Infrastructure Chapter 1 Role of the Communications Department 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Network Planning and Design 1.2.1 Responsibilities 1.2.2 Alternatives to In-House Staff 1.3 Network Management 1.3.1 Fault Detection 1.3.2 Maintenance Tracking 1.3.3 Performance Measurement 1.3.4 Configuration Management 1.3.5 Applications Management 1.3.6 Security 1.3.7 Inventory and Accounting 1.4 Help Desk 1.5 Administration 1.5.1 Moves, Adds, and Changes 1.5.2 Software Distribution and License Management 1.5.3 Network Backup and Data Recovery 1.6 Record Keeping 1.7 Training 1.8 Technical Support 1.9 Operations Management 1.10 Importance of Staff Continuity 1.11 Role of the CIO 1.12 Conclusion Chapter 2 The Procurement Process 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Managing Change 2.3 Organizational Objectives 2.4 Needs Assessment 2.5 Selecting Potential Vendors 2.5.1 Financial and Credit Information 2.5.2 Product Development 2.5.3 Integration and Engineering 2.5.4 Quality Control 2.5.5 Interoperability Testing 2.5.6 Repair and Return 2.5.7 Customer Service 2.5.8 Technical Documentation 2.5.9 Customer Training 2.5.10 Primary Line of Business 2.5.11 Vendor References 2.5.12 Escrow Protection 2.6 Select the Vendor 2.7 The Action Plan 2.8 Feedback 2.9 Coping with Change 2.9.1 Tracking New Technologies 2.9.2 Pursuing New Products and Services 2.9.3 Selling Soft-Dollar Benefits 2.9.4 Pilot Testing 2.9.5 High-Impact Activities 2.10 Conclusion Chapter 3 Writing the Request for Proposal 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Needs Assessment 3.3 General Information 3.3.1 Purpose 3.3.2 Scope 3.3.3 Schedule of Events 3.4 Contract Terms and Conditions 3.4.1 Liabilities 3.4.2 Mechanical Clauses 3.4.3 Technical Specifications 3.4.4 Project Support 3.4.5 Costs and Charges 3.4.6 Reliability and Warranty 3.4.7 Maintenance 3.4.8 Product Delivery 3.4.9 Rights and Options 3.4.10 Relocation 3.5 Proposal Specifications 3.5.1 Letter of Transmittal 3.5.2 Proposal Format and Content 3.6 Technical Requirements 3.6.1 General Considerations 3.6.2 Equipment Specifications 3.6.3 Appendixes 3.7 RFP Alternatives 3.8 Conclusion Chapter 4 Financial Planning 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Asset versus Expense Management 4.3 The Planning Process 4.3.1 Needs Assessment 4.3.2 Calculating True Costs 4.3.3 Time Value of Money 4.3.4 Discounted Cash Flow Analysis 4.3.5 Impacts on Cash Flow 4.3.6 Loan Amortization 4.4 Return on Investment 4.5 Procurement Alternatives 4.5.1 Cash Purchase 4.5.2 Installment Loan 4.5.3 Leasing 4.5.4 Types of Leases 4.6 Financial Management of Communications 4.7 Requirements for Strategic Operation 4.8 Opportunity Assessment 4.8.1 Cost Reporting 4.8.2 Budgeting and Control 4.8.3 Financial Operations 4.8.4 How to Start 4.9 Assessing Vendor Stability 4.9.1Debt/Equity Ratio (Total Debt/Total Equity) 4.10 Conclusion Chapter 5 Managing, Evaluating, and Scheduling Technical Staff 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Structuring the Setting 5.2.1 Making Time 5.2.2 Ensuring Privacy 5.2.3 Physical Setting 5.3 Managing the Process 5.3.1 Comfort 5.3.2 Rapport 5.3.3 Trust 5.4 A Closer Look At Bridging Skills 5.4.1 Body Language 5.4.2 Mental Attention 5.4.3 Respect 5.4.4 Invitations 5.4.5 Acknowledgments 5.5 Integrating the Information 5.5.1 Reflection 5.5.2 Self-Disclosure 5.5.3 Immediacy 5.5.4 Probing 5.5.5 Checking 5.5.6 Confrontation 5.6 Support 5.6.1 Problem Definition 5.6.2 Problem Ownership 5.6.3 Developing Action Plans 5.7 Withdrawal 5.7.1 Centering 5.7.2 Appreciation 5.8 Why Bother? 5.9 Staff Expectations 5.10 Employee Evaluations 5.10.1 Reasons to Evaluate 5.10.2 Information Gathering 5.10.3 Common Traps 5.10.4 Review Methods 5.10.5 Computerized Evaluation Tools 5.11 Computerized Scheduling Tools 5.12 Conclusion Chapter 6 Outsourcing Infrastructure 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Reasons to Outsource 6.3 Approaches to Outsourcing 6.4 Outsourcing Trends 6.5 What to Outsource 6.6 Typical Outsourcing Services 6.6.1 Moves, Adds, Changes 6.6.2 Systems and Network Integration 6.6.3 Project Management 6.6.4 Trouble Ticket Administration 6.6.5 Management of Vendor-Carrier Relations 6.6.6 Maintenance, Repair, and Replacement 6.6.7 Disaster Recovery 6.6.8 Technology Migration Planning 6.6.9 Training 6.6.10 Equipment Leasing 6.6.11 LAN Administration and Management 6.6.12 WAN Administration and Management 6.6.13 Network Security 6.6.14 Enterprise Applications 6.7 Decision to Outsource 6.8 Vendor Evaluation Criteria 6.9 Structuring the Relationship 6.10 Negotiations 6.11 Conclusion Part 2 Organizing Technology Assets Chapter 7 Downsizing and Distributing Information Resources 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Benefits of Downsizing 7.3 Opportunity Assessment 7.3.1 Senior Management Perspective 7.3.2 Systems Designer Perspective 7.3.3 Systems Developer Perspective 7.3.4 Systems Designers and Developers 7.3.5 IT Management Perspective 7.4 Making the Transition 7.5 Distributed Processing Environment 7.5.1 Dedicated Application Servers 7.5.2 Minicomputers 7.5.3 Super Servers 7.5.4 Server Clusters 7.5.5 Mainframes 7.5.6 Client-Server 7.5.7 Thin-Client Architecture 7.5.8 Cooperative Processing 7.5.9 Peer-to-Peer Data Sharing 7.6 Transition Aids 7.6.1 Working with Objects 7.6.2 Working with CASE Tools 7.6.3 Distributed Network Management 7.6.4 Role of SNMP 7.7 Organizational Issues 7.7.1 Mainframe Mindset 7.7.2 PC Mindset 7.7.3 Addressing the "Soft" Issues 7.8 Implementation 7.8.1 Success Factors 7.8.2 Risk Factors 7.8.3 Setting Objective Criteria 7.9 Assuming a Leadership Role 7.10 Collocation Arrangements 7.11 Conclusion Chapter 8 Network Service and Facility Selection 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Transmission Media 8.2.1 Twisted-Pair Wiring 8.2.2 Coaxial Cable 8.2.3 Optical Fiber 8.2.4 Wireless Communications 8.2.5 Broadband Wireless 8.2.6 Satellite 8.2.7 Free-Space Laser 8.3 Analog Services and Lines 8.4 Digital Subscriber Line 8.5 T-Carrier Facilities 8.6 Centrex 8.7 ISDN 8.8 Packet Data Services 8.8.1 Internet Protocol 8.8.2 Frame Relay 8.8.3 Asynchronous Transfer Mode 8.9 Bundled Services 8.9.1 Bundle Examples 8.9.2 Decision Criteria 8.10 Conclusion Chapter 9 Systems Integration 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Systems Integration Defined 9.3 Role of Business Process Reengineering 9.3.1 Predecision Services 9.3.2 Preinstallation Services 9.3.3 Installation and Implementation Services 9.3.4 Postinstallation Services 9.3.5 Life Cycle Services 9.4 Types of Integrators 9.4.1 Data Communications Service Providers 9.4.2 Consultants 9.4.3 Information Technology Shops 9.4.4 Traditional Service Firms 9.4.5 Equipment Vendors, Vars, Distributors 9.5 Evaluation Criteria 9.5.1 Technological Leadership 9.5.2 Digital Transport Systems 9.5.3 Network Design 9.5.4 Microwave and Fiber-Optic Interfacing 9.5.5 Network Management 9.5.6 Project Management 9.5.7 Facilities Engineering 9.5.8 Carrier Services and Pricing 9.5.9 Telco Practices and Procedures 9.5.10 Contemporary and Future Technologies 9.5.11 Project Pricing Considerations 9.6 Alternative Arrangements 9.7 Conclusion Chapter 10 Help Desk Operations 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Help Desk Functions 10.3 Types of Help Desks 10.4 Help Desk Installation 10.5 Infrastructure Requirements 10.6 Operation 10.6.1 Remote Control Software 10.6.2 Security 10.7 Staffing 10.8 Staff Responsibilities 10.9 Help Desk Tools 10.10 Role of Expert Systems 10.10.1 Intelligent Text Retrieval 10.10.2 Case Based Reasoning 10.10.3 Rule Based Expert Systems 10.10.4 Neural Networks 10.11 Delivering Support Via the Internet 10.12 Outsourcing the Help Desk 10.13 NMS-Integrated Help Desks 10.14 Conclusion Chapter 11 Network Integration 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Internetworking Devices 11.2.1 Bridges 11.2.2 Routers 11.2.3 Gateways 11.3 Methods of Integration 11.3.1 Translation 11.3.2 Encapsulation 11.3.3 Segmentation 11.3.4 Emulation 11.3.5 Speed Matching 11.4 Terminal Emulation 11.5 SNA-LAN Integration 11.5.1 Integration Issues 11.5.2 Integration Approaches 11.5.3 Advanced Solutions 11.6 Outsourcing Network Integration 11.7 Conclusion Chapter 12 Navigating Service Level Agreements 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Enterprise SLAs 12.2.1 Performance Baselining 12.2.2 SLA Development Considerations 12.2.3 SLA Components 12.2.4 Service Level Enforcement 12.3 Service Provider SLAs 12.3.1 Performance Metrics 12.3.2 Sample SLA 12.3.3 SLA Tools 12.4 Types of SLAs 12.4.1 Internet SLA 12.4.2 Collocation Services 12.4.3 Shared Hosting SLA 12.4.4 Managed Hosting Services 12.4.5 Web-Enabled Call Centers 12.4.6 Managed Firewall Services 12.5 Issues to Consider 12.6 Conclusion Chapter 13 Technology Asset Management 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Types of Assets 13.2.1 Hardware Assets 13.2.2 Software Assets 13.2.3 Web-Based Asset Management 13.2.4 Network Assets 13.2.5 Cable Assets 13.3 Methods of Implementation 13.3.1 Stand-Alone Applications 13.3.2 Help Desk 13.3.3 Network Management Systems 13.3.4 Third-Party Subscription Services 13.4 The Cost of Asset Management 13.5 Standards 13.5.1 Desktop Management Task Force 13.5.2 Plug and Play 13.6 Conclusion Part 3 Keeping the Network Healthy Chapter 14 Maintenance and Support Planning 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Service and Support offerings 14.3 In-House Approach 14.3.1 Staffing Requirements 14.3.2 User Support 14.3.3 Technical Support 14.3.4 Operations Management 14.4 Reporting Requirements 14.5 Equipment Requirements 14.5.1 Spares Inventory 14.5.2 Test Equipment 14.5.3 Technical References 14.6 Vendor and Carrier Services 14.7 Third-Party Maintenance Firms 14.8 Cooperative Arrangements 14.9 Cabling and Rewiring Considerations 14.9.1 Premises Wiring 14.9.2 Treating the Cable Plant as an Asset 14.9.3 Cable Planning 14.10 Other Planning Activities 14.11 Conclusion Chapter 15 Network Monitoring and Testing 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Protocol Analyzers 15.2.1 Features 15.3 Breakout Boxes 15.4 Bit Error Rate Testers 15.5 Analog Line Impairment Testers 15.6 DSL Testing 15.7 T-Carrier Testing 15.8 ISDN Testing 15.8.1 Physical Link Problems 15.8.2 Data Link Problems 15.8.3 Network Layer Problems 15.9 Digital Data Service Testing 15.10 Testing Frame Relay Networks 15.11 X.25 Testing 15.12 Testing ATM Networks 15.13 Conclusion Chapter 16 Network Management 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Network Management System Functions 16.2.1 Topology Mapping 16.2.2 Administration 16.2.3 Performance Measurement 16.2.4 Control and Diagnostics 16.2.5 Configuration Management 16.2.6 Applications Management 16.2.7 Security 16.3 Network Management System 16.3.1 Simple Network Management Protocol 16.3.2 Management Information Base 16.3.3 Network Manager 16.4 SNMP Integration 16.4.1 Intelligent Hubs 16.4.2 Carrier Services 16.5 Remote Monitoring Management Information Base 16.5.1 Advantages of RMON 16.5.2 Remote Monitoring Applications 16.5.3 Ethernet Object Groups 16.5.4 Token Ring Extensions 16.6 RMON II 16.7 Conclusion Chapter 17 Network Design and Optimization 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Data Acquisition 17.3 Network Simulation 17.4 Bill of Materials 17.5 Network Drawing Tools 17.6 Drawing Techniques 17.6.1 Device Library 17.6.2 Template Usage 17.7 Embedded Intelligence 17.8 Bandwidth Optimization 17.8.1 Approaches 17.8.2 Traffic Shaping 17.8.3 Load Balancing 17.8.4 Caching 17.8.5 Client-Aware Acceleration 17.8.6 Queuing 17.8.7 Outsourcing Content Delivery 17.9 Optimization Issues 17.10 New Directions 17.10.1 Differentiated Services 17.10.2 Multiprotocol Label Switching 17.11 Selection Criteria 17.12 Conclusion Chapter 18 Managing Technology Transitions 18.1 Introduction 18.2 The Transition Plan 18.3 Transition Methodology 18.3.1 Participative Planning 18.3.2 Education 18.3.3 Develop Solution Design 18.3.4 Evaluating Alternatives 18.3.5 Risk Assessment 18.3.6 Project Time Line 18.4 Role of Outsourcing 18.5 Role of Process Reorganization 18.6 Topology Considerations 18.6.1 Impact on Existing Networks 18.6.2 Impact on Existing Applications 18.6.3 Performance Measurement Tools 18.7 Support Issues 18.7.1 Systems Reliability 18.7.2 Systems Integration 18.7.3 Training 18.8 Management 18.9 Conclusion Part 4 Protecting the Business Chapter 19 Network Security 19.1 Introduction 19.2 Risk Assessment 19.2.1 Securing the Work Environment 19.2.2 Securing the Network 19.3 Access Controls 19.3.1 Password Security 19.3.2 Single Point Log-On 19.4 Other Security Measures 19.4.1 Key and Card Systems 19.4.2 Biometrics 19.4.3 Disk and Drive Controls 19.5 Data Encryption 19.5.1 Symmetric versus Asymmetric 19.5.2 Digital Encryption Standard 19.6 Virus Protection 19.7 Firewalls 19.8 Remote Access Security 19.8.1 Security Measures 19.8.2 Callback Security Systems 19.8.3 Link Level Protocols 19.9 Policy-Based Security 19.10 Security Planning 19.11 Conclusion Chapter 20 Business Continuity Planning 20.1 Introduction 20.2 Planning Process 20.3 Staff Roles 20.3.1 Overall Responsibilities 20.3.2 Project Initiation and Management 20.3.3 Risk Evaluation and Control 20.3.4 Business Impact Analysis 20.3.5 Develop Business Recovery Strategies 20.3.6 Emergency Response 20.3.7 Awareness and Training Programs 20.3.8 Maintenance and Testing 20.3.9 Crisis Coordination 20.3.10 Coordination with Local Authorities 20.4 Security Risk Assessment 20.4.1 Layered Approach 20.4.2 Security Benchmarks 20.4.3 Security Information Resources 20.5 Outsourcing Business Continuity 20.5.1 Enterprise Solutions Providers 20.5.2 Telecommunications Carriers 20.5.3 Storage Service Providers 20.6 Training 20.7 Development Tools 20.8 Conclusion Index

About the Author :
Nathan J. Muller is an independent consultant specializing in advanced technology marketing, research, and education. He has more than 25 years of experience in the field, and previously held technical and marketing positions with General DataComm Industries, Planning Research Corp., and ITT Telecom. Mr. Muller is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Network Management, is a frequent contributor to major professional journals, and is author of such top-selling technical books as Desktop Encyclopedia of Voice and Data Networking and Desktop Encyclopedia of the Internet.