Table of Contents
Module 2 - Design the Network Structure
Section 7 - Select a Network Management Strategy
Pretty Paper Ltd.: Solution
1. The network administrator at Pretty Paper has
been managing an X.25 network for a long time and knows
something about Frame
Relay, mostly from reading. Recommend specific network management protocols
and products that will
meet the company’s needs and allow the administrator to be immediately
productive.
-
Recommend CiscoWorks for Windows. The configuration file management, device
management, software management, and other features of the CiscoWorks software
will help manage the central and remote sites at Pretty Paper.
-
The network administrators can use AutoInstall to enter the initial configuration
(but then they will need to change the configuration to input the Frame
Relay encapsulation because AutoInstall assumes HDLC).
-
In addition to recommending the CiscoWorks network management product,
you should give Pretty Paper some basic training on how to use Cisco Connection
Online and the CiscoConnect application within CiscoWorks. These tools
will let Pretty Paper work closely with Cisco or a Cisco partner to keep
the network functioning at maximum performance.
-
Pretty Paper should define what the service goals for the network will
be. For example, what is the goal for downtime? Is it that the network
should never be down or is there a more realistic goal that the network
should be up 98 percent of the time? Once the goals have been defined,
metrics for measuring the accomplishment of the goals can be defined. This
process of defining service goals will also lead to the hardware and software
maintenance policies such as next day, 7x24, and so on.
2. What recommendations would you make to Pretty
Paper about proactively monitoring the network and
data collection?
-
If possible, engineers and planners should be assigned to proactively monitor
the network even when it is not having a problem. In addition to checking
for irregularities and bottlenecks, the staff should make sure that the
data collection processes and reporting are working correctly, and adjust
them if necessary.
-
Assuming sufficient resources are available, the engineers or planners
should compile baseline statistics approximately once a month and write
a report that characterizes the current health of the network and the service
level achieved in the last month.
Click on the Back button in your browser to review Section 7 of Module
2. If you are finished with that section, click
here to go on to the Jones, Jones, & Jones case study.
Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. -- Version 2.0 7/98