Let's see. We've discussed a few rules for building networks. First there is Occam's Razor, better known as the rule of simplicity. Second is Network Entropy, the idea that chaos is introduced into the network from the beginning and nothing ever gets less complex. So the rule here is to begin simply and limit change. Lastly, we've thought about the ephemeral network. Or, expressed another way, leverage. These ideas can and should be used to guide the development of network tools.

I've never liked the CA Unicenter view of the world. Get one big network management tool aggregator and make in do everything. This approach almost never works. And I'd go out on a limb to say that it never works as advertised. It's hard to imagine how CA or Tivoli stay in business. Come to think of it, whatever happened to Tivoli? Maybe IBM still owns them? Hmmmmm. Come to think of it, whatever happened to IBM? I digress.

The best (by that I mean most useful) network tools seem to be the free applications. Two of our most useful tools are NOCOL and NMIS. The cost of both of these tools was ZIP, ZERO, nothing. Sure, we had to put in the time to get them going. But that brings me to another issue. And that is........

Never let the folks who use the tools be responsible for implementing the tools. It confuses the issue. Before the first day is over the whole team starts to feel that their job is to IMPLEMENT network tools. Once that attitude takes hold you will never get rid of it. The purpose of the tools is to be used to run the network. Staff should be using the tools to learn about the performance of the network. All of the staff time should be used to analyze the data that is provided by the tools. Period. The only legitimate excuse for allowing your staff to implement tools is to understand how to use the tools and to make sure that the tools are suited for providing network data. And implementing tools is a really inefficient way of training and understanding. End of lecture.

So, the management tools are the windows into the network. The NOC staff must use these windows to identify weaknesses in the network. Once weaknesses are identify it is the responsibility of the NOC to use the information gained to then drive weaknesses out of the network.

Lastly, the top two pieces of information that are constantly requested by UEN customers (a.k.a. Stakeholders) are:

1. Information about degraded circuits before they fail.

2. Quick fixes when network locations are not reachable.

The first area can be addressed with tools that show bit errors on circuits in real time.

The second isn't as easily addressed. Tools must be developed to identify and measure critical factors in the user experience. Perhaps scripts could be written to measure ping times from distant ends of the UEN network to critical internet locations. These measurements should be developed with user input and the measurements should be published.

How does the NOC use these tools? What are the daily activities? That's a discussion for another day.........
10:14:34 PM    comment []