Evolution in Network

Management
 Network Management
• Network management involves the planning,
organizing, monitoring, accounting, and controlling
of activities and resources and to keep the
network service available and correct.
• Network management is the activities, methods,
procedures, and tools that pertain to the operation
includes monitoring the network to spot problems
as soon as possible, administration( keeping track
of resources in the network and how they are
assigned), maintenance(concerned with
performing repairs and upgrades), and configuring
resources in the network to support a given
service of networked systems.
• Three areas of network need managing. They
are :.
– network management as management of the
network comprising nodes and links,
– system management as managing system resources,
such as central processor usage, disk usage, and
application processes.
– Service management deals with services provided by
organizations to customers.
 Basic Components of Network
Management System
• Network management has three main
components:
– a managing center consists of the network
administrator and his or her facilities.
– a managed device, the network equipment, including
its software, that is controlled by the managing center.
Any hub, bridge, router, server, printer, or modem can
be a managed device.
– A network management protocol(SNMP, CMIP). a
policy between the managing center and the
managed devices. The protocol in this context allows
the managing center to obtain the status of managed
devices.
• Network management system contains two
primary elements:
– Manager is the console(‫ )وحده التحكم‬through which the
network administrator performs network
management functions. A manager can be a network
administrative device, as a management host.
– Agents are the entities that interface (‫)وسيط‬to the
actual device being managed.
• An agent can use the network management protocol(SNMP,
CMIP) to inform the managing center of an unexpected
event.
• Bridges, hubs, routers or network servers are
examples of managed devices that contain
managed objects.
• These managed objects might be hardware,
configuration parameters, performance statistics,
and so on, that directly relate to the current
operation of the device in question.
• MIB is (management information base) is known as
a virtual information database where the objects
are arranged.
• Network management protocols (such as SNMP,
CMIP) allow managers and agents to communicate
for the purpose of accessing these objects.
A typical distributed management system
comprises:
• Network elements(managed devices ):
– Equipments which communicate with the network
with the purpose of being monitored or controlled, are
named network elements.
– Network elements are hardware devices such as
computers, routers, and terminal servers that are
connected to networks.
– A network element is a network node that contains an
SNMP agent, which resides on a managed network.
 Manager:
– A manager generates commands and receives
notifications from agents.
– There are usually only a few managers in a system.
 Agents:
– Agents collect and store management information
such as the number of error packets received by a
network element.
– An agent has local knowledge of management
information and transforms that information into the
form compatible with SNMP.
– An agent responds to commands from the manager
and sends notification to the manager.
– There are potentially many agents in a system.
• Managed object:
– A managed object is a vision of a feature of a network,
physical and logical resources, such as signaling
terminals, routes, event logs, alarm reports and
subscriber data, are regarded as managed objects.
– Managed objects differ from variables, which are
particular object instances.
– Managed objects can be scalar (defining a single
object instance) or tabular (defining multiple and
related instances).
 Network Management Stations (NMSs):
– Sometimes NMSs are called consoles.
– These devices execute management applications that
monitor and control network elements.
– Physically, NMSs are usually engineering workstation-
caliber computers with fast CPUs, mega pixel color
displays, substantial memory, and abundant disk space.
– At least one NMS must be present in each managed
environment.
• Management protocol:
– A management protocol is used to convey ‫نقل‬
management information between agents and network
management stations (NMSs).
– Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the
Internet community’s de facto standard management
protocol. The OSI management protocol standard is
Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP).
• Structure of Management Information (SMI)
– The structure of management information (SMI) language
is used to define the rules for naming objects and to
encode objects in a managed network center.
– SMI is a language by which a specific instance of the data
in a managed network center is defined.(ASN.1 (Abstract
Syntax Notation One)language)
• Management Information Base (MIB)
– A management information base (MIB) stems from the
OSI/ISO Network management model and is a type of
database used to manage the devices in a communications
network.
– It comprises a collection of objects in a (virtual) database
used to manage entities (such as routers and switches) in a
network.
– Objects in the MIB are defined using a subset of Abstract
Syntax Notation One (ASN.1)
• Proxy: Management proxies are entities that
provide management information on behalf
of(‫ )نيابة عن‬other entities.
Example:
• SNMP network management systems (NMSs)
can manage even non-TCP/IP network elements
through proxy agents.
• The proxy agent monitors a non-SNMP
community with non-SNMP agents and then
converts objects and data to SNMP compatible
objects and data to feed to an SNMP manager.
 Network Management Models
Network
Mangement

Organization Information Communication Functional

Model Model Model Model

Figure 3.1 OSl Netw or k Management Model

OSl network management architectural model

comprises four models. They are the organization
model, the information model, the communication
model, and the functions model.
• The organization model:
– describes the components of the network
management system, their functions, and their
infrastructure.
– It defines the terms object, agent, and manager.
• The information model:
– deals with the structure and the organization of
management information.
– It specifies the Structure of Management Information
(SMI) and the information database, management
information base (MIB). SMI describes how the
management information is structured and MlB deals
with the relationship and storage of management
information.
• Communication model
– model associated with how the information is
exchanged between systems.
– Management data are communicated between agent
and manager processes.
• The functional model:
– deals with the user-oriented requirements of network
management., there are five functional application
areas defined in OSI, namely configuration, fault,
performance, security, and accounting.
 Organization Model
• The organization model describes the components
of network management and their relationships.
• Network elements such as hosts, hubs, bridges,
routers, etc. They can be classified into managed
and unmanaged objects or elements.
• The managed elements have a management
process running in them called an agent. The
unmanaged elements do not have a management
process running in them.
– Ex.: The managed hub has management capability built
into it and hence is more expensive than the unmanaged
hub, which does not have an agent running in it.
• The manager communicates with the agent in the
managed element.
Two-tier model:
– The manager manages the managed element , there is
a database in the manager, but not in the agent.
– The manager queries and receives management data
from the agent, processes them and stores them in its
database(MDB).

MDB Manager

Managed objects

Unm anaged objects

MDB Managem ent Databas e

Agent proces s

Figure 3.2 Two-Tier Network M angement Organization Model

• Three-tier model:
– The intermediate layer acts as both agent and
manager.
– As manager, it collects data from the network
elements, processes them, and stores the results in
its database.
– As agent, it transmits information to the top-level
manager.
• For example, an intermediate system is used for making
statistical measurements on a network and passes the
information as needed to the top-level manager.
 MDB Manager

MDB Agent / Manager

Managed objects
MDB Management Database
Agent process

Figure 3.3 Three-Tier Network Mangement Organization Model

• Network domains can be managed locally; and a
global view of the networks can be monitored
by a manager of managers (MoM).
• applicable to organizations with sites distributed
across cities.
MoM MDB

Agent Agent
Agent NMS MDB Agent NMS MDB
M anager M anager

Managed objects
Managed objects

Agent NMS

MoM Manager of Managers Manager

Agent
MDB Managem ent Databas e

Agent proces s

Figure 3.4 Network Mangement Organization Model w ith MoM

 Information Model
• An information model is concerned with the
structure and storage of information.
• Information model specifies the information
base(MIB) to describe managed objects and the
relationship between managed objects.
• The information base is called the Management
Information Base (MIB).
• The MIB is used by both agent and
management processes to store and exchange
management information.
• The MlB associated with an agent is called an
agent MIB and the MIB associated with a
manager is designated as the manager MIB.

• The structure defining the syntax and

semantics of management information is
specified by Structure of Management
lnformation (SMI).
• The manager MIB consists of information on all
the network components that it manages;
whereas the MlB associated with an agent
process needs to know only its local information,
its MlB view.
– For example, a county may have many libraries. Each
library has an index of all the books in that location-
its MIB view. However, the central index at the
county's main library, which manages all other
libraries, has the index of all books in all the county's
libraries global manager MlB view.
 MDB Management Database
MIB Management Information Base

Agent process

MDB Manager MIB

Managed objects
• The manager has both the management database
(MDB) and the MIB.
• The MDB is a real database and contains the
measured or administratively configured value of
the elements of the network.
• The MIB is a virtual database and contains the
information necessary for processes to exchange
information among themselves.
• EX.: The new hub is another instance of the hub
with a new IP address, and its MlB information is
already in the manager's MIB. Its address and the
number of ports associated with it are added to
MDB by the manager querying the agent.
• The MIB that contains data on managed objects need
not be limited to just physical elements. For example,
in network management, management information
extends information beyond that associated with the
description of network elements or objects.
• Some examples of information that can be stored in
the MIB:
– Network Elements: hubs, bridges, routers, transmission
facilities, etc.
– Software Processes: programs, algorithms, protocol
functions, databases, etc.
– Administrative Information: contact person, account.
number, etc.
• In fact, any type of information could be included as
an object in the MIB.
 Management information Tree(MIT)
• The managed objects are uniquely defined by a tree
structure specified by the OSI model and are used
in the Internet model.
• Each managed object occupies a node in the tree.
• The root node does not have an explicit
designation.
• The root has three nodes in the layer behind it (iso),
(itu), and (iso-itu).
• The number in each circle identifies the designation
of the object in each layer.
• All internet-managed objects will be that
number(1.3.6.1) followed by more dots and
numbers.
 iso International Standards Organization
 itu International Telecommunications Union
 dod Department of Defense
 Designation:
 iso 1
 org 1.3
itu iso iso-itu
 dod 1.3.6 0 1 2
 internet 1.3.6.1
org
3

dod
6

internet
1

Figure 3.8 OSI Management Information Tree

 Managed Object Perspective
• Although a managed object need not be a physical object that
can be seen, touched, or felt, it is convenient use a physical
representation to understand the characteristics and
operations associated with a managed object.
 Internet perspective(TCP/IP):
• The five basic attributes of a managed object type from the
Internet perspective are: name, definition, syntax, access, and
status.
• The Internet object model is a scalar model and is easy to
understand.
 Object type: object ID and descriptor unique ID and name for the object
 syntax used to model the object
 access access privilege to a managed object
 status implementation requirements
 definition textual description of the semantics of
object type
 Access: Object Type:
Acces s Object ID and
privilege Descriptor
circle

Status:
Im plem entaion
requirem ents
Syntax : Defintion :
m odel of object Sem antics -
textual des cription

Figure 3.9(a) Internet Perspective

OSI perspective:
• OSI specifications are object oriented, and hence
a managed object belongs to an object class.
 object class managed object
 attributes defines the external perspective of the object
 operations operations which may be applied to it
 behavior behavior exhibited by it in response to operation
 notifications notifications emitted by the object
 Notifications :
Notify changes in
attribute values

Object Class:
Elliptical
Object Class:

object
Circular
object Behaviour

Operations:
Push

Attributes: Attributes:
circle, dimension ellipse, dimension

Figure 3.9(b) OSI Perspective

Internet Vs. OSI Managed Object
 Internet Vs. OSI Managed Object
• Scalar object in Internet Vs. Object-oriented
approach in OSI
• OSI characteristics of operations, behavior, and
notification are part of communication model in
Internet.
₋ Operation in the Internet is done by get/set commands.
₋ Notification is done by response and alarm messages.
• Internet syntax is absorbed as part of OSI attributes.
• Internet access is part of OSI security model.
• Internet status is part of OSI conformance application
service.
• OSI permits creation and deletion of objects;
Internet does not: Enhancement in SNMPv2
 Network Management Standards
• Open System Interconnection (OSI) management
standard, is the standard adopted by the International
Standards Organization (ISO). The OSI management
protocol standard is Common Management
Information Protocol (CMIP).
• The OSI Management protocol has built-in services,
Common Management Information Service (CMIS),
which specify the basic services needed to perform the
various functions. Basic application service modules are
defined by CMIS
• The specifications are object oriented and hence
managed objects are based on object classes and
inheritance rules.
• SNMP is the protocol is extensively deployed.
• The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
presented in is truly simple as its name indicates.
started as an industry standard and has since become
very much like standard.
• Specifications of a standards organization. The lnternet
Engineering Task Force (lETF) is responsible for all
Internet specifications including network management.
• The managed objects are defined as scalar objects in
SNMP.
• It was primarily intended to manage Internet
components, but is now used to manage WAN and
telecommunications systems.
• It is easy to implement.
 Communication Model
• The model associated with how the information is exchanged
between systems.
• Management data are communicated between agent and
manager processes, as well as between manager processes.

• Three aspects need to be addressed in the communication

of information between two entities:
– transport medium of message exchange (transport
protocol),
– message format of communication (application
protocol), and
– the actual message (commands and responses).
• The applications in the manager module initiate
requests to the agent in the internet model. The
agent executes the request on the network
element, i.e., managed object, and return
responses to the manager.
• The notifications such as alarms, generated by
the agent.
Functional Model
• Configuration management:
– addresses the setting and changing of configurations of
networks and network components.
– Configuration management involves setting up component
parameters. For example, alarm thresholds could be set to
generate alarms when packet loss exceeds a defined value.
– The configuration data are gathered automatically by, and are
stored in, the NMS at the network operations center (NOC).
• Fault management
– detection and isolation of the problem causing the failure in the
network.
• A trouble ticket is generated and followed up for resolution of the
problem using a trouble ticket administration system.
• This is the trouble ticket administration of fault management and is
used to track problem in the network until resolved.
• Performance management
– Monitor performance of network (data on traffic volume,
network availability , and network delay).
• Security management
– It involves physically securing the network, access to
the network resources, and secured communication
over the network.
– A security database is established and maintained by
the NOC for access to the network and network
information. Any unauthorized access to the network
resources generates an alarm on the NMS at the NOC.
– Cryptography plays a vital part in security management.
• Accounting management
• Metrics are established to measure the usage of
resources.
 Abstract Syntax Notation One: ASN.1
• Both the information need to be specified
syntactically and semantically.

• It is beneficial to choose a syntactical format for the

language that specifies the management protocol in
the application layer, which is transparent to the
rest of the protocol layers.
• ASN.1 is actually more than a syntax, it’s a
language for use with application layers for data
transfer between systems.
• Addresses both syntax and semantics
• Two type of syntax
– Abstract syntax: set of rules that specify data type
and structure for information storage
–Transfer syntax: set of rules for communicating
information between systems
• The abstract syntax in ASN.1 makes it
independent of the lower-layer protocols.
• ASN.1 Makes application layer protocols
independent of lower layer protocols.
• Basic Encoding Rules (BER): the algorithm to
convert the textual ASN.1 syntax to machine-
readable code. Ex. TLV rule
• ASN.1 is based on the Backus-Nauer Form (BNF)
• BNF: is a notation technique to express syntax
of languages in computing(Language of
language).
 Backus-Nauer Form (BNF)
• BNF constructs are developed from primitives or atomics.
– <name> ::= <definition>
– <name> is “entity”
– ::= “defined as”
– <definition> is “primitive”
• Using these primitives, we can construct more entities.
• Example: Simple Arithmetic Expression entity (<SAE>) is
constructed from the primitives <digit> and <op>
– <digit> ::= 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
– <number> ::= <digit> | <digit><number>
– <op> ::= + | - | x | /
– <SAE> ::= <number>|<SAE>|<SAE><op><SAE>
• Example:
Simple Arithmetic Expression
– 9 is primitive 9
<SAE> ::= <SAE><op><SAE>
– 19 is construct of 1 and 9 Example: 13 x 2
– 619 is construct of 6 and 19
 Type and Value
• The format of each line is defined as an assignment
– <BooleanType> ::= BOOLEAN
– <BooleanValue> ::= TRUE | FALSE
• The expression on the left side specifies the name of the type
and the right side is the definition or value of the type.
• Entities that are in capital letters, such as TRUE and FALSE. are
called keywords.
• ASN.1 module is a group of assignments; for
example: person_name Person_Name ::=
{

first "John",
middle "I",
last "Smith"
}
• Here person_name, beginning with lowercase
letters, is the name of the data type(object
name).

• Person_Name is a module and begins with

capital letters.
 Example of data type definition
PersonnelRecord ::= SET
{ Name,
title GraphicString,
division CHOICE
marketing [0] SEQUENCE
{Sector,
Country},
research [1] CHOICE
{product-based [0] NULL,
basic [1] NULL},
production [2] SEQUENCE
{Product-line,
Country } }
etc.
Figure 3.13 ASN.1 Data Type Definition Example 1
Trade-message ::= SEQUENCE
{invoice-no INTEGER
name GraphicString,
details SEQUENCE OF
SEQUENCE
{part-no INTEGER
quantity INTEGER},
charge REAL,
authenticator Security-Type}

Security-Type ::= SET

{ …
…
… }
Figure 3.14 ASN.1 Data Type Definition Example 2
• The data types are built-up from primitive data types:
INTEGER, REAL, NULL, and GraphicString. GraphicString is
one of several CharacterString type primitives.
• These examples present three kinds of data types, which are
built using three construction mechanisms:
alternative: CHOICE

list: SET and SEQUENCE

repetition : SET OF and SEQUENCE OF

• These constructs are used to build structured data types.

• The person works in one of the three divisions-marketing,
research, or production. This is built using CHOICE
construction.
• Type CHOICE defines the selection of one value from a
specified list of distinct types.
• The constructs SET and SEQUENCE are list builders.
• SET: constructs a list of data types that can be
encoded and transmitted in any order.
• For example:
• PersonnelRecord could be arranged in any of the
following orders:
– "Smith" , "Manager", ( " North", "Chile")
– "Manager", '' Smith", (''North", "Chile")
– ("North", "Chile ") , '' Manager ", "smith“
• SEQUENCE: constructs a list of data types the order
in the list should be maintained.
• Notice that "North" and "Chile" are always in the
same order.
• SET OF and SEQUENCE OF mean the repetition of data
consisting.
• SEQUENCE OF(Ordered array of repetitive data):
The repetitive records themselves are ordered in
a SEQUENCE OF construction. This means that
the data will be transmitted in the order in which
they are entered.
– For example: if data are entered for details as a
sequence {part_no, quantity} in the order {I, 5}. {60,
3). {120, 40}, they will be transmitted in that order by
the sending process.
• SET OF(unordered array of repetitive data): The
repetitive records themselves are not ordered (the
order is irrelevant).
– For example : the data is transmitted by the sending
process as any of the combinations, {I, 5}, {60, 3}, {120, 40};
or {60, 3}, {I, 5}, [120, 40}; or { 120, 40}, {1 , 5}, (60. 3 }; etc.
without relevance to the order.
• NULL: No value needs to be associated with it.
• Data type Tag: some assignments have integers in
square brackets. For instance,
{ product_based [0] NULL,
basic [1] NULL }
• These are called tags. The definition of a tag is
introduced in ASN.I to uniquely identify a data type.
 MIB Definition Example
• A formal definition of a module is as follows:
<module name> DEFINITIONS ::
BEGIN
<name> :: = <definition>
<name> : : = <definition>
END
• The terms DEFINITIONS, BEGIN, and END, are
keywords.
 The RFC1213- MIB Module :
RFC1213-MIB DEFINITIONS ::= BEGIN
…
…
… END
 ASN.1 Data Type Conventions

Data Types Convention Example

Object name Initial lowercase letter sysDescr,

etherStatsPkts
Application data Initial uppercase letter Counter, IpAddress
type
Module Initial uppercase letter PersonnelRecord
Macro, MIB module All uppercase letters RMON-MIB
Keywords All uppercase letters INTEGER, BEGIN

Macro is used to create new data types

 Data Type: Structure & Tag
• Data types are defined based on Structure and
Tags

– Structure defines how data type is built

– Tag uniquely identifies the data type
• The structure is subdivided into four
categories. The tag is subdivided into class and
tag number.
 Structure
• Simple (values are specified directly)
– PageNumber ::= INTEGER
– ChapterNumber ::= INTEGER
• Structure / Construct (Contains other types)
– BookPageNumber ::= SEQUENCE
{ChapterNumber, Separator, PageNumber}
Example: {1-1}
– BookPages ::= SEQUENCE OF {BookPageNumbers}
Example: {1-1, 2-3, 6-25}
Equivalence:
BookPages ::= SEQUENCE OF SEQUENCE{ChapterNumber,
Separator, PageNumber}
• Tagged (Used primarily for efficiency)
– Derived from another type; given a new tag id.
– EX. "invoice-no" is an INTEGER type,
• Other types: (Data type that is not pre-defined)
– values chosen from CHOICE and ANY types
• Type CHOICE defines the selection of one value
from a specified list of distinct types.

• ANY is always supplemented with any valid

ASN.1 type defined in another module.
 ANY Other Types
• CHOICE (No Data Types)
research Research ::= CHOICE
{product-based [0] NULL,
basic [1] NULL}
• CHOICE (Data Types)
research Research ::= CHOICE
{product-based ProductType,
basic VisibleString}
ProductType ::= VisibleString

• ANY (From the previous definitions)

Research ::= CHOICE
{product-based ANY,
basic ANY}
This definition using ANY specifies that the "product-based" entity could
be either a NULL or a ProductType data type, and similarly "basic" could
be either VisibleString or NULL.
 Tag
• Tag uniquely identifies a data type. It is required for
encoding the data types for communication.
• Every data type except CHOICE and ANY have data tags
associated with them.
• Comprised of a class and tag number.
• Four Class types:
– Universal – is the most common, like global variables in a software
program, is applicable anywhere in a program.
– Ex. BOOLEAN, INTEGER.

– Application –(local tag) only in the application used,

override universal.
– Context-specific - specific context in application.
– Private - used extensively by commercial vendors .(MIT)
• Example:
BOOLEAN Universal 1
INTEGER Universal 2
research Application [1]
product-based Context-specific under
research [0]
 • PageId ::=[APPLICATION 1] SEQUENCE{
Chapter_number[APPLICATION 2]ChapterNumber ,
page-number [APPLICATION 3] PagaNumber }
-- page numbers are grouped by chapter numbers
PageNumber ::= INTEGER
ChapterNumber ::= INTEGER

• -- Following the symbol are comments.

• INTEGER can be classified as either UNIVERSAL 2 or
APPLICATION 3. This could be encoded either way.
The efficiency of encoding can be improved if we had added
the data designation lMPLlCIT as below:
PageNumber ::= [APPLICATION 3]IMPLICIT INTEGER
Such an expression forces the encoding to follow the local
tag assignment(APPLIC ATION 3).
 Enumerated Integer
RainbowColors ::= ENUMERATED
{
violet (0)
indigo (1)
blue (2)
green (3)
yellow (4)
orange (5)
red (6)
}

Notes
• ENUMERATED is a special case of INTEGER
• Example: RainbowColors(5) is orange
 Object Identifier

itu
0
iso
1
iso-itu
2 • In a MIB there is an identifier for each
org
occurrence of an object.
3
internet OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
dod
6 {ISO(1) ORG(3) DOD(6) INTERNET(1)}
internet
1

private
4

enterprise
1

IBM
Private type identifier for IBM
2
1.3.6.1.4.1.2
 TLV Encoding
• Basic Encoding Rules (BER): the algorithm to convert the
textual ASN.1 syntax to machine-readable code. Ex. TLV.
• In ASN.1 text data is encoded into a bit-oriented data
representation called TLV (Type, Length, and Value).
• TLV type, length, and value are components of the
structure.
• The value of P/C is 0 for Primitive and 1 for
Construct. The lowest 5 bits (1- 5) designate
the tag value in binary.
• For example, INTEGER to a universal class with
a tag value of 2 and is a primitive data type.
• Hence, the type is 00000010.