System & network Administration

IT-5th semester
Lecture 9: Network Administration

MS. MARIA ASGHAR

University of Education (Vehari)
Fall 2024
 Outline of today lecture

Configuration of network management tools

• Understanding NMA tools
• Web based configuration
• Traffic management
• Configuring DNS server and Clients
• Configuring DHCP server and clients web services
• IIS
• Virtual hosting
Workstation
• Managing operating systems on workstations boils down to
three basic tasks:
• loading the system software and applications initially
• updating the system software and applications
• configuring network parameters
 OS installing and Updating
of UNIX System Configuration”
(Evard 1997). Although his
focus was UNIX hosts, it can
be extrapolated to others. The
model he created is shown in
the diagram depicts five
states: new, clean, configured,
unknown, and off.

Evard’s life cycle of a machine

and its OS
• New refers to a completely new machine.
• Clean refers to a machine on which the OS has been
installed but no localizations performed.
• Configured means a correctly configured and operational
environment.
• Unknown is a computer that has been misconfigured or
has become out of date.
• Off refers to a machine that has been retired and powered
off.
Network Configuration
• The third component you need for a large workstation
environment is an automated way to update network
parameters.
• those tiny bits of information that are often related to
booting a computer and getting it onto the network. The
information in them is highly customized for a particular
subnet or even for a particular host. This characteristic is in
contrast to a system such as Application deployment.
• For example same application is deployed to all hosts in the
same configuration.
• As a result, your automated system for updating network
parameters is usually separate from the other systems.
Network Configuration
The most common system for automating this process is
DHCP. Some vendors have DHCP servers that can be set up
in seconds; other servers take considerably longer. Creating
a global DNS/DHCP architecture with dozens or hundreds of
sites requires a lot of planning and special knowledge.
Some DHCP vendors have professional service organizations
that will help you through the process, which can be
particularly valuable for a global enterprise.
Read book page 58 to onward chapter 3 for better
understanding.
Understanding NMA
Understanding Network Key component
Management Analysis • Network Performance
involves evaluating various Analysis
network metrics and • Traffic Flow Analysis
performance indicators to • Fault Analysis and
maintain, optimize, and Troubleshooting
troubleshoot the network. • Capacity Planning and
Network management Utilization Analysis
analysis provides critical • Security Analysis
insights into the network’s • Configuration and
health, identifying areas for Compliance Analysis
improvement and • End-User Experience
Analysis
preventing potential issues.
Network performance Analysis
• Purpose: Evaluates the efficiency and reliability of the
network by measuring performance metrics.
• Key Metrics:
• Latency: Measures the time it takes for data to travel from
the source to the destination.
• Throughput: The amount of data successfully transferred
over the network in a given time period.
• Packet Loss: Percentage of packets that are sent but never
reach their destination; high packet loss can indicate
congestion or hardware issues.
• Jitter: Variation in packet arrival times, important for real-
time applications like voice and video.
• Tools for Analysis: Wireshark, SolarWinds Network
Performance Monitor, PRTG Network Monitor, and others.
Traffic flow analysis
• Purpose: Analyzes how data moves through the network
to identify bottlenecks, usage patterns, and potential areas
of congestion.
• Methods:
• NetFlow or sFlow: Technologies that collect data on traffic
flows, such as which IP addresses communicate and how
much data is transferred.
• Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): Examines the data within
packets for more detailed insights, such as the types of
applications generating the traffic.
• Traffic Distribution: Understands which parts of the
network or which applications are using the most bandwidth.
• Benefits: Enables efficient bandwidth allocation,
prioritization of critical applications, and early detection of
unusual traffic patterns that may indicate security threats.
Fault analysis and troubleshooting
• Purpose: Identifies, diagnoses, and resolves network
issues to minimize downtime and maintain smooth
operations.
• Key Techniques:
• Event Logging and Alerts: Records significant events and
sends alerts for issues like link failures or excessive errors.
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA): Identifies the origin of
network issues by analyzing device logs, configurations, and
performance metrics.
• Fault Isolation: Uses a systematic approach to narrow
down the affected area or device, which helps quickly locate
and resolve problems.
• Common Tools: Nagios, Zabbix, and Splunk for
centralized logging and alerting.
Capacity planning and utilization
• Purpose: Determines whether current resources can meet
demand and predicts when upgrades will be needed.
• Analysis Techniques:
• Trend Analysis: Examines historical data to understand
growth patterns in network usage and anticipate future
demands.
• Threshold Monitoring: Sets thresholds on resource usage
(e.g., CPU, memory, and bandwidth) to alert administrators
before resources are exhausted.
• Scalability Planning: Helps determine when and where to
add capacity, whether through hardware upgrades or cloud
resources.
• Benefits: Prevents resource shortages, ensures optimal
performance, and supports future growth.
Security Analysis
• Purpose: Monitors network activity to detect vulnerabilities
and potential security threats.
• Analysis Techniques:
• Anomaly Detection: Identifies unusual patterns, like
unexpected spikes in traffic or unauthorized access attempts,
which may signal security threats.
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): Monitors for signs of
malicious activity, such as hacking attempts or malware
traffic.
• Log Analysis: Examines logs from firewalls, routers, and
other devices for suspicious activity and compliance
verification.
• Key Tools: Snort, Zeek (formerly Bro), and Splunk for
security information and event management (SIEM).
Configuration and compliance
• Purpose: Ensures network devices are configured correctly
and adhere to security policies or regulatory requirements.
• Configuration Management:
• Tracks and logs all configuration changes to ensure
compliance with best practices.
• Ensures standardized settings across devices to prevent
configuration drift.
• Compliance Verification:
• Checks configurations against regulatory requirements (like
GDPR, HIPAA) to ensure legal compliance.
• Helps identify and address vulnerabilities that may arise from
misconfigurations.
• Tools: SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, Ansible,
and Chef for configuration management.
End-User experience analysis
• Purpose: Measures network performance from the user’s
perspective to ensure a high-quality experience.
• Key Aspects:
• Application Performance Monitoring (APM): Monitors
application availability and response times.
• Synthetic Monitoring: Simulates user interactions to test
how well applications perform under different network
conditions.
• Real User Monitoring (RUM): Collects data on actual user
interactions to understand the real-world performance impact.
• Tools: Dynatrace, AppDynamics, and ThousandEyes for
monitoring user experience.
Benefits of NMA
• Enhanced Performance: Optimizes network resources,
reducing latency and improving throughput.
• Proactive Problem Detection: Identifies issues before
they affect users, reducing downtime.
• Improved Security: Detects and prevents potential
security threats.
• Efficient Resource Allocation: Ensures the network can
meet current and future demands.
• Informed Decision-Making: Provides data to justify
investments in upgrades or optimizations.
Web-Based Network Configuration
• Web-Based Network Configuration involves using a
web interface to set up, manage, and monitor network
devices and settings. This approach offers a user-friendly
and accessible platform, enabling administrators to
configure network resources remotely via a browser,
without needing a command-line interface (CLI).
How Web-Based Network Configuration Works
• Embedded Web Server on Devices: Many modern
network devices (e.g., routers, switches, firewalls) have
built-in web servers that allow administrators to access a
configuration interface through a web browser.
Web-Based Network Configuration
Benefits
• Ease of Use: The graphical interface is more intuitive than
a CLI, making it easier for administrators (especially those
with less technical experience) to configure and
troubleshoot network devices.
• Accessibility: With a web-based interface, network
devices can be managed from any location with internet
access, allowing for remote configuration and monitoring.
• Quick Setup: Many web-based interfaces have setup
wizards that streamline the initial configuration process,
reducing the time and potential errors associated with
manual setup.
Web-Based Network Configuration
• Reduced Learning Curve: The interface usually includes
labels, visual aids, and tooltips that help administrators
understand settings, making it faster to get started.
• Fewer Errors: Drop-down menus, checkboxes, and guided
steps help minimize configuration errors compared to
manual CLI input.
Common Tools for Web-Based Network
Configuration
1. Cisco Web Console
2. Netgear Genie
3. Ubiquiti UniFi Controller
4. MikroTik RouterOS Web Interface
Web-Based Network Configuration
Example Steps for Configuring a Device Using a Web-
Based Interface
1. Connect to the Device: Connect a computer to the
device’s network and enter its IP address in a browser.
2. Log In: Use the default or admin credentials to log in, then
change the password immediately.
3. Run Setup Wizard: Many devices have setup wizards that
guide you through basic configuration.
4. Configure Network Settings: Set IP address, DNS,
DHCP, and VLANs according to your network plan.
Web-Based Network Configuration
5. Set Up Security: Configure firewalls, set up VPNs, and
apply ACLs for secure access.
6. Save and Apply Changes: Ensure all settings are saved
and applied to make them active.
7. Test Configuration: Verify that the device is functioning
as expected and accessible across the network.
Network traffic management
• Traffic Management is the process of controlling,
prioritizing, and optimizing network traffic to ensure
efficient use of resources and a smooth experience for
users.
• Proper traffic management helps prevent network
congestion, ensures quality of service (QoS)
• Enhances overall network performance, particularly when
handling large amounts of data or critical applications.
Network traffic management
1. Understanding Traffic Management
• Purpose: To regulate the flow of data across the network,
prevent congestion, and ensure critical applications receive
priority over less essential traffic.
• Goals: Minimize latency, avoid packet loss, maintain high
throughput, and provide consistent service quality.
• Key Concept: Different types of data have different
requirements. For example, video calls and VoIP (Voice over
IP) require low latency, while file downloads benefit more
from high throughput.
Network traffic management
2. Key Techniques in Traffic Management
• Quality of Service (QoS): A set of rules that prioritize
certain types of traffic (e.g., VoIP, video streaming) over
others to ensure high performance for critical applications.
• Traffic Prioritization: Prioritizes traffic based on application
or service type (e.g., prioritizing video streaming over file
downloads).
• Traffic Classification: Classifies traffic by type, source, or
destination to determine the level of priority or QoS it should
receive.
• Bandwidth Allocation: Reserves portions of network
bandwidth for specific applications, users, or services,
ensuring critical applications have enough bandwidth to
operate smoothly.
Network traffic management
• Traffic Shaping: Controls the flow of outgoing data by
delaying packet transmissions, smoothing traffic patterns,
and reducing congestion.
• Rate Limiting: Caps the maximum data transfer rate for
certain applications or users to prevent excessive
bandwidth usage and ensure fair access across the
network.
• Load Balancing: Distributes incoming and outgoing traffic
across multiple servers or network paths to prevent any
single point from becoming overloaded.
Network traffic management
3. Traffic Management Tools and Protocols
• NetFlow, sFlow, and IPFIX: Protocols that collect
network traffic data, helping administrators analyze and
understand traffic patterns.
• Packet Shaping Tools: Tools like Cisco NBAR (Network-
Based Application Recognition) and other advanced routers
help identify and prioritize packets based on their type.
• Load Balancers: Devices or software (e.g., F5 Networks,
HAProxy) that manage traffic distribution to improve
reliability and performance.
• Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): Analyzes the data within
packets to identify applications, which helps in prioritizing
certain traffic types (e.g., prioritizing gaming or video
traffic).
Network traffic management
4. Applications of Traffic Management
• VoIP and Video Conferencing: Ensures low latency and
minimal packet loss to maintain audio and video quality.
• Business-Critical Applications: Prioritizes critical
applications (e.g., ERP systems, payment gateways) over
less important traffic.
• Bandwidth-Intensive Services: Manages high-
bandwidth applications like video streaming and large file
transfers, preventing them from consuming all available
resources.
• Web and Cloud Services: Optimizes traffic to and from
cloud services and websites, enhancing user experience
and reducing latency.
Network traffic management
5. Traffic Management Policies
• Application-Aware Policies: Different applications have
unique network requirements. For example, prioritizing
VoIP traffic ensures smooth audio quality, while limiting file-
sharing traffic may reduce bandwidth consumption.
• User-Based Policies: Sets different levels of access or
priority based on user roles or departments. For example,
giving higher priority to executive-level users or
departments handling sensitive data.
• Time-Based Policies: Adjusts traffic management policies
based on the time of day. For example, during peak hours,
bandwidth for non-essential traffic might be limited.
Network traffic management
6. Implementing Traffic Management: Step-by-Step
1. Identify Network Traffic Types: Start by categorizing
traffic into different types, such as VoIP, email, web
browsing, streaming, and backups.
2. Set Prioritization Rules: Define QoS policies that
prioritize traffic based on application, service, or user
requirements.
3. Allocate Bandwidth: Use bandwidth management to
reserve specific amounts for high-priority applications.
4. Monitor Network Performance: Continuously monitor
traffic patterns and QoS levels to ensure policies are
effective.
Network traffic management
1. Adjust as Needed: Fine-tune policies based on real-time
performance data and adjust priorities when certain
applications need more resources.
7. Benefits of Traffic Management
• Improved Performance: Ensures critical applications
receive the necessary resources, reducing lag and
improving user experience.
• Reduced Network Congestion: Balances traffic flow to
prevent bottlenecks, especially during peak hours.
• Enhanced Security: Traffic monitoring helps identify
unusual patterns that might indicate security threats, such
as DDoS attacks.
Network traffic management
• Better Resource Utilization: Allows network resources
to be used efficiently, reducing waste and preventing
bandwidth overuse.
• Scalability: Supports future growth by ensuring the
network can handle increased traffic without major
overhauls.
Network traffic management
8. Challenges and Considerations in Traffic
Management
• Complexity: Configuring and maintaining traffic
management policies can be complex, especially in large
networks with diverse applications and user needs.
• Security: Incorrect settings may expose sensitive data or
create vulnerabilities; for instance, if QoS prioritization is
used improperly, it could allow unauthorized traffic.
• Cost: Some traffic management tools and appliances can
be expensive, requiring investments in both software and
hardware.
• Balancing Act: Prioritizing certain traffic means other
traffic may experience delays. Achieving a balance between
performance and fairness is essential.