Chapter 1

Applying a Methodology to Network Design

1.1. Introduction.
Network designers ensure that our communications networks can adjust and scale to the demands
for new services. To support our network-based economy, designers must work to create networks
that are available nearly 100% of the time. Information network security must be designed to
automatically fend off unexpected security incidents. Using hierarchical network design principles
and an organized design methodology, designers create networks that are both manageable and
supportable
1.2. Discovering Network Design Basics
1.2.1. Network Design Overview
Computers and information networks are critical to the success of businesses, both large and small.
They connect people, support applications and services, and provide access to resources that keep
the businesses running. To meet the daily requirements of businesses, networks themselves are
becoming quite complex.
1.2.2. Building a Good Network
Good networks do not happen by accident. They are the result of hard work by network designers
and technicians, who identify network requirements and select the best solutions to meet the needs
of a business. The steps required to design a good network are as follows:
Step 1: Verify the business goals and technical requirements.
Step 2: Determine the features and functions required to meet the needs identified in Step 1.
Step 3: Perform a network-readiness assessment.
Step 4: Create a solution and site acceptance test plan.
Step 5: Create a project plan.
After the network requirements have been identified, the steps to designing a good network are
followed as the project implementation moves forward. Network users generally do not think in
terms of the complexity of the underlying network. They think of the network as a way to access
the applications they need, when they need them.

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Network Requirements
Today, the Internet-based economy often demands around-the-clock customer service, i.e.
business networks must be available nearly 100 % of the time. They must be smart enough to
automatically protect against unexpected security incidents. These business networks must also be
able to adjust to changing traffic loads to maintain consistent application response times. It is no
longer practical to construct networks by connecting many components without careful planning
and design.
Most businesses actually have only a few requirements for their network. The network should be:
 Stay up all time, even in the event of failed links, equipment failure, and overloaded
conditions.
 Reliably deliver applications and provide reasonable response times from any host to any
host.
 Secure, it should protect data that is transmitted over it and data stored on devices connect
to it.
 Easy to modify to adapt to network growth and business changes.
Because failures occasionally occur, troubleshooting should be easy. Finding and fixing a problem
should not be too time-consuming.
1.2.3. Fundamental Design goal
When examined carefully, these requirements translate into four fundamental network design
goals:
1. Scalability: Scalable network designs can grow to include new user groups and remote
sites and can support new applications without impacting level of service delivered to
existing users.
2. Availability: A network designed for availability is one that delivers consistent, reliable
performance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, the failure of a single link or piece
of equipment should not significantly impact network performance.
3. Security: Security is a feature t h a t must be designed into the network, not added on after
network completes. Planning location of security devices features is critical to safeguarding
network resource

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 4. Manageability: No matter how good the initial network design is, the available network
staff must be able to manage and support the network. A network that is too complex or
difficult to maintain cannot function effectively and efficiently.
1.3. Network Design Methodologies
Large network design projects are normally divided into three distinct steps, namely: Identifying
the network requirements, Characterize the existing network, and Designing the network topology
and solutions.
Step 1: Identify the network requirements.
The network designer works closely with the customer to document the goals of the project. Goals
are usually separated into two categories:
 Business goals: Focus on how the network can make the business more successful
 Technical requirements: Focus on how the technology is implemented within the
network
Step 2: Characterizing the Existing Network
Information about current network and service is gathered and analyzed. It is necessary to compare
functionality of existing network with the defined goals of the new project. The designer
determines whether any existing equipment, infrastructure, and protocols can be reused, and what
new equipment and protocols are needed to complete the design.
Step 3: Designing the Network Topology
A common strategy for network design is to take a top-down approach. In this approach, the
network applications and service requirements are identified, and then the network is designed to
support them. When the design is complete, a prototype or proof-of-concept test is performed. This
approach ensures that the new design functions as expected before it is implemented.

1.4. Determining the Scope of the Project

Common mistake made by network designers is failure to correctly determine the scope of the
network design project. While gathering requirements, the designer identifies issues that affect the
entire network and those that affect only specific portions. By creating a topology, like Figure 1.1,
the designer can isolate areas of concern and identify the scope of the project. Failure to understand

BY: TD 3
impact of a particular requirement often causes a project scope to expand beyond the original
estimate. This oversight can greatly increase cost and time required to implement the new design.

Figure 1.1 Sample network topology

Network Requirements that Impact the Entire Network: Includes the following:
 Adding new network applications and making major changes to existing applications, such
as database or Domain Name System (DNS) structure changes.
 Improving the efficiency of network addressing or routing protocol changes
 Integrating new security measures
 Adding new network services, such as voice traffic, content networking, and storage
networking
 Relocating servers to a data center server farm
Network Requirements that Impact a Portion of the Network: Includes the following:
 Improving Internet connectivity and adding bandwidth
 Updating access layer LAN cabling
 Providing redundancy for key services
 Supporting wireless access in defined areas
 Upgrading WAN bandwidth

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1.5. Cisco Lifecycle Services

Cisco Life cycle Services is designed to support evolving networks. Cisco Lifecycle Services is a
six-phase approach, aka PPDIOO. Each phase defines activities required to successfully deploy
and operate Cisco technologies. It also details how to optimize performance throughout the
lifecycle of a network. The six phases of Cisco Life cycle Services are: Prepare phase, Plan phase,
Design phase, Implement phase, Operate phase and Optimize phase.

1.5.1. The Network Lifecycle Prepare Phase

It involves establishing organizational requirements, developing network strategy, and proposing

high-level conceptual architecture identifying technologies that can best support the architecture.

The Prepare phase can establish a financial justification for network strategy by assessing the
Business case for the proposed architecture. During the Prepare phase, the organization
management and Networking Company staff may define the following business goals:

 Improve customer experience

 Reduce costs
 Add additional services
 Support company expansion

These goals provide a foundation for a business case. The business case is used to justify the
financial investment required to implement the technology change. The company considers
possible business constraints, including budget, personnel, company policies, and schedule
limitations.

The five business case components are as follows:

1. Purpose of the Project

 How the project meets company business goals
 Main benefits and risks
 Success measurements
2. Cost/Benefit Analysis
 Options to meet business goals

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  Nonfinancial benefits
3. Sourcing Options
Sources required for services (outside vendors, network installation companies)
Purchasing procedures
4. Budgeting
Affordability and funding sources (internal and external) for whole project at once
or over period of time
5. Project Management
 Project plan and roles
 Timeline
 Major risks and plan to minimize impact
 Emergency plans if project not accomplished
 Skills and personnel requirements
After the business case is accepted, the networking company staff assists in the development of
the high-level technology strategy and solution.

This strategy identifies the following:

 Advanced technologies that support the new network solution

 Current and planned network applications and services, and their priorities based on
business goals.

Prepare phase is typically done before a company issues a Request For Proposal (RFP) or Request
For Quote (RFQ). RFP and RFQ describe requirements for new network. They include information
about the process that the company uses to purchase and install networking technologies.

1.5.2. The Network Lifecycle Plan Phase

During this phase, designer performs comprehensive site and operations assessment. This
assessment evaluates the current network, operations, and network management infrastructure.
Designer identifies all physical, environmental, and electrical modifications.

They assess the ability of the current operations and network management infrastructure to support
the new technology solution. All changes to infrastructure, personnel, processes, and tools must
be completed before the implementation of the new technology solution.

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Sample assessment areas are as follows:

 Environmental
 Potential electrical issues
 Space issues in racks/wiring closets
 UPS or backup power issues
 Adequate cabling infrastructure
 Personnel
 Adequate number of staff for maintaining planned upgrade
 Technical knowledge level of staff adequate or staff needs training

The Networking Company staff creates a document that contains all of the design requirements.
Additionally, designer and customer create a plan to help manage the project. The project plan
includes the following:

 Tasks
 Timelines and critical milestones
 Risks and constraints
 Responsibilities
 Resources required

The plan needs to be within the scope, cost, and resource limits established in the original business
goals. Both the organization management and the Networking Company assign individuals to
manage the project.

1.5.3. The Network Lifecycle Design Phase

In design phase, designer uses initial requirements determined during the plan phase to direct its
work. Figure 1.2 shows the initial topology identified during Plan phase. Network design
specification is a comprehensive, detailed design that meets current business and technical
requirements. It incorporates specifications to support availability, reliability, security, scalability,
and manageability. The design specification is the basis for implementation activities.

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 Figure 1.2 Physical Connections of Sample Stadium Network
The design requirements document supports specifications identified in the Prepare and Plan
phases for availability, scalability, security, and manageability. The design must be flexible
enough to allow for changes as new goals or needs emerge. The technology must be integrated
into the current operations and network management infrastructure.

Planning the Installation

At the end of the Design phase, the network designer creates plans that guide the installation and
ensure that the end result is what the customer requested. Plans include the following:

 Configuring and testing connectivity

 Implementing the proposed system
 Demonstrating the functionality of the network
 Migrating network applications
 Validating network operation
 Training end users and support personnel

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During the Design phase of the organization network upgrade, the design of the network is
completed. Any new equipment and technologies are specified and tested. A review of the
proposed design confirms that the business goals are met. A final proposal is generated to continue
with the implementation of the network upgrade.

1.5.4. The Network Lifecycle Implement Phase

Implementation (and verification) phase begins after Networking Company completes the design
and the customer approves it. The network is built, or additional components are incorporated,
according to approved design specifications. The goal is to integrate devices without disrupting
existing network or creating points of vulnerability. The Implement phase verifies the success or
failure of the network design. Testing all/part of new network in controlled environment helps to
identify and resolve any implementation issues before actual installation. After issues resolved,
designer installs new solution and integrates it into existing network. When installation is
complete, additional testing is done. System-level acceptance testing checks that the new network
meets business goals and design requirements. Results of this test are recorded and become part
of documentation provided to customer. Any training required for the organization staff needs to
be completed during this phase.

1.5.4. The Network Lifecycle Operate Phase

The Operate and Optimize phases are ongoing and continuous processes. Operation is the final test
of the appropriateness of the design. It involves maintaining network health through day-to-day
operations, including maintaining high availability and reducing expenses. The fault detection,
correction, and performance monitoring that occur in daily operations provide initial data for the
Optimize phase. Organization staff monitors the network to help company achieve maximum
scalability, availability, security, and manageability. After new network installed, organization
personnel manage it to ensure that it is performing to the design specifications outlined in the
Prepare and Plan phases.

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Defining Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures are needed to handle network issues, such as security incidents,
configuration changes, and equipment purchases. Updating these policies and procedures after an
upgrade reduces downtime, operating costs, and change-related issues. If there are no policies and
procedures in place, it is important to create them.

1.5.5. The Network Life cycle Optimize Phase

Its purpose is to improve network performance and reliability by identifying and resolving
potential network problems before they happen. It involves proactive management of the network,
which is to identify and resolve issues before they affect the organization. Reactive fault detection
and correction (troubleshooting) is needed when proactive management cannot predict and
mitigate failures. Optimize phase may prompt a recommendation for network redesign.
Redesign may be necessary if too many network problems and errors arise, if performance does
not meet expectations, or if new applications are identified to support organizational and technical
requirements. Optimizing the network ensures that business goals and requirements of the
company are maintained. Common network problems that could be discovered in Optimize phase
include:

 Feature incompatibilities
 Insufficient link capacity
 Device performance problems when multiple features are enabled
 Scalability of protocols

As business goals change, the technology strategy and operations may not adapt. At some point, a
redesign may be required and the PPDIOO cycle starts again

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1.5.6. The Network Life cycle Optimize Phase

Its purpose is to improve network performance and reliability by identifying and resolving
potential network problems before they happen. It involves proactive management of the network,
which is to identify and resolve issues before they affect the organization. Reactive fault detection
and correction (troubleshooting) is needed when proactive management cannot predict and
mitigate failures. Optimize phase may prompt a recommendation for network redesign.

Redesign may be necessary if too many network problems and errors arise, if performance does
not meet expectations, or if new applications are identified to support organizational and technical
requirements. Optimizing the network ensures that business goals and requirements of the
company are maintained. Common network problems that could be discovered in Optimize phase
include:

 Feature incompatibilities
 Insufficient link capacity
 Device performance problems when multiple features are enabled
 Scalability of protocols

As business goals change, the technology strategy and operations may not adapt. At some point, a
redesign may be required and the PPDIOO cycle starts again.

1.6. Respond to a Customer Request for a Proposal or Quote

When a business decides to upgrade/replace their existing network, they usually generate a
Request for Proposal or Request for Quote (RFP/RFQ). In PPDIOO model, this occurs at the end
of Prepare phase. RFPs and RFQs include specifications that define the format and content of
expected responses from potential contractors. It is critical for contractors to follow instructions &
schedules contained within the document as accurately as possible. Not following directions,
missing sections, late response to the request could mean that the project is awarded to another
contractor.

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Each section of the response document should be as detailed as possible. Unless otherwise
indicated, the section numbers of the response document should correspond with the section
numbers of the request. The response should be written with the target audience in mind, which
means technical terms and concepts need to be explained where necessary.

To ensure that the response document is easy to read, a table of contents is used to organize the
material. An introductory letter is included to introduce the material.

1.6.1. Response Document

The response document comprises the following elements:

Cover Letter: Document prepared on the company letter head that includes the following:

 All relevant contact information for the company, including: Name of main contact person
for the project and other appropriate staff Phone numbers and fax numbers for company
and personnel listed
 A brief, concise summary of the proposed project

Executive Summary: Section that includes the following:

 Definition of the problem or requirements of the customer

 Recommended solution and its value or benefit to the customer
 Reason why your company is the right one to do the job

Proposed Solution: Section that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

 Detailed descriptions of solution

 Project management team and timeline (with explicit tasks and dates if possible)
 Cutover or turnover schedule
 Onsite or remote support details relating to type of support & time period available
 Warranty or defective parts information identifying the following: what items are covered,
length of coverage, procedure for repair or replacement, timeline for response, repair
commitment for problems identified.

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  Description of what is considered a major or minor problem
 Emergency installations or responses if a disaster happens
 Responsibilities of company relating to service level agreement with the ISP
 Environmental or facility upgrade requirements and who is responsible
 Any terms and conditions for damage by company, equipment or personnel to customer’s
site

Proposed Cost: Section with budget details that may include the following:

 Software and application components

 Hardware components and interfaces
 Licensing required Fees or permit cost
 Training charges
 Warranty, maintenance, and support costs
 Labor cost per hour or flat fees related to staff working on project
 Travel expenses if applicable
 Telecommunication service provider charges for changes and upgrades
 Costs related to equipment rental such as forklifts needed for implementation
 Electrician charges
 Final payment method after acceptance

Signature Page: Section of proposal signed by customer representative with authority to accept
the project.

Appendixes: Section with additional information supporting proposal, which may include:

 Detailed lists of equipment and services

 Diagrams and forms related to equipment and services list
 Background company information, which may include items such as the following:
o Size of company as it relates to total number of employees & revenues
o Services and products the company provides
o Reference list of previous customers for projects similar to the current RFP

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  Brief biographies of employees working on the project with their
education and certifications.
 Identification of outside vendors if the company plans to use subcontractors

1.6.2. Attend a Pre-bid Meeting

Prior to deadline for submitting RFP responses, customer may schedule an informational meeting,
aka pre-bid meeting or pre-submittal conference, in order to provide the following purposes:

 An opportunity to review the project scope with the customer

 Additional information and documentation identified but not included in the original RFP
 Clarification of formatting and project timeline details not included in the original RFP

The meeting enables the contractor to get an estimate of the number of other companies (rivals)
that are interested in submitting a bid on the project.

1.6.3. Explain the Request for a Proposal

Businesses usually send a copy of the RFP to contractors or may be posted on the business website.
Responses to an RFP help the customer compare services, products, pricing, and support offered
by the different contractors. Typically an RFP for a network project includes the following:

 Business goals for the project

 Anticipated project scope
 Information on the existing network and applications
 Requirements for the new network
 Business, technical, or environmental constraints
 Preliminary schedule with milestones and deliverables

When responding to RFP, it is important to answer every item listed on RFP, or risk of
rejection.

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 1.7. Explain the Role of the Network Designer

A network designer needs a thorough understanding of the capabilities of all types of networking
technologies and equipment. These skills enable the designer to provide customers with a network
design that meets the customer requirements for scalability, availability, security, and
manageability.

The designer is involved in the Plan and Design phases of the PPDIOO network lifecycle. A good
network designer takes the time to learn about the customer’s business, in addition to the
customer’s network requirements. This helps the designer anticipate changes that might occur as
the business grows and succeeds. A designer is responsible for the following:

 Analyzing customer goals and constraints to determine new design’s technical

requirements.
 Evaluating the current installed network.
 Selecting technologies and equipment capabilities to meet the defined network
requirements.
 Diagramming the placement and interconnection of various network devices and
services.
 Designing and supervising proof-of-concept testing.
 Assisting the account manager in preparing presentations to the customer.

At the Networking Company, the design staff is made up of highly skilled network professionals.
The network designer must stay up to date about technologies, as well as new design-
recommended practices. The designer is required to obtain network design certifications, in
addition to technical networking professional certifications.

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 1.7.1. Preparing for the Design Process

Designer must work effectively with client to ensure successful deployment of a proposed design.
Interaction between designer and client is instrumental in creating a design that meets the needs of
client and users of the network. After users are identified, designer can tailor the design to ensure
that it meets business goals of the organization as a whole.

1.7.2. Working with the Customer

When designing new network, the Networking Company interacts with personnel from the
organization offices. When network designer and staff meet with organization personnel, it is
important that they behave in professional manner.

[Link]. The Importance of Interpersonal Skills

Good interpersonal skill is critical when interacting with customers, i.e. calm and courteous
manner instills confidence in customers. The customer believes that the Networking Company
designer and staff can perform the necessary tasks. The following skills are essential when working
with clients:

 Listening and accurately summarizing information.

 Corresponding with clients in style, format, and level of detail appropriate for intended
audience.
 Presenting well-organized technical material in a logical fashion.

Establishing a trusted business relationship eliminates many potential problems and

contributes enormously to the success of the project for both companies. Checklist of good
interpersonal skills:

 Positive attitude
 Good communication skills
 Flexible
 Trustworthy

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  Teamwork-oriented
 Disciplined
 Motivated

[Link]. Defining the Customer

To create comprehensive plan, the designer needs to understand how network users interact with
network resources & services by gathering information about internal & external access to existing
network infrastructure. Without this information, designer may over look some user requirements
which may result to incomplete design; in return that generates delays& increased costs.

[Link]. Identifying Relevant Information

When gathering information on the infrastructure, designer works with organization personnel to
identify all user groups. Customer’s organizational chart and other documents must be acquired
and reviewed by the designer to determine all the end users and stakeholders who access the
customer network. The organization management identifies the following potential end users:

 Branch and field office staff

 Remote workers
 Sales & support personnel working offsite
 Vendors, suppliers, and partners
 Consultants and contractors
 Customer

[Link] Adding User Access

Designer also needs to assess the impact of adding new user groups to the network, because some
user groups that currently don’t have network access may need access to new network resources
in the future. The designer works with organization management to identify the following:

 New user groups

 The type of access required

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  Where access is allowed
 The overall impact on security

Including this information in Plan& Prepare phases help to ensure accurate & successful
design.

1.8. Identifying Business Goals and Priorities

Goal of businesses is to be successful, therefore business managers must analyze project

feasibility based on it contributes to business success before starting the project. They must
consider:

 Profitability: can the project reduce costs or help the business avoid costs in the future?
 Business growth & market share: can the project help the business grow more
efficiently?
 Customer satisfaction: can it improve customer experience and increase customer
loyalty?

This feasibility analysis enables the business managers to put together a list of high-level goals
form the network project, and hands it over these goals to the network designer.

1.8.1. Prioritizing Goals

In consultation with organization management, designer prioritizes the business goals. The
priorities are based on which goals present the best opportunities to contribute to the success of
the business. For example, the relative importance of each goal can be rated as a percentage of the
overall total of 100. After Networking Company obtains list of prioritized business goals, Plan
phase begins.

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1.9. Identifying Technical Requirements and Constraints

Network designers prioritize organization’s business goals in an effort to ensure success of the
network they design. The next element of the network design includes the technical requirements
and the constraints that may require a change in the design. The designer must be able to adapt the
design in a manner that meets both the business goals and the technical requirements of the client.

1.9.1. Defining Technical Requirements

After obtaining the prioritized business goals, the network designer determines the network
functionality needed to meet each goal. The designer lists the business goals that must be met by
the new design and then decides what is required technically to implement each change.

Figure 1.3 Business Goals Checklist

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Determining technical requirements allows designer to establish project scope, and they drive
selection of technologies, equipment & management software. Technical requirements include:
Improving network scalability

 Increasing network availability and performance

 Enhancing network security
 Simplifying network management and support

The network designer maintains this list and can modify it if changes to the proposed design
are identified during the design process. The network designer works with the customer to
create a prioritized list of technical requirements, such as the one shown in Table 1-1. This
project list defines the project scope.

Table 1. 1:-An Example of Prioritized List of Technical Requirements

This information provides direction for the following decisions:

 Selecting network equipment

 Choosing protocols
 Designing network services

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When discussing technical requirements with customer, the designer considers the technical level
of audience. The customer may not clearly understand technical terms and jargon. Such terms
should either be avoided or tailored to the level of detail and complexity that the customer can
understand.

1.9.2. Identifying Constraints

Every company wants to have the most advanced and efficient network available. In reality,
various business constraints affect network design. Common constraints include the following:
Budget: Limited resources may require some compromises in design due to the costs of
equipment, software, or other components. Company policies: The design must take into account
the customer’s existing policies regarding protocols, standards, vendors, and applications.
Scheduling: The project time frame should be aligned with the customer schedules.

Personnel: The availability of trained personnel at the implementation and operation phases might
be a design consideration. Constraints can and do affect network design and should be identified
early in the PPDIOO lifecycle process. The relative importance of the constraints varies from
project to project. Budget constraints are not always the main consideration for a large project.

1.10. Identifying Manageability Design Considerations

Creation of network design requires that the network be manageable. The designer must consider
business goals and technical requirements in design to ensure that it meets the client’s needs. Upon
identification of these requirements, designer must ensure that even with trade-offs, the network
is easy to manage and maintain. The approach used is extremely important as maintenance and
monitoring become daily occurrence in production environment.

1.10.1. Using the Top-Down or Bottom-Up Approach

There are two common approaches for network design:

 Top-Down: This approach adapts network infrastructure to the needs of organization. It

clarifies the design goals and initiates the design from the perspective of required

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 applications and network solutions, such as IP telephony, content networking, and video
conferencing. The PPDIOO methodology uses top-down approach.
 Bottom-Up: A common approach but one that is not recommended is the bottom-up
design.

In this approach, the network designer selects network devices and technologies based on previous
experience rather than from an understanding of the organization. Because this approach does not
include information on the business goals, the proposed network design may not be able to support
the required applications.

Table 1. 2:-Comparison of Two Design Approaches

1.11. Monitoring Network Operations

After implementation, the organization network personnel monitor & manage network
performance to ensure design specifications met. Network management includes the following
functions:

 Managing configuration changes to the network

 Identifying network faults
 Monitoring performance levels
 Providing security & accounting management for individual and group usage of the
network

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Typical network management architecture consists of the following elements:

1. Network Management System (NMS):A system that uses an application to monitor

and control managed network devices, such as Cisco Works
2. Network Management Protocol: A protocol that facilitates the exchange of
information between network devices and the NMS, such as the Simple Network
Management Protocol version 3 (SNMPv3)
3. Managed Devices: Network devices that are managed by NMS, such as a router or
switch
4. Management Agent: Software on managed devices that collect and store network
management information
5. Management Information: Data collected by the NMS

Figure 1.4 Network Monitoring Locations

Cisco Works LAN Management Solution (LMS) is a suite of powerful management tools that
simplify the configuration, administration, monitoring, and troubleshooting of Cisco networks. It
integrates these capabilities into a best-in-class solution that provides the following benefits:

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  Improves the accuracy and efficiency of the network operations staff
 Increases overall network availability by simplifying configuration and quickly
identifying and fixing problems
 Maximizes security through integration with access control services and audit of
network level changes.

1.11.1. Using Tools for Network Monitoring

SNMP is the most common network management protocol to use. It enables network
administrators to gather data about network and corresponding devices. SNMP
management system software is available in tools like Cisco Works. SNMP management
agent software is often embedded in operating systems on servers, routers, and switches.
As illustrated in Figure below, SNMP has four main components:

 Management station: A computer, with the SNMP management application

loaded, which is used by the administrator to monitor and configure the network.
 Management agents: Software installed on network devices managed by SNMP.
 Management Information Base (MIB): A standardized database that a device
keeps about itself concerning network performance parameters.
Network management protocol: The communication protocol used between the
management station and the management agents.

Figure 1.5 Elements of SNMP

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As part of a network management system, SNMP tools can respond to network errors or failures
in several ways. Generally, when a network fault occurs, the SNMP tools can react by sending any
of the following:

 An alert on the network

 A message to a pager
 An e-mail to an administrator

Because organization management may want to offer service level agreements to their vendors,
they need to purchase network management software.

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