network monitoring (NC)

Network monitoring is used to continuously monitor the functionality of networks. Network monitoring includes all network components: clients, servers, switches, routers, firewalls etc.

Network monitoring can be used to monitor the parameters of network components that have an IP address. In case of deviations from the target values, the software triggers an alarm.

A commonly used approach to network monitoring is the SNMP protocol, which can be used to monitor malfunctions and generate statistics. This concept uses Object Identifiers( OID) to uniquely identifyobjects.

Monitoring strategies are divided into three different concepts: the mainstream concept, the sidestream concept and the overlay method. The mainstream concept is mainly supported by computer manufacturers, whereby the network management functions are integrated in the network components. This concept can be used to generate statistics and detect problems in hardware and software. The sidestream concept is mainly found among modem manufacturers. Communication between the various network components takes place via an auxiliary channel. The network management functions here focus primarily on the analog transmission paths and partially include the digital interface. The overlay method is vendor-independent. It makes use of various components, access methods and black boxes, which are connected to the relevant network points as required. Unlike the other two concepts, the equipment to be monitored does not have to be initialized.

In addition to the SNMP protocol and the monitoring concepts mentioned above, network monitoring can also be performed using network telemetry. With this technique, the current state of the network can be verified in real time.