How to choose a network management system

 The most accurate definition of a network management system that I have seen comes from a Cisco training document:

“In some cases, it (network management) involves a solitary network consultant monitoring network activity with an outdated protocol analyzer. In other cases, network management involves a distributed database, auto polling of network devices, and high-end workstations generating real-time graphical views of network topology changes and traffic.” – Note 1

Network management systems range from free, open-source tools such as OpenNMS to the pricey HP OpenView. They can be extremely powerful, complex and sophisticated. So it’s important to choose the right tool for the job — just as you would use a Cessna rather than a 747 to get you from Miami to the Bahamas, but you’d pick the 747 to go from New York to Los Angeles. Choosing a network management system hinges not only on price and user preference, but functionality as well.

By looking at some of the more obvious features and determining from there how they fit into the scope of your network management plans, you can create a short list of tools.

Here are the key features that any network management system must have.

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• One simple interface: Everything that you need to see should be easily accessible. There should be no need to switch between screens to gather information. Look for a network management system that utilizes a Web-based interface that can be customized for different administrators.

• Ability to set a baseline: To report errors and security-related events, the network management system needs to be able to recognize normal network operations through an established baseline. The ability to distinguish between normal and abnormal events cuts down on the false positive reports.

• Reporting of actionable information: Simply stated, if your network management system can report an event to you, it should also have the tools to act upon that information. If your system flags a spike in abnormal traffic, that same screen should also have the information/tool to deal with it at well.