When your network infrastructure health is not up to the mark, many issues can ruin your productivity. Even your cybersecurity infrastructure can be at risk. This article explains how network management works, its benefits, and crucial components.
What Is Network Management?
Network management refers to monitoring, operating, managing, troubleshooting, and securing network infrastructure. Both physical components (like routers, switches, and cables) and applications (like networking services and protocols) are controlled by network management.
Network management ensures your network runs smoothly, letting users access it efficiently and quickly. It includes network monitoring to identify potential issues and cyber threats while offering troubleshooting to prevent and solve them. Network management also leverages software and firmware updates to keep the infrastructure readily available to users.
How Does Network Management Work?
Network management is the sum of a few components, such as:
• Network Administration. Network administrators manage an inventory of network resources such as servers, routers, switches, hubs, cables, and computers. Additionally, the administrator sets up network software, operating systems, and management tools that assist the network run efficiently. The administration team also takes care of necessary software updates and performance monitoring.
• Network Operations. The primary responsibility of network operators is to keep the network up and running. They monitor the network activity and identify and troubleshoot the problem. However, the network operators focus on proactively identifying the issue and preventing potential problems.
• Network Maintenance. Network maintenance includes repairing and upgrading network resources, improving device configuration, updating access controls, and replacing network devices.
• Network Provisioning. Network provisioning ensures your network resources are correctly configured to support various services. It involves adding and configuring resources to support additional users or add a new service. To make this work, the network administrator must provide the necessary resources. For example, if your network users need improved broadband for remote access, the administrator must arrange the resources to support the provisioning.
• Network Security. Network security includes detecting and preventing security breaches. It means creating a robust cybersecurity infrastructure to track endpoint devices, monitor network behavior, and identify unusual IP addresses. Network protection software should also be installed to identify the offender as soon as suspicious activity is detected.
• Network Automation. Network automation automates the network to save on operations costs. Countless device configurations and processes can be efficiently automated with network automation while cutting manual labor and costs.
How to Deploy a Network Management?
Each organization implements network management differently depending on its unique requirements. However, there are two common types of network management described below:
• On-Premises Network Management. A traditional network management method includes deploying network management software on the organization’s server. This allows the organizations to access the network using a web browser or desktop client. On-premises network management allows organizations more control over the network data and the network itself. However, such an approach requires a more expensive and time-consuming set and maintenance.
• Cloud-Based Network Management. Now, many organizations are adopting this approach, which allows them to manage their networks remotely. Companies can partner with a cloud-based network management service provider and access their network via a web-based interface. It saves organizations money and time as they don’t need to build an on-site management team. Cloud-based network management is more flexible, allowing companies to scale up or down as needed without spending a lot of money. Most providers update the solutions automatically and offer clients the latest security features and patches.
What Are the Benefits of Network Management
Network management offers invaluable advantages to organizations. We’ve compiled some of the benefits of network management in the following:
• Reduces network disruptions and prevents losses and reputation damage
• Allows IT team to focus on the strategic aspects of their job by automating mundane tasks
• Improves network security by identifying and responding to cyber threats
• Allows companies to boost network performance by identifying, analyzing, and fixing issues
Setup Cloud-Based Network Management With Sissine’s
Sissine’s provides on-demand cloud-based network management services to those who wish to improve the health of their network infrastructure. We’re an IT network management company that helps businesses keep their network running 24/7/365. Our IT network management experts will continuously monitor your network’s overall health, speed, and connectivity so you can enjoy disruption-less productivity and reduced expenses. Contact us at Sissine’s to learn how our cloud-based network management can help you save cost and time.