What is Network Management System and Why to Use it?

NMS or Network Management System is an application or we can say a set of applications that allow the network engineers to manage different components of a network. A network engineer knows that a network is much more than cables and fibres and inside a bigger network there are various smaller components that require continuous maintenance.

With an NMS, you can identify, configure, monitor, update and even troubleshoot multiple network devices that can be wired or wireless. The performance data collected from each component is then displayed which helps in making the required changes in the network. Businesses that are network element vendors can provide the performance data to the NMS through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) or protocols. Through an NMS various operations are handled:

• Detection of devices: A network management system can be effectively used for detecting the devices available in a network and also to guarantee that they are identified and configured accurately.
• Monitoring performance: An NMS aids in collecting operating metrics via various physical taps, software agents or SNMP protocol interfaces. This provides the visibility required for determining if the components of the network are operating in the correct manner.
• Analyze the performance: NMS is also used for tracking performance data indicators including packet loss, uptime, availability, bandwidth utilization and latency of switches, routers and other network components.
• Fault management: It might happen that a section or device fails in a network and this is when an NMS is required to automatically reroute the traffic and limit the downtime. This action might be performed while the processes are still going on or could be accomplished using a set of preconfigured rules.
• Notifications can be enabled: If there is any instance of system disruption, the NMS will immediately alert the administrators about the performance issues.

What are the types of Network Management System?

There are two ways to get NMS installed:

• On-premises on a dedicated server
• On-site from where it is accessed as a service

In the latter one, the vendor is needed to supply the tools that the organization uses to monitor and administer their network. A singular NMS can handle a large number of network components that are manufactured by different vendors. Though the previous versions of NMS used to work only with hardware that is designed by the same vendor, now there are no such limitations. Networks have now migrated to architectures that are based on components belonging to various different suppliers and so as the NMS.

With on-premise NMS installation, the user gets better control and customization options for the software that allows for meeting specific business goals quickly and effectively. But managing the software internally needs additional IT resources and staff. Though, with time as the software ages it is the responsibility of the organization to upgrade it or replace it.

With a vendor-based NMS, the company gets to enjoy quicker return on investment but the access to the system is compromised. In case an outage occurs at the vendor’s data center, then the user of the system will also suffer. As a Network Management System is used to monitor both wired and wireless network elements. Earlier two NMS software were required for each. Nowadays, NMS has become more prevalent and unified network management system is trending everywhere. This way the network engineers can track both wired and wireless network components using a
single management system.

With an Network Management Software the businesses can easily track performance through internal and external networks. By external networks we mean the one that are operated by cloud and as-a-service providers. Visibility of the network is enabled through the APIs and other mediums as well that allows accessing the logs, performance flow data and analyze security.

Network Management System Current Trends

Nowadays, the network vendors are making their systems more open and customers can find NMS software that allows interoperability. Businesses are now using network management tools for to add and control features across different types of devices. We can even find NMS acting as a framework for inter-based networking which is a type of developing methodology. In this network the configuration, oversight and troubleshooting are automated.

Why does a business need Network Management System?

If we talk about the home/residential networks that are not complex and smaller don’t need an NMS. But, for the large networks the one that are found in organizations, like data centers, server farms, corporate networks and more an NMS is a necessity. Such networks are very complex and include hundreds or thousands of connected devices. This requires a central network monitoring system for the management of all the devices. With an NMS the user can efficiently update, locate, replace, repair any of the elements in the network.

Where to find a reliable Network Management System?

At Echelon Edge, we bring you a fully-fledged NMS – Percipient NMS, which is designed for monitoring and configuring various types of devices such as servers, switches, routers, etc. It comes with the following modules:

• Accounting Management
• Security Management
• Report Generation
• Fault Management
• Inventory Management
• Log Management
• Performance Management
• Infrastructure Management

With user-friendly GUI and real-time performance update our system is perfect for any large enterprise network.