WHAT IS NETWORK MANAGEMENT?
Network Management involves the outsourcing of LAN/WAN monitoring, maintenance and management services to a qualified third party. A good Network Management Provider should offer both tactical network management, and strategic network management services. Tactical network management is largely reactive by nature and refers to the short-term resolution of issues such as network failure, congestion and poor service quality through troubleshooting, configuration and traffic flow adjustment. Strategic network management, on the other hand, takes a more long-term approach, and relies on carefully compiled reports to inform the improvement and optimisation of network operations over time.

WHY DO I NEED NETWORK MANAGEMENT?
Very few organisations have the spare capital available to invest in employing and retaining experienced network professionals, despite the fact network-related issues are amongst the most common and costly faced by IT departments on a day-to-day basis.

Outsourcing network management to a team of dedicated network specialists, on the other hand, allows enterprises to focus on their core organisational competencies whilst enjoying the benefits of:

• Reduced operational and capital expenditure
• 24/7 access to expert network skills, knowledge and superior technologies
• Predictable cash flow via a regular fixed management fee
• SLA-assured levels of proactive service
• Report-driven advice and guidance on network upgrades

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NETWORK MANAGMENT?
The single most important element of outsourced managed networks is the Service Level Contract (SLC) which typically consists of multiple Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The SLC specifies the connectivity and performance levels the service provider must meet for the end user, whilst SLAs define more granular service performance measurements between device pairs (e.g. routers, servers, workstations et.c). Commonly employed SLA metrics are:

• Availability: business-critical applications require constant availability of network devices and services.
• Latency (delay): high latency can indicate congestion on either an end device or on a relaying agent, such as a router or a switch.
• Packet loss: indicates a traffic bottleneck on the network.
• Jitter (delay variation): an important metric for converged networks carrying voice, video and data.

WHAT NETWORK MANAGEMENT SERVICES DOES PROGRESSIVE NETWORKS OFFER?
Progressive Networks offers five SLC-assured LAN/WAN management modules. These can be implemented individually, combined in bespoke packages or purchased together as a complete managed network service.

• Fault Management: to detect, isolate and correct abnormal network operation. Once a fault is identified, it is isolated, its cause determined, and appropriate corrective action taken.
• Configuration Management: to promote network consistency, track network changes, and provide up-to-date network documentation and visibility. By adhering to best practice configuration management an organisation will enjoy improved network availability and reduced administration costs.
• Accounting Management: to measure network utilisation parameters so that individual or group use of a network can be regulated. Such regulation minimises network problems (because network resources can be apportioned based on resource capacities) and ensures fair access across all users.
• Performance Management: to establish and monitor various performance metrics with the aim of: ensuring the network remains as accessible and uncongested as possible; reducing network overcrowding and inaccessibility; providing a consistent level of service to the network user; and determining utilisation trends to isolate and solve performance problems.
• Security Management: Managed Security Services assist administrators in the creation of a secure network environment. This includes partitioning network resources into authorised and unauthorised areas, mapping groups of users to those areas, and monitoring, policing, and logging user access to resources in those areas.

For more information, choose from any of the categories below or contact us by calling our team on 0800 169 41 31, requesting a call back or emailing us at info@progressive-networks.net.