Cost-effective Network Management: The Features And Characteristics

Automation entered our lives with the entry of Information Technology. The ambit of automation was not enclosed to a single entity or realm but encompassed realms outside the immediate vicinity of the base or formulating entity. Networks came to be in this manner. With distanced and disparate networks all in the hierarchy of one single project, managing the network became essential. With cost factor being a key factor for any process worth its mention a Cost-effective Network Management System was the demand for the day. A complete network is made up of two components. They are the hardware component and the software component. One has to only see it to believe it so far as the number of individual components that comprise a complete network.

When any one of these components faces a bug that retards or stops its working the Network Manager is the individual who is called upon to provide a solution. A complete view of the network and its operations from wherever the network manager is located becomes a necessity for providing the solution. Volatile is the market and so is the functioning of a business house to cater for these market changes. The network being used by the business house in turn also faces a rapidly changing scenario. The network map drawn on the hard board one day would turn, out of place, in a few days span. Given this scenario, there is need for such a tool that provides a continuous updated view of the complete network components to the network manager as also allow the network manager to manage the components from a remote location.

One such class of software which provides the various programs that are running across a network as well as the networks hierarchical view is called Managed Services Provider programs (MSP). There are some MSP which do not need any user intervention and called fully automated MSP and there are others which need human intervention at each step. There are MSP which are a mix of these two also. The Network manager's availability and capability would decide which MSP be best suited for a client. Cost saving factor of such software requires no amplification. Rather than having individual network manager at each individual physical location trying to talk with each other, one network manager sitting remotely is able to monitor and provide solutions to the individual network system.

The power and ability of MSP software is judged mainly by the reporting capability of the software and by the view spectrum of the entire network that this MSP software is able to project.

Individual companies creating the MSP however add different features in their advertisement campaigns. The ease with which the software can be deployed across the entire network, how much system resources does the software demand, these and many other similar features are used by individual MSP makers in their marketing strategy.

Cost-effective Network management is the key in today's 'e' prefixed business and market which has the factor of profit as one of its prime consideration. The role of Managed Service Provider in bringing down expenditure for managing the networks and its components has been prominent with time and therefore proven to be the most cost-effective tool to manage networks of a business house.