Build engineering, while necessary to building code, often presents challenges like dependencies, lack of reproducibility, security concerns, and added technical debt. One way to simplify build engineering is to create a consistent build language and environment.
This can be partially achieved through build automation tools; the other vital component is a cultural shift. Organizations need to dedicate themselves to creating a systematic, standardized, and unified approach to help create a consistent workflow and process for the build.
Multiple developers on a project means multiple approaches and divergent results. However, organizations can configure their environments to minimize inconsistencies by limiting developers to approved design elements.
In software development, changes are a way of life. This where change control management comes into play. Change control management should be a formal process created by quality managers. Change control includes evaluating and planning for the impact of change, recording the change, and approving the change.
Before a change is made, any effects that will happen to employees, clients, or the environment should be considered. However, not all changes can be planned. A quality change control management process will also include a procedure for handling unexpected changes and track the results. Release engineering provides common patterns for automating releases , focusing on the technical side of a build. If a company has strong environment configuration in place, the release engineer or team has fewer barriers to keeping deployments Agile.
Many problems can arise with manual deployments , resulting in lengthy, expensive fixes to poor-quality software. Introducing automation can reduce the risk of human error, increase communication in the workplace, and introduce security checks into the build. All in all, automation helps organizations get high-quality software to production, faster. Automating deployment practices can be a daunting task, especially for organizations working with legacy applications.
However, automation can and should be added into the software delivery lifecycle. There are many ways to evaluate tools so that organizations can find one that best fits their needs at the time. The best way to start looking for tools is to evaluate your current process and decide what objectives the organization has for their tool suite. Each network device is represented by a graphical element on the management platform's console.
Different colors on the graphical elements represent the current operational status of network devices. Network devices can be configured to send notifications, called SNMP traps, to network management platforms.
Upon receiving the notifications, the graphical element representing the network device changes to a different color depending on the severity of the notification received. The notification, usually called an event, is placed in a log file. Cisco publishes the MIB files for managing various network devices. The Cisco MIB files are located on the cisco. A number of network management platforms are capable of managing multiple geographically distributed sites.
This is accomplished by exchanging management data between management consoles at remote sites with a management station at the main site. The main advantage of a distributed architecture is that it reduces management traffic, thus, providing a more effective usage of bandwidth.
A distributed architecture also allows personnel to locally manage their networks from remote sites with systems. A recent enhancement to management platforms is the ability to remotely management network elements using a web interface.
This enhancement eliminates the need for special client software on individual user stations to access a management platform. A typical enterprise is comprised of different network elements. However, each device normally requires vendor-specific element management systems in order to effectively manage the network elements. Therefore, duplicate management stations may be polling network elements for the same information. The data collected by different systems is stored in separate databases, creating administration overhead for users.
With vendors adopting standards in management system development, users can expect interoperability and cost savings in deploying and managing the infrastructure. CORBA specifies a system that provides interoperability between objects in a heterogeneous, distributed environment and in a manner that is transparent to the programmer.
Trivial File Transfer Protocol TFTP and system log syslog servers are crucial components of a troubleshooting infrastructure in network operations. The TFTP server is used primarily for storing configuration files and software images for network devices. Routers and switches are capable of sending system log messages to a syslog server.
The messages facilitate the troubleshooting function when problems are encountered. Occasionally, Cisco support personnel need the syslog messages to perform root cause analysis. The CiscoWorks Resource Management Essentials Essentials distributed syslog collection function allows for the deployment of several UNIX or NT collection stations at remote sites to perform message collection and filtering. The filters can specify which syslog messages will be forwarded to the main Essentials server.
A major benefit of implementing distributed collection is the reduction of messages forwarded to the main syslog servers. The purpose of fault management is to detect, isolate, notify, and correct faults encountered in the network.
Network devices are capable of alerting management stations when a fault occurs on the systems. An effective fault management system consists of several subsystems. A management system alerts the end user when a fault is reported and corrective actions can be taken. Traps should be enabled consistently on network devices.
Additional traps are supported with new Cisco IOS software releases for routers and switches. It is important to check and update the configuration file to ensure the proper decoding of traps. A periodic review of configured traps with the Cisco Assured Network Services ANS team will ensure effective fault detection in the network. The envmon trap sends Cisco enterprise-specific environmental monitor notifications when an environmental threshold is exceeded.
When envmon is used, a specific environmental trap type can be enabled, or all trap types from the environmental monitor system can be accepted. If no option is specified, all environmental types are enabled.
It can be one or more of the following values:. Fault detection and monitoring of network elements can be expanded from the device level to the protocol and interface levels. Protocol-level fault management implementation is available using an element management system such as the CiscoWorks Campus Manager.
With an increasing number of network elements and complexity of network issues, an event management system that is capable of correlating different network events syslog, trap, log files may be considered.
This architecture behind an event management system is comparable to a Manager of Managers MOM system. A well-designed event management system allows personnel in the network operations center NOC to be proactive and effective in detecting and diagnosing network issues. Event prioritization and suppression allow network operation personnel to focus on critical network events, investigate several event management systems including the Cisco Info Center, and conduct a feasibility analysis to fully explore the capabilities of such systems.
To obtain more information, go to the Cisco Info Center. Normally, a management station performs polling on network devices to determine the status or value of certain variables. For example, a management station polls a router to find out the central processing unit CPU utilization and generate an event when the value hits reaches a configured threshold. This method wastes network bandwidth and can also miss the actual threshold depending on the polling interval. With RMON alarm and events, a network device is configured to monitor itself for rising and falling thresholds.
At a predefined time interval, the network device will takes a sample of a variable and compares it against the thresholds. An SNMP trap can be sent to a management station if the actual value exceeds or falls below the configured thresholds. RMON alarm and event groups provide a proactive method of managing critical network devices. RMON memory usage is constant across all switch platforms relating to statistics, histories, alarms, and events.
The dynamic memory requirement for RMON varies because it depends on the runtime configuration. By incorporating RMON as part of a fault management solution, a user can proactively monitor the network before a potential problem occurs. For example, if the number of broadcast packets received increases significantly, it can cause an increase in CPU utilization. The following sample procedures show how to set a threshold to monitor the number of broadcast packets received on an interface.
The same counter is used in these procedures as is shown in the show interface command example at the end of this section. For this example, the OID for 'broadcasts' is 1. For the purpose of this example, a threshold is being set up to monitor the number of broadcast packets received on Ethernet 0.
A trap will be generated if the number of broadcast packets received is greater than between second samples. The threshold will be reactivated when the number of input broadcasts does not increase between samples taken. The goal of configuration management is to monitor network and system configuration information so that the effects on network operation of various versions of hardware and software elements can be tracked and managed.
With an increasing number of network devices deployed, it is critical to be able to accurately identify the location of a network device. This location information should provide a detailed description meaningful to those tasked with dispatching resources when a network problem occurs.
To expedite a resolution if a network problem occurs, make certain to have available contact information of the person or department responsible for the devices. Contact information should include telephone number and the name of the person or department. Naming conventions for network devices, starting from device name to individual interface, should be planned and implemented as part of the configuration standard.
A well defined naming convention provides personnel with the ability to provide accurate information when troubleshooting network problems. The naming convention for devices can use geographical location, building name, floor, and so forth.
For the interface naming convention, it can include the segment to which a port is connected, name of connecting hub, and so forth. On serial interfaces, it should include actual bandwidth, local data link connection identifier DLCI number if Frame Relay , destination, and the circuit ID or information provided by the carrier. When you add new configuration commands on existing network devices needs, you must verify the commands for integrity before actual implementation takes place.
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Posted: 14 Aug Published: 22 May We recommend keeping standard configuration parameters in a standard configuration file and downloading the file to each new device prior to protocol and interface configuration. In addition, you should document the standard configuration file, including an explanation of each global configuration parameter and why it is important. Cisco Resource Manager Essentials RME can be used to manage standard configuration files, protocol configuration, and descriptors.
Upgrade procedures help ensure that software and hardware upgrades occur smoothly with minimal downtime. Upgrade procedures include vendor verification, vendor installation references such as release notes, upgrade methodologies or steps, configuration guidelines, and testing requirements.
Upgrade procedures may vary widely depending on network types, device types, or new software requirements. Individual router or switch upgrade requirements may be developed and tested within an architecture group and referenced in any change documentation.
Other upgrades, involving entire networks, can not be tested as easily. These upgrades may require more in-depth planning, vendor involvement, and additional steps to ensure success. You should create or update upgrade procedures in conjunction with any new software deployment or identified standard release.
The procedures should define all steps for the upgrade, reference vendor documentation related to updating the device, and provide testing procedures for validating the device after the upgrade. Once upgrade procedures are defined and validated, the upgrade procedure should be referenced in all change documentation appropriate to the particular upgrade.
You can use solution templates to define standard modular network solutions. A network module may be a wiring closet, a WAN field office, or an access concentrator. In each case you need to define, test and document the solution to help ensure that similar deployments can be carried out in exactly the same way. This ensures that future changes occur at a much lower risk level to the organization since behavior of the solution is well defined.
Create solution templates for all higher-risk deployments and solutions that will be deployed more than once. The solution template contains all standard hardware, software, configuration, cabling, and installation requirements for the network solution. Specific details of the solution template are shown as follows:.
All non-standard, non device-specific configuration including routing protocols, media configurations, VLAN configuration, access lists, security, switching paths, spanning tree parameters, and others. Note that the solution template does not contain many requirements.
Specific requirements such as IP addressing for the specific solution, naming, DNS assignments, DHCP assignments, PVC assignments, interface descriptors, and others should be covered by overall configuration management practices.
More general requirements, such as standard configurations, change management plans, documentation update procedures, or network management update procedures, should be covered by general configuration management practices.
We recommend documenting the network and changes that have occurred in the network in near real-time. You can use this precise network information for troubleshooting, network management tool device lists, inventory, validation, and audits.
We recommend using the following network documentation critical success factors:. Current device, link, and end-user inventory information enables you to track network inventory and resources, problem impact, and network change impact. The ability to track network inventory and resources in relation to user requirements helps ensure that managed network devices are actively used, provides information needed for audits, and helps to manage device resources.
End-user relationship data provides information to define change risk and impact, as well as the ability to more quickly troubleshoot and resolve problems. Device, link, and end-user inventory databases are typically developed by many leading service provider organizations.
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