Network Management

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Contents 1 Network Management 2 Microsoft Active Directory 3 VLAN 4 Load Balancing 5 Redundancy 6 Access Control 7 Quick Review 8 The Answers

[edit section] Network Management

Network+ will feature a few questions testing your ability to discern between different network management technologies and their various uses. Network administration refers to the day-to-day management, maintenance, and configuration of networks, and is one of the most in-demand opportunities available to a Network+ professional today (though you may consider getting another certification in a more specific subject area such as Cisco or Microsoft networks).

[edit section] Microsoft Active Directory

Active Directory is an implementation of LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) created specifically by Microsoft to allow for easier administration of Microsoft Windows networks. Through Active Directory, an AD Domain Server can be used to centrally manage the Windows network, especially in Security, Access Control, and Windows-specific features like Group Policy. While Active Directory is a Microsoft technology, Linux and *Nix users can connect to an AD server via SAMBA, which is an open-source *Nix client to Microsoft LDAP (Active Directory).

[edit section] VLAN

A Virtual LAN, or VLAN, is a logical network segment that operates on the same physical LAN (and probably connects to the same physical network hub or switch) but is separated logically from other network segments for easier administration. For example, though Accounting, Engineering, and Executive Departments may all connect to the same central Domain server, each of them may constitute a VLAN so that one network administrator can focus on each department. A VLAN server can map certain physical addresses to logical VLAN networks and appropriately load-balance the traffic originating from connected hosts.

[edit section] Load Balancing

Load balancing is a feature that is something like a manager who delegates work across many employees so that no one employee becomes overwhelmed. A load-balancing server can intelligently delegate traffic and requests from clients across the network and to other servers in a way that maximizes network efficiency.

[edit section] Redundancy

As the name suggests, redundancy is a feature that allows for data access even when one server is down, meaning that no one server can become a choke or fail point. For example, in old Greek temples, the failure of one or two columns could bring the entire structure down. In modern architecture, skyscrapers are designed to withstand multiple structural failures. At any rate, the idea of redundancy is clear: redundancy is the ability of a system to maintain some function even after some of the components of the system have failed. In a network application, this means multiple hard drives, multiple servers, and so forth. Another closely-related term is fault tolerance, which refers to redundancy in cases of component failure.

[edit section] Access Control

Access Control is a security technology closely intertwined with modern networking that prevents unauthorized access to network resources and maintains the integrity of those resources through only allowing certain users to access information. There are different types of access control, but two basic types are:

• User Level: In this setup, the user defines what he wishes to be accessed by other users.
• Mandated: In this formulation, a central server defines how access to various network resources takes place (for example, Active Directory server)

There are different forms of access control as well. One that you are likely intimately familiar with is the ubiquitous login screen, which is found in virtually any trustworthy network installation. However, other less familiar access controls exist. For example, you may have a Windows share designed such that only users of a certain group can access the shared folder. This is certainly a type of access control that differs from the simple login and password screen. If you would like to learn more about access control and other related subjects, the Security+ certification might be a viable next option to pursue.

[edit section] Quick Review

1. Your manager asks you to set up the email system such that even if one server goes down, the email remains working. Essentially, he is asking for:

a. Access Control

b. Load Balancing

c. Fault Tolerance

d. Active Directory

e. Virtual LAN

2. You notice that at peak times, the network slows down considerably. After running a report on network utilization, you determine that one of the network servers is operating at near 100% CPU utilization while the other is operating near 2%. What would be favorable for you to implement in order to achieve better network efficiency?

a. Virtual LAN

b. Rack-mounted servers

c. Share-Level Access Control

d. Load Balancing

e. Mandated Access Control

3. After installing a new Active Directory Domain server and setting it up to be configured identically to the existing server with redundancy employed, you receive a Windows user’s complaint that he can no longer connect to the domain. Which of the following might be the source of the problem?

a. SAMBA client issues

b. One server has failed

c. DNS Registrar Issue

d. Both servers have failed

e. UNIX Issue

[edit section] The Answers

1. The feature your manager describes is known as “Fault Tolerance,” which refers to a systems ability to remain working even if a component fails. The answer is C.

2. Because one server is operating at full utilization and the other is not being utilized at all, you should spread the work between the servers to achieve better network availability through Load Balancing. The answer is D.

3. If the servers have been set up for redundancy and the user is unable to access the servers, the only option (that is listed) that is possible is that both servers failed. The answer is D.