The most basic definition of Network Management is that it is one service that requires use of different
tools, different applications, and different devices to help the people acting as Network Administrators or
Network Managers in tracking changes in and management of the network of the organization.
One problem that cropped up in the early days of Network Management was that each new network
technology that was adopted by the client organizations needed people who were experts in how that
technology worked and who could find a way to make the technologies compatible with one another.
Nowadays, majority of the network management architecture systems that are employed rely on a
common structure and common relationship sets.
Under the ISO Network Management Model, there are five major conceptual areas to study. These are
Performance Management, Configuration Management, Accounting Management, Fault Management,
and Security Management.
Performance Management aims to gauge and sustain inter-network performance to meet acceptable
standards.
Configuration Management tracks the data about network and system configuration to allow the impact
of the functions of software and hardware components on network operations to be studied and assessed.
Accounting Management regulates how the network is to be used, based on specific network usage
stipulations.
Fault Management basically checks whether network problems exist, identifies these problems, records
them down, informs users about such problems, and then automatically applies solutions to such problems
so that the network can still function afterwards.
Lastly, Security Management relies on local rules to manage network resource access and control. The
main purpose of this last conceptual area is to assure the integrity of the network by preventing outside or
internal threats from wreaking havoc.