Network Management

Last Updated: 8 November 2017

Tutorials, Whitepapers, and Presentations

Software / Web Solutions

Argus

From the FreeBSD Monitor pages:

Argus is a generic IP network transaction auditing tool that has been used by thousands of sites to perform a number of powerful network management tasks that are currently not possible using commercial network management tools. Argus runs as an application level daemon, promiscuously reading network datagrams from a specified interface, and generates network traffic audit records for the network activity that it encounters. It is the way that Argus categorizes and reports on network activity that makes this tool unique and powerful.

Cacti

From the project home page:

Cacti is a complete network graphing solution designed to harness the power of RRDTool's data storage and graphing functionality. Cacti provides a fast poller, advanced graph templating, multiple data acquisition methods, and user management features out of the box. All of this is wrapped in an intuitive, easy to use interface that makes sense for LAN-sized installations up to complex networks with hundreds of devices.

Ganglia

From the Wikipedia page:

Ganglia is a scalable distributed system monitor tool for high-performance computing systems such as clusters and grids. It allows the user to remotely view live or historical statistics (such as CPU load averages or network utilization) for all machines that are being monitored.

MRTG

From the Wikipedia page:

The Multi Router Traffic Grapher, or just simply MRTG, is free software for monitoring and measuring the traffic load on network links. It allows the user to see traffic load on a network over time in graphical form.  Originally designed to monitor router traffic, it has developed into a tool that can create graphs and statistics for almost anything.  Functions as a SNMP agent.

Munin

From the Wikipedia page:

Munin is a network/system monitoring application that presents output in graphs through a web interface. Its emphasis is on plug and play capabilities. About 500 monitoring plugins are currently available. Using Munin you can monitor the performance of your computers, networks, SANs, and applications. It tries to make it easy to determine "what's different today" when a performance problem crops up and to see how you're doing capacity wise on all limited resources. It uses the RRDtool and is written in Perl. Munin has a master/node architecture in which the master connects to all the nodes at regular intervals and asks them for data. It then stores the data in RRD files, and (if needed) updates the graphs. One of the main goals has been ease of creating new plugins (graphs).

Nagios

From the Wikipedia page:

A popular open source computer system monitor, network monitoring and infrastructure monitoring software application. Nagios offers complete monitoring and alerting for servers, switches, applications, and services and is considered as the defacto industry standard In IT Infrastructure Monitoring. It watches hosts and services, alerting users when things go wrong and again when they get better.

Net-SNMP

From the Free Software Directory page:

Net-SNMP provides tools and libraries relating to the Simple Network Man agement Protocol. The package includes an extensible agent, an SNMP library, tools to request or set information from SNMP agents, tools to generate and handle SNMP traps, and more.

Observium

From the Wikipedia page:

Observium is a PHP/MySQL-based Network Observation and Monitoring System (NOMS) which collects data from devices using SNMP and presents it via a web interface. It makes heavy use of the RRDtool (written by Tobi Oetiker) package. Observium has a number of simple core design goals driving its development: minimum interaction, maximum automation and maximum accessibility of information. These design goals have resulted in a slightly unconventional monitoring system with almost no individually customisable settings per device, and where almost everything that can be monitored is automatically discovered. The system is probably much easier to setup and manage than competing solutions, but at the expense of extensibility.   Most common devices are pre-programmed into the system and auto-detected.

OpenNMS

From the Wikipedia page:

OpenNMS is an enterprise grade network monitoring and network management platform developed under the free software or open source model. It consists of a community supported, free software project as well as a corporation, The OpenNMS Group, offering commercial services, training and support. The goal is for OpenNMS to be a truly distributed, scalable management application platform for all aspects of the FCAPS network management model while remaining 100% free and open source. Currently the focus is on Fault and Performance Management.

Routers2

Routers2.cgi is a frontend to data stored in rrdtool databases. Written in Perl, it requires the MRTG system to collect the data.  Can provide a generic frontend for ALL MRTG collected data.  Considered by some a simpler alternative to a full cacti installation.

RRDtool

From the project home page:

RRDtool is the OpenSource industry standard, high performance data logging and graphing system for time series data. RRDtool can be easily integrated in shell scripts, perl, python, ruby, lua or tcl applications.

From the Wikipedia page:

RRDtool (acronym for Round-Robin Database Tool) aims to handle time-series data like network bandwidth, temperatures, CPU load, etc. The data are stored in a round-robin database (circular buffer), thus the system storage footprint remains constant over time.  It also includes tools to extract RRD data in a graphical format, for which it was originally intended.  Bindings exist for Perl, Python, Ruby, Tcl, PHP and Lua. One independent full Java implementation exist

Zabbix

From the BestOpenSource site:

Zabbix is an enterprise-class open source distributed monitoring solution. It is highly scaleable, capable of monitoring more than 100,000 devices and servers. A Zabbix agent can also be installed on UNIX and Windows hosts to monitor statistics such as CPU load, network utilization, disk space, etc. It also supports agentless monitoring via SNMP, TCP and ICMP. It monitors performance in real time and alers users via mail, SMS, Jabber (XMPP) clients. It supports variety of database including Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite. Web based interface to visualize the data and generate reports and stats.

Zenoss

From the project home page:

Zenoss Core is an open source IT monitoring product that delivers the functionality to effectively manage the configuration, health, performance of networks, servers and applications through a single, integrated software package.

Standards / Recommendations

  • RFC 1155 - Structure and Identification of Management Information for TCP/IP-based Internets  (Obsoletes RFC 1065)  (Also STD0016)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 1215 - A Convention for Defining Traps for use with the SNMP  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 1270 - SNMP Communications Services  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 1303 - A Convention for Describing SNMP-based Agents  (See Also RFC 1155, RFC 1212, RFC 1213, RFC 1157)  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 1470 - FYI on a Network Management Tool Catalog: Tools for Monitoring and Debugging TCP/IP Internets and Interconnected Devices  (Obsoletes RFC 1147)  (Also FYI0002)  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 2244 - ACAP -- Application Configuration Access Protocol  (Updated by RFC 6075)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2562 - Definitions of Protocol and Managed Objects for TN3270E Response Time Collection Using SMIv2  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3060 - Policy Core Information Model -- Version 1 Specification  (Updated by RFC 3460)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3139 - Requirements for Configuration Management of IP-based Networks  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 3198 - Terminology for Policy-Based Management  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 3231 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Scheduling Management Operations - (Obsoletes RFC 2591)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3410 - Introduction and Applicability Statements for Internet Standard Management Framework - (Obsoletes RFC 2570)  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 3430 - Simple Network Management Protocol Over Transmission Control Protocol Transport Mapping  (Status: EXPERIMENTAL)
  • RFC 3512 - Configuring Networks and Devices with Simple Network Management Protcol (SNMP)  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 3584 - Coexistence between Version 1, Version 2, and Version 3 of the Internet-standard Network Management Framework - (Obsoletes RFC 2576)  (Also BCP0074)  (Status: BEST CURRENT PRACTICE)
  • RFC 3593 - Textual Conventions for MIB Modules Using Performance History Based on 15 Minute Intervals  (Obsoletes RFC 2493)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 3705 - High Capacity Textual Conventions for MIB Modules Using Performance History Based on 15 Minute Intervals  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3781 - Next Generation Structure of Management Information (SMIng) Mappings to the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)  (Status: EXPERIMENTAL)
  • RFC 3826 - The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Cipher Algorithm in the SNMP User-based Security Model  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4088 - Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) Scheme for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4663 - Transferring MIB Work from IETF Bridge MIB WG to IEEE 802.1 WB  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 5017 - MIB Textual Conventions for Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5131 - A MIB Textual Convention for Language Tags  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5249 - Templates for Internet-Drafts Containing MIB Modules  (Also BCP0139)  (Status: BEST CURRENT PRACTICE)
  • RFC 5343 - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Content EngineID Discovery  (Updates RFC 3411)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 5345 - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Traffic Measurements and Trace Exchange Formats  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 5950 - Network Management Framework for MPLS-based Transport Networks  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 5951 - Network Management Requirements for MPLS-based Transport Networks  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)

Protocols

  • RFC 3411 - An Architecture for Describing Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management Frameworks - (Obsoletes RFC 2571)  (Updated by RFC 5343, RFC 5590)  (Also STD0062)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3412 - Message Processing and Dispatching for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) - (Obsoletes RFC 2572)  (Updated by RFC 5590)  (Also STD0062)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3413 - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Applications - (Obsoletes RFC 2573)  (Also STD0062)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3414 - User-based Security Model (USM) for version 3 of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMPv3) - (Obsoletes RFC 2574)  (Also STD0062)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3415 - View-based Access Control Model (VACM) for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)  (Obsoletes RFC 2575)  (Also STD0062)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3416 - Version 2 of the Protocol Operations for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) - (Obsoletes RFC 1905)  (Also STD0062)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3417 - Transport Mappings for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)  (Obsoletes RFC 1906)  (Updated by RFC 4789, RFC 5590)  (Also STD0062)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3430 - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) over Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Transport Mapping
  • RFC 4789 - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) over IEEE 802 Networks  (Obsoletes RFC 1089)  (Updates RFC 3417)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5590 - Transport Subsystem for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)  (Updates RFC 3411, RFC 3412, RFC 3414, RFC 3417)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 5591 - Transport Security Model for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 5592 - Secure Shell Transport Model for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 6353 - Transport Layer Security (TLS) Transport Model for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)  (Obsoletes RFC 5953)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS)

  • RFC 4670 - RADIUS Accounting Client MIB for IPv6  (Obsoletes RFC 2620)  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 4671 - RADIUS Accounting Server MIB for IPv6  (Obsoletes RFC 2621)  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 4672 - RADIUS Dynamic Authorization Client MIB  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 4673 - RADIUS Dynamic Authorization Server MIB  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 5608 - Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) Usage for Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Transport Models  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)

MIB's: Unclassified

  • RFC 1212 - Consise MIB Definitions  (Also STD0016)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 1213 - Management Information Base for Network Management of TCP/IP-based internets:MIB-II  (Obsoletes RFC 1158)  (Updated by RFC 2011, RFC 2012, RFC 2013)  (Also STD0017)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 1381 - SNMP MIB Extension for the X.25 LAPB  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 1382 - SNMP MIB Extension for the X.25 Packet Layer  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 1471 - The Definitions of Managed Objects for the Link Control Protocol of the Point-to-Point Protocol  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 1472 - The Definitions of Managed Objects for the Security Protocols of the Point-to-Point Protocol  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 1473 - The Definitions of Managed Objects for the IP Network Control Protocol of the Point-to-Point Protocol  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 1628 - UPS Management Information Base  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 1658 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Character Stream Devices using SMIv2  (Obsoletes RFC 1316)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 1659 - Definitions of Managed Objects for RS-232-like Hardware Devices using SMIv2  (Obsoletes RFC 1317)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 1660 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Parallel-printer-like Hardware Devices using SMIv2  (Obsoletes RFC 1318)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 2006 - The Definitions of Managed Objects for IP Mobility Support using SMIv2  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2051 - Definitions of Managed Objects for APPC using SMIv2  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2115 - Management Information Base for Frame Relay DTEs Using SMIv2  (Obsoletes RFC 1315)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 2213 - Integrated Services Management Information Base using SMIv2  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2214 - Integrated Services Management Information Base Guaranteed Service Extensions using SMIv2  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2320 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Classical IP and ARP Over ATM Using SMIv2 (IPOA-MIB)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2438 - Advancement of MIB specification on the IETF Standards Track  (Also BCP0027)  (Status: BEST CURRENT PRACTICE)
  • RFC 2494 - Definitions of Managed Objects for the DS0 and DS0 Bundle Interface Type  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2564 - Application Management MIB  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2578 - Structure of Management Information Version 2 (SMIv2) - (Obsoletes RFC 1902)  (Also STD0058)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2579 - Textual Conventions for SMIv2 - (Obsoletes RFC 1903)  (Also STD0058) (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 2580 - Conformance Statements for SMIv2 - (Obsoletes RFC 1904)  (Also STD0058)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 2594 - Definitions of Managed Objects for WWW Services  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2677 - Definitions of Managed Objects for the NBMA Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 2707 - Job Monitoring MIB - V1.0  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 2742 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Extensible SNMP Agents  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 2788   Network Services Monitoring MIB - (Obsoletes RFC 2248)
  • RFC 3418 - Management Information Base (MIB) for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) - (Obsoletes RFC 1907)  (Also STD0062)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3592 - Definitions of Managed Objects for the Synchronous Optical Network/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SONET/SDH) Interface Type  (Obsoletes RFC 2558)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)
  • RFC 3635 - Definitions of Managed Objects for the Ethernet-like Interface Types  (Obsoletes RFC 2665)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3728 - Definnitions of Managed Objects for Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Lines (VDSL)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3729 - Application Performance Measurement MIB  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3877 - Alarm Management Information Base (MIB)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3878 - Alarm Reporting Control Management Information Base (MIB)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3896 - Definitions of Managed Objects for the DS3/E3 Interface Type  (Obsoletes RFC 2496)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4022 - Management Information Base for the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) (Obsoletes RFC 2452, RFC 2012) (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4131 - Management Information Base for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) Cable Modems and Cable Modem Termination Systems for Baseline Privacy Plus  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4292 - IP Forwarding Table MIB  (Obsoletes RFC 2096)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4293 - Management Information Base for the Internet Protocol (IP)  (Obsoletes RFC 2011, RFC 2465, RFC 2466)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4318 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Bridges with Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4319 - Definitions of Managed Objects for High Bit-Rate DSL - 2nd generation (HDSL2) and Single-Pair High-Speed Digital Subscriber Line (SHDSL) Lines  (Obsoletes RFC 3276)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4438 - Fibre-Channel Name Server MIB  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4444 - Management Information Base for Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4544 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4545 - Definitions of Managed Objects for IP Storage User Identity Authorization  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4546 - Radio Frequency (RF) Interface Management Information Base for Data over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) 2.0 Compliant RF Interfaces  (Obsoletes RFC 2670)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4547 - Event Notification Management Information Base for Data over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS)-Compliant Cable Modems and Cable Modem Termination Systems  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4560 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Remote Ping, Traceroute, and Lookup Operations  (Obsoletes RFC 2925)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4706 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lilne 2 (ADSL2)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4711 - Real-time Application Quality-of-Service Monitoring (RAQMON) MIB  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4747 - The Virtual Fabrics MIB  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4805 - Definitions of Managed Objects for the DS1, J1, E1, DS2, and E2 Interface Types  (Obsoletes RFC 3895)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4836 - Definitions of Managed Objects for IEEE 802.3 Medium Attachment Units (MAUs)  (Obsoletes RFC 3636)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4837 - Managed Objects of Ethernet Passive Optical Networks (EPON)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5097 - MIB for the UDP-Lite protocol  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5098 - Signaling MIB for PacketCable and IPCablecom Multimedia Terminal Adapters (MTAs)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5519 - Multicase Group Membership Discovery MIB  (Obsoletes RFC 2933, RFC 3019)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5630 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line 2 (VDSL2)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5643 - Management Information Base for OSPFv3  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5676 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Mapping SYSLOG Messages to Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Notifications  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 5907 - Definitions of Managed Objects for Network Time Protocol Version 4 (NTPv4)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 6173 - Definitions of Managed Objects for the Internet Fibre Channel Protocol (iFCP)  (Obsoletes RFC 4360)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)

MIB's: Directory Services (X.500)

  • RFC 2605 - Directory Server Monitoring MIB - (Obsoletes RFC 1567)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)

MIB's: Domain Name System (DNS)

  • RFC 3197 - Applicability Statement for DNS MIB Extensions  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)

MIB's: Electronic Mail

MIB's: IP Security (IPsec)

  • RFC 4807 - IPsec Security Policy Database Configuration MIB  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)

MIB's: Remote Monitoring

  • RFC 2819 - Remote Network Monitoring Management Information Base - (Obsoletes RFC 1757)  (Also STD0059)  (Status: STANDARD)
  • RFC 3144 - Remote Monitoring MIB Extensions for Interface Parameters Monitoring  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3434 - Remote Monitoring MIB Extensions for High Capacity Alarms  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3577 - Introduction to the Remote Monitoring (RMON) Family of MIB Modules  (Status: INFORMATIONAL)
  • RFC 4502 - Remote Network Monitoring Management Information Base Version 2  (Obsoletes RFC 2021)  (Updates RFC 3273)  (Status: DRAFT STANDARD)

MIB's: Voice over IP (VoIP) Related Protocols

  • RFC 3872 - Management Information Base for Telephony Routing over IP (TRIP)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 3873 - Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) Management Information Base (MIB)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)
  • RFC 4780 - Management Information Base for the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)  (Status: PROPOSED STANDARD)