Importance of Network Management
Network management is the use of software, hardware, and services to monitor, maintain and administer computer networks. The purpose of network management is to minimize downtime and maximize uptime in your network. In a company with dozens or hundreds of employees who rely on networking devices to perform their job, it can be difficult to keep track of everything. Network management is a critical step for ensuring the health, speed, and security of your organization’s data and communication networks. Without it, you run the risk of experiencing increased downtime due to server crashes, network outages, or network bottlenecks. A good network management system, such as those offered by Cybersecurity New Jersey can often act as a catch-all for a wide range of issues that your organization may face.
Network management refers to a broad set of functions that encompass many different areas within IT administration. These include the day-to-day operations of a network, such as troubleshooting and resolving issues with network devices; planning, implementing, and maintaining networks; network efficiency and responsiveness; security concerns; compliance with legal or regulatory requirements; managing user accounts; managing file servers and backup systems; monitoring bandwidth usage on the network and more.
Network management provides a number of benefits to any organization. These include:

Identifying and solving (generally unknown) network problems
Network Management helps you to identify and solve network problems, which are generally unknown. It also helps in identifying the root cause of network failure, downtime, and disruption. This is achieved through regular analysis that identifies trends in usage across various applications and devices, resulting in faster response times for troubleshooting issues such as server-side overloads or security breaches. By taking advantage of a proactive approach through Network Management, you can minimize service interruptions due to equipment failure or lack of adequate capacity for growth.
Reduced network downtime
Network downtime is the time when your network is not working. Network downtime can be caused by many things, but it’s usually because of issues with the hardware or software. When you have a well-managed network, it will reduce the amount of time that your business loses productivity due to outages. This means you can avoid lost revenue and maintain higher levels of productivity overall.
Increased security of all network devices
Effective network monitoring and management increase the security of all network devices, including servers and workstations. Network management programs identify cyber threats and respond to them before they spread, protecting users’ device experience. Network management also ensures that standards are met and regulatory requirements are adhered to. Enhanced network security increases privacy, giving users the freedom to use their devices freely. Network administrators use network management to monitor the status of their networks in real time so that they can take action before any damage occurs.
Identifying the root cause of network failure
Network management is a very important aspect of network administration. It helps in identifying the root cause of network failure and resolving it at the earliest possible time. Network managers are responsible to identify the problem and resolve it or report it to the right team or person. Without adequate network management, there are more chances that you may miss out on any critical changes happening in your environment. This eventually leads to downtime and loss of business opportunities or revenue due to the non-availability of a service or product on time.
Monitoring bandwidth utilization effectively
Bandwidth utilization is the measure of how much data is being transferred across your network. It is important to monitor bandwidth utilization because it helps you to manage your network traffic, which in turn helps you to identify and solve network problems.
Bandwidth utilization can be measured in two different ways:
- Packet per second (PPS) – A packet is a unit of information that travels over a TCP/IP-based network. One PPS represents the number of packets per second on a particular interface or link
- Byte per second (b/s) – A byte refers to 8 bits and 1 b/s equals 8 bytes per second
How Does Network Management Work?
Network Administration
Network administration is the process of managing and maintaining the network. This involves monitoring and troubleshooting network infrastructure, ensuring security, reliability, and efficiency of networks. Network administrators are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the network infrastructure. They ensure that networks are secure, reliable, and efficient.
Network Operations
Network operations refer to the monitoring and management of the network, troubleshooting and resolving issues as they arise, maintaining its integrity, and ensuring that it meets the needs of users. Network operations personnel monitor network activity and identify, troubleshoot, and resolve problems with the network. They also ensure that the network operates as expected.
Network Maintenance
Maintenance is what keeps your network up and running, and ensures that your users can access the data they need when they need it. It also helps to ensure that you’re using resources wisely, which is important when you’re working with limited budgets.
Maintenance includes everything from monitoring performance to updating software and performing upgrades on hardware. This ensures smooth performance, so when something goes wrong it can be fixed quickly without too much trouble (or cost).
Network Provisioning
Network provisioning is the process of creating and configuring network devices. Network administrators use network provisioning tools to create networks, which then enable them to provide services for their users. This is a subset of network management, which itself is part of a larger field called IT operations. For more information on this, please refer to IT Support Atlanta.
Device provisioning involves installing applications and drivers on each machine before connecting it to your network. These are often done manually by IT teams but can also be automated using software tools that automatically detect new hardware as it’s plugged in. The amount of time necessary depends on what kind of setup you intend to use.
Network Security
Network security is the process of protecting a network from unauthorized access and use. Network security can be considered a broad term that encompasses many types of security. Network security is an essential component of network management, as it helps ensure the integrity of the network.
Network Automation
Network automation is a software-driven system that automates repetitive tasks. It helps a network administrator respond to problems in real-time and make changes to the network. This can include things like managing access policies, configuring firewalls, or updating security settings. For guidance on implementing network automation tools in your workplace, please refer to Managed IT Services Atlanta.
Network automation tools include:
- Network monitoring – This tool ensures that systems on your network are running smoothly by tracking system performance and resources
- Network performance management – This tool tracks network performance and recommends solutions for improving it
- Network change and configuration management – This tool lets you track changes made on your network so you don’t forget about them later (or get stuck with an outdated version)