Computer Networks/Management

This lesson covers network management and monitoring.

Objectives and Skills

Objectives and skills for the network management and monitoring portion of Network+ certification include:

• Given a scenario, implement the appropriate policies or procedures
  • Security policies
    • Consent to monitoring
  • Network policies
  • Acceptable use policy
  • Standard business documents
    • SLA
    • MOU
    • MSA
    • SOW
• Given a scenario, use appropriate resources to support configuration management
  • Archives/backups
  • Baselines
  • On-boarding and off-boarding of mobile devices
  • NAC
  • Documentation
    • Network diagrams (logical/physical)
    • Asset management
    • IP address utilization
    • Vendor documentation
    • Internal operating procedures/policies/standards
• Explain the basics of change management procedures
  • Document reason for a change
  • Change request
    • Configuration procedures
    • Rollback process
    • Potential impact
    • Notification
  • Approval process
  • Maintenance window
    • Authorized downtime
  • Notification of change
  • Documentation
    • Network configurations
    • Additions to network
    • Physical location changes
• Explain the importance of implementing network segmentation
  • SCADA systems/Industrial control systems
  • Legacy systems
  • Separate private/public networks
  • Honeypot/honeynet
  • Testing lab
  • Load balancing
  • Performance optimization
  • Security
  • Compliance
• Given a scenario, install and apply patches and updates
  • OS updates
  • Firmware updates
  • Driver updates
  • Feature changes/updates
  • Major vs minor updates
  • Vulnerability patches
  • Upgrading vs downgrading
    • Configuration backup
• Summarize safety practices
  • Electrical safety
    • Grounding
  • ESD
    • Static
  • Installation safety
    • Lifting equipment
    • Rack installation
    • Placement
    • Tool safety
  • MSDS
  • Emergency procedures
    • Building layout
    • Fire escape plan
    • Safety/emergency exits
    • Fail open/fail close
    • Emergency alert system
  • Fire suppression systems
  • HVAC
• Compare and contrast technologies that support cloud and virtualization
  • Virtualization
    • Virtual switches
    • Virtual routers
    • Virtual firewall
    • Virtual vs physical NICs
    • Software defined networking
  • Storage area network
    • iSCSI
    • Jumbo frame
    • Fibre Channel
    • Network attached storage
  • Cloud concepts
    • Public IaaS, SaaS, PaaS
    • Private IaaS, SaaS, PaaS
    • Hybrid IaaS, SaaS, PaaS
    • Community IaaS, SaaS, PaaS

Readings

1. Wikipedia: Acceptable use policy
2. Wikipedia: Service-level agreement
3. Wikipedia: Configuration management
4. Wikipedia: Change management
5. Wikipedia: Virtualization
6. Wikipedia: Storage area network
7. Wikipedia: Cloud computing

Multimedia

1. YouTube: Security and Network Policies - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 5.5
2. YouTube: Configuration Management - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 2.3
3. YouTube: Change Management Procedures - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 5.8
4. YouTube: On-Boarding and Off-Boarding Mobile Devices - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 2.3
5. YouTube: Network Access Control - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 2.3
6. YouTube: Documenting the Network - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 2.3
7. YouTube: Segmenting the Network - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 2.4
8. YouTube: Patches and Updates - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 2.5
9. YouTube: Safety Practices - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 5.6
10. YouTube: Understanding Electrostatic Discharge - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 5.6
11. YouTube: Emergency Procedures - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 5.6
12. YouTube: Safety Practices - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 5.6
13. YouTube: Understanding Electrostatic Discharge - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 5.6
14. YouTube: Emergency Procedures - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 5.6
15. YouTube: Virtualization - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 1.11
16. YouTube: Storage Area Networks - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 1.11
17. YouTube: Cloud Technologies - CompTIA Network+ N10-006 - 1.11

Activities

1. Research the importance of having network policies, acceptable use policies, and security policies. Find out whether your school or business organization has policies in place, and if so, review the policies. Are the policies current and appropriate, and are they followed? If there are no policies, consider recommending that appropriate policies be developed.
2. Research configuration management and change management. Then consider a recent upgrade you have experienced either on a home, school, or work computer system. Were configuration and change management utilized for this upgrade? Was the change managed effectively? Would it have been possible to roll back or undo the upgrade if it wasn't successful?
3. Research the importance of applying patches and updates to networked systems. Check your systems for available updates. This includes potential firmware upgrades for all devices (routers, switches, access points, and computers) and operating system and application updates for computers and mobile devices. Follow your own configuration management and change management standards and update these systems if appropriate.
4. Research safety practices. Check your home, school, or work environment for appropriate emergency procedures and fire suppression systems. Are electrical safety practices followed when working on computer systems? Do any safety or emergency procedures need to be reviewed and/or updated?
5. Research free cloud virtualization options. Select a provider, create an account, and start an instance of a free virtual machine. Test system performance. Shut down the system when you have finished testing to ensure you are not billed for additional use.