The report describes RMON and how RMON probes are utilized in the network management system.
RMON (Remote Network Monitoring) enables standard information applied by network managers who are monitoring, analyzing, and troubleshooting local area networks abbreviated as LANs. RMON defines the information provided by network monitoring systems and comprises a constituent part of the MIB (management information base) as extends the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). RMON is supported by probes which are hardware monitoring and software devices or sometimes a combination of both (Cisco, 2007).
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In essence, RMON is comprised of nine information categories, namely: bytes sent, packets sent, statistics by host, packets dropped, conversations between address sets, and various kinds of events. Due to RMON, network administrators find out how much traffic users impose on the network and what sites are accessed. RMON is applied as a uniform standard to monitor certain specifications that monitor networks and enable to exchange data on network-monitoring. Owing to RMON, network administrators can freely select network-monitoring consoles and probes. RMON is commonly implemented within a client-server model. Probes are monitoring devices containing RMON software agents that gather important data and process packets. RMON probes operate as servers while network management applications that are communicating with them operate as clients.
Data collection and agent configuration apply SNMP, whereas RMON operates differently compared to other SNMP-based systems. RMON probes are more thorough in terms of collecting and processing data. This advantage enables to significantly eliminate SNMP traffic and client load processing. Rather than continuous polling, in RMON transmits data to management application only when required. Compared to SNMP, RMON is applied to serve the purposes of flow-based monitoring, whereas SNMP is applied to serve the device-based management purposes (Cisco, 2007).
The concept of management by delegation assumes delegating the set tasks between lower-layered systems through upper-layered systems. RMON is a feature (known as Remote Monitoring) and is applied as a technology implementing management through delegation by using special SNMP MIB enabling to delegate management functions to RMON probes (Clemm, 2007).
RMON probes can appear as management appliance software or as a managed device. The probes analyze RMON information on traffic and alarms. Important tasks are delegated through RMON probes, including periodic polling, statistical data collecting, generation of threshold-crossing alerts via MIBs configuration, and subscriptions to notifications. The benefit of RMON probes utilization consists in the reduction of SNMP traffic as well as the reduction of client load processing. RMON probes apply periodic polling rather than continual polling that is reducing essential processes (Clemm, 2007).
Remote Network Monitoring standard assumes monitoring the network by means of a probe. Locally gathered and processed data is transmitted to a remote network management station.
In addition to RMON, RMON2 is also applied. Both MIBs are essential. RMON provides data for protocol analysis and segment monitoring, while RMON2 provides the data for monitoring the network and its application (Clemm, 2007). RMON2 involves suitable technology to enable the network’s business management and enable network managers to analyze their network for the use of network resources and its application capacity. Such approach provides valuable insight into the use of applications and traffic patterns enabling network administrators to properly plan business decisions with regard to the network capacity enhancement; optimize the available network resources; and perform the monitoring of traffic flow (Clemm, 2007). All these capabilities are rather important while corporate intranets are designed and managed.
While using the gathered information, network managers are able to tune and reshape the flow of traffic and enable proper application of the available resources or add new resources. RMON2 enables network administrators to properly communicate and establish sound policies with regard to the network application (Clemm, 2007). According to Steve Waldbusser, the designer of RMON MIB and RMON2 MIB, network managers are fully accountable for ensuring proper application of services, and therefore they need proper tools to ensure such functions. In terms of monitoring, the application of RMON2 much determines today’s business applications. Internet Engineering Task Force approved RMON2 as a uniform standard. Since then, RMON2 MIB has proved as open and stable standard applied to develop products and ensure interoperability (Clemm, 2007).
Summary of key points:
RMON defines the information provided by network monitoring systems and comprises a constituent part of the MIB (management information base) as extends the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
Probes are monitoring devices containing RMON software agents that gather important data and process packets. RMON probes operate as servers while network management applications that are communicating with them operate as clients.
RMON probes are more thorough in terms of collecting and processing data. This advantage enables to significantly eliminate SNMP traffic and client load processing.
Rather than continuous polling, in RMON transmits data to management application only when required.
The benefit of RMON probes utilization consists in the reduction of SNMP traffic and the reduction of client load processing. RMON probes apply periodic polling rather than continual polling that is reducing essential processes (Clemm, 2007).
