3Com 4007, Implementation Manual, Page: 617 / 684

Key Concepts and Tools 617
Network
Management
Platform
The network management platform allows you to view the health of
your overall network. With the platform, you can understand the
logical configuration of your network and configure views of your
network to understand how devices work together and the role they
play in the users’ work. The network management platform that
supports your Transcend
®
Network Control Services software installation
can provide valuable troubleshooting tools.
SmartAgent
Embedded Software
Traditional SNMP management places the burden of collecting network
management information on the management station. In this
traditional model, software agents collect information about
throughput, record errors or packet overflows, and measure
performance based on established thresholds. Through a polling
process, agents pass this information to a centralized network
management station whenever they receive an SNMP query.
Management applications then make the data useful and alert the user
if there are problems on the device.
For more information about traditional SNMP management, see
“SNMP” later in this chapter.
SmartAgent ® software, which uses Remote Monitoring (RMON), is
self-monitoring, collecting and analyzing its own statistical, analytical,
and diagnostic data. In this way, you can conduct network
management by exception — that is, you are only notified if a problem
occurs. Management by exception is unlike traditional SNMP
management, in which the management software collects
all data from
the device through polling.