Internet Protocol (IP)

Internet Protocol (IP)

Ratings: 10+5=15

IP (short for Internet Protocol) specifies the technical format of packets and the addressing scheme for computers to communicate over a network. Most networks combine IP with a higher-level protocol called Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which establishes a virtual connection between a destination and a source.

IP by itself can be compared to something like the postal system. It allows you to address a package and drop it in the system, but there's no direct link between you and the recipient. TCP/IP, on the other hand, establishes a connection between two hosts so that they can send messages back and forth for a period of time.

The Difference Between IPv4 and IPv6 Addresses:

IPv4	IPv6
IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4) is the fourth revision of the Internet Protocol (IP) used to identify devices on a network through an addressing system. The Internet Protocol is designed for use in interconnected systems of packet-switched computer communication networks .	IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) is also called IPng (Internet Protocol next generation) and it is the newest version of the Internet Protocol (IP) reviewed in the IETF standards committees to replace the current version of IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4).
IPv4 is the most widely deployed Internet protocol used to connect devices to the Internet. IPv4 uses a 32-bit address scheme allowing for a total of 2^32 addresses (just over 4 billion addresses).  With the growth of the Internet it is expected that the number of unused IPv4 addresses will eventually run out because every device -- including computers, smartphones and game consoles -- that connects to the Internet requires an address.	IPv6 is the successor to Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4). It was designed as an evolutionary upgrade to the Internet Protocol and will, in fact, coexist with   the older IPv4 for some time. IPv6 is designed to allow the Internet to grow steadily, both in terms of the number of hosts connected and the total amount   of data traffic transmitted.
An IP address is binary numbers but can be stored as text for human readers.  For example, a 32-bit numeric address (IPv4) is written in decimal as four numbers separated by periods. Each number can be zero to 255. For example, 1.160.10.240 could be an IP address.	IPv6 addresses are 128-bit IP address written in hexadecimal and separated by colons. An example IPv6 address could be written like this: 1234:5678:9ABC:DE01:2345:6789:ABCD:E012

Name of Student : Harsh Tiwari
Faculty Name : Naresh
Roll No :  JK-ENR-SW-1621
Date :18-01-2018
Session Name : Manage Identity_Plan Desktop and device deployment_1
Summary of learning : Learning about the Difference between Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) & Internet Protocol version 6(IPv4)

Desktop Managing Tools

Desktop Managing Tools

Theory Ratings: 10+3+1+1=15

+

Practical Ratings: 10+5=15

Introduction:

The term "Desktop Management" refers to managing all the computers within an organisation. It includes overseeing laptops & other computing devices as well as desktop computers. Actually it is component of systems managemant, which is the administration of all components of an organisation's information systems. 

"DMI" stands for Desktop Management Interface. It is an industry framework that manages & keeps the track of hardware and software components in a system of personal computers from a central location. DMI was cerated by the Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF) to automate system management & is particularly beneficial in a network computing environment where dozens or more computers are managed.

Desktop Management goes through 4 phases:
1) Configure.

• Image bare metal desktops.
• Standardized user workspaces.
• Reduced energy costs.

2) Secure.

• Protect sensitive data.
• Centralize patch management.
• Remove spyware.

3) Simplify.

• Avoid Group Policy spaghetti.
• Eliminate logon scripts.
• Do more with less.
• One vendor.

4) Empower.

• Support users remotely.
• Meet IT department SLA's.
• Inventory desktop assets.
• User self-service.

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2012:

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 also known as SCCM 2012. It enables administrators to manage the deployment & security of devices & applications across an enterprise. Actually it is a part of the Microsoft System Center 2012 systems management suite.

SCCM is a Systems Management Server (SMS), developed by Microsoft to manage large group of computers running Windows (NT & Embedded), MAC OS X, Linux or UNIX as well as Mobile devices from Windows, Symbian, iOS & Android.

Configuration Manager provides remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, network access protection & hardware & software inventory.

The SCCM integrated con dole enables management of

1. Microsoft Application Virtualization.
2. Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization, Microsoft ForeFront.
3. Citrix XenApp, & Windows Phone applications from a single location.

Hirarchies & Sites:

A site is the core role of Configuration Manager. A`Configuration Manager hierarchy contains sites that are linked directly or indirectly & have a parent-child relationship. The Configuration Manager 2012 infrastructure is simplified from earlier versions of the product, & consists of three different site types, Central Administration Site, Primary Site & Secondary Site.
A hierarchy of sites can be described by one of three basic configurations,

• A single stand-alone primary site that has no additional sites.

• A primary site that has one or more secondary sites.

• A central administration site as the top-level site that has one or more primary child sites. The primary sites can each support secondary files.

Name of Student : Harsh Tiwari
Faculty Name : Naresh
Roll No :  JK-ENR-SW-1621
Date :10-01-2018
Session Name : Desktop Managing Tools
Summary of learning : Learning about Desktop Managing Tools.

Network Operations Centre

Network Operations Center

Introduction:

The term "NOC" refers to Network Operation center. it is a central location form witch network administration manage, control and monitor one or more networks large enterprise with large networks as well as large network services providers always have a network operation centers. it is a room containing visualization of the network or the network can be seen and the necessary software to manage the networks .

A NOC is the focal point for the purpose of network troubleshooting, Software distribution and updating, router domain name management, performance monitoring, and coordination with affiliate networks.

Roles & Responsibilities of NOC Team:

The main role of NOC Engineers are monitoring every netflow, hop, server and endpoint attached to an MSP's(Monitoring Service Provider) client networks. They also monitor infrastructure health, security and capacity along with making the decisions and adjustments to ensure optimal network performance and organizational productivity.

The NOC Engineers are catogorized based on "levels". These levels indicate expertise and problem-solving ability. In case of a hardware failure< an alert may be assigned to a Level 1 technician first, but if upon further inspection the problem goes beyong the failed hardware, the ticket may be escalated to a Level 2 or Level 3 technician.

NOC capabilities consist of:

1. Application software installations, troubleshooting and uploading.
2. Email management services.
3. Backup and storage management.
4. Network discovery and assessments.
5. Policy enforcement.
6. Firewall and Intrusion Prevention System(IPS) monitoring and management.

• Antivirus scanning and remediation.
• Patch management and whitelisting.
• Shared threat analysis.
• Optimization and quality of services reporting.
• Voice and video traffic management.
• Performance reporting and improvement recommendations.

Devices and Softwares used in NOC:

• Computing Devices include Servers (preferably Blade and Rack servers).
• Telecommunication Equipment include ISP (Internet Devices), Network devices (Switch, Routers and Firewall), VoIP, etc.
• Satellite Network Environments process large amount of voice and video data, in addition to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information.

Software used in NOC are 

• RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) software: There are various RMM softwares like, Nagios, Microsoft based System Center Suite 2012 and IBM's NOC-Inside

Here we will discuss IBM's NOC-Inside.

Overview

• NOC Inside automates ITIL® recommended best practices for IT Infrastructure Management that allow customers to establish a NOC in as less as 48 hours.
• The automation tools are installed in customer’s premises and on their servers without any need for remote network connectivity to IBM data centers.
• NOC-Inside is available on a flexible, pay-as-you-go, subscription basis which minimizes upfront capital expenditure and allows leverage of operational expenditure model.
• NOC Inside allows customers to manage their entire IT infrastructure without the need for high cost, technical experts.
• NOC Inside provides automation for agentless IT infrastructure monitoring (networks, systems, applications, middleware and databases), IP traffic analysis, IT Service Desk and IT Asset Management (discovery, hardware & software Inventory)
• NOC Inside provides ready to use reports and dashboards, generates instant SMS or email alerts, escalations and provides an integrated, portal based view of IT Operations in a single console.
• NOC Inside also includes an optional IT advisory service that provides periodic, customized, improvements & recommendations to optimize efficiency of IT operations.

     

Automation Capabilities

Automation allows for proactive monitoring and management of IT issues. It also helps streamline processes and enhances productivity in managing IT operations. The automation capabilities of NOC Inside are illustrated as below.

The automation included with NOC Inside provides the following capabilities for IT Infrastructure Management.Single Console view for end to end IT Infrastructure management

Comprehensive IT Monitoring

• Agentless Availability & Performance Monitoring
• Supports comprehensive monitoring of Servers, Routers, Switches, Firewalls, Printers, Email servers, Applications, Middleware & Databases
• IT Services & Business Impact Monitoring
• Business Activity & Synthetic Transaction Monitoring
• Ready to use Real time dashboards & Historical reports
• Automated email/SMS alerts & escalations
• Automated corrective or preventive actions on IT availability or performance issues
• Automatic creation/routing of trouble tickets
• Real time Topology views
• Agentless network Discovery & more

Service Desk Management

• Automates ITIL® based best practices for Incident, Problem, Change & Configuration Management
• Includes powerful workflow enabled automation
• Track & manage Incident SLA and Problem OLA
• Raise, track, approve and manage Change Requests
• Includes built in historical reports and real time dashboards
• Supports Email & Web based Call Logging
• Automated email and SMS notifications
• Enables self service via built-in knowledge base
• Provides enhanced collaboration between teams via bulletin board
• Includes full featured integrated Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

IT Asset Management

• Manage and track IT & Non IT assets through entire life cycle
• Includes full featured ITIL® centric CMDB
• Supports agentless discovery & inventory scan
• Deeply integrated with Incident, Problem & Change management
• Track and maintain Contract & Financial information
• Auditing and Tracking for Software & Hardware Inventory
• Track and manage Software License Compliance
• Get alerts on AMC expiry, compliance violation, CMDB changes
• Barcode & RFID integration for asset tracking

IP Traffic Usage Analysis

• Analyze bandwidth usage of congested WAN links by applications, servers, protocols
• Supports Cisco® Netflow, IETF IPFIX and SFLOW® protocols
• Includes optional Software based Sniffer
• Find Top Applications, Protocols or Hosts contributing tnetwork congestion
• Perform usage Analysis by Locations, Departments, etc
• Get automated alerts on Policy Violations

• Name: Harsh Tiwari
• Faculty: Naresh Dhanwani
• Roll No.: JK-ENR-SW-1621
• Date: 05-01-2018
• Session Name: Network Operations Centre (NOC)
• Summary: Learning about Network Operations Centre (NOC)
• Rating: 10+1+7+0+0=18

5 Questions:

1. What is the full form of NOC?
2. Weite about the roles and responsibilities of NOC Team.
3. Which devices and softwares are used in NOC?
4. Elaborate about IBM's NOC-Inside.
5. Write the difference between NOC & Help Desk.