Determine and document settings and parameters to meet organisational policies
What to look for in a policy review
Some common network settings
Network topology
Cable schematics
Protocols used
Servers
Routers, bridges and gateways
Subnet Mask (or Prefix Length)
Port numbers
Summary
Check your progress
What to look for in a policy review
Most organisations should have policies and procedures which detail what needs to be documented. As the Network Administrator you should be aware of the requirements that these place on you and while it is great service to exceed requirements, you should be making sure that you at least meet expected outcomes.
So the first thing you need to do is to review the relevant parts of these documents. You may find that the policies and procedures manual is a printed, hard copy document or you may find that it is online and accessible across the Intranet. Either way you have a duty to be aware of the contents of these documents and be especially cognisant of those that directly impact what you should record about the network.
Reflection
Why do you think that information that should be documented about the network should be specified in the policy and procedure documents?
Feedback
Documentation can be used as a starting point for a review of performance to ensure that staff are correctly carrying out their functions. To verify that an administrator is performing, a reviewer can check to see that they have adhered with policies. In addition the policies can provide guidance to an administrator so that they know what is expected of them.
The policies may also stress how the documentation is to be used and such documentation can be useful for new staff and to provide information that is used for additions to the network, upgrades or troubleshooting.
Some common network settings
The Network Administrator must check the policy and procedures documents to know what needs to be documented and make sure that all important settings are recorded. Just as important is the regular maintenance of this information as the network grows and changes over time.
There is a lot of information that needs to be documented and as a network administrator you will be responsible for ensuring that it is fully documented. Networks are now critical in many organisations and if a failure occurs support staff cannot waste time trying to discover what appropriate settings to use.
The actual settings that you can record will depend upon the network operating system you are using and the network components that you have. Here we will discuss some of the more common network settings/configurations.
Network topology
It is very useful to have a diagram that describes the components that comprise the LAN. This can show the major components such as servers, gateways and Wide Area Links. It may also describe the network type used in each segment such as Ethernet for local area networks.
Cable schematics
A more detailed diagram of the cabling may be required that identifies all access points to the network, conventions used and the location of wiring closets, patch panels etc. This will be invaluable when troubleshooting. This diagram will most likely have been first developed by the cable installer, but it must be kept up-to-date as changes are made.
The type of cable should also be documented and if any part of the network is wireless then full specifications should be detailed.
Protocols used
The most common protocol in use today is TCP/IP but others may be used with legacy systems, host connections and wide area networks. These should be documented and referenced to the appropriate part of the network.
Servers
Information about each server should be kept. For each server, the settings that will need to be recorded can include:
- Location
- IP address
- Name
- MAC address
- Function
- Operating system implemented
- Applications running
- Services running, and service configurations.
Routers, bridges and gateways
If hardware or software components are used to extend the reach of the network then these will need to be shown on the network topology and each device should be documented. The exact requirements will depend upon the device but IP addresses, protocols used and functionality will be needed as a minimum.
Subnet Mask (or Prefix Length)
If TCP/IP is used then the network will make use of a subnet mask to facilitate network and host identification. This will need to be documented so new devices can be configured to use the same subnet mask.
You should be aware that IP addresses (which are split into four sections or octet boundaries) have a network id and a host id. In small LANs it is common to use ‘classful’ addressing whereby the network address ends on one of the sections.
It is possible to also use ‘classless’ addressing which uses variable numbers of bits.
If networks are segmented and so have different network addresses, then we should also document the allocated network addresses.
Port numbers
To ensure that new applications do not use port numbers that clash with existing applications it is useful to keep a list of all port numbers and the application that uses them. This may be done by keeping a register and manually updating it as a new application is added or by using utility programs that can identify port numbers in use.
Reflection
What information may be required to be kept in relation to a network printer?
Feedback
You could keep the following information about a network printer:
- Network name of the printer
- IP address
- Printer model and type
- Current printer driver in use
- Groups and/or users allowed access
- Physical location
- Print server name.
Summary
We have looked at the type of network settings that may be configured and how you can verify the current settings. You need to review the policies of your organisation to identify the typical network settings that you may want to document. There are typical settings in a network that may be useful to document.
All of this information needs to be interpreted by you into the context of whatever network operating system you are called to administer.
Check your progress
Now you should try and do the Practice activities in this topic. If you’ve already tried them, have another go and see if you can improve your responses.
When you feel ready, try the ‘Check your understanding’ activity in the Preview section of this topic. This will help you decide if you’re ready for assessment.
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