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Network Infrastructure Magazine | Tuesday, February 02, 2021
Mobility management, resource management, security management, scalability management, dependability management, integrated management, and service management are all problems that wireless network management must overcome.
FREMONT, CA: Compared to traditional wired networks, wireless networks present an entirely distinct set of issues. It all comes down to how an element management system (EMS) can overcome such obstacles. A best-of-breed EMS for a wireless network should be capable of overcoming the following obstacles:
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Managing the connections: To begin, managing a wireless network entail more than simply managing the network's base stations, access points, and CPEs. It is also critical to detect and manage the connections between devices and to be able to depict the network's topology. Monitoring the availability of access points is also critical for developing a backup plan. This backup strategy is critical when maintaining wireless networks.
Different sorts of links can exist in wireless networks. There are three sorts of links: active, standby, and backup. It is critical for the EMS to distinguish between the link types for the network administrator to see them appropriately.
Client tracking: Another significant difficulty for the EMS is tracking and managing the clients connected to a network's wireless access points. Given the dynamic nature of clients attached to an access point, client connectivity maps might benefit a service provider for network planning purposes. For instance, a client may connect to the network via one access point and another. An EMS must be clever enough to efficiently track and handle these dynamic clients, allowing for meaningful usage patterns.
Performing a throughput analysis: Since throughput depends on the signal strength and interference from other access points, clients experience varying throughput levels depending on their location. An EMS should be capable of identifying trouble areas and assisting the network administrator in resolving them.
The EMS's ability to visualize the available throughput for each client in the topology diagram assists network operators in planning for future throughput requirements—this capability adds significant value. The throughput of a link can be represented in various ways, including through the use of a color-coding scheme or by altering the line thickness.
Adaptive discovery: Given that many wireless networks support the dynamic addition of access points, the EMS should automatically discover and deploy new access points (using a predefined policy). It is a required feature of any EMS that manages a dynamic network.
Periodic examinations of devices: Wireless networks are highly dynamic, and their network structure can change often. An EMS should identify and display such network changes in real-time to the administrator. To accomplish this, the EMS must constantly monitor the device's status. It has its own set of issues, particularly as the network grows.
Similar logic may be necessary at the device level when numerous cards or ports raise alarms to report the same defect within a network element (NE).
Typically, an EMS server receives status information about a device via asynchronous alerts from the device. Additionally, the EMS can poll the device's status periodically. However, when the network's device count grows, it becomes more difficult to conduct regular polling.
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