Performance Management (Best Practices) REF: Document ID 15115

Introduction Performance Management involves optimization of network response time and management of consistency and quality of individual and overall network services Performance Management involves optimization of network response time and management of consistency and quality of individual and overall network services –Need to measure the user/application response time

Performance management issues User performance User performance Application performance Application performance Capacity planning Capacity planning Proactive fault management Proactive fault management It is important to note that with newer application like video and voice performance management is the key success It is important to note that with newer application like video and voice performance management is the key success

Indicators for performance management (1/3) Document the network management business objectives Document the network management business objectives Create detailed and measurable service level objectives Create detailed and measurable service level objectives Provide documentation the service level agreement (SLA) with charts or graphs that show the success or failure of how these agreements are met over the time Provide documentation the service level agreement (SLA) with charts or graphs that show the success or failure of how these agreements are met over the time

Indicators for performance management (2/3) Collect a list of the variables for the baseline such as polling interval, network management overhead incurred, possible trigger threshold Collect a list of the variables for the baseline such as polling interval, network management overhead incurred, possible trigger threshold Have a periodic meeting that reviews the analysis of the baseline and trends.

Indicators for performance management (3/3) Have a what−if analysis methodology documented. When thresholds are exceed, develop documentation on the methodology used to increase network resources.

Performance management process flow (1/3)

1 develop a network management concept of operation –Define the required features : Services, Scalability and Availability objectives –Define availability and network management objectives –Define performance SLAs and Metrics –Define SLA

Performance management process flow (2/3) 2 Measure Performance –Gather network baseline data –Measure availability –Measure response time –Measure accuracy –Measure utilization –Capacity planning

Performance management process flow (3/3) 3 perform a proactive fault analysis –Use threshold for proactive fault management –Network management implementation –Network operation metrics

Performance management process flow

Develop a network management concept of operation (1/3) The purpose is to describe the overall desired system characteristics from an operational standpoint The purpose is to describe the overall desired system characteristics from an operational standpoint The use of this document is to coordinate the overall business goals of network operation, engineering, design other business units and the end users. The use of this document is to coordinate the overall business goals of network operation, engineering, design other business units and the end users.

Define the required features: Services, Scalability objectives (1/2) Define services objectives:What services the network provide Define services objectives:What services the network provide – to understand applications, basic traffic flows, users and site counts Define scalability objectives: How many users to use the network, also the capacity consumed on the network Define scalability objectives: How many users to use the network, also the capacity consumed on the network – media capacity, number of routes and users

Define the required features: Services, Scalability objectives (2/2) These are the standard performance goals: – –Response time – –Utilization – –Throughput – –Capacity (maximum throughput rate)

Define availability and network management objectives (1/2) Define Availability objectives: Define Availability objectives: –define the level of services (service level requirements) –define different class of service for a particular organization Higher availability objective might necessitate increased redundancy and support procedures Higher availability objective might necessitate increased redundancy and support procedures

Define availability and network management objectives (2/2) Define manageability objectives Define manageability objectives –To ensure that overall network management does not lack management functionality Must understand the process and tools for organization Must understand the process and tools for organization Uncover all important MIB or network tool information Uncover all important MIB or network tool information

Define performance SLAs and Metrics The performance SLAs metrics such as The performance SLAs metrics such as –average expected volume of traffic, –peak volume of traffic, –average response time and maximum response time allowed –Availability Down Time Down Time

Define SLAs SLA (Service Level Agreement) - enterprise SLA (Service Level Agreement) - enterprise SLM (Service Level Management) – service provider SLM (Service Level Management) – service provider SLM include definitions for problem types and severity and help desk responsibilities SLM include definitions for problem types and severity and help desk responsibilities –Escalation path, time before escalation at each tier support level –Time to start work on the problem –Time to close target based on priority –Service to provide in the area of capacity planning, hardware replacement

Performance management process flow

Measure Performance Gather Network Baseline data Gather Network Baseline data –Perform a baseline of the network before and after a new solution deployment A typical router/switch baseline report includes capacity issues related to CPU, memory, buffer, link/media utilization, throughput A typical router/switch baseline report includes capacity issues related to CPU, memory, buffer, link/media utilization, throughput Application baseline: bandwidth used by app per time period Application baseline: bandwidth used by app per time period

Measure availability Availability is the the measure of time for which a network system or application is available to a user Availability is the the measure of time for which a network system or application is available to a user –Coordinate the help desk phone calls with the statistics collected from managed devices –Check scheduled outages –Etc

Measure Response Time Network response time is the time required to travel between two points Network response time is the time required to travel between two points –Simple level – pings from the network management station to key points I the network. (not accuracy) –Server-centric polling : SAA (Service Assurance Agent) on router (Cisco) to measure response time to a destination device –Generate traffic that resembles the particular application or technology of interest

Measure accuracy Accuracy is the measure of interface traffic that does not result in error and can be expressed in term of percentage Accuracy is the measure of interface traffic that does not result in error and can be expressed in term of percentage –Accuracy = 100 – error rate –Error rate = ifInErrors * 100 / (ifInUcastPkts + IfInNUcastPkts)

Measure Utilization (1) Utilization measure the use of a particular resource over time Utilization measure the use of a particular resource over time –Percentage in which the usage of a resource is compared with its maximum operational capacity –High utilization is not necessarily bad –Sudden jump in utilization can indicate unnormal condition

Measure Utilization (2) Input utilization = Input utilization = ifInOctets *8*100/(time in second)*ifSpeed Output Utilization Output Utilization ifOutOctets *8*100/(time in second)*ifSpeed

Capacity planning The following are potential areas for concern: The following are potential areas for concern: –CPU –Backplane or I/O –Memory –Interface and pip sizes –Queuing, latency and jitter –Speed and distance –Application characteristics

Performance management process flow

Perform a Proactive fault analysis One method to perform fault management is through the use of RMON alarms and event groups One method to perform fault management is through the use of RMON alarms and event groups Distributed management system that enables polling at a local level with aggregation of data at a manager to manager Distributed management system that enables polling at a local level with aggregation of data at a manager to manager

Use threshold for proactive fault management (1/2) Threshold is the point of interest in specific data stream and generate event when threshold is triggered Threshold is the point of interest in specific data stream and generate event when threshold is triggered 2 classes of threshold for numeric data 2 classes of threshold for numeric data –Continuous threshold apply to continuous or time series data such as data stored in SNMP counter or gauges –Discrete threshold apply to enumerated objects or discrete numeric data such as Boolean objects

Use threshold for proactive fault management (2/2) 2 different forms of continuous threshold 2 different forms of continuous threshold –Absolute :use with gauges –Relative (delta): use with counter Step to determine threshold Step to determine threshold –1 select the objects –2 select the devices and interfaces –3 determine the threshold values for each object or interface –4 determine the severity for the event generated by each threshold

Network management implementation The organization should have an implemented network management system. The organization should have an implemented network management system. SNMP/RMON or other network management system tools SNMP/RMON or other network management system tools