Task 2 - Goals of fault management

Fault management – Merit (U5-M) [Ryan White]

  Fault management in networks is the important process of detecting, isolating and resolving issues that could occur within the network. Fault management, when properly implemented, can ensure than the network is running to its best and minimise potential downtime. This also includes how faults should be reported i.e. via email or phone etc.

The aim of fault management is to reduce the amount of downtime a network receives and to keep it running at optimal conditions by preventing as many faults as possible, and quickly isolating and resolving any that occur.

  Fault management is necessary for a successful network because the growing dependency on networked systems means that minimum downtime on a network should be expected, especially in settings such as a company whose income relies on networked systems.

The consequences of failure of fault management can range from mild annoyance, to severe risks for businesses depending on what has failed and why. In a business setting a fault in a network could potentially lose you a great deal of money if you trade primarily online and could be the difference between a customer choosing your company or a competitor. As well as losing money, a faulty network could potentially compromise the integrity of the businesses data, which would not only make customers lose faith in the business, but would also put them in opposition with the law. On the other hand, a faulty network could just cause annoyance for the fact you can’t connect to the internet at home. However, this still means something is wrong with the network and should be fixed.

  In order to minimise consequences of failure you should have a variety of tools to prevent issues, and detect them if they appear. Diagnostic software and alarms can be used to actively isolate and correct issues before the network is badly affected, or warn a network administrator who can help. Having regularly scheduled backups is another way to minimise consequences of failure as a faulty network could potentially corrupt data or allow viruses to enter, so by having a backup you reduce this risk.