The model will make a unique contribution in that it will collect and analyse management messages by type and volume, and not by content, as is done currently. Furthermore, it may be noted that since emphasis in current research has been repeatedly placed on device and link failure, investigations into network congestion and short-term bottlenecks due to network management loading, has not been performed extensively as yet. The development of the aforementioned system, will add a new dimension to network design - designers will be able to assess the effects of management loading on particular network topologies before they are implemented. For example, standard reporting may be automatically suspended when thresholds are exceeded. This will reduce the load on the network and the processing load on the network device running the management agent.
Current threshold alerts signal congestion from both user and management traffic, ie.
A conceptual model is to be constructed to assess the loading that managed network devices have on a specified network. The number of retransmissions will also be monitored and related to the level of congestion and management frame rate for each type of management frame. A MIB will be created and graphs of the number of each type of frame will be displayed on-line on the PC screen. This will then indicate and raise alerts when pre-defined thresholds are exceeded. The Network Management System should then be aware that a problem is developing before management messages start to be lost due to congestion.