The performance measurement of a service provider network is an important activity. It is required for the smooth operation of the network as well as for reporting and planning. SANReN is a service provider tasked with serving the research and education network of South Africa. It currently has no structure or process for determining network performance metrics to measure the performance of its network. The objective of this study is to determine, through a process or structure, which metrics are best suited to the SANReN environment. This study is conducted in 3 phases in order to discover and verify the solution to this problem. The phases are "Contextualisation", "Design",and "Verification". The "Contextualisation" phase includes the literature review. This provides the context for the problem area but also serves as a search function for the solution. This study adopts the design science research paradigm which requires the creation of an artefact. The "Design" phase involves the creation of the conceptual network performance measurement model. This is the artefact and a generalised model for determining the network performance metrics for an NREN. To prove the utility of the model it is implemented in the SANReN environment. This is done in the "Verification" phase. The network performance measurement model proposes a process to determine network performance metrics. This process includes getting NREN requirements and goals, defining the NRENs network design goals through these requirements, define network performance metrics from these goals, evaluating the NRENs monitoring capability, and measuring what is possible. This model provides a starting point for NRENs to determine network performance metrics tailored to its environment. This is done in the SANReN environment as a proof of concept. The utility of the model is shown through the implementation in the SANReN environment thus it can be said that it is generic.The tools that monitor the performance of the SANReN network are used to retrieve network performance data from. Through understanding the requirements, determining network design goals and performance metrics, and determining the gap the retrieving of results took place. These results are analysed and finally aggregated to provide information that feeds into SANReN reporting and planning processes. A template is provided to do the aggregation of metric results. This template provides the structure to enable metrics results aggregation but leaves the categories or labels for the reporting and planning sections blank. These categories are specific to each NREN. At this point SANReN has the aggregated information to use for planning and reporting. The model is verified and thus the study’s main research objective is satisfied.

Många organisationer som anvander IT-system i sin verksamhet bedriver ocksa någon form av systemförvaltningsverksamhet. Någon eller några aktörer har till uppgift att kontinuerligt vidmakthålla och vidareutveckla organisationers verksamhet med hjälp av IT-system. Avhandlingen belyser hur detta arbete går till idag och hur det bör organiseras för att öka styrbarheten i systemförvaltningsverksamheter. Forskningsprocessen har haft en kvalitativ ansats med såväl induktiva som deduktiva inslag. Källstudier och intervjuer har genomförts for att kartlagga vilka aktiviteter som ingar i en systemförvaltningsverksamhet och hur den är organiserad. Dessutom har tre fallstudier genomförts med aktionsforskningsinslag i syfte att skapa effektiva förvaltningsobjekt som grund för organisering av systemförvaltningsverksamhet. Resultatet av arbetet är ett konceptuellt ramverk för att organisera systemförvaltningsverksamhet med hjalp av effektiva förvaltningsobjekt. Ramverket är uppbyggt kring fyra centrala begrepp; förvaltningsuppdrag, förvaltningsobjekt, förvaltningsorganisation och förvaltningsaktiviteter som alla ör relaterade till organiseringsbegreppet genom att de tre förstnämna utgör medel för att organisera systemförvaltningsverksamhet (aktiviteter). En delmängd av resultatet utgörs av en model för avgränsning och definition av förvaltningsobjekt. I avhandlingen ges ocksa förslag till referensdefinitioner på systemförvaltning och dess ingående aktiviteter; kunskapsstöd, ändringshantering, förvaltningsstyrning och daglig IT-drift och underhåll.

M.Comm. / This dissertation is devoted to an investigation into the network-management environment, with special emphasis on the security aspects and the provision of a reference framework when choosing a network-management product. The dissertation is aimed at those responsible for network-management and the selection of the various network-management products by providing a framework for evaluating network management products. The first four chapters provide the background to the reference framework. The following two chapters are devoted to those aspects to be taken into consideration when evaluating a network-management product. The consolidation and the case study in chapters seven and eight provide an abridged version of the framework and illustrate how the framework could be applied to a network-management product. Chapter one provides the background to the reference framework regarding networks and network-management. The concept of network-management is introduced, as well as the three forms of architectures that could be implemented, namely centralised, hierarchical and distributed architectures. A number of network-management functions have to be taken into consideration when evaluating a network-management package, namely configuration, asset, fault, performance, accounting and security management. These functions are also covered in chapter six. Chapter two provides the background to the security aspect of the reference framework. The three main topics covered in this respect are the definition of network-security, computer crime and specific elements of network-security. This chapter also provides a springboard for the evaluation of the network-management environment, as well as an idea of what issues and measures should be addressed and taken in order to prevent, or at least minimise, the effects of network-security breaches. Chapter three covers issues relating to network-security responsibilities, with special reference to the management side of network-management, including those issues that management should take into consideration when evaluating the network-management environment. Two methods that could be implemented include network-management policies and strategies. Network-security policies and strategies encompass those issues necessary for effective security within an organisation. This chapter, however, covers the more theoretical or higher-level goals or objectives of network-management. Chapter four relates to more of the day-to-day management issues of the network-security and the network-security management services and functions that should be considered. These include issues such as network-security services, managing network access, monitoring and controlling the network security system and the maintenance and modification of the said system. Network-management product considerations are discussed in chapter five, which chapter can be viewed as the business and practical side of the reference framework. The topics discussed here are more closely related to the business considerations when evaluating a networkmanagement package and the practical issues of network-management. Topics discussed in this chapter include security and network-management products, practical approaches to choosing network-management products, critical success factors of network-management and analysis of the cost component. In contrast to these issues, the reference framework expounded in chapter six concentrates on the technical and network-management functions. Chapter six constitutes the culmination of the present dissertation in the form of a reference framework, which is for the greater part formulated along the lines of the criteria given. This reference framework is aimed at those experts enlisted to evaluate and select networkmanagement products, specifically as far as their security-management features are concerned. The areas covered include the user framework, the product framework, networkfault management, network-performance management, network-accounting management, network configuration and change management, network-security management and conformance testing. The topics discussed are, however, by no means exclusive and there are a number of other issues that have not been addressed in this dissertation, but which, depending on the network environment, would have to be taken into consideration. Chapter seven is a consolidation of the reference framework given in chapter six, as well as of some of the main points and criteria that could be considered when performing a quick evaluation of a product. This chapter does not, however, make any pretence to being exhaustive, but merely serves to highlight a few crucial criteria. Chapter eight is devoted to a case study in terms of which the reference framework is applied to a network-management product. In conclusion, a summary of the dissertation is given in chapter nine.

Network management and control of large broadband local area networks, where the number of nodes ranges from several hundred to a few thousand, is a very important concern for today's network manager. This primarily involves tuning the network to ensure load balance over the broadband subchannels, and the capability to monitor specific nodes for accounting, performance and security purposes. This thesis presents the design considerations for a session level passive hardware monitor on a broadband local area network having a bus/tree topology. A methodology for session monitoring is presented based on the issues discussed. The session service provided is packet switched with point to point virtual circuit connection. Current technology and economics dictate the use of broadband transmission media for large local area networks spread out over a radius of around ten kilometers. This medium provides adequate throughput for a large number of devices by supporting frequency division multiplexing and a multiple access medium access control protocol. The design considerations include both hardware and software aspects and are justified based on the characteristics of the transmission medium and communication protocol architecture used in this study. The local area network used for the development of this project is a sixteen hundred node campus network at Virginia Tech (™LocalNet 20) supplied by SYTEK, Inc. / M.S.

Hua Cunqing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-56). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Congestion Control in the IP Network --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Quality of Service in the IP network --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Structure of Thesis --- p.3 / Chapter 2 --- Background --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- TCP and Congestion Control --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Slow Start --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Congestion Avoidance --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- "Fast Retransmit, Fast Recovery and Timeout" --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Active Queue Management --- p.7 / Chapter 2.3 --- Integrated Services and Differentiated Services --- p.8 / Chapter 3 --- The Fairness of TCP Vegas in Networks with Multiple Congested Gate- ways --- p.10 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.10 / Chapter 3.2 --- TCP Vegas and related works --- p.11 / Chapter 3.3 --- Analysis --- p.13 / Chapter 3.4 --- Simulation Results --- p.15 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Throughput for different number of active cross connections --- p.16 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Throughput for different number of flows in each connection --- p.17 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Multiple congestion vs Single congestion --- p.17 / Chapter 3.5 --- Summary --- p.19 / Chapter 4 --- The Joint Congestion Control for TCP/IP Networks --- p.21 / Chapter 4.1 --- Background --- p.21 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Joint Congestion Control --- p.23 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Path Load Reduction Factor --- p.23 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- The Congestion Control Algorithm --- p.24 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Probing Interval --- p.26 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Parameter Setting --- p.26 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Encoding of R --- p.27 / Chapter 4.3 --- Simulation Results --- p.28 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Congestion Window Behavior --- p.28 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Throughput Stability --- p.31 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Packet Loss Ratio --- p.31 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Fairness Index --- p.32 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Fairness in Multiple-hop Network --- p.32 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Parameter Sensitivity --- p.33 / Chapter 4.3.7 --- Interaction between JCC and Reno flows --- p.35 / Chapter 4.4 --- Summary --- p.35 / Chapter 5 --- S-WTP : Shifted Waiting Time Priority Scheduling for Delay Differ- entiated Services --- p.37 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.37 / Chapter 5.2 --- Scheduling Algorithms for Delay Differentiated Services --- p.38 / Chapter 5.3 --- Shifted Waiting Time Priority Scheduling --- p.41 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Local Update --- p.42 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Global Update --- p.42 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Computational overhead --- p.42 / Chapter 5.4 --- Simulation Results --- p.43 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Microscopic View of Individual Packet Delay of S-WTP and WTP --- p.43 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Delay Ratios in Different Timescales --- p.44 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Effects of aggregate traffic and class load distribution on delay ratio --- p.44 / Chapter 5.4.4 --- Delay Ratios with More Classes --- p.48 / Chapter 5.5 --- Summary --- p.48 / Chapter 6 --- Conclusions --- p.50 / Chapter 6.1 --- Congestion Control --- p.50 / Chapter 6.2 --- Quality of Service Provision --- p.51 / Chapter 6.3 --- Final Remarks --- p.51

In last few years there has been significant growth in the area of wireless communication. Quality of Service (QoS) has become an important consideration for supporting variety of applications that utilize the network resources. These applications include voice over IP, multimedia services, like, video streaming, video conferencing etc. IEEE 802.16/WiMAX is a new network which is designed with quality of service in mind. This thesis focuses on analysis of quality of service as implemented by the WiMAX networks. First, it presents the details of the quality of service architecture in WiMAX network. In the analysis, a WiMAX module developed based on popular network simulator ns-2, is used. Various real life scenarios like voice call, video streaming are setup in the simulation environment. Parameters that indicate quality of service, such as, throughput, packet loss, average jitter and average delay, are analyzed for different types of service flows as defined in WiMAX. Results indicate that better quality of service is achieved by using service flows designed for specific applications. / by Rohit Talwalkar. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, FL : 2008 Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Feng, Guosen. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-60). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background for Network Content Providers' Peering --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Literature Review --- p.5 / Chapter 2 --- A Static Baseline Model --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1 --- Content Qualities and Subscribing Fees --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2 --- Users' Utilities --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3 --- Providers' Coverages and Revenues --- p.14 / Chapter 2.4 --- Content Procurement Strategies --- p.16 / Chapter 2.5 --- The Peering and Bargaining of Providers --- p.16 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Peering Agreement --- p.16 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Change of Coverage --- p.17 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Providers' Revenues --- p.18 / Chapter 2.5.4 --- Nash Bargaining Problem --- p.18 / Chapter 3 --- Impact of Dynamic Content --- p.23 / Chapter 3.1 --- Additional Investment for Dynamic Content --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Content Change --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Change of Coverage --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Providers' Revenue --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2 --- Finite Budget for Dynamic Content --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Content Change --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Change of Coverage --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Providers' Revenue --- p.35 / Chapter 4 --- Peeing in Dynamic Model --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1 --- Peering over T Time Slots --- p.37 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- "Content Change, Advertisement Sharing, and Payment ." --- p.37 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Change of Coverage --- p.37 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Providers' Revenue --- p.38 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- Nash Bargaining Problem --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2 --- Peering over One Time Slot --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- "Content Change, Advertisement Sharing, and Payment ." --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Change of Coverage --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Providers' Revenue --- p.48 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Nash Bargaining Problem --- p.49 / Chapter 5 --- Summary and Future Work --- p.53 / Bibliography --- p.56 / Chapter A --- Proof of Optimal Peering Strategy --- p.61 / Chapter A.1 --- Proof of Static Optimal Peering Strategy --- p.61 / Chapter A.2 --- Proof of Strategy for Peering over T Time Slot --- p.65 / Chapter A.3 --- Proof of Strategy for Peering over One Time Slot --- p.66

An analytical framework is developed for distributed management of large networks where each node makes locally its decisions. Two issues remain open. One is whether a distributed algorithm would result in a near-optimal management. The other is the complexity, i.e., whether a distributed algorithm would scale gracefully with a network size. We study these issues through modeling, approximation, and randomized distributed algorithms. For near-optimality issue, we first derive a global probabilistic model of network management variables which characterizes the complex spatial dependence of the variables. The spatial dependence results from externally imposed management constraints and internal properties of communication environments. We then apply probabilistic graphical models in machine learning to show when and whether the global model can be approximated by a local model. This study results in a sufficient condition for distributed management to be nearly optimal. We then show how to obtain a near-optimal configuration through decentralized adaptation of local configurations. We next derive a near-optimal distributed inference algorithm based on the derived local model. We characterize the trade-off between near-optimality and complexity of distributed and statistical management. We validate our formulation and theory through simulations.

M. Tech. Professional Practice in Information Technology. Tshwane University of Technology, 2008. / The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in business environment (profit-making and non-profit-making organisations, and public administration) has given business the power to provide its services faster, smoother, and at extended time than ordinary day working hours especially in the banking industry where the service delivery is expected to be 24 hours a day for seven days a week. Many organisations in today’s’ networked economy, mostly banking organisations, rely on ICT infrastructure to operate. The key to success with technology is not the technology per se, but the ability to manage it well. In sustaining business operations, ICT infrastructure needs to be effectively managed, with the application of tested and proven best practices such as ICT management frameworks for the organisation to benefit from it. This research explores the usage of ICT management frameworks in managing ICT infrastructure in the South African banking industry, where there is a complexity of systems because of combination of different components, some built in-house, and others procured from third-party suppliers. This research study is exploratory, applying the qualitative research approach as research strategy. It applies structured interviews as a tool for collection of primary data from participants, and uses reviews of previous publications on ICT management frameworks for secondary data collection. After a review of collected data, it has been found that: - It is important to ensure effective management of ICT infrastructure by applying best-practices as it is needed in supporting the organisation to achieve its objectives; - Though the use of ICT management frameworks is different from one bank to another, all banking organisations refer to the practices of ICT frameworks to manage their infrastructures and related processes; - Though there is not much difference in the management of ICT infrastructure in banking industry and others industries that rely on ICT for management and service delivery, banking organisations pay more attention to security, continual service delivery, and fast service delivery. Looking at the complexity of ICT infrastructures in major commercial banks investigated, it has been recommended that banks should not only concentrate on the collection of best practices in different frameworks, but also direct their efforts in creating one single framework that addresses business vision, strategies and the managerial system with more concentration on ICT infrastructure for the support of its operations, information management and sharing.

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