5 Network Operations and Reliability Free Online FlashCards

How should network documentation be maintained?

Keep network documentation current, access-controlled, and available even when the primary network is unavailable.

How should operators choose what network behavior triggers an alert?

Establish a baseline of normal behavior, then alert on meaningful deviations rather than every fluctuation.

How do configuration baselines help detect network-device drift?

Approved baselines define device settings, firmware, access controls, and services. Comparing live settings with them helps detect unauthorized or accidental drift.

Why might two network links fail despite being redundant?

Redundancy can fail to protect a service when supposedly separate components share a failure point, such as the same conduit or provider.

What do RTO and RPO measure?

RTO is the maximum acceptable time to restore a service. RPO is the maximum acceptable amount of data loss, expressed as time between disruption and latest recoverable data.

What do physical and logical network diagrams show?

Physical diagrams show device locations and cabling; logical diagrams show paths, subnets, VLANs, routing, security boundaries, and dependencies.

How can a switch port map help diagnose an access-point outage?

A port map can help distinguish a failed access point from a cabling problem or a faulty switch port.

What does SNMP enable a network management system to do?

SNMP lets management systems query device information and receive event notifications. Its managed information is commonly organized in MIBs.

Why prefer SNMPv3 where supported?

Prefer SNMPv3 where supported because its security architecture supports authentication and privacy.

Why centralize Syslog and retain copies off-device?

Syslog centralizes event messages for searching and correlation. Protect log transport and retain copies off-device so device failure or compromise does not erase the only record.

What information makes a network alert actionable?

An actionable alert identifies the affected asset, condition, time, and severity, and links to an appropriate response procedure.

What should operators prepare before applying a network change?

Before a change, save the current configuration and prepare a tested rollback plan so the prior state can be restored if needed.