How Managing a Network Is Like Tending a Garden

If you have trouble wrapping your head around how your business network is managed, it might help to think of it like gardening. Excelling at each requires knowledge and stewardship in order to produce the best result.

Administration

Organizing a network system by integrating equipment, data and resources and keeping everything humming is called network administration. All of these components must be brought together and properly monitored in order to create a system that provides the best functionality for its end-users. In gardening terms, it’s like transforming an empty plot of land, some seeds and an irrigation system into a bounty of fruits and vegetables.

While most amateur growers might be lucky to get a few wispy greens to poke through the soil, those with know-how and experience can cultivate a garden that thrives. It’s the same with building and running network processes; it takes expert network management to ensure your business has a system that is reliable, robust and secure.

Operation

Once the pieces of your network come together, they serve little purpose if your system doesn’t operate smoothly. A good gardener watches over his crop to determine what needs watering or fertilization and succeeds by anticipating what his plants need in order to thrive. He must be proactive, never waiting to water or fertilize a plant until it is about to shrivel up.

In the same way, a good management system monitors your network to ensure it is performing optimally. Problems and faults are anticipated in order to address them before they become major issues. With a well-managed network, the end-user experience is reliable and faults rarely cause excessive harm. Potential issues are taken care of before users are affected.

Maintenance

In gardening it is never as simple as plant it, water it, forget it. A garden requires tending; overgrowth is trimmed back and weeds are removed to ensure that the crops will flourish.

Maintenance is also necessary in a network. Equipment can become outdated or may no longer have the capacity to meet your needs. Software requires patches or upgrades. Some things such as cables, printers and keyboards may simply wear out. Proper oversight of your network means that all of the components are monitored and then repaired, upgraded or replaced as appropriate. A strong management system maintains your business technology so time and money are rarely wasted due to malfunctioning equipment or a data crash.

Provisioning

In a network, the proper allocation of resources based on what your business requires is called provisioning. In gardening, appropriate provisioning might mean shifting your watering schedule based on seasonal conditions, perhaps irrigating in the evening to minimize evaporation.

Network users need to have reliable access to hardware and data to do their jobs. A management system monitors your network to meet this need, and reallocates resources when necessary. For example, a department that’s been assigned a big project may require more computers or additional memory, or VPN access might need to expand if more employees are telecommuting. Conversely, network management also identifies when a resource is no longer being utilized and can be eliminated or repurposed, potentially saving costs.

Security

Even in gardening, security is an issue. Many thriving patches of vegetables have been lost to hungry deer and rabbits, so barriers are erected to protect crops.

For most businesses, the most critical concern is data vulnerability. Security software is deployed and then diligently maintained and updated by an expert management system. There is also constant monitoring of access and usage so that breaches or other weaknesses are quickly identified and addressed before they become critical concerns. Additionally, network systems management ensures that compliance and regulatory requirements are met, particularly with regards to safeguarding client data.

Conclusion

Just as a well-cultivated garden will thrive, a properly developed and maintained network can help your employees and your business reach its full potential. The right management system for your network will help cultivate your prosperity.