“Using Linux and the ACEDB database system makes easy work
of local area network management.“
“Linux’s agility and power inspires the efficient design and
implementation of specialty tools for specific tasks. On a data
network, engineers and administrators appreciate the ease and
flexibility with which Linux can be implemented as a platform for
data collection, analysis and processing. In this article I’ll
demonstrate techniques for implementing ACEDB (an object-oriented
database) and a few other tools to provide comprehensive access to
administrative data that you might already be collecting from your
network.”
“The management of TCP/IP local area networks often entails an
enduring struggle to control address space. Workstations, servers
and managed subsystems (routers, firewalls, etc.) are all added to
and subtracted from the network as the shape of the organization
and the flow of data changes. However, remembering which machine is
assigned to a particular IP address is not always as simple as
keeping an up-to-date list of IP address to node assignments.
Sometimes network architecture changes without proper documentation
even under the best of circumstances–DHCP, BOOTP, ubiquitous SNMP
and managed repeater ports included. Yet, keeping track of IP
address assignments is important. Since the logical address space
of an IP subnet is limited to a finite number of usable addresses,
recycling IP addresses is a must. It’s also useful to know the kind
of machine responsible for a particular instance of packet
generation when performing data-analysis on a LAN (metrics
collection, troubleshooting, security audits, etc.). Automating the
collection of and access to this information would go a long way
toward reclaiming lost or unknown administrative data.”