# NOC Network Operations Center --- ## What is a NOC Formal definition: “One or more locations from which control is exercised over your network.” --- ## It can be ... * Set of services and tools * A location (physical) * A server/portal * A group of engineers All of the above ? --- ## NOC Set of systems, functions, roles, services put together to support operations of one or more networks (be it local, campus, metro, regional, national or international) This includes monitoring, troubleshooting and configuration management functions, helpdesk/support services, the servers and tools to implement these and dedicated staff/engineers to bring it all together. --- ## Scope and size * Maybe there's a NOC room with lots of screens ![](bignoc.png style="height: 12rem") --- ## Scope and size * Or a rack with some servers in it ![](smallnoc.png style="height: 14rem") --- ## Scope and size * Maybe there's a NOC sticker on your table * Maybe it's just a virtual machine with some tools on it --- ## Tools and services - Monitoring (availability, performance) - Configuration management (integrity and change management of dev. config) - Point of contact (helpdesk) for reporting anomalies, incidents & inquiries - Integration between tools - Should the monitoring create requests in your ticket system --- ## Roles and responsibilities - Which part of the network are you responsible for ? - geo scope - layer scope (MPLS under ?) - Which hours ? Do you fix things on a sunday ? - Dedicated engineers or part of $dayjob ? --- ## Communication with the world - Who is your customer - Network engineers ? - End users ? (have you tried turning it off...) - Phone support - Mail / web based - Ticketing / queue system --- ## Documentation Everyone's favorite topic - Digrams (who has up to date diagrams ?) - IP plans / allocation - Best practices (troubleshooting/provisioning) - Spreadsheets or dedicated tools (Wiki, Netbox, netdot)