Managing Distributed Applications : Troubleshooting in a Heterogeneous Environment

by Hicks, Mike

• ISBN13: 9780130177643
• ISBN10: 0130177644
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-10-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Ptr

Summary

It's no longer enough to manage the elements of a network in isolation: you need to manage network applications holistically, ensuring that all infrastructure and software components work together to deliver optimal performance and availability. Now, there's a network troubleshooting guide designed to help you do just that: Managing Distributed Applications: Troubleshooting in a Heterogeneous Environment. In this book, Michael Hicks presents practical techniques for troubleshooting network communications and mainframe connectivity, file/print and directory services, security and authentication, Web and e-Commerce systems, messaging systems, and more. Understand the dependencies that affect distributed and client/server application performance, and discover faster ways to troubleshoot problems in complex, heterogeneous networks. The book presents detailed graphical flowchart templates and case studies for tracking down connectivity issues, application slowdowns, intermittent performance degradation, and more. For every IT administrator, manager, and developer responsible for network reliability, availability, or performance.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xv
Introduction an Overview	1	(18)
Why Distributed Applications?	1	(2)
Current Business Considerations	3	(1)
Managing the Application	3	(3)
Tools of the Trade	6	(7)
Tool Selection	10	(3)
Methodology	13	(5)
Define the Problem	14	(1)
Gather the Facts	15	(1)
Assess the Data	16	(1)
Make a Plan	16	(1)
Implement the Plan	17	(1)
Observe the Results	17	(1)
Summary	18	(1)
Basic Communications	19	(34)
Terminology	19	(4)
Local Area Network (LAN)	20	(1)
Hub	20	(1)
Bridges and LAN Switches	20	(1)
Router	21	(1)
Wide Area Network (WAN)	21	(1)
The Server	22	(1)
Three-tier Architecture	22	(1)
Network Classifications	23	(4)
LAN	25	(1)
WAN	26	(1)
Circuit-switched	26	(1)
Packet-switched	26	(1)
Architectural Configurations	27	(3)
Protocol Types	30	(6)
Physical Layer	31	(1)
Data Link	31	(1)
Network	32	(1)
Transport	32	(1)
Session	33	(1)
Presentation	33	(3)
Protocol Functions	36	(1)
Communications Protocols	36	(1)
Routing Protocols	37	(1)
Routed Protocols	37	(1)
Auxiliary Protocols	37	(1)
Dependencies	37	(9)
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)	38	(5)
Windows Internet Service (WINS)	43	(1)
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)	43	(3)
Client Configuration	46	(3)
Server Configuration	49	(1)
Security and Authentication	50	(1)
Summary	50	(3)
Distance Vector Protocols	52	(1)
Link State Protocols	52	(1)
File and Print	53	(6)
Overview	53	(1)
Application Basics	54	(1)
Application Operation	55	(2)
Dependencies	57	(1)
Summary	57	(2)
Directory Services	59	(12)
Overview	59	(1)
Protocol Types	60	(2)
Protocol Functions	62	(3)
SNMP	64	(1)
Authentication Services	65	(2)
Policy Management	67	(1)
Policy Framework and Architecture	68	(1)
Infrastructure Interaction	69	(1)
Summary	70	(1)
Security and Authentication	71	(12)
Overview	71	(2)
Policy	73	(2)
What Is to be Protected?	74	(1)
Technical Considerations	74	(1)
Trusted Networks	74	(1)
Untrusted Networks	74	(1)
Unknown Networks	75	(1)
Gateway Functions	75	(1)
User Authentication	76	(2)
Host-to-Host Authentication	78	(2)
Performance	80	(1)
Ports and Sockets	81	(1)
Summary	82	(1)
Web Systems	83	(12)
Overview	83	(1)
Application Basics	84	(1)
Protocols	85	(3)
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)	85	(1)
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)	86	(1)
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP4)	86	(1)
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)	87	(1)
T.120	87	(1)
H.323	87	(1)
Push and Pull Services	88	(1)
Browsers	89	(1)
Architecture	90	(2)
Middleware	92	(1)
Summary	93	(2)
Messaging Systems	95	(20)
Overview	95	(2)
Protocol Types	97	(2)
Server-side Protocols	97	(1)
Client-side Protocols	98	(1)
Protocol Functions	99	(2)
Message Delivery	100	(1)
Architecture	101	(1)
Client-to-Client Communications	102	(3)
Client-to-Server Communications	105	(3)
Server-to-Server Communication	108	(2)
Fax Servers	110	(2)
Summary	112	(3)
Electronic Commerce Systems	115	(14)
Overview	115	(1)
Architecture	116	(2)
Protocol Types	118	(1)
Protocol Functions	118	(3)
Security and Authentication	121	(2)
Client Communications	123	(2)
Server Communications	125	(1)
Dependencies	126	(1)
Summary	126	(3)
Mainframe Connectivity	129	(12)
Overview	129	(1)
Legacy Connections	130	(1)
Terminal Emulation	131	(1)
Gateway Functions	132	(1)
System Architecture	133	(2)
Protocol Types	135	(1)
Protocol Functions	136	(2)
Transaction Service Layer	138	(1)
Dependencies	138	(1)
Summary	138	(3)
Case Studies	141	(40)
Overview	141	(1)
Connectivity issues	142	(3)
Summary	144	(1)
Failure to Connect to Application	145	(6)
Make Observations	147	(4)
Summary	151	(1)
Application Slowdown (partial elements)	151	(10)
Gather the Facts	152	(4)
Fact Gathering, Part Two	156	(4)
Summary	160	(1)
Application Slowdown (Whole Application)	161	(10)
Define the Problem	161	(2)
Gather the Information	163	(1)
Assess the Data	163	(5)
Make the Plan	168	(1)
Implement the Plan	169	(1)
Is the Problem Solved?	169	(1)
Summary	170	(1)
Intermittent Application Performance Degradation	171	(10)
Gather the Facts	171	(5)
Making Changes	176	(1)
Digging Deeper	176	(3)
Summary	179	(2)
Appendix A Glossary	181	(94)
Appendix B Guide to RFCs	275	(4)
Appendix C Guide to Standards	279	(4)
Standards Organizations	281	(2)
Appendix D Guide to Sockets and Ports (RFC 1700)	283	(4)
Microsoft Environment	285	(1)
Ports Used by WLBS and Convoy for Cluster Control	285	(1)
Ports Used by Microsoft Exchange Server Version 5.0	286	(1)
Appendix E Guide to Organizationally Unique Identifiers (OUIs)	287	(8)
What standards are involved with OUI?	287	(8)
Index	295