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Concept
Network element
Résumé
In computer networks, a network element is a manageable logical entity uniting one or more physical devices. This allows distributed devices to be managed in a unified way using one management system.
According to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the term 'network element' refers to a facility or to equipment used in the provision of a telecommunications service. This term also refers to features, functions, and capabilities that are provided by means of such facility or equipment. This includes items such as subscriber numbers, databases, signaling systems, and information that is sufficient for billing and collection. Alternatively, it's also included if it's used in the transmission, routing, or other provision of a telecommunications service.
With development of distributed networks, network management had become an annoyance for administration staff. It was hard to manage each device separately even if they were of the same vendor. Configuration overhead as well as misconfiguration possibility were quite high. A provisioning process for a basic service required complex configurations of numerous devices.
It was also hard to store all network devices and connections in a plain list. Network structuring approach was a natural solution.
With structuring and grouping, it is very well seen that in any distributed network there are devices performing one complex function. At that, those devices can be placed in different location.
A telephone exchange is the most typical example of such a distributed group of devices. It typically contains subscriber line units, line trunk units, switching matrix, CPU and remote hubs.
A basic telephone service leans on all those units, so it is convenient for an engineer to manage a telephone exchange as one complex entity encompassing all those units inside.
Another good example of a network element is a computer cluster. A cluster can occupy a lot of space and may not fit one datacenter. For enterprise solutions, it is common to locate cluster nodes in different locations, even in different regions (settlements).
Source officielle
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