Overview

To effectively troubleshoot a network, a baseline must first be established. The baseline information will be included in the network documentation. This module discusses the basic requirements for establishing a baseline and creating a consistent set of network documentation.

Network outages can be challenging for IT professional and extremely expensive for companies. Network professionals need to be able to diagnose and correct a network problem as efficiently as possible. A baseline must be established to provide a snapshot of network performance while it is performing at an acceptable or normal level. Using baseline information reduces the time a troubleshooter needs to spend learning about the structure and configuration of the network. It also helps troubleshooters know when they have reached the goal of returning the network to its baseline level. Without a baseline, troubleshooters rely on assumptions and estimates on the performance of the network. Troubleshooting in this manner is haphazard and inefficient.

NOTE:

It is required that the student study the commands covered in the module using the labs and the Command Reference. Not all required commands are covered in sufficient detail in the text alone. Successful completion of this course requires a thorough knowledge of command syntax and application.

The Command Reference can be found on the Cisco.com website at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/ univercd/cc/td/doc/ product/software/ios123/ 123mindx/index.htm