Curt Harler
A new class of applications lets IS managers track who uses valuable network resources and helps them better plan for network usage and capacity. Whether it's called network accounting, Internet accounting, or data accounting, one thing is apparent: Managers now have a way to see who's using the network, how much, and for what purpose.
In most corporate settings, each department or profit center is billed back for use of services -- phone calls, paper, secretarial help. Most firms have a lot of money invested in data networks, so some might ask: Why shouldn't the departments or divisions that demand i
mproved access and connectivity (e.g., to the Internet) be charged for that use rather than having it all come from corporate overhead?
Until now, such networking expenses were usually billed to the data processing budget. But in almost every other accounting bracket, use of resources such as long-distance phone calling gets billed back to the department that uses the resource. Call accounting for telephone calls is widespread and accepted when it comes to voice communications. Soon, the same might be said of data accounting for data calls. As desktop videoconferencing, broadband Internet access, and other bandwidth-hungry applications become commonplace, network planners and beancounters are demanding records of use.
The State of Montana is investigating the possible tracking of data traffic for bill-back and for network planning purposes. "We are hoping to integrate both our data and voice systems into a single system," says Carl Hotvedt, bureau chief for network operations for the state. Such a system would let managers like Hotvedt answer basic questions such as: Who is using the network, how much, for what purposes, and at w
hat cost?
Another common assumption is that if existing bandwidth is not used, it is simply wasted. But no network is free. Somewhere, somebody gets a bill. Increasingly, the financial officers who approve these bills seek to lower or minimize network costs. Simple applications, like in-band transmission of e-mail over the Internet or corporate intranet, need to be accounted for when planning network capacity. Bandwidth is not free any more than long-distance calls or 800 numbers are free. Accountants want to allocate bandwidth use to profit centers. To do that, network planners have to find ways to account for use.
Cisco Systems (408-526-4000;
http://www.cisco.com
) markets a product called Cisco Enterprise Accounting. CEA 1.0 supports accounting, billing, and reporting of ISDN applications. The software i
s hardware device-independent. Any Cisco device supporting the Cisco ISDN Call History MIB (11.0(7) or later) can be polled. Raw call data is captured by CEA's SNMP poller and is stored in the software management information bases (MIBs). CEA then translates and filters raw call data into standardized or flexible call data records (CDRs), which are stored in a relational database that drives applications such as end-user accounting, cost allocation, and traffic statistics. In addition, network monitoring lets managers catch network use that's excessive or in violation of a firm's policies.
Transmission costs far outweigh all other network costs combined, according to Cisco's Bob Berlin. The system Cisco markets was designed by Telco Research (Nashville, TN; 800-488-3526;
http://www.telcores.com
) and runs on P
C-based software linked to a router. The software catches FTP, e-mail, Internet telephony, and all other traffic that passes through the router. "This allows management to build a
history
," says Stephen Doster, Telco Research's director of marketing. "It is a great tool for network planning and optimization." The State of Montana also uses Telco Research's call accounting system, and Hotvedt hopes to integrate call accounting and data accounting.
Other firms' new releases of network management software, like ForeView 4.1, from Fore Systems (412-772-6600;
http://www.fore.com
), let integrators and managers mine data-usage figures. According to Fore's David Colodny, network operators need an accounting tool both for billing and for performance analysis, including capacity and quality of service
. Fore's tool, developed with PBX switch manufacturer Nortel, is software-based. It collects 40 variables, ranging from call duration to number of calls received.
Telemate.net, from Telemate (770-963-3700;
http://www.telemate.com
), sifts information from most common firewall logs. Data can be sorted by individual user, company division, or geographic location. "Rather than shutting off use for different sites, like news or entertainment, this allows MIS to hold workers and managers responsible for their use," says Bill Lassiter, marketing manager. The program allows varying bill-back charges by time of day, bandwidth, or number of packets used. Telemate.net automatically prepares paper or e-mail reports daily, weekly, or monthly to make sure information is distributed.
Sequel Net Access Manager, from Se
quel Technology (206-556-4000;
http://www.sequeltech.com
), is available in a server version and in a personal version called NetPIM. It filters each IP packet and reports both Internet and intranet traffic, allowing accounting for use. Cost is $499 for a five-user server pack, $20 for the single user.
Bandwidth accounting also is valuable as a planning tool. Exception reporting (crashes, fraudulent use, congestion) helps a network manager see where in the network added capacity is needed. One thing that's starting to change is the concept of the free data network ride.
"The thing to overcome is this notion that bandwidth is free," says Telco Research's Doster. "The voice people know all about charge-back, and now the same is true for data networking."
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Telco Research's data network tracking application lets you monitor usage patterns in your company.
Better Networks Through Accounting
