Network Lifecycle Management Guide

The network lifecycle management process helps network professionals plan changes, deploy those changes, and guide ongoing operations. So, what steps does this process involve, and how can network teams apply it?

Without some kind of framework, it is difficult for network teams to predict how changes will impact the user experience and the system itself. Teams can learn network behavior, reconfigure their networks to accommodate changes, and improve their overall business strategy by tracking the various stages of the network lifecycle.

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Network Lifecycle Phases

In its simplest form, network lifecycle management consists of three phases: plan, build, and manage. It is also known as design, implement, and operate (DIO). This cycle repeats as new requirements are identified during the planning phase. The lifecycle process can also be applied to subtasks.

(1) ITIL framework

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is another management framework that describes a similar process. It focuses on service strategy, service design, service transition, and service operations. The fifth phase (continuous service improvement) should be integrated with the first four phases so that the team can improve operations as needed.

(2) PPDIOO framework

Enterprises can expand the basic three-phase network lifecycle into sub-phases. For example, Cisco has developed a six-phase network management lifecycle: prepare, plan, design, implement, operate, and optimize (PPDIOO).

The extended PPDIOO model breaks down the three-phase life cycle into the following sub-phases:

• The planning phase expands into the preparation, planning, and design phases.
• The Build phase evolves into the Implement phase (which may sometimes include the Procurement phase, which Cisco omits).
• The management phase includes the operation and optimization phases.

Check PPDIOO network lifecycle

The following are the steps involved in each of the six phases of the PPDIOO life cycle defined by Cisco.

(1) Preparation

As with any business process, the most critical steps are to identify requirements and outline business goals. During this phase, the team spends most of its time determining where its business will be at the end of the cycle so they can evaluate how the network can best support those goals. At this point, network professionals should conduct a financial analysis and calculate the ROI of potential changes.

Teams should also learn how to anticipate future needs. For example, they should consider tracking industry trends and understanding their importance to the business. Other sources of information include industry analysts and conferences.

(2) Plan

The planning phase follows the preparation phase. This is when the team begins to create a project plan to help their organization manage the remainder of the life cycle. The team should consider issues related to vendor selection and management, such as:

• How will the necessary equipment and supplies be funded?
• Which suppliers should I consider?
• Are hot startups using the latest technology worth the risk?

(3) Design

The design phase begins to go into detail, subject to constraints identified in previous phases, such as budget. The design team should create a detailed design that meets the requirements using the selected suppliers.

This is when you may need to build prototypes and conduct proofs of concept to minimize the risk of using any new technology. This is also the stage when you may need to define new processes, such as when to adopt automation.

(4) Implementation

In this phase, the implementation team transitions from the previous cycle to the new deployment. Enterprises have begun to adopt the philosophy that the design team is responsible for the implementation and only hands it over to the operations team once the design is fully validated, automated, and managed.

(5) Operation

When the new network (or new part of the network) is operational and operational processes have been defined, the operations team takes over. The design and implementation phase should identify common operational problems and create mechanisms to monitor and diagnose these problems. This phase is where the network management design is thoroughly tested.

(6) Optimization

The final phase of the lifecycle continues to refine the design and operation of new network capabilities. In this phase network professionals create processes to identify unforeseen operational issues and determine ways to improve the network and the processes that run it.

However, network teams should be aware that over-optimization of the network can lead to other operational issues. For example, simply to save some capital equipment money, modifying the branch design leads to multiple samples, which can result in higher operating expenses.

What about testing?

Testing is not explicitly listed as a step, as it should be incorporated into every phase. Testing will be a key element of the design, implementation, operation, and optimization phases. There will also be testing in the preparation phase, where network professionals can test the risks of using new technologies for business leaders.

Integrate network lifecycle with business processes

Best-performing organizations have some form of network lifecycle management process in place as part of their overall IT management process. Many network professionals may have been using similar ad hoc processes without knowing the formal definition.

Top companies incorporate the network lifecycle into their annual IT planning and budgeting process. Some companies follow a three-year network lifecycle. In this schedule, about a third of the network infrastructure is upgraded each year to ensure the company is using modern technology. They can track industry trends and technology innovations while forecasting budget and staffing needs each year.

Other organizations may need to increase or decrease the duration of their cycles to suit their needs. Regardless of the duration of the cycle, it makes sense for organizations to formally adopt a network lifecycle process and incorporate it into their annual business planning process.