Do you have an Out of Band Management Network?

Admin

Physical networks are incredibly reliable today. It's rare for a business to be completely offline. We have an expectation that websites are "always on." Today, evolving wireless and low-cost satellite services like Kuiper and Starlink are impacting secondary network connections and offering the opportunity to provide more network redundancy in the form of Out-of-Band Management (OOBM).

If you run a distributed network with assets in various locations, how are you prepared to repair network equipment at remote sites? For example, if you were to lose a firewall or router at a remote location, would you need to deploy personnel to fix it? What about if the outage occurs during off-hours? Does the continuity plan of your organization include an Out-of-Band Management network? What are the company procedures if you access a remote site and the equipment is offline?

I would suggest that, like all risk/reward propositions, Out-of-Band Management has security, cost, and support considerations that should be acknowledged before a potential test and deployment. Here are some questions to ask:

- Is your operation 24/7/365?
- What are your Network Service Level Agreements?
- Do your service providers offer managed services for network assets?
- If the answer to the above question is "yes," is it more cost-effective to build or buy?
- Do you have to follow 2-factor security rules (FISMA, HIPAA, PCI) for remote access?
- Do you have a secondary IP or cell signal at remote sites?

Empowering Business Resilience: Navigating the Out-of-Band Management Market for Positive Outcomes

The Out-of-Band Management market has evolved over the past several years. More equipment players have entered the marketplace, which is good for innovation, product development, and growth. The obvious downside to the market noise is the challenge of making well-informed decisions that lead to positive outcomes.

When considering an Out-of-Band Management network, here are some ideas of things to review:

- Is my site critical? If I lose access for a period of time, will the business be negatively impacted, or can I manage a workaround? A typical Out-of-Band Management site will cost approximately $1,000 to establish and around $20 to operate on a monthly basis.
- In addition to Out-of-Band Management, do I need to have the ability to remotely power-cycle unresponsive network equipment?
- Are there personnel on-site who are capable of making network fixes or assisting in repairs?

A final piece of information to consider is the cost of downtime. Figures range from $100,000 to $500,000 per hour to represent financial losses due to downtime. However, considerations for business reputation and productivity should also be taken into account.

Out-of-Band Management networks are powerful tools to keep businesses running with top efficiency. Research your options, inquire about where your products are built, and follow the advice of top security experts and agencies. Always make sure to test before making a purchase; any reputable company will offer testing equipment and professionals to help you evaluate before making a decision.

Adam Cady works in Sales Engineering for Communication Devices Inc (CDI). CDI is a US manufacturer of high-security, simple-to-use Out-of-Band Management tools and services. For more information, you can reach Adam Cady at adamcady@commdevices.com.