Network Management and Security

ENTERPRISE SECURITY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK — Syntek is participating in the development of an enterprise security management framework that enables customers to rapidly identify, isolate, and respond to complex and diverse security incidents. An open framework architecture enables security data collection from a wide variety of IT assets, including perimeter security, network devices, and applications. This information is forwarded to one of several distributed analysis engines that identify and prioritize security incidents based upon business-driven security rules maintained with the policy manager. This ongoing process continuously verifies normal operating conditions and immediately identifies any non-sanctioned activity on monitored assets. Customer specific policies prioritize asset levels to ensure response efforts are targeted and efficient.

GATHER, SORT AND MANAGE DATA — Syntek staff is involved with all aspects of developing software systems for gathering, storing, managing, and reacting to network security data. One example of this was with Snort, which included gathering Snort alert events at the device level and transmitting them to a collection server and persisting the alerts. At a management server, we developed retrieval/display of received event information and an interface for configuring and deploying rules to IDS devices (managed by groups of devices). The project has included similar experiences with vulnerability assessment using Nessus and NMAP.

SECURITY ASSET MONITORING SYSTEM — Syntek is also participating in the design, implementation, and loading of the event management component of this security asset monitoring system. This component is responsible for the receiving, storing, filtering, correlating, and routing of events. The architecture is based on a hierarchical, multi-tiered, publish/subscribe model. Implementation of this component is being done using Java in the Eclipse development environment on a Windows PC.

MODIFY, CONFIGURE REMOTE DEVICES — Syntek is involved in the design and implementation of the component to download software and configurations to remote devices. The ability to delete, suspend, and resume installed entities responsible for data collecting and performing first level rules-based data analysis and filtering has been added. This involved modifying JSP/JavaScript pages via Dreamweaver MX and Java code for their handlers to update the Oracle 9i database in a struts-like web application framework.

NETWORK ACTIVITY ANALYSIS TOOL — Developed a tool that interfaces with a live network, analyzes call records and network configuration files, and abstracts a database of network activity. The database can be interrogated through a GUI to assess loading and call patterns over the whole network or at and over specific nodes and backbones.

NETWORK OPTIMIZATION TOOL — Developed a tool that gives the network designer a means of entering a network topology and definitions of stochastic, time-profiled access traffic in order to predict the utilization of the backbone links. The tool simulates packet switched routing of the traffic over the topology, and also evaluates 'what if' scenarios, such as the effect of projected increases in traffic and the consequences of backbone failures.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SATELLITE NETWORKS — Developed a tool to estimate delays and bottlenecks in a satellite communications network using a network model based on standard queuing theory techniques. The model incorporates characteristics of the satellite communications protocol, earth station processing, and the terrestrial distribution network.

CHANNEL CONTROLLER DESIGN — Designed a channel controller call processing system that handled the signaling, authorization and network management functions necessary to process calls for a satellite communications system. Specific applications included a point-to-multipoint network HDLC protocol carried on the NCMI and LESMA TDM satellite channels, a PPP HDLC link carried on PSTN/ISDN lines, and a one-directional SU-based link carried on the LESMI TDM satellite channel.

NMS SUPPORT FOR WAN PRODUCT LINE — Provided NMS software support for a complete line of wide area network data switching products, including all fault, performance, configuration, accounting, and security management software. The network management software is written in C++, and runs under a Data General Unix environment.

NMS TESTING FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT CENTER — System testing and implementation of hardware and software to support a large telecommunications enterprise network management center. This system provided the customer with real-time visibility to alarm conditions and performance measurements as well as remote access to diverse network elements. The system (Nortel NetWORKS2 & NetWORKS3) is comprised of vendor application software and third party software packages, and runs on a series of HP9000 servers under the HP-UX (Unix) operating system.

ELEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK — Performed requirements analysis, system/integration testing, and project management in support of an element management system for passive optical networking equipment. The system will allow Local Exchange Carriers to provide Fiber to the Home (FTTH) capabilities.