Web-based system for managing a telematics laboratory network

This paper presents a Web-based system for managing a telematics laboratory network that supports practical activities in different courses from the Telecommunications Engineering degree in the Polytechnic Center (University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain). The system is used in two different ways: the teachers use it to design and apply the network configurations required in the laboratory for the selected practices, and the students use the system in the Network Management course to learn about Web-based network management, with special emphasis on simple network management protocol (SNMP) strategies. The network manager remotely controls and monitors computers and communication devices in the laboratory by using SNMP. The system is able to define (or load predefined) configurations by establishing the desired logical connections between the devices, segmenting the hubs, defining virtual circuits, etc. It also enables facilities to discover and depict the network configuration and to provide network management and monitoring and traps management. The system constitutes a helpful tool for the teachers to configure the laboratory network and also permits the students to apply their network management skills.