Networking fundamentals required for ITOM

[KhasimKhanP]

Hi folks,

Which networking fundamentals are essential before starting in IT Operations Management (ITOM)?

[Nikhil Bajaj9 · Accepted solution]

Hi @KhasimKhanP ,

For IT operations management (ITOM), essential networking fundamentals include understanding core devices like routers and switches, data communication concepts, and various network protocols such as HTTP, TCP, and SNMP. A grasp of the OSI model, TCP/IP, NAT, load balancing, and VPNs is crucial for managing network infrastructure, ensuring reliability, and facilitating communication between devices and external networks like the internet. 

[Bhuvan · Accepted solution]

@KhasimKhanP 

Basic Computing & Networking fundamentals would help you with ServiceNow ITOM especially with Discovery and Service Mapping modules. 

Networking background is not mandatory for implementation of ServiceNow ITOM but would definitely be an added advantage to discuss with Client Stakeholders to understand their network architecture and provide recommendations for placement of MID Servers for Discovery and Service Mapping, network and firewall pre-requisites for implementation and configuration.

As per community guidelines, you can accept more than one answer as accepted solution. If my response helped to answer your query, please mark it helpful & accept the solution.

Thanks,

Bhuvan

[Harish Bainsla · Accepted solution]

Hi @KhasimKhanP You should required basic knowledge 

Core Networking Concepts

• Routers and Switches:

  Understand the basic functions of these essential devices, which facilitate communication within a network and with external networks like the internet. 
• OSI Model:

  Learn the 7-layer model to understand the various functions of network communication, from physical connections to application-level services. 
• TCP/IP Model:

  This model is a practical implementation of network communication, and knowledge of its protocols is crucial for data transfer and network management. 

Essential Protocols and Technologies

• HTTP:

  Understand how this protocol facilitates communication between web browsers and servers, essential for managing web-based services. 
• TCP:

  Learn about the Transmission Control Protocol, a key component of the TCP/IP suite, which provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data. 
• SNMP:

  Know how the Simple Network Management Protocol is used to monitor and manage network devices and services. 
• NAT (Network Address Translation):

  Understand this technology, which is used to translate private IP addresses to public ones, a fundamental aspect of internet connectivity. 
• Load Balancing:

  Be familiar with load balancing to distribute network traffic across multiple servers or resources, ensuring high availability and optimal performance. 
• VPNs (Virtual Private Networks):

  Learn how VPNs create secure, encrypted connections for remote access or to connect different networks, vital for a hybrid workforce

  For learning complete ITOM course go through below link 

  if my answer helps you mark helpful and accept solution

  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXRgDc4BgFSw7eg3oJp0I8gx0BTqAZLBo

[Harish Bainsla · Accepted solution]

Hi @KhasimKhanP You should required basic knowledge 

Core Networking Concepts

• Routers and Switches:

  Understand the basic functions of these essential devices, which facilitate communication within a network and with external networks like the internet. 
• OSI Model:

  Learn the 7-layer model to understand the various functions of network communication, from physical connections to application-level services. 
• TCP/IP Model:

  This model is a practical implementation of network communication, and knowledge of its protocols is crucial for data transfer and network management. 

Essential Protocols and Technologies

• HTTP:

  Understand how this protocol facilitates communication between web browsers and servers, essential for managing web-based services. 
• TCP:

  Learn about the Transmission Control Protocol, a key component of the TCP/IP suite, which provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data. 
• SNMP:

  Know how the Simple Network Management Protocol is used to monitor and manage network devices and services. 
• NAT (Network Address Translation):

  Understand this technology, which is used to translate private IP addresses to public ones, a fundamental aspect of internet connectivity. 
• Load Balancing:

  Be familiar with load balancing to distribute network traffic across multiple servers or resources, ensuring high availability and optimal performance. 
• VPNs (Virtual Private Networks):

  Learn how VPNs create secure, encrypted connections for remote access or to connect different networks, vital for a hybrid workforce

  For learning complete ITOM course go through below link 

  if my answer helps you mark helpful and accept solution

  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXRgDc4BgFSw7eg3oJp0I8gx0BTqAZLBo

[Ajay_Chavan]

@KhasimKhanP 

Networking Fundamentals for ITOM - Detailed Overview

Core Networking Concepts

TCP/IP Protocol Suite:

• Understanding IPv4/IPv6 addressing and subnetting
• OSI and TCP/IP model layers
• How packets flow through networks
• Port numbers and common services (HTTP:80, HTTPS:443, SSH:22, etc.)

Network Infrastructure:

• Switching vs. routing concepts
• VLANs and network segmentation
• Network topologies (star, mesh, hybrid)
• Load balancers and their role in application delivery

DNS and Name Resolution:

• How DNS queries work (A, AAAA, PTR, CNAME records)
• Forward and reverse DNS lookups
• DNS hierarchy and delegation
• Impact on service discovery and monitoring

ITOM-Specific Networking Knowledge

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol):

• SNMP versions (v1, v2c, v3) and security implications
• OIDs (Object Identifiers) and MIB (Management Information Base)
• SNMP traps vs. polling
• Community strings and authentication

Network Discovery Protocols:

• CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol)
• LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol)
• ARP tables for device relationships
• Network topology mapping through protocol data

Network Security Fundamentals:

• Firewall rules and access control lists
• Network segmentation and DMZ concepts
• VPN tunnels and secure communications
• Network access control (NAC) basics

ServiceNow ITOM Integration Points

Discovery Requirements:

• Network ranges and credentialed discovery
• Port requirements for different discovery types
• Proxy and MID server network considerations
• Firewall rules needed for discovery agents

Monitoring and Events:

• Network device monitoring via SNMP
• Synthetic transaction monitoring
• Network performance metrics collection
• Event correlation from network devices

Asset and Configuration Management:

• Network device CI relationships
• IP address management integration
• Network service dependencies
• Switch port and connection mapping

Practical Tools and Commands

Network Troubleshooting:

• ping, traceroute, nslookup/dig
• netstat, ss, lsof for connection analysis
• tcpdump/wireshark for packet analysis
• iptables/firewall rule verification

Network Scanning and Discovery:

• Nmap for port scanning and OS detection
• Network discovery tools (lansweeper, advanced IP scanner)
• SNMP walk utilities
• Network mapping tools

Advanced Concepts for ITOM

API and Automation:

• REST APIs for network device management
• NETCONF/YANG for configuration management
• Network automation frameworks
• Integration with orchestration tools

Cloud and Hybrid Networks:

• Software-defined networking (SDN) basics
• Cloud networking concepts (VPC, subnets, security groups)
• Hybrid cloud connectivity
• Container networking fundamentals

Performance and Capacity:

• Bandwidth measurement and analysis
• Network latency and jitter concepts
• Quality of Service (QoS) basics
• Network capacity planning principles

Common ITOM Use Cases

Service Mapping:

• Understanding application network flows
• Database connection tracking
• Load balancer configuration discovery
• Network service dependencies

Event Management:

• Network device alert correlation
• Threshold-based monitoring setup
• Network outage impact analysis
• Root cause analysis through network topology

This foundation enables effective use of ServiceNow Discovery, Service Mapping, Event Management, and other ITOM applications by providing the networking context needed to understand infrastructure relationships and dependencies.

Trainings- 

Complete trainigns- CIS CMDB, Service Mapping, Discovery, Event Mgmt

[Simon Hendery]

Hi @Chavan AP 

I think you used genAI to create this answer? Much of what you've posted is wrong.

[Pratiksha · Accepted solution]

For Discovery

• IP Basics → IP ranges, subnetting, network classes.

• Networks → On-prem (servers, routers, switches) vs Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP).

• Devices → Routers, switches, firewalls, servers, endpoints.

• Authentication → SNMP (network), WMI (Windows), SSH (Linux), APIs (cloud), Agent-based.

For Service Mapping

• Need above + server administration knowledge (Windows/Linux).

• Understanding of ports, protocols, app servers, and databases