Real-Time Monitoring and Management of Hardware and Software Resources in Heterogeneous Computer Networks through an Integrated System Architecture

Abstract

The theoretical and practical progress that has occurred in the field of computer networks during the past fifteen years has enhanced the economical efficiency and social relevance of related real-world use cases. Nevertheless, this ubiquitous usage has also introduced numerous security risks. Therefore, monitoring hardware and software resources represents one of the main instruments used in order to prevent potential attacks and to ensure the security and reliability of a network. Various solutions have been reported in the related scientific literature. In essence, most of the existing approaches are not suitable to implement a real-time hardware monitoring and management solution, particularly in heterogeneous networks. Therefore, the main contribution of this paper is represented by an architectural and implementational model, which is effective in order to build an interconnected system that can help system and network administrators to secure a network. This requirement is met by considering symmetrical design and implementation features related to various operating systems. Thus, the existing symmetrical relationships among identified parameters allow for the data to be wrapped into the same custom network packages, which are transported over the communication medium or are stored using the same data structures or tables. The system has been thoroughly assessed considering several real-world use case scenarios, and the results demonstrate that the proposed model can be applied to software-defined networks, which can be protected by relevant intrusion detection systems (IDS).