Content

| Overview

To effectively troubleshoot a network, a baseline must first be established. The baseline information will be included in the network documentation. This module discusses the basic requirements for establishing a baseline and creating a coherent set of network documentation.

Some of the biggest challenges facing the IT world are the expenses incurred as a result of network outages. The negative impact of these expenses makes it a high priority of network professionals to be able to diagnose and correct a network problem as efficiently as possible. To assist in accomplishing this, a baseline must be established to provide a snapshot of the configuration of a network while it is performing at an acceptable level. Using baseline information as a standard reduces the time that a troubleshooter needs to spend learning about the structure and configuration of the network. It also helps troubleshooters know when they have reached the goal of returning the network to its baseline level. Without a baseline, troubleshooters have to make guesses and estimates about whether they have reached their goal. Troubleshooting in this manner is haphazard and inefficient.