Reducing Maintenance Costs on a Traditional Network

200-301 By islever Editorial Last updated

Explain how automation impacts network management Compare traditional networks with controller-based networking

Short answer

A Install an automated network-monitoring system that provides early warning of issues, reducing maintenance costs while preserving integrity on a traditionally managed network.

Question

In what way does a network supervisor reduce maintenance costs while maintaining network integrity on a traditionally managed network?
  1. They install an automated network-monitoring system to provide early warning of network issues. Correct Answer
  2. They employ additional network administrators to proactively manage the network.
  3. They use automation to centralize network-management tasks.
  4. They automate change-management processes that verify issue resolution.

Key Takeaways

The question tests how automation benefits a traditionally managed network; the common trap is picking centralized management automation (C), which implies a controller-based model rather than a traditional one.

On a traditionally managed network, a supervisor reduces maintenance costs by deploying automated network-monitoring systems that provide early warning of issues, enabling proactive fixes before costly outages occur. This page explains why early-warning monitoring best fits the traditional (non-controller-based) management model while other options either increase cost or drift toward SDN.

Common mistake: Option C is the most popular wrong choice because automation-to-centralize sounds broadly correct, but centralizing management tasks describes a controller-based/SDN paradigm, not a traditionally managed network where devices are managed individually.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option A installs an automated network-monitoring system (e.g., SNMP-based polling, syslog alerting) that gives early warning of problems, letting the supervisor fix issues proactively instead of reactively. Early detection directly reduces maintenance costs—fewer emergency tickets, less unplanned downtime—while continuous monitoring preserves network integrity. Crucially, this approach layers on top of a traditionally managed network without changing its device-by-device management model. As Tompoo observed, "The key phrase is 'traditionally managed network.'" Automated monitoring is the classic way to lower costs under that constraint.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option B adds staff, which raises rather than reduces maintenance costs, as several commenters noted. Option C's "centralize network-management tasks" describes a controller-based or SDN approach—moving away from the traditional distributed model the question stipulates; as TommyCisco noted, C "does not maintaining network integrity on a traditionally managed network." Option D's automated change-management verification is a broader process-automation concept more aligned with modern/SDN workflows and does not directly target maintenance cost reduction on a traditional network.

Community Comment Notes

The comments split between A and C. Pro-C voices like 16BitRun argue centralization "streamline[s] operations" and lmmujsi calls C "the umbrella term for A and D as well." Pro-A voices like Tompoo emphasize "The key phrase is 'traditionally managed network'" and dorian81 observes that automated monitoring "like SNMP controler" is what traditional networks use, noting B and D lean toward SDN. The traditional-network qualifier is the decisive discriminator.

Exam Strategy

When a question pins the scenario to a 'traditionally managed network,' avoid answers implying centralized control or controller-based automation; look for monitoring/probing tools that augment the existing device-by-device model without replacing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't centralizing network-management tasks (C) correct on a traditionally managed network?

Centralizing management tasks implies a controller-based or SDN architecture. A traditionally managed network is administered device-by-device, so centralized automation would change its management model rather than reduce costs within it.

Why is hiring more administrators (B) never the right answer?

Adding staff increases labor costs directly, which contradicts the goal of reducing maintenance costs. Cost-reduction answers on this exam virtually always involve automation or tooling, not more headcount.

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Discussion 15 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 15

  1. 16BitRun 👍 7 Answered C
    C. They use automation to centralize network-management tasks. Using automation to centralize network-management tasks is a strategy that can help reduce maintenance costs while maintaining network integrity. By automating routine and repetitive tasks, a network supervisor can streamline operations, reduce the likelihood of errors, and enhance overall efficiency. Centralized management through automation allows for more effective monitoring, configuration management, and troubleshooting, contributing to network stability. Options A and D also involve automation, but option C specifically emphasizes centralization, which can further improve coordination and control over network management tasks.
  2. TommyCisco 👍 5 Answered A
    I choose A.... The option C its a good option, but it does not maintaining network integrity on a traditionally managed network.
  3. tumajay 👍 3 Answered A
    from chatgpt: A. Automated Network-Monitoring System: Early Warning: Installing an automated network-monitoring system helps identify potential issues before they become major problems, allowing for proactive maintenance rather than reactive fixes. This can prevent costly downtime and reduce the time and effort required for troubleshooting. Cost-Effective: Automated systems can monitor the network continuously without the need for additional human resources, thereby reducing labor costs. Integrity Maintenance: By providing real-time alerts and comprehensive monitoring, these systems help maintain network integrity by ensuring issues are addressed promptly.
  4. AA4534 👍 3
    The correct answer is C. They use automation to centralize network-management tasks. A network supervisor reduces maintenance costs while maintaining network integrity on a traditionally managed network by using automation to centralize network-management tasks. By centralizing tasks such as monitoring, troubleshooting, and configuration management, the network supervisor can streamline and automate these processes, reducing the need for manual intervention and minimizing the potential for human errors. This helps in reducing maintenance costs as it reduces the time and effort required for managing the network.
  5. itsMr23 👍 3 Answered C
    B is not reducing maintenance cost. to reduce it, we need automation. C seems right
Show 10 more comments
  1. rasadebayor 👍 3
    Whoever chose option B is on crack. C is the answer
  2. lmmujsi 👍 2 Answered C
    C is the umbrella term for A and D as well... A network supervisor can reduce maintenance costs while maintaining network integrity on a traditionally managed network by: C. They use automation to centralize network-management tasks. Automation helps to centralize and simplify network management, reducing the time and effort required for routine tasks and the potential for human error. This allows for more efficient use of resources and can significantly cut down on maintenance costs.
  3. dorian81 👍 2 Answered A
    B and D refer to SDN. Traditional networks use automated network-monitoring system like SNMP controler.
  4. askar430 👍 2
    i think C , APIC-EM
  5. sy0_061 👍 1 Answered C
    A - Installing a network monitoring tool will cost money by itself, which is what they are trying to avoid in the first place. C - Automation of network management tasks will reduce costs by decreasing the number of network admins needed, unfortunately :(
  6. Tompoo 👍 1 Answered A
    The key phrase is “traditionally managed network.” In a traditional network, administrators can reduce maintenance costs by using automated monitoring to detect problems early, before they develop into larger outages.
  7. 7a136f6 👍 1 Answered A
    b increases costs, while c and d describe centralised management (question talks about traditionally managed networks), so go with a
  8. Fakecon 👍 1 Answered A
    Going A here traditional networks don't have automation and it needs to be installed first
  9. dorian81 👍 1
    NMS (network management systems ) is the real term.
  10. Nandddini 👍 1
    Wrong answer B.

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