ment of automated NEs, since once NEs are appropriately configured, then they are able on their own to do the job that is required of them. In this sense, configuration man- agement is perhaps the most important aspect of network management. 46 At the risk of labouring the point on what we have decided to omit, such technology-specific imple- mentation details are more appropriate for a user manual on how to administer or use network manage- ment OSS if one is to begin work in an NOC sometime next week. Once one is familiar with the basic framework of configuration management, it is not hard to check for the SNMP commands or the MIB fig- ure for the technology with which one is concerned, such as ATM or ADSL. Fault Management 12.1 Introduction No system is infallible. Detection of recovery from and damage limitation of failures are needed for every mission-critical business function. The network is a mission- critical component of the telecom business as it is critical to the revenue and repu- tation of the service provider. Understanding, monitoring and managing individual NEs may not be hard, but as the network increases in size and complexity, under- standing the relationship between the various elements, monitoring and managing their interrelationship and the problems that arise due to their interrelationship can become challenging. Service impact of faults also becomes more complex as the network and the services offered become more complex. Owing to cost and the possibility of human error, it is not practical to deploy an army of personnel to administer a large network. Fault management OSS systems are currently the only economical way to achieve network-wide fault monitoring. Products such as Fault Management Server (FMS) from AdventNet seek to allow the rapid design and deployment of comprehensive fault management services in order to enhance first availability and second performance. These products correl- ate and manage notifications and present critical information in a way that is useful to managers. 