Network management systems coordinate the delivery of communication services across
a computer network. These systems perform such tasks as network path management,
problem management, and network planning. As with the chemical manufacturing example
we discussed earlier, these systems also handle complex data and require real-time performance
and continuous operation. For example, a telephone call might involve a chain
of network switching devices that route a message from sender to receiver, such as
Node ⇔ Link ⇔ Node ⇔ Link ⇔ Node ⇔ Link ⇔ Node