Network Operations Center
From Free net encyclopedia
Network Operations Centre or NOC (pronounced "knock") is a name normally associated with one or more locations from which control is exercised over a network or part thereof.
Large organisations may operate more than one NOC, either to manage different networks, or to provide geographic redundancy in the event of one site being unavailable or offline.
The acronym NOC may be prefixed to specify the network or product managed by that centre. An example of this usage is "INOC" being "International Network Operations Centre".
This term is normally used when referring to telecommunications providers, although a growing number of other organisations such as public utilities (SCADA) and private companies have also adopted these centres to both manage their internal networks and to provide monitoring services. A growing number of providers in the Hosting Industry are also beginning to use the term "NOC" to refer to their front-line help and support operations.
The location housing the NOC may also contain many or all of the primary servers and other equipment essential to running the network, although it is not uncommon for a single NOC to monitor and control a number of geographically dispersed sites.