Life as a NOC Engineer: What to Expect for Your Role

NOC (pronounced blow) is an abbreviation for Network Operations Center. The NOC is generally configured as a single large room for remote monitoring and management of IT infrastructure. The network operations center generally looks like a "war room" in the movie War Games. The large monitor wall displays real-time data out front, with a row of workstations where technicians can observe vital signs from their assigned endpoints and take measurements as needed.

If you are looking for a NOC engineer or technician, we recommend that you understand their roles, responsibilities, and work environment. To meet the NOC flow, you need your own style of IT professional. Read on to determine if your network operations career makes sense to you.

Obviously, not all companies need such advanced surveillance operations. But any company that directly manages any kind of critical IT infrastructure is sure to have a noc team. So you can probably expect to work with:

• ·         A large company that manages its own IT system.
• ·         Managed service provider
• ·         Third-party NOC service providers
• ·         ISP, satellite communications provider or other telephone company
• ·         Critical mission government or military ministry

Life as a NOC Engineer

There is plenty of room for specialization in these employer categories. For example, satellite communications providers look for new employees with different skills than financial institutions. However, most NOCs require many common skills, such as knowledge of network troubleshooting tools and scripts.

The networks operations position uses not only most help desks, but also the hierarchical system commonly found in IT workplaces. Most job listings require professionals to start from the bottom. However, with the right skills, you will find that promotion is quick.

In a hierarchical work environment, the NOC may give the impression that it is just a glorious help desk, but nothing but the truth. A properly implemented Network Operations Center will not allow technicians to interact with you. They are completely internal departments and actively monitor and solve problems without customer awareness.

Despite this conventional definition of NOC, some employers are quick and lax on the term, so NOC technicians hope to play a dual role in supporting the help desk. Check what you are trying to do before signing with the dotted lines!

 Roles & Responsibilities Of Network Operation

The roles vary from one organization to another because not all NOCs are created in the same way. Entering the door requires bringing some general networking or systems experience. Job offers often cite CompTIA Network +, Cisco CCNA or ISC (2) CISSP certifications as requirements for new NOC technology.

Depending on your skill set and the positions for which you are applying, you may be assigned to monitor and troubleshoot one or more infrastructure categories. Common examples include servers, mail systems, backups, storage capacity, network status, firewall intrusions, QoS policies, malware infections, performance reports, and more. Each has their own path of desired experience and knowledge. Therefore, although there is no NOC certification for cookie cutters, NOC technicians are selected from a variety of IT professionals.

Companies seek the widest range of differentiation among NOC engineers. A financial institution may need a compliance officer, a database engineer, or even a NOC accountant. Web hosting companies, on the other hand, may be more focused on managing Linux servers and the state of the network.

A NOC within a Managed Service Provider (MSP) requires a technician to be responsible for the uptime of their managed applications and infrastructure. Long periods of training may be required to become familiar with the operational aspects of a particular offering. In comparison, ISPs or phone companies focus on network technicians who are familiar with their system (usually Cisco or Juniper).

Third-party NOC providers can only be considered general NOC employers, as they only provide network operations outsourcing services to any or all of the above organizations. You can expect to handle a wide range of fields within an outsourced NOC.

As you can see, most NOCs have similar job descriptions, but their individual roles vary by type of organization. Research the companies that apply to see exactly what you want to monitor and manage. You don't want to sell yourself to an organization whose needs are not in your wheelhouse.