The OOB management network is a separate network that is solely for management traffic. The network uses the dedicated management port on each switch to connect to a management switch dedicated for management traffic. Production traffic initiated by the network end-users does not traverse the OOB management network. An OOB management network is typically desired in most data centers, large enterprises, and backbone networks of service providers, where network management is critical. This topology has the advantage of fast connection speeds of Ethernet over the speeds of serial connections that are shown in the previous topology. The managed devices use IP addresses through static assignment or a DHCP server.

This solution requires the addition of one or more dedicated management switches, as discussed in the Network management switch section. Using an OOB Ethernet network provides the following benefits:

• Continued access when the production network becomes misconfigured
• Continued access during production network cabling failures
• Accessible through IP protocols such as SSH, HTTPS, Telnet, and HTTP
• Allows for OOB ACLs for identity and security