We will next describe the two commercially available integrated solutions to system and network management. The two solutions are offered by two vendors, Computer Associates and Tivoli, the latter has been acquired by IBM. Both partners with several NMS vendors provide integrated solutions.
Computer Associates Unicenter TNG. The CA Unicenter TNG framework
[CA] provides infrastructure to support integrated distributed enterprise management. It is based on a client/server architecture having an agent in each host and a centralized workstation. CA provides Unicenter TNG agents that can run on a large number of platforms; and the list continues to
increase as the customer base diversifies. Besides TCP/IP and SNMP, the TNG framework supports numerous other network protocols,
accommodating a varied enterprise environment.
CA describes Unicenter TNG as a framework comprising three components: Real World Interface, object repository, and distributed services. The Real World Interface presents a visual depiction of managed objects from different user perspectives. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional presentations are available. The object repository is a management information database that includes multiplicity of data, such as managed objects, metadata class definitions, business process views, policies, topology, and status information. The distributed services link elements at the communications level.
Because of the TNG agents running in the hosts, during autodiscovery the system discovers not just host identifications, but also details of the processor, disk, and other components of the system. The discovered components are presented in a Real World Interface that presents a unified GUI at the higher levels. An object repository stores all the autodiscovered information and any other management information needed to support the Real World Interface. System and network management views are extended to business process views, whereby objects related to an administrative group or functional group can be presented. This approach makes operations easier for human personnel because they do not have to know the technical details behind the operations they are performing.
Event management in the TNG framework includes a rule-based paradigm that correlates events across platforms and presents the resultant alarms at the central console. These events include standard SNMP traps. Standard drilling through layers to detect the lowest level component failure is built in as desktop support.
An additional feature of the TNG framework is calendar management, which provides a shared calendar so that all personnel can view each other’s activities. The calendar handles both one-time and periodic activities. Operations such as triggering an alarm pager or email can be programmed according to weekly and weekend shift schedules.
Some of the other notable features of the TNG framework are backup and disaster recovery, customized and canned report generation, and virus detection—all of which can be programmed as part of calendar management activities. In addition to these standard features, numerous optional
modules, such as advanced help desk management, Web server management, and software delivery are available.
Tivoli Enterprise Manager. Tivoli’s management framework, originally
named the Tivoli TME 10 framework, provides system and network management and is in the same class as the Unicenter TNG framework. Tivoli has changed the TME 10 from a two-tier, client/server architecture to a three-tier architecture and has renamed it Tivoli Enterprise Manager. Tivoli claims that the new architecture has increased the capability of handling from 300 to 10,000 managed nodes. The extended three-tier architecture also has a gateway as a middle layer that is designed to handle as many as 2,000 agents. The agent module has been redesigned to consume fewer resources.
Tivoli merged with IBM, allowing it to integrate the features of its systems with IBM’s NetView NMS. NetView performs the network management function, and the complementary features of the Tivoli management applications perform the system management functions. The platform is object oriented and uses the standard CORBA-compliant object model for use with diverse and distributed platforms. This feature is somewhat similar to the Sun Enterprise Manager [Sun Enterprise], which also uses the CORBA-compliant OSI object model and standard CMIP protocol. In the
management framework, Tivoli management agents reside in the managed host applications. Although the TME Enterprise system does not use SNMP as the management protocol, NetView handles SNMP traps.
The Tivoli Enterprise Manager monitors network, systems, and applications in a distributed architecture, as in most other systems. Event management has a built-in rule-based engine that correlates events and diagnoses problems. It further has an automated or operator-initiated response mechanism to correct problems wherever possible, using a decision support system. Service desk technology is integrated with network and system management technology in the service-level management framework. Tivoli service management comprises problem management, asset
management, and change management. The problem management module tracks customer requests, complaints, and problems. The asset
management module handles inventory management. The change
management module incorporates and manages business change processes. The Tivoli Enterprise Manager framework contains an applications manager module (global enterprise manager) that coordinates business applications residing in diverse multiple platforms. An API is provided to permit
third-party vendors to integrate their application software into the Tivoli Enterprise Manager framework. The applications manager also measures the response and throughput performance of applications.
The security management module provides encryption and decryption capabilities (optional). A software distribution module automates software distribution and updates. Operations can be scheduled by the workload scheduler module.