Solutions Spotlight
This month: Network management
By Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 12/1/2004 7:00:00 AM
Remote control system touts speed, additional security
CrossTec's NetOp remote control performs secure, cross-platform remote support and access for help desks, network administrators, and remote workers. NetOp's RSA SecurID authentication sets up access privileges through its Security Server by verifying the guest identity against an RSA ACE/Server using the guest's username, password, and a SecurID security token. When combined with a shadow guest ID NetOp password, RSA SecurID offers triple-factor authentication via Security Server. The platform has been extended to support Windows CE 4.x for PC-based handheld users, enabling further remote monitoring and management capabilities from inside or outside the office. With Security Server, users also can authenticate and authorize guest access to Windows CE, Linux, and Mac OS X guests.
Configuration solution creates secure data repository
AlterPoint's DeviceAuthority network configuration management solution reduces network downtime and increases network stability and security. The system automates creation and management of a central repository of device configuration data for routers, switches, firewalls, virtual private networks, wireless access points, and other network devices. This affords change management, comprehensive audit reports, one-click troubleshooting and recovery, change notification, and role-based access. DeviceAuthority automates capture of network changes, creates change management reports, edits and proposes configurations, and enables report delivery via e-mail.
Intelligent device monitoring on smaller networks
ProIT Express from PerformanceIT monitors LANs and WANs of up to 100 devices. The system delivers many of the same monitoring features found in the company's flagship product, ProIT, including auto-discovery and auto-configuration of best-practices monitoring and thresholds. ProIT Express is a Web-based solution, accessible from both desktop PCs and wireless PDAs. It delivers instant updates on routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and other network components. Users can perform automatic event correlation, consolidation, and root-cause analysis for any or all network devices.
Intelligent system emulates user activity
TeVista Enterprise Plus from Chevin combines troubleshooting, fault and application performance management, and distributed probe visibility. Intelligent synthetic user probes can be located anywhere on the network to emulate user activity. The synthetic user consistently tests application performance by accessing the application in the same way a user would, from the point a request is instigated to the point a response is received—including the network, application, active equipment, and server performance. The system captures packets historically and in real time, with expert analysis at source, meaning managers can quickly interpret and resolve network problems.
Detection, diagnosis, problem correction—all in one platform
Gensym's Integrity is a real-time, integrated, and extensible network management and root-cause intelligence platform that maintains continuous availability in voice and data networks by detecting, diagnosing, and correcting problems before they affect services. The system offers proactive network, applications, service-level, and performance monitoring. It also automates the reasoning-intensive steps required to diagnose and resolve network problems, and determines root causes of problems. Integrity also performs alarm filtering and business impact analysis, and automates testing and diagnosis.
Remote management, diagnostics for Linux users
Avocent's Server Manager software extends its Windows-based IPMI (intelligent platform management interface) server management product to Linux to enable remote management, monitoring, diagnostics, and recovery at different phases of a system's life cycle: pre-boot, OS-present, and OS-unresponsive. IPMI defines a common interface to system hardware, sensors, and control system components. The system provides a standards-based, centralized interface to server health information including alerts, power control, and asset tracking functions. New features in IPMI v1.5 also are supported, allowing power cycling over the LAN, which eliminates the task of diagnosing and responding to remote server outages.
Site management system maximizes network performance
Computer Associates' Wireless Site Management 4.0 delivers the benefits of Wi-Fi technology while minimizing the associated security risks and administrative workloads. The system reduces the time, effort, and resources required to manage Wi-Fi infrastructures and wired networks across the extended enterprise. It identifies unauthorized devices and access points, provisions user access using appropriate client software, and enables users to manage corporate security policies for wireless use. The solution identifies all wireless infrastructure components and their physical locations, allowing users to identify and disable rogue devices easily. It also helps eliminate unauthorized network access by enabling users to visualize Wi-Fi environments on a location-aware map and define the physical areas where the wireless network can be used.
Vulnerability management system pinpoints risks
RedSiren's CVM [continuous vulnerability management] service identifies vulnerabilities that can be exploited inside a corporate infrastructure. Armed with this knowledge, users can prioritize risks and resolve them. The service allows organizations to protect systems by continually testing for new vulnerabilities. It identifies risks and brings users needed insight to schedule, eliminate, and implement temporary countermeasures. The solution also validates and documents the resolution of vulnerabilities to meet compliance regulations and guidelines for risk management. RedSiren CVM is powered by the Vigilance Security Knowledge System and Vigilance ROVER security appliance, which are located at the user site.
Node manager oversees switches for large networks
Hewlett Packard's OpenView Network Node Manager (advanced edition) is designed for all network sizes requiring management of switches, sophisticated root-cause analysis, and distributed management. The system's Intelligent Diagnostics for Networks provide advanced root-cause analysis, event reduction, and troubleshooting to reduce mean time-to-repair cycles. Features include an intelligent multithreaded poller and problem-state analyzer. Dynamic views show the relationship between devices in complex switched environments and network services. The system also has a range of device and protocol support, including IPv6, IP Telephony, HSRP, OSPF, and Multicast.
Monitoring system calculates bandwidth utilization
Nimbus offers a network monitoring solution that verifies network connectivity to devices and application services revealing accessibility and network latency. The solution automatically discovers network interfaces, monitors interface traffic, and calculates bandwidth usage. Interface variables are polled for status data and the solution receives unsolicited SNMP [simple network management protocol] traps. Syslog monitoring is supported for non-SNMP devices. Status data is analyzed and displayed in graphical alarm consoles, performance reports, and SLA reports. The system monitors access and response time to all network devices, applications, and service ports. A graphical alarm console allows drag-and-drop solution configuration and deployment; and profile-based polling and monitoring definition.
Network configuration management upgrade
Tripwire's Network Devices 3.1 network management system enforces compliance with regulatory and security standards by ensuring specific device configuration settings across the network conform to internal and external policies. Exposing and remedying security and compliance risks before outages or incidents occur is essential to ensuring network availability, and addressing audit requirements and regulatory pressures. The system allows creating rules specific to compliance requirements, and regularly compares the relevant line or section of a configuration file to an expected state. If noncompliance is detected, the application reports the deviation, details the difference, and identifies who made the change and when.
Solutions Spotlight
08/31/2004Data collection and printing
03/31/2004Use 5 Sequential "Whys," not 5 Random Ones
09/30/2009
Featured Company
Most Recent Resources
- FICO™ Xpress Optimization Suite Schedules Big Profits For Clients
- Strategic Pricing: Three Steps to Higher Profit Margins
- Driving Innovation Through Lean Product Development Practices
- Demand Planning Maturity Model Strategies for Demand-Driven...
- Simulation-Driven Product Development:Will Form Finally Follow...
