REVIEW
Special

Product : Eye of the Storm

Supplier : Entuity

TEL :    020 7444 4800

Website : www.entuity.com

Eye of the Storm is a modular set of solutions designed to help you manage network performance by spotting problems while they are developing - and before they impact users. The latest version (2.5) of Eye of the Storm features major enhancements including the ability to measure the performance of service level agreements based on utilisation and fault analysis rather than just downtime. Eye of the Storm can also now be used with Micromuse and HP Openview consoles, avoiding the need for multiple management consoles where other complementary management tools are already deployed.

   The core module is Early Warning Center, which monitors performance, prioritises alerts, and keeps network personnel informed of issues that could impact the business. Early Warning Center enables the network manager to see the components of the network: routers, switches and hubs, and detailed VLAN configuration information.  At the same time, it monitors the network for port, module, chassis and VLAN-related problems from performance degradation to blackouts. In addition to locating the problem, with Early Warning Center your operations staff will know which users stand to be impacted if the service degradation continues, and the probable business impact this will have. In addition to improved visibility into the location and nature of the problem, it provides a view of the users and services that are being adversely affected. This allows network personnel to prioritise recovery plans based on the most critical business needs.

   The Switched Network Early Warning System (SNEWS) provides visibility into spanning tree configuration changes and notifies network managers of configuration issues before they impact end-users. The Spanning Tree Protocol provides switched network topologies with the ability to adapt its links should link failure occur. The resiliency provided by the Spanning Tree Protocol insures against the high risk of network outages. In turn, the Spanning Tree configuration needs to be carefully monitored because an unstable Spanning Tree environment can quickly result in a complete network meltdown. SNEWS provides an essential tool for responsible network management with vigilant monitoring of all aspects of Spanning Tree environment.

REPORT CENTER

The Report Center delivers Web-based reports essential to tracking and monitoring valuable network resources. Report Center provides four categories of Web-based network reports: inventory reports, fault reports, utilisation reports, and traffic volume reports. Each report is designed to consolidate management information to provide a clear reporting format that can be easily understood.  Users can select any network resource and drill down to view historical information, from graphs of fault history to utilisation trends. Port-related reports include configuration details such as duplex and speed settings, VLAN or IP address configuration, trunk indicators, and names of the PCs or servers attached to each port. Network managers can view all the PCs and servers configured in a specified VLAN or attached to a specified switch. They can also see how long each port has been active and locate spare ports that have remained unused over a period of time.

   The Auto Discovery Inventory Manager rapidly finds existing and newly added network devices and automatically configures them into the software. This significantly reduces maintenance costs because users don't have to know where these devices are on the network or make manual changes to the software each time the network is changed or upgraded. SLA Manager is a reporting and graphing tool that allows the customer (or service provider) to track whether or not the SLA is performing to target.

   The Performance Ticker monitors the leading indicators of a potential problem while it is happening, instead of reacting to isolated notification events. It also enables network managers to see the second-by-second impact of fault repairs.

CONCLUSION