A Viable Alternative for Enterprise Systems Management

Transcription

1 Jalasoft s XIAN 2005 Network Manager & Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 A Viable Alternative for Enterprise Systems Management

2 Executive Summary Businesses are seeking an Enterprise Systems Management solution to proactively manage a heterogeneous computing environment. Their choices to-date have been: - loosely integrated multi-product/vendor solutions that provide incomplete functionality, are less efficient, and costly to implement, operate, and maintain, or - one of the integrated enterprise software solutions with the associated high-costs, increased project risks, long implementation timeframes, and questionable ROI. The combination of Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 and Jalasoft's XIAN 2005 Network Manager represents a viable and cost-effective enterprise systems management solution alternative for most organizations - from small and medium businesses, to large distributed enterprises. MOM 2005, significantly more powerful than MOM 2000, provides what is unquestionably the best platform for managing the critical Microsoft components of the enterprise. Building upon Microsoft's strategy, and the native extensibility of MOM 2005, Jalasoft has developed the Xian 2005 Network Manager platform to extend the capabilities of MOM into the heterogeneous computing environment. Customers who do not wish to incur the costs and risks associated with the traditional large "framework" solutions such as Computer Associate's NSM, IBM's Tivoli, or HP's OpenView, can now deploy an integrated and cost-effective enterprise systems management solution based on MOM that delivers "best-of-breed" management capabilities for the infrastructure. XIAN 2005 is not another "Management Pack" for MOM. It was built from the ground-up as a systems management solution, providing an integrated management and monitoring platform for key infrastructure components, including: routers, switches, firewalls, VPN concentrators, printers, print servers, UPS devices, and Unix Servers. It was designed to extend and leverage the capabilities of MOM 2005, with device-specific monitoring and management parameters, detailed reporting, alerting and notification, and trend analysis. In other words, XIAN extends the benefits of MOM to the rest of the systems infrastructure. This unique combination provides best-in-class proactive management of key Microsoft infrastructure components while extending the same management and monitoring capabilities into a heterogeneous computing environment through a single integrated point-of-management, without losing the depth and breadth of functionality required to proactively manage the entire computing infrastructure. The implementation of MOM 2005 and XIAN 2005 represents a viable and cost-effective alternative for customers considering the implementation of a traditional largescale Enterprise Systems Management "framework" solution. 2 copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved.

3 Microsoft Operations Manager - MOM 2005 MOM 2005 clearly delivers "best-of-breed" proactive monitoring and management of the Microsoft computing environment. It also provides a scalable and deliberately extensible architecture to enable 3rd parties such as Jalasoft to leverage their own areas of expertise to seamlessly extend the capabilities of MOM into the heterogeneous computing environment. Microsoft's strategy with MOM 2005 is to deliver the most powerful management platform for the Microsoft computing environment while also providing a platform that facilitates the integration of 3rd party "best-of-breed" solutions for the other key components of the infrastructure, thus forming a complete enterprise solution based on an ecosystem of partners. Microsoft has clearly recognized that customers want integrated solutions to monitor, manage, and optimize the ROI of the entire enterprise-computing environment, including the critical Microsoft infrastructure components. Their approach to satisfying this requirement relies on a "best-of-breed" management solution-set facilitated and enhanced by a platform, MOM 2005, which enables customers to take advantage of the most powerful management tools for each component of the infrastructure, in one single integrated solution. continues... Microsoft MOM 2000 Reviewer Guide Supplied by Microsoft Supplied by 3 rd parties Microsoft.NET Enterprise Servers Windows 2000 based servers Microsoft Operations Manager rd Party Windows based Applications Helpdesk Enterprise Frameworks Other Other Management Tools Non-Windows Environments copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved. 3

4 Microsoft Operations Manager - MOM 2005 Driven by the same customer requirement, other vendors in the Enterprise Systems Management space have recognized the need to provide better management capabilities for the Microsoft computing environment to fulfill the need for a single integrated management solution for the enterprise. The primary difference of course is that their strategy is based on a single-vendor solution - including multiple 3rd party point-solution products acquired and "bolted" into the "integrated" solutions they provide. There is no question that they cannot possibly match the management capabilities of MOM for the Microsoft environment - and we have all certainly seen the results of their attempts to be a single-vendor solution - whether through internal development efforts, and/or the integration of 3rd party products. There is clearly a fundamental conflict between delivering best-of-breed solutions, and being a single-vendor solution provider. Microsoft from the outset has recognized the need for a more complete heterogeneous systems management solution-set. The Microsoft Connector Framework (MCF), and a growing group of Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) producing Management Packs, are actively supported and promoted by Microsoft to provide the tools necessary to extend the robust capabilities of MOM 2005 to the other components of the computing infrastructure. Microsoft's own representation of the MOM solution environment (from the MOM Reviewers Guide, provided above) confirms Microsoft's intention to leverage the specialized knowledge and expertise of third-party ISVs to enable true enterprise systems management solutions. Jalasoft's Xian 2005 Network Manager is a platform designed from the ground-up to compliment Microsoft's systems management strategy - to take advantage of the architecture of MOM to deliver additional "best-of-breed" management capabilities as a part of any MOM 2005 solution. Jalasoft has applied its specialized expertise and knowledge to add the ability to monitor and manage other key infrastructure components as part of the MOM solution-set. With the enhancement of the competing Enterprise Systems Management frameworks from Computer Associates, IBM, and HP to address the missing Microsoft-specific management functionality, as well as the addition of some of these same capabilities to the second tier management products (e.g., What's-Up-Gold, BMC Patrol), customers will be faced with multiple vendors claiming to deliver an integrated enterprise systems management solution. We believe that MOM 2005, delivering robust "best-of-breed" management functionality through a single, integrated management platform, while leveraging the specialized expertise of others, will represent a very viable and cost-effective alternative. 4 copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved.

5 Jalasoft - Changing the Competitive Playing Field Jalasoft's XIAN 2005 Network Manager platform, in combination with MOM 2005, changes the dynamics of the competitive playing field for enterprise systems management solutions. XIAN 2005 Network Manager brings to the market a single-source solution-set that: - Utilizes a single platform to significantly extend the MOM 2005 platform to manage a true heterogeneous computing environment. The "reach" of XIAN 2005 includes: Networking Devices (switches, routers, firewalls, VPN concentrators) Print Servers and Printers Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems Unix Servers (Q1 2005) Unix-based Services/Application (Q1 2005) - Makes use of the MOM console interface (centralized and distributed) to provide a robust and consistent view and "point of management" for the enterprise. - Leverage the advantage Microsoft has in terms of knowing and managing its solution-set better than other vendors could possibly do. - Is tightly integrated into the MOM 2005 platform - so that it functions as a seamless extension of MOM - not a "bolt-on" afterthought. - Leverages the new capabilities in MOM 2005 to the fullest extent to provide maximum functionality for the extended environment. - Offers a robust and consistent interface with non-microsoft infrastructure components. - Provides in-depth monitoring and management of included devices, not just the basic information available through simple SNMP data collection. These capabilities are not generic but rather specific to the devices/vendor products being managed. - In combination with MOM 2005, is more powerful and cost-effective than the large integrated Enterprise Systems Management framework alternatives. continues... copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved. 5

6 Jalasoft - Changing the Competitive Playing Field The combination of MOM 2005 and XIAN 2005 provides customers with a single, integrated and seamless platform to manage a heterogeneous computing environment. This solution-set leverages the "best-of-breed" management capabilities of MOM 2005 for the Microsoft environment and the same level of robust functionality, and device-specific awareness, for other key infrastructure components. Xian 2005, built from the ground-up as a platform to enable and deliver additional critical management functionality through MOM 2005, provides a single, integrated framework for extending MOM into all components of the enterprise-computing environment. The diagrams below illustrate the way the MOM & XIAN combination changes the solutions landscape. continues... Before MOM Jalasoft s XIAN 2005 With MOM Jalasoft s XIAN 2005 MOM Add-on UNIX Management Console Cisco Networks HP Procurve MOM Add-on MOM Add-on MOM Console Network Management Platform Console Jalasoft s XIAN 2005 Network & Unix Manager F5 Networks APC/UPS Print Svrs & Printers Linux Servers SUSE Servers MOM 2005 Integrated Console Alerts/Notifications Reporting Topology Maps Graphic Reports Trend Analysis 6 copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved.

7 Jalasoft - Changing the Competitive Playing Field Does the combination of MOM 2005 and Xian 2005 monitor and manage the full depth and breadth of computing infrastructure components? Not yet. However, it does significantly change the way MOM can form the core of a management solution-set by adding critical monitoring and management capabilities for many first tier infrastructure component providers. The Jalasoft solution extends MOM into the enterprise by providing a level of data collection, seamless integration, and functionality equivalent to what MOM 2005 provides for the Microsoft infrastructure. As Jalasoft continues to quickly expand the types and numbers of infrastructure components it tightly integrates with MOM, the management platform it helps build around MOM will extend further and further into the computing infrastructure - making it a more complete Enterprise Management Solution. copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved. 7

8 MOM/XIAN and the Competition The place to start in considering the MOM 2005/XIAN 2005 solution set is a high level feature comparison with the potential competition. The chart on the following page provides such a comparison including MOM 2005 by itself, and in combination with Jalasoft Network/Unix Manager and its Smart Management Packs. The chart includes products that represent one or more segments of the Enterprise Systems Management solution-set. For example, the Cisco LMS product is clearly focused on managing and administering a Cisco-centric networking environment. It makes no attempt to manage the application server/services portion of the infrastructure. However, it is a "competitor" since it may represent a separate buying decision on the part of the customer, for example MOM and Cisco LMS may be purchased to manage an environment, versus purchasing MOM/XIAN to accomplish the same goals. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the all-inclusive products such as those from Computer Associates, IBM, and HP. These products are sold as single Enterprise Systems Management products that in most cases can manage all components of the computing infrastructure. In most all cases, these vendors have done their best to add specific Microsoft-centric functionality to their products to address those requirements. In-between there are products that have elements of network management, general device management, and application server/service management, such as What's-Up-Gold. It is worth noting that What's-Up-Gold is often seen as a MOM purchase add-on by small and medium businesses - to monitor and manage the network components of the infrastructur. The chart is not intended to represent a definitive feature-by-feature comparison. There are certainly arguments to be made in terms of how well each vendor provides a given function (e.g., Exchange Server Management). The reader will also notice that some features provided by some of the vendors (e.g., IBM 390 System Management) are not included in the table. The intent of this table was to focus the comparison on the overlapping core feature-set at a macro level for a typical purchase in this space to illustrate the way the MOM/XIAN combination changes the perspective customers will have on the potential options available to them. The key point in the comparison process to be gleaned from this chart is the comparison of the "MOM Jalasoft SMPs" column to the three on the far right - CA, IBM, and HP. What is most striking is that the combination of MOM and XIAN's SMPs allows a feature/function comparison at that level - on a par with the industry leading, integrated, and complex management platform alternatives available to customers. This clearly illustrates that from a core coverage perspective, the combination of MOM and XIAN can now clearly be positioned as competition for a broader solution-sale. 8 copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved.

9 MOM 2005 WUG MOM Jalasoft SMPs Jalasoft Xian Standalone (05) WUG + Exchange & SQL WUG + SingleStep CISCO SNMS CISCO LMS BMC Patrol BMC Patrol Corporate CA UniCenter (NSM) IBM Tivoli Family HP OpenView General Characteristics Consolidated Enterprise View NA NA Alerts & Notifications Application Monitoring & Management Visual Representation Basic Reporting Advanced Reporting / Trend Analysis Active Directory Servers (Basic) Active Directory Servers (Enhanced) Exchange Servers (Basic) 2 Exchange Servers (Enhanced) SQL Servers (Basic) 2 SQL Servers (Enhanced) Linux Servers SUSE Linux Servers Oracle Servers (Unix) Domino Servers (Unix) Heterogeneous Network Monitoring Auto-Discovery Visual Representation 1 1 Basic Reporting Capabilities Advanced Reporting / Trend Analysis Device Specific Data Collection Switches Routers Firewalls VPN Concentrators UPS Devices 2 2 Print Servers 2 2 Printers 2 2 (1) Add-on product purchase required for visual representation. (2) Basic Monitoring Capabilities (Limited Data Collection & Reporting) copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved. 9

10 Jalasoft XIAN Network Manager - Product Roadmap The current XIAN 2005 release from Jalasoft currently extends the functionality of MOM to a wide variety of infrastructure components from many 1st-tier providers. The current release provides robust support for the following devices: - Cisco Systems Routers, Switches, PIX Firewalls, and VPN Concentrators - F5 Networks Big-IP Router - Hewlett-Packard ProCurve Switches - Hewlett-Packard Printers - APC Uninterruptible Power Suppliers (UPS) - Microsoft Windows-based Printer Servers (Q1 2005) - Red Hat Linux (Q1 2005) - SuSE Linux (Q1 2005) Note: XIAN 2005 also provides general networking device support at the basic level for a wide variety of other devices in the current release. Development of additional XIAN capabilities is already underway with many additional modules scheduled for release throughout The supported device list (scheduled) continues to expand to meet customer-identified requirements. The following additional capabilities will be added to XIAN Network Manager in 2005: - Cisco Systems Wireless Network Devices, Unity, Call Manager - Oracle Corporation Oracle running under Linux - IBM/Lotus Domino running under Linux - Red Hat Linux Cluster Support - Nokia VPN Concentrators In 2005, XIAN Network Manager will also be enhanced to deliver functionality and management agents for Service Level Monitoring and Management capabilities to support management of the infrastructure from a business process perspective. In this planned release, customers will be able to logical group infrastructure components into end-to-end business processes, and to manage availability and performance at a business function/process level. 10 copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved.

11 Summary There is no doubt that the combination of MOM 2005 and XIAN 2005 will change the competitive environment for integrated enterprise systems management solutions. The XIAN 2005 Network Manager solution from Jalasoft clearly extends the extensive capabilities of MOM 2005 into the heterogeneous computing environment by providing a level of functionality, data collection, and seamless integration previously unavailable. The robust functionality provided by this combination creates an alternative to the implementation of large, complex, and costly Enterprise System Management solution framework while delivering a quicker measurable ROI to the customer. Want to Know More? For additional information about Jalasoft and XIAN Network Manager, see: Jalasoft. All rights reserved. This data sheet is for informational purposes only. Jalasoft MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. copyright 2004 Jalasoft Corporation, all rights reserved. 11

12 A Viable Alternative for Enterprise Systems Management