IBM's Tivoli
The folks at IBM have been in the management business for more than 25 years and have integrated the knowledge and processes amassed during that time into an array of solutions under the Tivoli umbrella. Tivoli solutions can operate on a standalone basis if the customer wants to use them that way, but like competitive products, all the individual Tivoli solutions integrate into a centralized console.
Tivoli categorizes its management solutions according to their functionality: security, storage, performance and availability, and configuration and operations. Those categories encompass a host of solutions ranging from the must-haves, such as IBM Tivoli Monitoring, to more esoteric solutions, such as Tivoli e-Marketplace Manager.
Tivoli has a CCM tool called IBM Tivoli Configuration and Operations. This tool distributes software, manages the change and control of IT assets, automates workflow, and lets you control systems remotely. IBM Tivoli also stresses the notion of autonomic computing, which the company defines as using technology to manage technology so as to reduce the cost and complexity of owning and operating computing systems. The company's management offerings work together toward this principle by automating diagnostics, configuration, optimization, problem correction, and other processes.
One of IBM's strengths is its internal consulting group, which assists with large implementations so that the company doesn't need to rely on systems integrators. The breadth of the company's solutions, its experience in the management arena, and its stability are also important in the eyes of prospective customers.
Other Management Solutions
Organizations that don't need or aren't ready for a network and system management product from one of the big four vendors can find some good solutions for managing smaller, less diverse environments. NetIQ has a variety of solutions for managing Windows, SQL Server, and Exchange environments as well as products for performance, security, Internet, and voice/video management. Quest Software's Foglight and Spotlight solutions monitor business applications and OSs for potential problems and use built-in diagnostics to resolve problems. Aelita Software takes a business-centric approach to operations management and targets its offerings to specific business types. Historical data analysis is an important component of Aelita's management vision. BindView is a heavy hitter in the security management arena and, like Aelita, targets its products at specific business segments. A longtime competitor to SMS, the Novell ZENworks line of management solutions offer software distribution, asset management, and operations management for desktops, servers, handhelds, and enterprise services. In Heroix eQ Management Suite, Heroix offers an extensive selection of products for managing applications, servers, databases, messaging systems, Web and e-commerce systems, and infrastructure devices. Concord and Argent Software also offer targeted management alternatives to the big four vendors for managing your systems. Table 1, page 18, shows a feature comparison of the leading network- and system-management vendors. For information about specific products from all these vendors, see the 2003 Summer Annual Online Vendor Directory, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 38819.
Third-Party Add-Ons to Microsoft Management Solutions
SMS does many things well, but like most products, it has room for improvement in certain areas. 1E has three noteworthy add-ons to SMS: SMSWakeUp, SMSNomad, and Client Installation Service (CIS). SMSWakeUp facilitates off-hours SMS activities, such as software distribution and inventory, by automatically turning on one or more networked PCs. SMSNomad provides features such as intelligent bandwidth allocation and restartable downloads to ease the headaches of distributing software across low-bandwidth links. CIS is a simple SMS client installation that you can use if standard SMS discovery and installation methods aren't suitable (e.g., if you don't want to use logon scripts). Aelita SnapReports for Microsoft SMS is an SMS-specific reporting tool that lets administrators more quickly create meaningful reports from SMS repository data than they can with SMS's native tools. Altiris, a longtime SMS collaborator, offers four tools that add value to SMS implementations. Web Administrator for SMS presents functionality from the SMS console in a Web interface, including remote control and reporting. Helpdesk Solution is tightly integrated with SMS and lets you leverage data that SMS maintains for Help desk solutions. Mobile Client for SMS leverages your SMS infrastructure while providing specialized management capabilities geared toward mobile clients. UNIX Client for SMS lets you manage UNIX systems through SMS just as you do Windows systems. CompuThoughts' SMSworks utility provides better control than SMS does over the software installation process by managing installation privileges and giving you more control over application settings. Fujitsu's Systemwalker products integrate with SMS to provide support for a broad spectrum of platforms and services. FullArmor's FAZAM for Windows NT lets SMS administrators lock down applications when they're deployed.
Gravity Square's GSI Advanced Scheduler for SMS 2.0 integrates with SMS to provide tighter control over when software packages are distributed so that you can minimize interruption of managed systems during the hours they are in use. Mobile Automation's Mobile Lifecycle Management Suite extends SMS's capabilities for managing remote systems such as laptops, Microsoft Windows CE—based devices, and Palm OS—based devices. ManageSoft integrates with and extends SMS by providing enhanced inventory data as well as robust remote and mobile-device management. NetIQ's AppManager for Microsoft Systems Management Server provides monitoring and management for SMS's core services and performance metrics to ensure that your SMS implementation is healthy and running at peak efficiency. Tally Systems' PowerCensus enhances SMS's inventory process by providing more accurate hardware- and software-recognition capabilities. XcelleNet's Afaria offers SMS administrators extended support for mobile and wireless computing devices, including laptops, PDAs, interactive pagers, and smart phones.
Since MOM's inception, Microsoft's plan has been to provide the tools for managing the Windows infrastructure and let third parties create tools for managing other infrastructure pieces. Citrix Systems and Compaq have created tools for managing Citrix MetaFrame XPe servers and HP's ProLiant servers, respectively, through MOM. Crystal Decisions has created a reporting tool for MOM. FullArmor's FAZAM Auditing for MOM lets you perform realtime monitoring and reporting on IT policy changes within the MOM Administrator Console. Global MainTech extends MOM's enterprise management capabilities with its management packs for a range of platforms, including IBM's iSeries, MVS, UNIX, Linux, and networking hardware. HP has built a MOM integration point into HP OpenView Service Desk so that MOM events can automatically generate trouble tickets. NEON Systems' iWave Adapter for Microsoft Operations Manager allows for bidirectional integration between MOM and a Help desk solution such as Remedy Help Desk, Tivoli Service Desk, or Siebel Systems' Siebel Call Center. NetIQ is a major contributor in the third-party space with its Extended Management Pack (XMP) modules for managing a wide range of platforms and applications. NetIQ has solutions for NT 4.0, Novell NetWare, Linux, Sun Microsystems' Solaris, IBM's Lotus Domino, and Oracle RDBMS Server, in addition to XMPs for managing security and Web services. NetIQ also offers migration management packs for integrating MOM with network- and software-management products from other vendors. For a listing of vendors and their add-on products for SMS and MOM, see Table 2.
Point Products
If none of the available centralized management solutions fit your organization, you can still pick and choose from an array of point applications (i.e., applications that target a specific management area). These applications are good at what they do, and they should integrate with a larger management platform if your company decides to implement one in the future. Table 3, page 22, lists many of the available point products.
Options Abound
Regardless of your environment's size or complexity, many management options are at your disposal. If you have a predominantly Windows environment, Microsoft's offerings are a good place to start looking. As you add other platforms and applications to the mix, you might need a solution such as one of those from BMC Software, CA, HP, or IBM Tivoli. If one application is at the core of your business, perhaps a point solution will cover all your management needs.
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