Open source management invades the enterprise

GroundWork Open Source this week introduced an enterprise-level version of its open source network management software the company says can take on managing thousands of devices across large distributed environments.

GroundWork Monitor Enterprise features a modular design that enables it to be installed on multiple servers, which communicate with distributed agents to collect data, and incorporates network management capabilities such as traffic graphing and network mapping. The software is ideal for customers looking to upgrade their GroundWork implementation from the professional or community editions to a version that can handle more distributed environments, company officials say.

The company says about 30% of its installed base of customers upgraded to enterprise-class subscriptions in 2007, and 58% of 2007 subscription revenue came from such enterprise-class contracts.

"Enterprise is designed for distributed environments with hundreds, thousands or even 10 thousand devices. And this version adds capacity in the form of more distributed functionality," says David Dennis, senior director of product marketing at GroundWork Open Source.

In addition to adding an enterprise edition to its portfolio, the company also upgraded its flagship GroundWork Monitor software to Version 5.2. This update brings auto-discovery and auto-configuration capabilities to the software, as well as a new event console that is designed for NOC environments. The console can handle larger event volumes and quickly find information with improved search criteria, GroundWork says.

GroundWork Monitor Enterprise costs about $25,000 for the base model and offers customers numerous plugins to expand their monitoring capabilities. The company's professional edition is priced at $16,000 and GroundWork Monitor Community Edition is free of charge.

Denise Dubie is senior editor with Network World.