Solution Overview:
Ripple Technologies, Inc. would propose the LogCaster product for Centralization Corp’s Network Monitoring and Alerting Software. RippleTech LogCaster is an NT Systems and Network Management software that will monitor Windows NT Event Logs, services, network devices, Application and System performance counters, and application and security parameters. It will filter out the events that you deem to be unimportant and report the critical ones to whomever is on call as well as perform corrective actions automatically. The events can then be forwarded to a pager, email, an ODBC compliant database, a console, or can be set to automatically trigger a predetermined corrective action.
Network Monitoring:
RippleTech LogCaster TCP/IP monitor will monitor any TCP/IP device on your network or a remote network (Internet or intranet) at any time interval you establish, on a PER device basis. This portion of the product is pre-configured to monitor WEB, SMTP, POP3, FTP, and TELNET servers. It can also be configured to query other TCP based servers or simply send a ping to an IP Device. Configuration is "point and click" and the configuration screen is shown below. The software can create an NT event from the activity of the device and the NT Event manager described below can react to that event.
Keeping Track and making changes to the list of devices that you are monitoring is very easy and intuitive as well. Simply Click on the device for a quick overview or click on properties to get the screen above. If you want to do a quick query of a single device no matter what the monitoring interval is, simply highlight the device and click on the query button.
RippleTech LogCaster uses the concept of a Dashboard to monitor all of the information it collects about systems and devices. One of the Dashboards for the TCP/IP section of the product is shown below. This dashboard shows a graphical representation of the network devices showing service levels, response times, total number of failed queries and or course their name and a quick color-coded status. Administrators can click on any of the items on the header bar to sort by those items. Administrators can also choose a graphical display of response time vs. clock time to quickly see how different devices are responding.Event Monitoring:
The Heart of the software is the Event Monitor. This monitor will look at every NT Event including those created by the network-monitoring portion of the software. The event monitor can be configured to filter through the events in real-time and take action on specified events. The action can include the following:
- Logging the event to an ODBC compliant database
- Paging the person on-call (pager software and the on-call scheduler are included in the product)
- Emailing
- Audible alerting
- Multiple Management Consoles
- GSM/SMS Cell Phone Email
- Corrective action scripting (Any NT Script or executable)
Other Features Beyond the scope of the RFP:
Although the RFP is calling for a just a network monitor, LogCaster is much more than that. Besides monitoring your network devices and your event logs, LogCaster will monitor your NT services and will restart them along with their dependant services. It will also monitor your ASCII Logs and report changes based on the text in the logs that changes. In addition, LogCaster will monitor any NT or Application performance counters and alert you. It will also take corrective actions based on user-defined thresholds and user defined time intervals. It will also graph the counters for you in a real-time performance dashboard.
Pricing:
Ripple LogCaster is priced at $795 per monitored NT server or $95 per monitored NT Workstation. RippleTech does not charge any extra per device for monitoring Network components. To meet the letter of the RFP, the total price for monitoring the systems and network devices including a Management Console on the system would be $795. If you would like to monitor additional NT servers’ or workstations’ Event logs, services, performance, or ASCII Logs, it would be an additional $795 per server or $95 per workstation. RippleTech does not charge additional for extra Management Consoles.
RippleTech sells LogCaster through an array of US and International resellers. To find a reseller in your area, please contact us at (215) 321-9600 or email us at sales@rippletech.com.
For more information please email us at info@rippletech.com or visit our website www.rippletech.com.
The RFP - See the RFP to which the vendors responded.
The responses:
|
Avtech Dartmouth INS Ipswitch Knozall |
Loran MediaHouse NextPoint RGE Ripple |
RiverSoft (in Word format) Tally Systems Tavve Tessler |
RELATED LINKS
The RFP and responses from other vendors
Review and buyer's guide: Network monitoring and alerting
An in-depth look at several apps; database of detailed specs on 46 tools; and a forum on the technology.
