A framework-based network-management system doesn't necessarily have to consist of scores of modules that support a supercomplex, hypereclectic computing and network environment. For lots of networks (or if you want to get your feet wet), the framework plus a few modules may be all you need. We call these tools framework express, or framework lite.

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How we did it
Archive of Network World tests
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Getting to the core of network management by choosing only those modules that support your key devices, servers and applications can be an effective, affordable, productive and smart approach to using a framework-based NMS.

The ideal framework-express package includes a central management and monitoring piece, to which you add a few modules that recognize and manage specific devices, servers and applications. Each module blends seamlessly into the overall NMS, has a small footprint and is easy to use. Modules work together to manage everything, automate administrator tasks, process SNMP alerts (traps), discover the network and diagnose outages and performance problems. The perfect package offers useful reports, scales well, is pervasively platform-neutral and enforces good security.

To find a system that meets our criteria, we invited vendors to submit systems to our Alabama lab for testing. We tested HP's OpenView Network Node Manager 7.5, OpenView Operations 7.5 and OpenView Internet Services 6.0; BMC Software's Performance Manager Console 7.5.20, Distribution Server 7.1.21 and Performance Manager Portal 1.2.00; and PerformanceIT's ProIT IT Operations Management Software 4.0. Computer Associates, which had just acquired Aprisma at the time of our tests, said it needed to think about the positioning of Unicenter vs. Aprisma's products and declined our invitation. IBM's Tivoli division, after initially agreeing to participate, backed out of the tests and said a suitable product wouldn't be ready until June.

We awarded HP the Clear Choice Award for OpenView's excellent network discovery, root-cause problem analysis, task automation, responsive and intuitive user interface, and scalability.

System overview

The core of the OpenView framework express is Network Node Manager. In our tests, it excelled at network discovery, device status tracking, network map graphing, statistics gathering and SNMP alert processing. Network Node Manager uses Management Information Base (MIB) data from several sources, including routers, switches, bridges and repeaters. It captures some Layer 2 data, but for the most part it maps Layer 3 details. HP supplies numerous predefined MIB expressions, which Network Node Manager applies. The impressive list includes utilization and error percentages, total packets by category (in, out and errors), retransmits, Cisco memory utilization and full-duplex utilization percentage.