Server management tools

Today, I wanted to direct your attention to an article in out Enterprise Applications section.  The story takes a look at what vendors are doing in the server management arena.

Our authors Jmears@nww.com and Ddubie@nww.com say that  as corporations move toward utility computing, where system resources grow and shrink according to business demands, server management tools will evolve to do more than simply monitor and manage isolated network nodes. In fact users can expect these management packages to become increasingly automated, better handle security and patch management, and become usable across a variety of different server platforms.

In the past, server management tools such as IBM Director, Compaq/HP’s Insight Manager, Sun Management Center and Dell’s OpenManage, have been the less-than-flashy workhorse tools of data center management. In the past few years, however, these types of packages have taken on more sophisticated features such as partitioning capabilities all in a single management console. That means users can expect some server management tools – base versions of which are typically shipped with the hardware – to take on features more in line with high  level network management packages such as HP’s OpenView, IBM’s Tivoli and Computer Associate’s Unicenter, which acknowledge network components, but are more concerned with overall network performance.

And those packages that don’t take on more advanced features will make features such as asset management or patch management  more integrated.

For more on how the products in this market are changing see: https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/0908servermgmt.html