Delivering Managed Network Services - MNSmns1.hughesindia.com/mns/materials/Delivering MNS_white...

Technical White Paper-I

Delivering Managed Network Services

Prepared By Hughes Escorts Communication Limited Plot No. 1, Sector 18, Electronic City, Gurgoan 122 015 India Document No. HECL/MNS/NC/001 Ver 1.0 Tuesday, May 07, 2002

Ver 1.0 Hughes Proprietary of 1

Revisions History S No. Description Owner Version

Number 1 Base created Neeraj C 1.0 Table of Contents

1.1. Network management: - a historical prospective ...................................................................... 3 1.2. Managed Network Services: An Overview................................................................................. 4 1.3. MNS Center Technical Architecture .......................................................................................... 6 1.4. Infrastructure Details................................................................................................................... 7 1.5. Network Management.................................................................................................................. 8 1.6. HECL Service Management Strategy....................................................................................... 16 1.7. Service Information Portal ........................................................................................................ 19 1.8. Application Management........................................................................................................... 21 1.9. System and Operations Management ....................................................................................... 22

Contact Information For further information visit Wide Web site at: http://www.hughesindia.com Email : - [email protected] Conventions

S. No. Acronym What it means 1 MNS Managed Network Services 2 HECL Hughes Escorts Communication Limited 3 OV Open View 4 5


http://www.hughesindia.com/

1.1. Network management: - a historical prospective

The early 1980s saw tremendous expansion in the area of network deployment. As companies realized the cost benefits and productivity gains created by network technology, they began to add networks and expand existing networks almost as rapidly as new network technologies and products were introduced. By the mid-1980s, certain companies were experiencing growing pains from deploying many different (and sometimes incompatible) network technologies. The problems associated with network expansion affect both day-to-day network operation management and strategic network growth planning. Each new network technology requires its own set of experts. In the early 1980s, the staffing requirements alone for managing large, heterogeneous networks created a crisis for many organizations. An urgent need arose for automated network management (including what is typically called network capacity planning) integrated across diverse environments.

Basic Network Management

SNMP

Management Entity

Network Management System

Servers

Agent

Database

Proxy

Clients

SNMP

Management Entity


Servers

Management Entity


Servers

Agent

Database

Proxy

Clients

Agent

Database

Proxy

Clients


1.2. Managed Network Services: An Overview The rate of technology change and the acceptance of technology as a business enabler have served to complicate the role of enterprise IS organizations. IS organizations are often tasked with managing multiple, complex projects without the luxury of time to re-skill or recruit employees for that challenge. New complex enterprise wide applications and networking technologies offer the promise of more agile, more competitive environments for the business, but installing, maintaining and managing them is a daunting task. Moreover, CIO’s are increasingly willing to offload day-to-day operations to external Managed Network Service (MNS) Providers to focus on those activities that are recognized as adding value to the business. The results of a recent survey above which was conducted in the US identify the core issues CIO’s are facing today with implementing Network Management projects in-house. Every customer wants to reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of his network. MNS allows the customer to achieve this goal by providing: • A Service Model, which takes care of High Capital Expenses • Reduced Cost of Staffing, including training and retention Costs • Shorter Project Cycle time • Tight Control through Web Based Online Reporting • Data Security • Customized Services Matching the right MNS Provider and the right type of engagement model is important if enterprises are to get the most business value at the “ right” price. The key differentiators between MNS Providers are in their commitment to the business and the quality of relationship they establish with their customers. These differentiators can be classified under five major elements: • Service line viability • Technical Quality • Ease of doing business • Customer Satisfaction


• Service Level Guarantees HECL Managed Network Services HECL has been providing VSAT based WAN and networking services to customers in India from 1993. With the advent of the Internet, enterprise networks have become more complex, catering to increased user demand for Quality of Service, both in terms of application availability and response times. There are more connectivity choices today, from Frame Relay and IP VPNs to leased lines and ISDN at a reduced price point.

Service OfferingClientsClients

Mercury

Management Data

dBServer 1

WebServer

dB Server 2

MailServer

WebBrowser

CUSTOMER WAN

Management Console

Service Information Portal

ReporterEvent Browser


1.3. MNS Center Technical Architecture In such a complex environment, Enterprise Network Management (ENM) has emerged as a key customer requirement. In line with its philosophy of providing world-class services to its customers. HECL has invested heavily into the Enterprise Network Management space and set up a state-of-the-art MNS Center at Gurgaon, India. This 24X7 center monitors and manages customer networks pro-actively and provides trend reports and recommendations at regular intervals. The HECL MNS Center is connected to the customer central site via SCPC/ Terrestrial Link. This architecture provides the customer: • Dedicated access to high level technical resources on a 24X7 basis

to monitor and resolve technical problems • Sophisticated reporting & trend analysis and state-of-the-art QoS

and Application Performance Monitoring tools • Managed Security Services


1.4. Infrastructure Details

HECL has been extremely careful in selecting the right set of hardware and software tools at the MNS Center. A list of the infrastructure investments is attached.

ECL’s approach to Network Management is to provide a true view of

he HECL MNS Center architecture is made up from a number of HP

HP OpenView Network Node Manager provides in-depth views of the

warehousing enables proactive network management.

20

Infrastructure Details

Network Management Server: HP 9000 B Class RISC UNIX runningHP Openview

Service Information Portal: HP 9000 B Class RISC UNIX runningHP Service Information Portal

Reporting Server: HP Netserver 3000 LHr running OpenviewReporter

Internet Services: HP Netserver 3000 LHr running OpenviewInternet Services

Data-warehouse: EmbeddedCRM System: TalismaVoice Switch: Nortel MeridienLAN Switches : NortelRouters : CiscoFirewall: CheckpointIDS: ISS RealSecureStructured Cabling : Lucent

Hthe services relating to customers. This is achieved by defining the relationships between the infrastructure components, so that the service impact of any infrastructure event can be easily determined. Also, the root cause of any service violation can be pinpointed. TOpenView , HNS proprietary and Cisco components: •

network through an intuitive graphical format. Combining trend analysis, threshold, and Java™-based web reports, with data


• e transaction

• ing interface that have been integrated

• vironment

s

1.5. Network Management

The MNS Center provides in-depth views of the network through an tuitive graphical format using HP Openview Network Node

lems nd assists customers in planning for network growth and designing

s facility provides the HECL MNS staff flexibility to ccess network management tools from anywhere on the web. Using

re

sists of a set of run-time applications based on e simple network management protocol (SNMP). Additional

applications are installed on top of the base system, presenting

Openview Internet Services (OV-IS) server – the measurement server where the service probes are configured, and thresponses are collated for reporting. VP-IS performs both active and passive monitoring. Openview Reporter – facilitates reporting of data providing a customizable WEB reportwith the existing reporting mechanisms Service Information Portal – Gives the customer a secure personalized view into their managed en

• HNS Proprietary Software - Provides the core management platform for the HNS VSATs and DirecWay Broadband Service

• Cisco Works 2000 for managing Cisco devices on customer networks

inManager and device specific applications like Cisco Works 2000. It discovers network devices and provides a map to illustrate what the network actually looks like. The multi-level map indicates which devices and network segments are healthy and which areas need attention. When a flood of events from the failure of a major device appears in the alarm browser, a powerful event correlation engine evaluates the event stream and pinpoints the root cause of the failure. Combining trend analysis, thresholding, and Java™-based web reports, with data warehousing enables proactive network management. The MNS Center immediately pinpoints the source of network probanetwork changes. Remote user accesathese powerful features, network administrators are able to more intelligently manage the network, leading to increased network uptime and lower costs.

a) NMS Architectu

The NMS system conth


integrated management applications sharing a common graphical user interface. The HECL MNS Center offers a comprehensive and growing repertoire of tools to meet diverse integrated network and system management needs. The NMS framework provides an open, standards-based foundation on which a wide array of specialized management applications reside.

teroperability and consistency of operation characterize applications

The NMS has been implemented keeping a distributed and scaleable erses UNIX or Windows NT collection

tations for user-specified enterprise segments called domains.

s of the customer environment. he enterprise IT environment can be completely managed through

tions for processing. Collection tations can be configured to initiate independent responses to specific

HECL MNS discovers TCP/IP, IPX (supported on NNM for Windows NT) nd presents this information in an

tuitive graphical format. Level 2 discovery includes devices that

Indeveloped within this framework.

b) Managing Network Complexity

architecture in mind which dispsCollection stations report device discovery and change to one or more management stations, even across wide area networks. This distributed management model means that the HECL MNS Center provides the flexibility to tailor a application to the organization's specific network management needs. The distributed discovery and monitoring approach lets HECL locate processing closer to the local domainTcollection stations and management stations. A designated collection station can manage specific devices. HECL MNS optimizes network use by reducing the volume of data flowing to central management stasevents, eliminating the need for management station intervention. Only critical event data is passed on, allowing available network capacity, processing power, and IT staff resources to be channeled to the customer’s business information and operational needs.

c) Automated Discovery and Mapping

and level 2 devices on the network ainsupport Bridge, Repeater/802.3, or MAU MIBs. It discovers Cisco devices, and provides intuitive views of these switches, as well as physical connectivity, attached device, port, and VLAN information.


The NMS automatically maps the UNIX and Windows NT network segments and nodes in the customer’s LAN/WAN environment elivering accurate and up-to-date views of the network. It

An integrated Web Launcher allows HECL MNS Center staff to start h as the Network Presenter, the Alarms

rowser, and the SNMP Data Presenter from anywhere. A log-in facility

uired. Offering e highest level of flexibility, network topology is presented in either

nt of data from anywhere via the Web. Up to 20 operators onitor customer networks by distributing the user interface to

In order to keep the customer network operating, HECL's MNS staff blems occur. Network Node Manager

ffers the ability to resolve problems by allowing operators to

dgraphically displays the network topology as it actually exists, including the current status of the intelligent peripheral (IP)-addressable devices on the network. All control of the networked systems is from a consistent view. The NMS continuously monitors the network for new devices and for the status of equipment on the network. In addition, HECL can easily integrate new and existing applications into the NMS user interface and enterprise map.

d) Java-Based User Interface

Java-based applications sucBwith password authentication provides security for the management data. The launcher also allows user roles to be defined and information to be filtered based on a user’s management objective. The Network Presenter and the Alarms Browser dynamically update maps and events automatically—no intervention is reqthgraphical or tabular format. In addition, the SNMP Data Presenter allows users to query the network for SNMP data such as interface traffic, CPU load, or traffic routing to assist with network diagnosis and planning. The NMS provides easy access to network maps and enables managememmultiple workstations. These workstations are located at the HECL MNS Center. The Windows graphical user interface provides sophisticated capabilities for quick and easy task execution within the system and the network environment.

e) Reducing Network Downtime

must react quickly when prooconfigure automatic actions based on thresholds. When an event threshold is exceeded, operators are immediately notified via a pop-up


window display. Remote notification can also be initiated using a modem or paging service. Event categories may be prioritized to gather event information from anywhere in the enterprise. Robust filtering allows HECL staff to focus ttention on events critical to resource availability and performance.

Based on OSF/Motif, the Windows interface allows HECL staff to easily tire network environment. The NMS allows

e following tasks to be performed effortlessly and without

devices by group or status category

• define map symbols and toolbar icons to

nting complex objects

ing a high level view

• initiate frequently used tasks with the

• customize map menus and symbol pop-up

• use Web interface for easy access to

• access specific submaps quickly

• ystem for fast assistance

g) Fault-Tolerant Capabilit

a

f) Graphical User Interface

monitor and control the enthprogramming:

• determine the operational status of network

automatically initiate a program or shell script

• define map symbols and toolbar icons to automatically explode into multiple icons represe

• integrate applications quickly while providing a single point of monitoring and control

• use the pan and zoom feature to focus on critical areas of large submaps while maintain

• drag and drop objects for easy cut and move operations

toolbar

menus

network status and events

use the Hypertext Help S

ies


HECL can schedule back-ups for business-critical network management formation while continuing to manage critical network elements.

allows HECL's operators to quickly prevent or

nalyze and resolve network faults. Recognition and resolution of

• Filter events by any combination of source, message string, time and date received,

• sure that

• categories and creating

•

i) Event Correlation Techn

faster through an advanced event orrelation service (ECS) engine. The engine intelligently correlates

of e most common network management problems. The pre-configured

inAdditionally, collection stations can be configured to “failover” to management stations so that in the event of a collection station failure, network monitoring will continue uninterrupted.

h) Event Subsystem

The Event Browser aundesired events or conditions makes sure that HECL's network is always at its optimal operating state. The event subsystem allows operators to:

severity, or acknowledged status

Employ color-coded event notification icons and acknowledgments to make the most important events are identified and handled first

Customize event notification and alarms by defining event additional operator actions

Configure events on a per-node basis

ology

HECL MNS identifies problemscevents into high-level alarms, immediately pinpointing the root cause of network problems. The drill-down capability allows network administrators to see the contributing events for each of the alarms. Out-of-the-box correlation logic is already implemented for some thcorrelation logic leads to more efficient network polling based on the latest topology data. A separate event correlation designer allows development and testing of correlation logic for very specific correlation requirements through an easy-to-use GUI. These logics can then be deployed to any number of collection stations or management stations in the environment.


j) Network Discovery The discovery system of HECL MNS:

• Automatically generates and maintains a map of the TCP/IP and IPX networks, including level 2 devices

• Continuously discovers and monitors the status of network nodes, even across wide area networks and across noisy or busy connections

k) Dynamic Data Collector and User-Defined Thresholds HECL MNS collects network data and allows the definition of thresholds that trigger events. This helps in the planning and management of the network, ensuring fast and reliable performance. The data collector allows HECL's operators to:

• Obtain real-time and historical network information for efficient troubleshooting and planning

• Manage thresholds on critical resources and automatically receive alarm notifications

• Define collections and thresholds for multiple devices simultaneously

l) Distribution and Scalability

HECL MNS helps efficiently manage the complexities of the customer network environment whether it consists of small workgroups or large enterprise domains. HECL can:

• use the management console feature to distribute tasks among operators and lighten the processing load on the management station enabling the management of larger networks. Up to 20 distributed operators can have a personalized and unique view of their respective management domain.

• off-load CPU-intensive applications from the management station.


• zoom in and out on sections of large submaps with the pan and zoom feature.

Windows NT and UNIX collection stations can be distributed throughout the environment so that data can be collected locally and then forwarded to one or more Windows NT/UNIX management stations. Windows NT remote consoles connected to UNIX management and collection stations allow multiple operator access at a lower cost. The new Java-based Web UI increases the number of supported operators and offers connectivity over WAN links.

m) Fault Management HECL MNS offers the following fault management capabilities:

• find network routes using a graphical and textual display

• diagnose network problems—test problem nodes selected from the map or entered manually

• document network topology—compare the current network map against future planned topologies

• perform real-time comparisons to benchmark data

• customize the fault management application—add programs or shell scripts

Configuration Management

• Locate Network Objects—locate objects via attributes to improve inventory control.

• List Remote Network Services—provide information about TCP/IP and IPX services available on remote nodes.

• Edit Network Maps—non-TCP/IP/IPX nodes can be manually added to the map.

• Configure Nodes—via the NMS

• Obtain Information—node-specific information such as location, owner, and configuration may be easily collected.

• Retrieve Management Information Base (MIB) Information—point-and-click through


menus to obtain information on any SNMP device.

• Keep Electronic Records—changes are automatically detected and recorded.

Performance Management

• Monitor Network—collect statistics and display them in a variety of formats.

• Monitor System Resources—monitor the relative load of systems running an SNMP agent.

• Determine Usage Profiles—using the data collector, determine utilization profiles of resources.

n) MIB Application Builder The MIB Application Builder enables HECL to quickly build MIB applications for standard and enterprise-specific MIB objects without programming. The MIB Application Builder provides a quick, non-programmatic way to customize the NMS application allowing HECL to manage information for specific needs. All of your IP-addressable devices can be managed by loading vendor-specific MIB extensions through an easy-to-use menu. Specific MIB variables can be easily controlled by using the SNMP set command.

o) Customer Views Customer Views extends the power of the NMS to provide intelligent, customer-based management of network environments for HECL staff. Customer Views enables HECL to associate network resources, such as internet access links and servers, as well as network events, with the customers that use and are affected by them. Network managers can respond proactively, correcting the fault as well as contacting the customers. This allows improved network topology design and increased customer satisfaction.


Customer Views also enables HECL to make other logical groupings of network resources, such as by location. It also expands the link management capabilities of the NMS, including management of individual interfaces and expanded information about Frame Relay, ATM, SONET and DS-1/3.

1.6. HECL Service Management Strategy The need for rapid response support is growing in direct proportion to the phenomenal rate of change. HECL offers an unparalleled combination of integrated support processes covering the operation, performance and business intelligence associated with the seamless management of the customer’s network infrastructure. HECL’s service level management strategy integrates processes such as call management, incident management and problem management, together with quality management processes: configuration, change, workflow and service level management. This approach ensures that customer’s critical business services are well executed today and in the future.

HECL’s service management strategy is a preventative service rather than a reactive one. The exact impact of incidents is immediately known and HECL is equipped with the right information and tools to restore services before the end-customer experiences any difficulties. A preventative service is critical to support MNS services because every disruption business processes is immediately visible to the customer. These disruptions can result in tremendous loss of revenue for the customer.

HECL offers comprehensive service management capabilities encompassing helpdesk, incident, problem and change management processes into a single, seamless workflow. Through this unique level of integration, the entire workflow process is implemented from the work management process, which enables the MNS Center to operate preventatively. With critical information at their fingertips, operators and technical staff at the MNS Center can respond to and resolve problems before they affect vital business services. HECL has consolidated all critical service components into one service management solution at its MNS Center. The solution is based on Talisma CRM .The integrated services include:

• configuration management • call management • incident management


• problem management • change management • work management • service level management • Service Information Portal This comprehensive approach to support helps HECL customers maintain competitive advantage through optimized network uptime, application availability and proactive support for their internal and external customers.

p) Configuration Management

The MNS Center tracks and controls configuration items (e.g. hardware inventory, IP addressing scheme, router configurations, IOS versions etc) throughout their lifecycle. In addition to providing information to other processes such as problem and change management, configuration management also includes easy access to information such as service contracts, relationships/dependencies between configuration items and organization-related information.

q) Call Management

The heart of HECL’s Service Level Management strategy is managing customer requests and incidents. Because optimizing the end-user experience is a primary goal, HECL has chosen the Talisma Customer Relationship Management solution, which offers a variety of capabilities that streamline interactions with end users.

r) Managing incoming calls HECL’s CRM set-up allows first and second line support engineers to quickly resolve calls or assign them to a second line support specialist. Through its integration, the CRM solution gives the first line support specialist immediate access to other information such as known incidents, problems or changes associated with specific infrastructure components. Access to this information increases the number of calls resolved on first contact, improving the productivity of HECL staff.

s) Incident Management

Incidents are a specific type of service call, usually referred to as disruptions of service. Because of the seriousness of service disruptions, HECL’s CRM set-up is bi-directionally integrated with its Network Management system so that events are quickly and


accurately reported. Routing incidents to the CRM ensures that the incidents are responded to in the appropriate order of priority.

t) Problem Management

Problem Management is often referred to as quality management because the process focuses on analyzing calls and incidents to detect a recurring pattern. These patterns identify structural problems within the infrastructure and schedule them to be fixed. The internal database of the CRM application as well the integration with external knowledge bases helps HECL technical staff by identifying root cause analysis.

u) Change Management

Change management has become increasingly important as the rate of adoption of new technology continues to increase. HECL’s change management process links the processes of initiating, scheduling, assessing, implementing and evaluating changes to the network infrastructure. The change management process is focused less on the tools used to make the actual change and more on the management of the change and its impact to the production environment. It is virtually impossible to successfully manage a complex network infrastructure unless operators have up-to-date information about what equipment is actually in place at any given time.

v) Work Management

Service calls, incidents, problems and changes often result in a vast amount of work to be done. Work orders are a tool for HECL staff to plan, assign and follow-up on that resulting work. HECL has integrated complete work order management and tracking at the MNS Center to ensure work is completed as quickly and smoothly as possible

Details regarding the planned cost and maximum time expected for task completion can be noted in the work order. The person initiating a work order can specify a deadline for completion and assign a time limit on the amount of time to be spent on the work. As the work progresses, the work order can be updated with information reflecting the actual completion time and date, any costs incurred or other changes in the scope of the work. Views of the status of each work order is available and adjustments to the scheduled work are allowed as necessary.


An audit trail of completed work or work still in progress is provided in a variety of views. Responsibility for completing a work order can change. If the individual assigned the work order cannot complete the task, it can be assigned to another specialist or reassigned to the initiator of the work order. History lines are automatically created whenever a work order status is changed. The history lines record who changed the work order and when the work order was changed. By viewing the history lines one can determine when a work order is completed, overdue or stalled.

w) Service Level Management

By providing service levels based upon the requirements of the customer’s business needs, HECL enables the customer’s IT staff to make a significant contribution to their overall business.

Key customer benefits of service level management include:

• better balance of network benefits against network costs • improvement in business performance and in customer perception

of the delivered managed network services • reduction in the incidence of poor service for improved business

performance • improvements in planning, scheduling and budgeting through the

introduction of processes • decrease in the cost of missed business opportunities • reduction in time needed to restore services HECL MNS makes it possible to register and maintain services and SLAs as well as multiple sets of support hours. Available support hours are linked to the service levels used when calculating deadlines. The priority level assigned to a service call is based on the related service level agreement and the impact. The deadline calculations are based on:

• the service level agreement in place for the customer • the impact and priority settings for the service level • the priority and the maximum duration settings

1.7. Service Information Portal

Service Information Portal contains the portal foundation for the network and a range of management Information modules. The


modules extract information from the various management solutions to provide an integrated view of ABIH’s managed environment. The foundation provides administrative and server functions, as well as three general-purpose modules. The three general-purpose modules provide a flexible method for including data from a wide range of other sources. SIP includes network management, application management, operations management and reporting modules. HECL can provide personalized views for individual AVB Group Company or for groups as defined by Customer. Each view can contain one or more tabs for grouping the information. Each tab then contains one or more modules of information, as best suits the need of each company. SIP enables Customer to easily filter the data from their managed environment so that the end customer sees only information relevant to them. Detailed SIP information includes network information such as topology maps, events, performance summaries and network device health, augmented with messages and other custom information. SIP complements the network-operator-focused NNM web user interface, providing value as a customer service tool with data meaningful to the end customer. It consolidates information from all NNM subsystems into one view, periodically extracting this data to update the customer displays. It also filters this information so that each customer sees information about their managed network environment, and not that of other customers. The SIP foundation provides several core functions that enable SIP to extract and format information. The foundation provides: · An Administrative GUI for creating and editing user views · Managing security and login requests from users · Requesting data from the individual modules · Formatting that data and presenting it over the web · Three general-purpose modules (Bookmarks, Generic, Message Board), provide the basis for customer XML files.


1.8. Application Management The Application Management components of HECL MNS provide a mechanism to perform active tests of the services provided by the HECL'S customers infrastructure, recording measurements for response time, setup time, throughput and availability of the application, and Policy Based Routing for Bandwidth management on the links. The basic architecture is built around the concept of a central measurement server at HECL MNS, with distributed probe nodes at customer locations. The configuration is defined centrally via a GUI, and then distributed to the probe nodes. The service tests are performed on the desired applications and target systems by the probe systems, and then the results are forwarded to the measurement server (via HTTP or HTTPS). Service Level Objectives (SLOs) can be defined for various measurements for each of the services, along with alarm definitions for the generation of jeopardy alarms (alerts prior to the actual SLO being violated). The alarms are passed into the event management system via a local agent and the response times and service level performances are input into the performance sub-agent for ongoing storage and reporting.


Reports showing current and historical performance are then presented via a Web interface on the measurement server.

1.9. System and Operations Management HECL MNS solution based on the OpenView platform is a distributed client/server management solution that provides operational and performance monitoring for the enterprise. The architecture consists of a central configuration and monitoring server, with distributed intelligent agents. The configuration of the agent is performed at the central server, with templates being defined via the GUI for the various message sources to be monitored. The templates are then assigned to the relevant servers, and the system automatically deploys the monitors and commences monitoring of the requested sources. Matching event conditions on the agent are then escalated back to the management server for viewing and action by the relevant operations staff. It should be noted that the agent is not reliant on the management server to filter non-important messages. The distribution of the templates enables the agent to make local decisions as to what is important, and escalate only relevant messages to the server. Automated actions are available such that the agent can take remedial actions without requiring interactions with the server. The performance sub-agent monitors the health of the operating system, analyzing and recording over 300 metrics. The performance data is stored in a compact binary data-store on the client. Metric thresholds can be defined such that performance alarms are generated via the Operations sub-agent. Performance data can be viewed using the PerfView viewer on the server, or data can be exported into standard report files for additional analysis. The capabilities of the performance sub-agent are discussed in more detail later. The key capabilities of the event management system are characterized in the following topics:

x) Message Groups The use of message groups provides the mechanism to classify alarms into different categories. This provides the operator with a clear view of where the alarm is occurring and what the significance is. Examples


of the message groups provided are: OS, Performance, Oracle performance, etc. The message groups are fully customizable, and also provide the capability to segment, which operators see, which alarms.

y) Applications The OV configuration provides a mechanism to configure application interfaces for operators. This mechanism allows system administrators to provide only specific access to hosts for operators, and enables the access without having to allow full system access. The ability to define and assign applications to operators has a number of advantages: firstly providing the operator with a level of abstraction from having to know exactly how to execute commands; and secondly, providing additional security within the environment.

z) Templates The template configuration provides administrators with the ability to define the monitoring parameters in a central location, and then distribute these configurations out to the intelligent agents for execution. The templates are defined via the GUI, with no coding required. The templates are then assigned to the relevant nodes either directly (1-1 template – node mapping) or via a node group (functionality based – all WEB servers get the WEB templates). This assignment significantly simplifies the configuration requirements to enable monitoring on the distributed agents. The ability to define and then assign templates based on functional role provides HECL MNS with a rapid deployment mechanism. Standard templates can be defined for various functional roles (WEB server, DB server, etc), and then when new servers are deployed, the standard templates can be pushed to the agent for instant application monitoring. Furthermore, operator instructions and actions can be defined as part of the templates, enabling the operations staff the use the event management interface to gain instructions on how to deal with particular events. This significantly reduces the training requirements for operators, as the problem resolution processes can be integrated into the event management environment.


aa) Operator Roles The event streams can be segmented such that operators only see the events relevant to their functional role. This assignment is done based on Message group and node group assignments, and ensures that operational activities can be restricted to those operators authorised to view/resolve events.

bb) Navigator View The Navigator view (example below) provides the operations team to define a full service hierarchy, with events and actions mapping into particular points within the service tree. The service hierarchy provides a view of the infrastructure being managed, along with relationships to the services being provided by that infrastructure and ultimately the customers using that infrastructure. The benefits of using the navigator view is that the operator is immediately provided with an impact assessment of a particular event, being able to see which services and customers are impacted by an outage. Root cause analysis is also available, enabling an operator to easily view what events are currently impacting a customer or higher-level service. The service hierarchy is fully customisable, enabling HECL MNS to define a model that accurately maps the services being provided.

cc) Event Correlation Event correlation mechanisms are provided for the correlation of system and network events at a number of levels within the solution. The Event Correlation Services (ECS) are provided for integration in:

1. NNM (correlation of network specific events) 2. OV agent (correlation of events within the agent),

and 3. OV server (correlation of events within the

server).


As discussed previously, the information above is a subset of the functionality – please refer to the concepts manuals for more detailed information.

dd) Scalable Architecture and Multiple Management Servers The customer environment can be configured hierarchically and then management responsibility spread across multiple management levels according to criteria as diverse as operator expertise, geographical location, and the time of day. This allows operators to focus on doing what they are good at, safe in the knowledge that they have round-the-clock technical support available either automatically or on demand. HECL MNS flexible management capability using the Openview platform provides customer with the means to: • Manage your worldwide network more effectively, for example, by

using the follow-the-sun functionality . • Increase efficiency by implementing competence-center policies.

Escalate messages to different servers, and forward messages between management servers.

• Manage an expanding network environment and reduce primary

server overload. The potential bottleneck that results from having all managed nodes report to a single management server (and the consequent database-related performance issues) is eliminated if managed nodes can report to different management servers.

ee) Back-Up Management HECL MNS back-up management solution is designed around the HP OpenView Omniback II platform. The solution is capable of handling the pace of the customer's storage growth. Whether the backup requirements are for a single system environment, a small workgroup, or a multi-site heterogeneous data center environment with thousands of servers, Omniback software provides the centralized backup and speedy recovery for Customer's business demands. At the same time, Omniback delivers the comprehensive scheduling and automation Customer needs to protect more data within the same people-print.


HP OpenView Omniback II utilizes a broad range of techniques to keep data available, even during backup. From online and open-file backups, to online incremental backups (Oracle ® ), to clustered backups, server-less backups, all the way to zero-downtime, zero-impact backups, Omniback offers a solution to meet Customer's application needs. Using innovative split-mirror techniques, Omniback enables fully integrated solutions for automated, non-disruptive, point-in-time backup covering the broadest set of storage configurations,operating environments and applications. So while Omniback is protecting Customer's most valuable asset—its data—it is also keeping the data available so that applications remain running and ready for business. Of course, backup is important, but it isn’t until one has lost information and needs to restore that one realizes the importance of having a reliable data protection and recovery solution. Omniback provides an equally comprehensive and flexible recovery solution. Whether browsing a directory listing to restore a single file, an Exchange mailbox, a database table, or in full bare-metal disaster recovery mode, restoring data is fast, simple and efficient. Simply put, Omniback software offers the industry’s most reliable, scalable, high-performance data protection available for heterogeneous computing environments. The Omniback solution provides a single, consistent interface to automate and monitor backup and recovery processes. Omniback supports a comprehensive list of backup clients (disk agents) and backup device servers (media agents) to extract application data and protect it onto backup drives and tape libraries. Additional database and application agents provide support for specialized backup approaches such as online, open-file, serverless or zero-downtime backup integrations, allowing to select the particular protection approach for Customer's application needs. For optimum flexibility with maximum control, backup management can be distributed or centralized. At each location, a management station (cell manager) schedules, initiates, and monitors the backup sessions. Information about files, hosts, backup sessions and media are carefully tracked in a central database to enable swift identification of file versions available for restore, and which media are located online or in an off-site vault. For multi-site operations, a manager-of-managers capability distributes control to local administrators while maintaining the ability to set overall policies and monitor the entire



enterprise backup environment. As a result, corporate policies can be implemented without diminishing local control and responsibility. Automated library and improved media management, event notification, advanced scheduling capabilities and the ability to automatically manage remote and local backups through a single, central management station means you’re able to offload routine backup tasks and apply scarce IT expertise to critical strategic projects. Even installation can be automated—Omniback provides built-in software distribution capabilities enabling remote, simultaneous installation and maintenance of backup clients and agent soft-ware across the network. With Omniback, flexible backups with one single GUI across platforms is possible. This helps to simplify operational tasks and cut down on training time. Omniback also provides comprehensive insight into the backup system and process. Automated health checks monitor the integrity of the backup environment to ensure reliable backup completion. Omniback ensures that the customer is notified of significant events via event-based and scheduled notification through e-mail, SNMP traps, event log, network broadcast or pager. As a result, the customer has the information he needs when, where and how he needs it. If one needs to access the system, sophisticated Web reporting allows easy viewing of the status of backup jobs from any Web-accessible location. data -print. •

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