Jyra Research Inc, a six-month-old UK-based Internet start-up founded by refugees from Cisco Systems Inc, Wang Laboratories Inc and BISS Ltd – the latter a UK networking integrator swallowed by Wang for $16m back in 1995 – will release a Java-based service management system for Internet networks and branch networking infrastructures at the beginning of April. The Jyra SMA Service Management Architecture, currently in beta test, is being dressed up as an alternative to device-centric, centralized network management systems and traditional electronic data interchange management. Current management tools for distributed computing environments tend to be device, rather than application or user- based, says Jyra president and chief executive Paul Robinson. The Jyra SMA delivers an end-to-end view of services delivered to each desktop personal computer or Network Computer user. Jyra SMA includes Primary Level Manager; a management control console for large networks targeted at Internet Service Providers and managed bandwidth providers for managing multiple multi-domain MLMs; Mid Level Manager, a single domain control device including a database interface, SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol capture and a custom network agent; Service Level Monitor, a group application and user response time monitor; and Client Service Level Monitor, a desktop application response time monitor for end-user application performance measurement. A set of physical devices called JyraScopes send software probes built from the Jyra SMA to interrogate the network, storing and monitoring data in remote tables. Applets interrogate the tables for information. The Hemel Hempstead-based company plans to find OEM customers for its JyraScope Probes and expects companies to build its probe software into existing network management systems. Jyra expects JyraScopes to be available in the third quarter – although this is dependent on the availability of SunSoft Inc’s JMAPI Java management application programming interfaces. Jyra has picked up a $4m war chest and is planning an initial public offering later this year. It has 25 staff and will set up marketing and sales offices in San Jose, California and Sydney, Australia next month.
