SynOptics Communications Inc, Santa Clara, California has announced two elements of its strategy for the enterprise-wide network. The first is designed to help manage the extended network – a sort of middleware for networks; the second is a way of integrating local networks with IBM SNA networks. SynOptics has come up with a technology it terms SuperAgent – the technology that enables applications.
Managing node
SuperAgent applications are distributed throughout the enterprise: they refine a stream of management information collected from a variety of sources before sending it on its way to the managing node. This helps prevent the managing node from being swamped with a flood of information. There are three types of SuperAgent: asset, topology and fault correlator. As the names suggests, each performs a specific function. It gathers data to do with that function and analyses it before passing it on. SynOptics is also reselling (initially) two applications developed by NetLabs Inc: AssetManager and Vision DeskTop. AssetManager works with SuperAgents and manages a wide range of devices such as hubs, routers and personal computers, from different vendors. Vision DeskTop manages a wide range of desktop hardware and software from different vendors. The entire GEM Global Enterprise Management programme is now available for three Unix versions: Solaris, AIX and HP-UX. The second area addressed by SynOptics enables remote sites to pass back SNMP information to a central SNA host without having to re-engineer the network for multiple protocols and then use tunnelling to pass back SNMP information or install a parallel link for remote Token Ring management over TCP/IP. SNMP Transport Gateway, the result of an alliance with Eicon Technology Inc, transports SNMP data from OS/2 desktops over IBM Corp’s Advanced Program-to-Program Communications. It will be available in October for under UKP2,500.
