The Ungermann-Bass Inc arm of Tandem Computers Inc is now shipping Cornerstone Probe, claiming it to be the first hardware system for a complete remote monitoring probe that offers fully integrated network monitoring and analysis. Incorporating Cornerstone Agent from Beaverton, Oregon-based ProTools Inc, and used with its Foundation Manager console and Ungermann-Bass’s Network Director (its SNMP-based network management system) the product is claimed to enable users to monitor, configure, and control inventory of heterogeneous networks from a single console. The Probe is integrated with NetDirector, and is claimed to complement Ungermann’s Adaptive Internetwork Management – the foundation for NetDirector – by providing the capability to monitor remote sub-networks, perform network analysis including protocol decodes, and forward this information to central monitoring consoles. It is also claimed to provide improved data integrity and ease-of-use through access to a shared database. As well as central management, the Probes can also be used for local monitoring and analysis through a standard keyboard and monitor. The product is claimed to conform to all nine groups of the RMON remote monitoring standard, and to provide traffic accounting capabilities for billing purposes, pipelining of SNMP commands for enhanced performance, and autobaselining, which automatically sets alarm thresholds. Available immediately in both Ethernet and Token Ring versions, the product comes with an upgradable 25MHz 80486SX processor, 8Mb of RAM, and a 120Mb hard drive. The Ethernet version is $4,500, the Token Ring model costs $5,000.
