Palo Alto, California-based Hewlett-Packard Co has introduced what it claims is the industry’s first Windows-based network-level router-configuration utility. Called Network Configuration Manager, it is to ship for free with the company’s AdvanceStack routers and is said to enable network managers to remotely configure the products across the network from a single personal computer. It can also map the network, assign addresses and check for duplicate addresses. Announced simultaneously was OpenView Traffic Monitor for Windows and Unix, a network traffic monitoring tool that is said to alert network managers via pager or electronic mail to potential traffic problems before they occur. Network Configuration Manager will be available from November: the Windows version of Traffic Monitor will cost $3,000 and the Unix version is priced at $4,000.
