As the next phase of its ongoing programme of product releases, Palo-Alto, California-based Hewlett-Packard Co has turned its attention to network management and has launched an integrated network and systems management offering called OpenView IT/Operations and new Windows-based management for switched environments in the shape of Interconnect Manager. OpenView IT/Operations is basically an expansion of the company’s OpenView OperationsCenter systems management product, which has been combined with the HP OpenView Network Node Manager, although the latter will continue to be sold stand-alone for users requiring only network management. The combined system is said to provide features including views of the entire computing environment (including network infrastructure); combined network- and systems-management tools; enhanced problem management; advanced allocation of operator responsibilities; simplified assignment of responsibilities in distributed environments and greater management of large heterogeneous environments. IT/Operations will ship in May with prices starting at $40,000. OperationsCenter users can upgrade for free and upgrades to IT/Operations from the Network Node Manager will start at $31,000. The company also announced HP OpenView IT/Administration, designed as a combined management offering for system administrators: IT/Administration is a combination of the OpenView AdminCenter and the OpenView Network Node Manager. As well as saving customers $5,000 over the cost of buying the products individually, it is also said to streamline the installation process and documentation set. IT/Administration manages systems including HP-UX 10.10, HP-UX 9.X, Solaris 2.3 and 2.4, AIX 3.2 and 4.1, NetWare Servers 3.12 and 4.1, and Windows- and MS-DOS-based personal computers. It is expected to ship in June with prices starting at $26,000. Hewlett-Packard coincided the announcement with the news that AdminCenter has now itself been expanded to provide support for Oracle databases. The new Interconnect Manager product, available for Windows and OpenView/Windows, provides features including an integrated traffic monitor that gives an graphical overview of network performance, including a display of gauges indicating utilisation, frame broadcasts, multicasts and errors, as well as a ‘top-talkers’ feature, which is said to monitor the two nodes on the network that are communicating the most. Interconnect Manager is shipping now at $500.
