NetView 2.3 for MVS/ESA includes new object-oriented programming system for management
As promised last year (CI No 1,778), NetView 2.3 for MVS/XA and MVS/ESA offers enhanced graphics and automation support. They are provided by the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility host subsystem and by the delivery of the Resource Object Data Manager, a new object-oriented programming system for systems and network management. The enhancements will also be available in NetView 2.3 for VSE/ESA. The Graphic Monitor Facility Host Subsystem will be available to users of record on March 28, 1993, at no charge, and is for the MVS/ESA and MVS/XA environments only. NetView 2.3 for MVS/ESA and MVS/XA will ship December 18, 1992. Likewise for the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility Host Subsystem Feature (MVS/ESA, MVS/XA), and for NetView 2.3 under VM/ESA and VSE/ESA. All of the NetView 2.3 enhancements will be in the base product, except for the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility Host Subsystem. There is support for the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility presentation of objects in the Resource Object Data Manager, and the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility Host Subsystem data structure for the Data Manager will be in the base product for use by automation, in anticipation of the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility Host Subsystem feature. NetView 2.3, with the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility Host Subsystem feature, will extend the Graphic Facility to include heterogeneous networks, an integrated graphics-based command facility and configuration administration facilities like Network Configuration Application/MVS.
Graphic multi-vendor support
The Integrated Graphic Facility extends NetView’s graphic capabilities beyond monitoring into management and control, and enables commands to be executed against SNA sub-area, non-SNA, and system resources selected from a graphic view. The new graphic multi-vendor support provided by the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility Host Subsystem feature is based on the Resource Object Data Manager, an in-memory data store that provides a centralised source of the operational resource information needed for systems management. Information is organised as objects in a hierarchical tree structure and categorised into classes that possess common, inheritable characteristics. Non-SNA and system support is based on mapping messages and alerts into Data Manager object updates to represent the resource status. The alerts can be generated by service point products, such as the applications on NetView/PC, the AIX NetView Service Point, or by applications using the NetView program-to-program interface. NetView 2.2 can show connection status and alerts for line and physical units connecting to Ethernet 2.0 and IEEE 802.3 local area networks. The Resource Object Data Manager extends the SystemView automation services provided by NetView in the System/370 and System/390 environments. Interfaces provide the capability of querying and updating data, triggering processing routines within the data store, supporting automation and communicating with an operator. The new NetView Version 2 Release 3 manages and displays status and connection data about a Frame Relay network – ACF/NCP Version 6 accommodates the Frame Relay high-speed packet switching protocol, IBM points out.
NetView Graphic Monitor Facility
The NetView Graphic Monitor Facility provides a tool that enables users to handle large volumes of information and to control the diverse resources and applications distributed throughout the enterprise. The integrated command facility enables operators to pick resources and initiate generic recovery functions, and users can define their specific commands to complement those supplied. With the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility Host Subsystem, integrated interfaces enable operators to navigate between SNA and non-SNA views or to display a view containing SNA and non-SNA resources. Operators can do problem determination activities by requesting recommended action, status history, or alert history data on a selected resource. They can also acc
ess Information/Management to obtain additional resource component information, such as a location and service contact, or initiate a problem ticket dialogue. NetView now has a full-colour, dynamically customised command facility that enables operators to change which messages are displayed, what information about the messages is included in the display, and how colour is used to enhance presentation. NetView 2.3 has increased flexibility for searching and browsing the network log. With the automation processing enhancements, automation processing can be independent of the operator presentation when executing on behalf of the same operator. Service point resources can be automated using RUNCMD over LU6.2 sessions for more efficient use of communications facilities. Access to global variables is extended to assembler routines and more information is available about messages, providing greater flexibility in coding automation. NetView Operation is reorganised with the commands in alphabetical order, and the Hypertext in soft-copy publications is enhanced, enabling the user to switch from one publication to another. The NetView Graphic Monitor Facility uses GraphicsView/2 which is SystemView Level 1-compliant. GraphicsView/2 will be provided free with orders for the NetView Graphic Monitor Facility. Release 3 exploits the MVS extended multiple console support in MVS/ESA 4. This provides a more consistent MVS command interface and savings since the messages are routed by MVS. Moving to the EMCS facilities enables NetView to use more than 99 operator consoles. NetView V2 MVS/ESA Central for groups 18 to 80 costs between $45,180 and $171,550. V2 MVS/ESA Distributed is between $34,970 and $132,800. V2 VSE/ESA Central costs between $17,660 and $81,170. V2 VSE/ESA is between $13,690 and $62,900. V2 MVS/XA is from $42,940 to $163,050 and V2 MVS/XA Distributed is $33,230 to $126,150. V2 VM/ESA Central is $42,210 to $145,700 and V2 VM/ESA Distributed is between $29,720 and $112,850. V2 MVS/ESA Central is priced from $45,180 to $163,750; V2 MVS/ESA Distributed costs $34,970 to $126,800.
