Tandem Computers Inc’s Ungermann-Bass unit has launched a multi-tasking personal computer-based system for the management of local and wide area networks. NetDirector runs on 80386 and 80486-based machines under OS/2, and it includes an SQL database, which enables users to incorporate off-the-shelf software. Ungermann claims that NetDirector, which will be offered in a series of roll outs over the next year, is a strategic network management product that will enable administrators to manage devices using standard agents like Simple Network Management Protocol. It also manages multiple protocols like the XNS Xerox Network System and TCP/IP over Ethernet, Token Ring or Fibre Distributed Data Interface networks. It also offers gateways to other network management systems, including IBM’s NetView, Hewlett Packard’s Open View and AT&T’s Accumaster Integrator. It also supports the IBM-3Com Heterogeneous LAN Management specification for Common Management Information Protocol. NetDirector implements a client-server architecture through LAN Manager’s Named Pipes facility, and this enables several administrators to access management applications over the network simultaneously. A topological map application, which will be available in the next NetDirector release, is also user-configurable, and graphical views of the network can be based on geography, physical or logical topology or organisational structure. These views can be customised to offer varying levels of control and integration of the topological map with the fault-monitor and SQL database is said to provide a real-time view of the network status.
