RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina, July 17, 1995 -- The firstcomprehensive strategy from an internetworking vendor for effectivemanagement of IBM routed internetworks has been mapped out by CiscoSystems.
The CiscoWorks(tm) Blue internetwork management program will be implementedas a series of new capabilities, starting in September with Native ServicePoint support, which will give IBM mainframe operators full visibilityinto, and control over, Cisco routers.
Subsequent elements of the program will provide for management of SNArouted internetworks using the CiscoWorks Blue suite of managementapplications; mapping of SNA resources to router ports; improved detectionof congestion-related problems; and the design, configuration andsimulation of SNA internetworks.
Nick Francis, director of product marketing for Cisco's IBM InternetworkingBusiness Unit, said, "Cisco has led the industry in creating IBMinternetworking solutions and holds the majority of this market. Now weare significantly expanding our program for managing the new breed ofnetworks that integrate multiprotocol routing with traditional SNAnetworking. We spent considerable time working with our IBM-orientedcustomers to understand their management needs, and came up with a set ofstrategic offerings we're calling CiscoWorks Blue to address those needs."
CiscoWorks Blue Native Service Point
Native Service Point for the first time will enable IBM host operators tomonitor and control the Cisco routed portions of their internetworks,bringing to client/server environments the level of manageability theseusers have come to expect.Designed for SNA customers who have invested substantially in IBM's NetViewfor the mainframe or Sterling Software Inc.'s Netmaster, Native ServicePoint reduces the need to buy additional PC- or UNIX-based networkmanagement systems commonly used in routed internetworks.
Karen Erickson, market owner for IBM's mainframe and centralized managementproducts, said, "The ability to manage Cisco routers has emerged as one ofthe pressing needs of our customers who have built large networks. Cisco'sdecision to implement Native Service Point addresses this need by lettingthose customers protect and leverage the investment they've made in hostNetView, and avoid buying special equipment to dedicate solely to Ciscorouter management."
Password access ensures that only designated individuals can issue certaincommands, and further security is provided by a status-checking mechanismthat reveals which operators are monitoring specific routers.
CiscoWorks Blue Native Service Point requires a router component and amainframe component. Native Service Point router software is available inSeptember 1995 as part of the IBM Base option of the
CiscoWorks Blue Maps
CiscoWorks BlueMaps will allow internetworks that use both the SNA and IPprotocols to be managed in their entirety from a single CiscoWorks console.Toward this end, Cisco will introduce a broad array of SNA-related MIB(Management Information Base) variables and a set of applications designedto exploit those MIBs to create and display logical topology maps.CiscoWorks Blue Maps displays SNA and IP resources on the same managementscreen, generating a powerful composite logical map that lets the userdetermine, for example, if an IP internetworking issue is causing ahigher-layer SNA problem. The user also can choose to view a region of thenetwork or a specific path. For example, an RSRB (Remote Source-RouteBridging) map provides detailed data on traffic, peer status, etc., forRSRB traffic only. CiscoWorks also can interrogate the SNA MIBs to provideinformation to the
Applications for APPN and RSRB will be available in fourth quarter 1995;others to follow include DLSw+, BSTUN, QLLC, SDLLC and STUN.
SNA Control and Correlation
A major unaddressed need in SNA networks is the ability to know whichrouter port a specific SNA resource is attached to. In first quarter 1996Cisco will provide a new CiscoWorks application, running on top ofCiscoWorks Blue logical maps, which maps SNA physical and logical units(PUs and LUs) to actual router ports.An on-screen display showing connections between SNA devices and routerswill eliminate the physical investigation needed today to determine whichrouter is associated with an SNA-related problem. This new capability willgreatly speed problem resolution. The application will be based on EViewOpen technology provided by NetTech, a Raleigh, N.C.-based firm focused onnetwork management products, tools, and services.
Response Time Reporter
Today's performance tools typically give the user only one measure ofresponse time -- from end station to host. Truly effective problemresolution requires the ability to capture response time at each "hop"along the path. Cisco's Response Time Reporter, which examines every linkin the network using router-based agents configurable from CiscoWorks, willshow the user precisely where the congestion is, and whether the problemlies in the SNA or the IP environment. Available in first quarter 1996,this application will significantly improve the operator's ability todetect problems associated with traffic delays.Configuration/Design/Simulation
Cisco will provide tools based on technologyCisco Systems,Inc., is the leading global supplier of enterprisenetworks,including routers, LAN and ATM switches, dial-up access servers and networkmanagement software. These products, integrated by the
NetView and VTAM are trademarks of IBM Corporation.
Posted: Jul 17 08:52:52 1995
