HP network management software enables central command
Posted: 13 October 2003
HP ProCurve Networking today introduced network management software
that provides basic and advanced management features for the most
demanding enterprise networks.
HP ProCurve Manager and HP ProCurve Manager Plus are the first
software applications available to enable true command from the
network centre with control to the network edge – a core element
of the HP ProCurve Adaptive EDGE Architecture to deliver advanced
management functionality to the edge of the network.
HP ProCurve Manager is easy-to-use, Windows-based network management
software that is included in-box with all manageable HP ProCurve
devices. HP ProCurve Manager Plus offers all of the functionality
of HP ProCurve Manager, then goes a step further by providing additional
network control and advanced device-handling capabilities. Both
are designed to enable more accountability, more agility and a better
return on IT.
“The traditional strategy of handling authentication and
enforcing access policies at the network core must evolve as the
burden of handling every request becomes unmanageable,” said
Ivan R. Kraemer, sales and marketing director for the Middle East,
Africa and the Mediterranean, HP ProCurve Networking Business.
“Today’s architectures must utilize the network edge
to provide security, mobility and simple, manageable access to multiple
services on a single network – all while maintaining complete
control from the network centre.
“Command from the centre will enable enterprises to continually
update their networks in a cost-effective and manageable way –
without continual redesign and expensive hardware and software upgrades.”
HP ProCurve Manager makes it possible to manage today’s complex
networks of fluctuating traffic levels, variable device groups,
ever-changing security policies and unpredictable bottlenecks by
providing top-down, real-time information about the network.
With intuitive, tree-based navigation, HP ProCurve Manager provides
all the basic tools needed to effectively manage a network, including:
- Network status summary: Upon boot up, a network status screen
displays high-level information on network devices, end nodes,
events and traffic levels.
- Alerts and troubleshooting: An events summary screen displays
alerts and categorizes them by severity, making it easier for
users to track where bottlenecks and issues exist in the network.
- Automatic device discovery: This feature is customized for fast
discovery of all HP ProCurve manageable network devices.
- Topology and mapping: This feature automatically creates a map
of discovered network devices. Maps are colour-coded to reflect
device status and can be viewed at multiple levels (physical view,
subnet view or VLAN view).
- Device management: Many device-focused tasks can be performed
directly by the software, or users can access Web and command-line
interfaces with the click of a button to manage individual devices
from inside the tool.
HP ProCurve Manager Plus provides additional advanced management
features for more demanding enterprise environments, including:
- Advanced VLAN management: An easy-to-use VLAN management interface
allows users to create and assign VLANs across the entire network,
without having to access each network device individually.
- Easier configuration management: Changes in configuration are
tracked and logged, and archived configurations can be applied
to one or many devices.
- In-depth traffic analysis: An integrated, low-overhead traffic
monitor interface shows detailed information on traffic throughout
the network. Using enhanced traffic analysis protocols, users
can monitor overall traffic levels, segments with the highest
traffic, or even the top users within a network segment.
- Device software updates: This feature automatically obtains
new device software images from HP and updates devices, allowing
users to download the latest version or choose the desired version.
Updates can be scheduled easily across large groups of devices,
all at user-specified times.
- Advanced Scheduling: This feature allows scheduling of key
tasks (for example, network discovery, firmware upgrades and configuration
backup) to run at regular intervals or specific times, reducing
business interruptions by setting tasks to be done during times
of minimal network usage.
- Group and policy management: Users can create device groups
and set group policies for managing those devices. Predetermined
configurations can be automatically applied to new devices that
have just been added to the network.
Pricing and Availability
Beginning Nov. 1, HP ProCurve Manager will be included with the
purchase of any managed HP ProCurve switch, along with a 30-day
trial version of HP ProCurve Manager Plus.
HP ProCurve Manager also can be downloaded from the Web at no charge.
HP is the only vendor to offer this level of management solution
at no additional cost.
HP ProCurve Manager Plus can be ordered now at a list price of
$1,844.(1) As with all HP ProCurve products, HP provides phone support
at no additional cost.
As part of its efforts to offer the highest quality products at
the best cost, HP ProCurve plans to enhance its software through
add-ins that adapt to the edge, to continue to offer backwards compatibility
on all software offerings and to maintain the use of open standards
to support customer flexibility.
More information about HP ProCurve networking solutions and products
is available at http://www.hp.com/go/hpprocurve.
About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and
institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure,
personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging
and printing for consumers, enterprises and small and medium businesses.
For the last four quarters, HP revenue totaled $71.3 billion. More
information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.
About HP Middle East
HP is the largest IT company in the Middle East employing about
500 people in the region. HP has been present in the Middle East
since 1968, and opened its first regional office in 1994 and has
offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar, Cairo and
Ramallah servicing the GCC, the Levant and Egypt.
For more information about HP Middle East see www.hp.com/me.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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