Integration, best practices key to automating management tasks

Network/Systems Management This newsletter is sponsored by SolarWinds The Shortcut Guide to Network Management for the Mid-Market This guide outlines real-world technologies and processes to implement centralized management of your network infrastructure. Using the OSI FCAPS model as a framework, this eBook explains the critical components of fault, performance, configuration and security management, as well as network troubleshooting and diagnostics. Network World's Network/Systems Management Newsletter, 07/04/07 Integration, best practices key to automating management tasks By Denise Dubie The word automation gets tossed around a lot when talking about network and systems management products. For instance, most software includes auto-discovery features and a majority of monitoring products send automated alerts based on pre-defined thresholds. And in some cases, vendors promise their products can take automated corrective actions. But a new breed of automation software is emerging from established and new vendors that translates many of the manual processes IT staff must perform into software - which means the automation is not limited to tasks seen as strictly IT operations or network management functions. Though for now it seems increasing operations efficiencies is the logical reason for adopting such technology. The products - dubbed run-book, IT process or data center automation depending on which analyst firm you ask - use existing management products to carry out the automation, which requires vendors such as Network Automation, Opsware, Opalis, RealOps, and several others to integrate into customers' environments. Such software can serve as the communications bridge among products and enable automation across third-party tools and IT domains, Forrester Research reports. Ease Application Performance Headaches Four real-world case studies show you how network IT executives are improving performance in Network World's latest Executive Guide, "Perfecting App Performance Management." Also, discover tips, trends and expert advice on how you can take advantage of new technologies to stay ahead of performance problems. Click here to find out more. "The introduction of process automation solutions such as RealOps, Opalis, or iConclude [acquired by Opsware] provides significant progress by: 1) providing the ability to control and launch relevant operations represented by different point products, and 2) passing relevant data between these products, thus resolving the interprocess communication problem," reads a recent Forrester Research report co-authored by Senior Analyst Evelyn Hubbert. The automation software emerging today also relies heavily on best practice frameworks, such as the IT Infrastructure Library, or ITIL. The coupling of best practices with automation could help IT managers introduce more operational efficiencies into their environments, according to Gartner. "The [run-book automation] market growth is driven by IT executives needing to increase IT operations efficiencies, especially around the adoption of best practices, increasing IT agility and proving IT operations' accountability to the business," reads a report by David Williams, a research vice president with Gartner. "If you need to automate IT management processes for change management, element provisioning or the adoption of ITIL-based best practices, then now is the time to consider an RBA tool."   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Senior Editor Denise Dubie covers the technologies, products and services that address network, systems, application and IT service management for Network World. E-mail Denise. This newsletter is sponsored by SolarWinds The Shortcut Guide to Network Management for the Mid-Market This guide outlines real-world technologies and processes to implement centralized management of your network infrastructure. Using the OSI FCAPS model as a framework, this eBook explains the critical components of fault, performance, configuration and security management, as well as network troubleshooting and diagnostics. ARCHIVE Archive of the Network/Systems Management Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: security.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007