ISPPlanet Network Management System Series - NetPlus AutoManage

Entry-Level Network Management:
NetPlus AutoManage

Want the benefits of automated network management and monitoring without the high costs typically associated with this kind of software? Try this entry-level solution.

by Lisa Phifer VP Core Competence, Inc. [July 5, 2000]

Today, virtually every device on a LAN—from routers and firewalls to uninterruptible power supplies and network interface cards—can be monitored using SNMP, the Simple Network Management Protocol. Management systems that speak SNMP run the gamut from six-figure carrier-class operations systems to enterprise network managers starting at $5-10K per seat.

But small tier-3 ISPs just getting started face a dilemma. Experienced NOC jocks are few and expensive. Complementing human expertise with a well-tuned network management system (NMS) can reduce staff cost and shorten repair time. On the other hand, building up network infrastructure usually takes priority. In a cash-conscious start-up, it can be difficult to justify spending tens of thousands on network management software.

To address this challenge, we decided to seek out less inexpensive alternatives: SNMP network management systems priced under $1000. Here, in the first of a series of ISP-Planet reviews, we evaluate ACE*COMM's NetPlus AutoManage, an SNMP toolkit with a truly entry-level pricetag: $149.

NetPlus AutoManage $149 ACE*COMM Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878 http://www.winsnmp.com

Getting Started
At first glance, ACE*COMM seems an unlikely source for low-end software—this is a company known for large-scale operations support systems used by local exchange and interexchange carriers. But ACE*COMM Director of Network Management Products Bob Natale authored WinSNMP, an open Windows API developed by an industry forum. ACE*COMM's AutoManage is a suite of commercial applications that use WinSNMP to discover, browse, control, and monitor devices that speak SNMP version 1 or 2. AutoManage can be purchased solo for $149, or bundled with a WinSNMP Software Developer's Kit for $199.

AutoManage resource requirements are minimal: It runs on any Win32 PC, using just 4 MB of disk. We installed AutoManage successfully under Windows 95 and NT 4.0. To keep distribution files small, the installer does not include DLLs commonly found on Windows PCs. But if AutoManage requires an update or missing DLL, apps simply fail with a message like "Missing ordinal 6883 in MFC42.DLL". We bumped into this problem on 2 of 4 PCs, but found it easily remedied by installing a newer DLL. We understand ACE*COMM's rationale for excluding DLLs and note that developers with MSVC installed will not experience this problem. But we'd like to see the symptom and solution documented in AutoManage README or Help files. This minor hiccup aside, AutoManage installation is simple and quick. Once completed, a suite of nine loosely-integrated NetPlus (NP) applications can be launched from the Start Menu.

 

Begin by launching the NetPlus Local Configuration Database Editor (NP_LDBED) to customize your np_wsnmp.ini file. NP_LDBED adds entities, contexts, and enterprises required by other AutoManage applications. Entities (right) represent devices to be managed, identified by hostname and IP address, with customizable SNMP version, port number, timeout, and retries.

 

Contexts define security parameters (community strings). Enterprises are object identifiers (OIDs) used to name private MIBs, SNMP objects, and traps. Although you can add entities manually, most will prefer to automate this step by importing a hosts file (left).

go to part 2: Network Discovery / Device Browse & Query