NETWORK WORLD FUSION FOCUS: PHIL HOCHMUTH
on LINUX
12/11/00 - Today's focus: Network management goes open source

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In this issue:

* An open source contender to management platforms
* Experts Exchange
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Today's focus: Network management goes open source
---------------------------------------------
By Phil Hochmuth

A beta version of Open Network Management Software's Bluebird
management tool last week was released to the open source
community for testing in network environments.

Bluebird's creators intend the software to be an open-source
alternative to large network management platforms, such as
Tivoli, HP's OpenView and Aprisma's Spectrum. Bluebird uses
standards-based technologies - including Java in the core
application engine and XML in the reporting and interface
modules - which make applications less bulky and more
customizable than proprietary network management platforms,
OpenNMS developers claim.  Also, as with all open-source
programs, the source code is freely available, allowing users
to modify and customize the software even further.

Bluebird runs with PostgreSQL 7.0, a freely available SQL
database popular with open-source software users. Bluebird is
also compatible with the Oracle8i database.

Bluebird 0.4 is based on SNMP, and is designed to manage small
networks of up to 500 networked devices. The software requires
no "agents," or monitoring software, to run on the devices it
monitors. This could help to make the deployment and
maintenance of the system easier than agent-based management
products.

The Bluebird software performs an array of management tasks,
such as discovering TCP/IP devices in a network, device
filtering, and service-level monitoring for enforcing service-
level agreements from a service provider. Reporting tools allow
users to make charts and reports about their network's
performance over a period of time. The software includes a
Java2 real-time reporting console that gives users a live view
of events and traffic patterns in a network.

A calendar function is included, which can be used to schedule
network tasks, such as system backups and automated software
upgrades.

OpenNMS software is based on Java2, so it can run on an array
of platforms, including Linux, Windows NT/2000 and Sun Solaris.

OpenNMS expects Version 1.0 of Bluebird to be released in the
first quarter of 2001. The production version of the software
will have a distributed architecture, where multiple Bluebird
servers are deployed and tasks are divvied up among distributed
machines. Version 1.0 will also support networks with thousands
of TCP/IP nodes.

To contact Phil Hochmuth:
-------------------------
Phil Hochmuth is a writer and researcher for Network World, and
a former systems integrator. You can reach him at
mailto:phochmut@nww.com.

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FOR RELATED LINKS -- Click here for Network World's home page:
http://www.nwfusion.com
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Got a technical question related to new technology on your
corporate network? Post it at Experts Exchange on Fusion at
http://nwfusion.experts-exchange.com/. Another network
professional may have the solution to your problem.

Download the Bluebird software and source code:
http://www.opennms.org/files/dev_snapshot/

Also, download PostgreSQL database software:
ftp://ftp.postgresql.org/

Learn more about the OpenNMS project's predecessor, Neo:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/neo/

Find out about Linux network management tools from other
vendors:
http://www.caldera.com/volution/


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