HP Simplifies Network Management

Easy-to-Use SNMP Tools for Managing Multivendor LANs Save Time, Reduce Cost, Preserve Investment as Network Grows

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 21, 1993 -- Two easy-to-use, Windows-based software packages introduced today by Hewlett-Packard Company can significantly reduce the effort and expense required to manage local-area networks (LANs) as they grow. HP's OpenView Workgroup Manager and Interconnect Manager greatly simplify multivendor LAN management by automating many common management tasks and providing easy-to-use, graphical control of network devices, including printers and plotters, while offering the industry's only full-credit migration path from workgroups to extended LANs.

With the integrated functionality of Workgroup Manager and Interconnect Manager, network administrators now can use one tool to quickly and easily monitor and control multivendor network devices through superior automatic multivendor device discovery and network mapping, "back-of-the-box" hub graphics and point-and-click browsing of MIB-II or proprietary management information base (MIB) extensions. Exclusive built-in printer management and network- or device-level security capabilities provide enhanced control over key network functions.

"We've put a lot of work into reducing the time and effort required for LAN management, and have come up with an extremely cost-effective, intuitive solution that can grow with the network," said Carolyn Ticknor, general manager of HP's Roseville Networks Division. "The result is two integrated tools -- one for managing workgroup LANs and one for managing interconnected workgroups -- that offer the industry's only scalable solution for network management."

Scalable Network Management

The HP OpenView Workgroup Manager/Windows provides easy-to-use, workgroup-level network management for hubs, printers, personal computers and workstations at a fraction of the cost of an hour of downtime. Using its leading-edge discovery and layout capabilities, Workgroup Manager automatically discovers what is on the workgroup network -- including multivendor Novell NetWare/IPX clients/servers or IP devices -- down to the level of identifying PCs on each desk and printers or plotters on the network. Workgroup Manager then automatically draws a hierarchical network map accurately depicting the network topology, with icons representing each device. Workgroup Manager can be scheduled to automatically rediscover all network devices at regular intervals or at a specific time of day, enabling it to keep track of new devices added the network and other changes common in today's dynamic LAN environments.

By selecting the icons on this map, network managers can easily and intuitively monitor and control HP EtherTwist hubs as well as monitor multivendor SNMP/IP or IPX devices. Workgroup Manager also provides easy point-and-click browsing of MIBs from HP and other vendors, and can graph both standard MIB-II counters and HP private MIB extensions.

Managers can leverage the expertise gained using Workgroup Manager while preserving their investment by upgrading to HP OpenView Interconnect Manager/Windows as their networks grow. Interconnect Manager offers a superset of the capabilities of Workgroup Manager while preserving the same user interface and "look and feel." Thus, no new training is required when upgrading. Interconnect Manager monitors and controls bridges and routers, and adds sophisticated real-time trend analysis capabilities, and performs router configuration through Telnet capability. In addition, HP applies full credit of the original cost of Workgroup Manager to the subsequent purchase of Interconnect Manager.

Interconnect Manager also includes Resource Manager/DOS, previously a standalone product costing $2000, to provide real-time trend analysis using HP's Embedded Advanced Sampling Environment (EASE). Network managers can monitor trends on the network by identifying top talkers, heavy users, communication pairs and errors and their sources. Interconnect Manager monitors network activity using IP, IPX or MAC addresses to identify potential network trouble spots, and presents this useful information on a single console using easy-to-read pie charts, bar charts or time-series charts.

"HP OpenView Workgroup Manager and Interconnect Manager move us several steps closer to HP's vision of the future of network management -- easy-to-use tools and services providing integrated LAN management from a single console," said Ticknor.

Integrated Printer Management

Workgroup Manager and Interconnect Manager provide the industry's only standards-based network printer management capability. As a result, network managers can treat HP printers and plotters with embedded SNMP agents, as provided by HP's JetDirect network interface cards, like any other network device.

Managers can receive remote printer information and event notification, and perform several printer management functions from the management console, just as they would with a hub or workstation. From the color icon on the management console, managers can interrogate a printer's model number, firmware version, configuration information, status information and complete network interface information, including description, firmware version, address, uptime and various network statistics.

Several printer events can be reported and acted upon. Events like paper out, paper jam, toner low, page punt, memory out, door open and paper output can trigger network alarms or even page the network manager.

Multi-Level Security

Sophisticated security capabilities built into both Workgroup Manager and Interconnect Manager allow network-level policies and device-level security to be set for HP's Hub Plus/24S secure 10Base-T hub. Using Workgroup Manager or Interconnect manager, the hub can be set to automatically disable a port when an unauthorized device or intruder is detected and/or inform one or more management stations of the intrusion attempt through a network management alarm. In addition, receipt of sensitive data can be restricted to only the intended recipient, providing information on a "need-to-know" basis. Such an eavesdrop-prevention-enabled port receives valid data packets only if the port's station address matches the packet's destination address. Otherwise, the port receives meaningless data. An authorized managers list containing up to 10 authorized network management stations' IP or IPX addresses controls which managers can manage and receive traps from particular devices. The security intrusion log shows intruder attempts at a port level as well as showing any unauthorized managers attempting to manage devices.

U.S. List Prices and Availability

HP 28686E Openview Workgroup Manager/Windows is available now for $2000. It requires a 20-megahertz, 80386-based IBM PC-compatible with 6 megabytes (MB) of extended memory (8 MB recommended), 10 MB of available hard disk space, VGA display adapter and monitor, 10Base-T (twisted-pair) or 10Base-2 (thin coax) adapter card, Microsoft Windows 3.1, MS-DOS version 3.3, 4.01 or 5.0 (recommended) and a Microsoft Windows-compatible mouse.

HP 27256E Openview Interconnect Manager/Windows is available now for $4000. It requires a 33-megahertz, 80386-based IBM PC-compatible with 8 MB of extended memory, 12 MB of available hard disk space, VGA display adapter and monitor, 10Base-T (twisted-pair) or 10Base-2 (thin coax) adapter card, Microsoft Windows 3.1, MS-DOS version 3.3, 4.01 or 5.0 (recommended) and a Microsoft Windows-compatible mouse.

HP provides a broad family of reliable, low-cost and easy-to-use EtherTwist networking products -- including managed hubs, bridges, routers, network interface cards and network-management software -- supporting a variety of networked environments, ranging from simple workgroups to advanced multisite configurations. HP EtherTwist networking-hardware and management-software products are compatible with a variety of hardware platforms including IBM-compatible PCs, Apple Macintosh computers, workstations from Sun Microsystems and Digital Equipment Corporation and HP business systems and servers.

# # #