ManageEngine previewed real-time, layer 2 (L2) topology mapping capabilities in OpManager, its network performance management and data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software.
The new feature helps IT teams in large enterprises and data centers visualize complex networks by automatically mapping the relationships between network devices, physical and virtual servers, and storage devices.
ManageEngine is demonstrating the new map features in OpManager and exhibiting the rest of its IT management portfolio in booth 2410 at VMworld 2013, which continues through August 29 at Moscone Center in San Francisco. The company is also demonstrating just-announced upgrades for Site24x7, the cloud infrastructure monitoring service, and for Applications Manager, the application performance monitoring solution.
IT teams often use flow chart software and other general purpose tools to create topology maps that help the teams understand how their network is interconnected. However, using general purpose tools turns map drawing into a manual, time consuming process for enterprises with thousands of network devices to manage. Administrators must add each device to the map individually, and the resulting maps are static and do not show the real-time status of the devices.
"By the time you finish drawing your network in Visio, you know that it’s already out of date; such is the dynamic nature of modern, large enterprise networks that span thousands of devices," said Dev Anand, director of product management at ManageEngine. "When you throw virtualization into this equation, it gets even messier. That’s why OpManager now provides L2 maps that show device relationships and status in real time, so IT teams know what the network looks like right now."
OpManager draws its L2 topology maps automatically, leveraging its new, L2 discovery option to capture all network devices, including routers, switches, physical servers, storage devices and virtual machines. The new L2 maps not only display device interconnections but also show device status in real time via color codes.
In addition to the first level of network devices connected to the core router or seed device, OpManager’s new maps show second- and third-level up to servers. OpManager’s periodic rediscovery option keeps the map up to date by revising the map with any devices that have been recently added to the network.
Armed with the advanced L2 maps, OpManager now automatically configures the device dependencies to help IT pros avoid wasting time responding to false alarms. For example, if a switch goes down - taking down the 48 servers connected to that switch - OpManager raises a single alarm for both the switch and the 48 dependent devices. In contrast, a monitoring solution without automatic dependency mapping will raise 49 alarms, one alarm for the switch and 48 false alarms for the servers.
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Live demo of real-time L2 topology maps
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