Malibu, CA Ð A set of programs have been released that implement the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and are sure to ease the management of large NeXT networks, according to Errol Ginsberg, president of Ridgeback Solutions, a new NeXT developer in Southern California.
SNMP Agent is Ridgeback Solution's new program that allows real-time remote monitoring of log-ins and log-outs throughout a local-area network. The system will also report swapfile size, available disk space, and the status of applications on each NeXTstation. Because SNMP Agent uses the standard SNMP protocol, the status of NeXT workstations can be viewed in commonly available network-management programs such as Sun Microsystem's SunNet Monitor or Hewlett Packard's Openview application, Ginsberg said.
For NeXT-only sites, Ridgeback is offering ServerWatch, a NeXTSTEP application that displays icons for up to 20 NeXTstations and allows monitoring of the information provided by SNMP Agent.
The standards-based approach is important for companies that wish to have an overall network-management strategy, said Ginsberg. Future versions of ServerWatch will probably include provisions for third-party add-on modules, he added.
Ridgeback's first big installation will be Phibro Energy, which will monitor its network of NeXTstations with a Sun workstation running SunNet Monitor, said Jonathan Fields, MIS manager for the Connecticut-based resources-trading firm.
SNMP agent costs $120 per workstation. ServerWatch comes bundled with purchases of ten or more copies of SNMP Agent. SunNet and Openview extensions cost $1000 per network-management console.
Ridgeback can be reached at 310/456-6094.