Fast Track Open Agent Extends SNMP Management for Windows NT

Germantown, MD, October 23, 1995. Until now, network administrators who use
SNMP to manage their Windows NT servers have had to settle for the
inadequate SNMP agent provided by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT
package.

Fast Track Inc. has solved this problem with a new product, the Open Agent
for NT, an extended SNMP agent for Windows NT servers and workstations.
The Fast Track Open Agent makes management from a standard SNMP console a
reality. It offers features not previously available via SNMP for Windows
NT.

The Fast Track Open Agent works with all popular standard SNMP management
consoles including HP OpenView, Cabletron Spectrum, Solstice Enterprise
Manager/SunNet Manager, and IBM NetView/SystemView.

In addition to over 700 new performance data variables, the Fast Track Open
Agent provides network administrators with server trends, the ability to
view event logs, a remote diagnostic ping, and a comprehensive set of
traps which can be sent from NT servers to management consoles.

1. Expanded SNMP-Accessible Performance Statistics

The new product is ideal for heterogeneous networks. Its hundreds of
management variables permit network administrators access to raw data
statistics such as cache, services, disk, interface, paging, process,
queues, threads, and more. In addition, the Fast Track Open Agent for NT
allows network administrators to get information on hardware, such as CPU
type, CPU stepping, BIOS revision, Video BIOS revision, and physical RAM.

Via SNMP, network administrators can also get information on the network
operating system, such as the Windows NT version, revision, build number,
and any service packs installed. This capability provides configuration
information that is useful when attempting to diagnose problems or perform
an inventory.

2. Trends

With the Open Agent for NT, network administrators have access to
statistics that track trends over a period of time, such as averages for
system utilization, cache hits, and traffic.

3. Event Log Viewing

Network administrators can also access the event log through SNMP because
the Open Agent for NT allows remote event log viewing. From a remote SNMP
management console, the administrator can look at the System Event Log,
the Security Event Log, and the Application Event Log. The Event Log
contains information regarding critical or informational events on the
server.

4. Remote Ping

The Fast Track Open Agent provides NT administrators with the capability of
setting up a remote ping to allow an SNMP management station to tell an NT
server to ping an IP device. This feature is useful in diagnosing IP
routing and addressing problems in a large network.

5. Configurable Event Traps Provide Information Without Polling

As an alternative to polling, the Fast Track Open Agent for NT sends traps
to notify SNMP management stations of events that occur on the network.
For instance, administrators may want to know if a user logs in with the
wrong password or when a user logs out. Or, they may want to know about
such important events on the network as service crashes, application and
hardware failures, and system reboots.

The traps can be formatted, displayed, or acted upon by the management
console as set up by the administrator. A filtering mechanism allows
administrators to control the types of traps forwarded to the management
system.

How to get the Fast Track Open Agent for NT

The Open Agent for NT is available from either Fast Track or its worldwide
network of resellers. The software is priced at $495 per server (Qty-1).
It is shipping now. For more information, contact Fast Track Inc. at
301.990-1500. 13940 Esworthy Road, Germantown, MD 20874 USA. Fax:
301/977-5491. On the World Wide Web: http://www.ftinc.com/. On internet:
sales@ftinc.com.
 
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