VIP 7.1 Makes z/OS Network Monitoring Easier, More Efficient
Provides administrators of z/OS networks with real-time and historical monitoring of TCP/IP and HPR networks
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Software Diversified Services has released a new version of the Vital Signs IP Monitor (VIP) for z/OS mainframe networks. VIP 7.1 provides administrators of z/OS networks with real-time and historical monitoring of TCP/IP and HPR networks.
VIP 7.1 now consumes an absolute minimum of network and CPU overhead, while delivering the most thorough monitoring and diagnostic tools in the mainframe industry.
In VIP 7.1, users will see:
- A single sign-on for VIP support monitoring of multiple z/OS systems, even when those systems use different security databases.
- An all-new Remote Application Monitor that tracks the availability of any remote TCP server--including web servers -- with a minimum of network overhead. Administrators can receive immediate alerts to unreachable or unresponsive applications.
- The ability to define specific groups of z/OS systems any one user is interested in and to easily switch VIP displays from one group or another.
- TCP Client Monitoring that shows VIP users outgoing traffic (such as from TCP clients and database requests).
- VIP's tool for IP packet tracing, already the most productive packet trace tool in the mainframe world, has been improved to allow a trace to run indefinitely, making it much easier to track down fleeting, intermittent problems.
- VIP's tools for pinging, tracing routes, and monitoring remote hosts can now send TCP requests to specific ports, thus they more accurately report the state of the network as seen by production applications.
- Mouse-click on almost any IP address reported by VIP; VIP will immediately display the associated domain name. And vice-versa: click on a domain name; VIP will show you its IP address.
- For monitoring FTP, telnet, and TN3270, VIP's reliance on IBM's System Management Facility (SMF) has been entirely replaced with a newer, simpler, more efficient option, the Network Management Interface (NM API).
This latest version of VIP follows close on the heels of VIP 7.0, released in spring 2008. With that version, VIP introduced configuration and performance monitoring for SNA-HPR-Enterprise Extender networks and for TCP/IP Sysplex Distributors.
More information is available at www.sdsusa.com/vip.