Exploring Management Packs
| MOM would be ineffectual if all it did was blindly gather event log information. As any administrator can attest, some event logs and performance data, at first glance, appear serious but turn out to be something that can be safely ignored. Other times, innocuous-looking information events can be symptoms of critical underlying problems. The real value in MOM lies in its capability to intelligently process these data and provide proactive responses to defined threats. For example, if a specific event ID is understood to be associated with virtual memory fragmentation, MOM can be programmed to report this fact in advance and provide for an intelligent response and course of action to alleviate the issue. These preprogrammed intelligent responses are programmed into MOM management packs. Management packs are preconfigured rules that define how MOM processes incoming data from managed computers. Management packs also contain Knowledge Base information on the possible cause and resolutions of predetermined events. Out of the box, MOM includes a standard list of management packs that cover all critical Windows services, such as
Additional application management packs are also available from Microsoft. These management packs have been developed by the experts in their respective fields (such as Microsoft SQL and Microsoft Exchange 2000/2003). Like the standard management packs, the application management packs come with preconfigured rules and Knowledge Base information that help monitor and manage the applications running on Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003. Additional management packs are available from other vendors such as NetIQ, for a wide range of enterprise applications. The following is a list of application management packs available from Microsoft:
Microsoft is constantly updating and adding new management packs as part of the Microsoft Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI). These management packs can be downloaded from the Management Pack Catalog at http://www.microsoft.com/mom/downloads/managementpacks/default.asp. The latest versions of management packs should always be used, as they include many improvements and updates from the release code. In fact, the release code does not include the core management packs for Windows 2003 or Exchange 2003 on the CD. This makes it imperative to download the updated management packs. Other hardware and software vendors also create their own management packs with predefined rules, alerts, and actions. These vendors also include the knowledge about their products, helping network administrators to quickly resolve problems. In addition, administrators can create their own rules and alerts or customize existing ones. Legacy Management IntegrationNetwork management is not a new concept. Simple management of various network nodes has been handled for quite some time through the use of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Quite often, simple or even complex systems that utilize SNMP to provide for system monitoring are in place in an organization to provide for varying degrees of system management on a network. MOM can be configured to integrate with these network systems and management infrastructures. Special connectors can be created to provide bidirectional information flows to other management products. MOM can monitor SNMP traps from SNMP-supported devices as well as generate SNMP traps to be delivered to third-party network management infrastructures. In addition, MOM can also monitor live events on Unix systems using the syslog protocol. Extended Management PacksMOM was specifically developed to provide for the development and native utilization of multiple management pack snap-ins, known as Extended Management Packs (XMPs), within a MOM infrastructure. This provides for the flexibility to scale a MOM deployment to multiple specialized applications. For example, a specialized third-party database program can be monitored through the use of an XMP that is specifically designed to respond to criteria specific to that application, such as event IDs that indicate possible database corruption. Software and hardware developers can subsequently create their own management packs to extend MOM's management capabilities. XMPs extend MOM's management capabilities beyond Microsoft-specific applications. Each management pack is designed to contain a set of rules and product knowledge required to support its respective products. Currently, XMPs have been developed for the following products, with many more in development:
MOM Resource Kit ToolsMOM has several resource kits that are available that enhance the functionality for monitoring and managing a networking environment. Some of the tools include the following:
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EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 499