Windows Server Monitoring and Event Log Management Solutions
September 7, 2011 - Volume 6, Number 9 |
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Vote for ELM in the Community Choice Awards! August Curiosity Poll Results - What Version of Exchange? September Curiosity Poll - Tablets in the Workplace ELM 411 - Best Agent for the Job 100%
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Contact Us: Phone: 360-546-0878 |
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Vote for ELM in the Community Choice Awards!
Today is the last day! If you haven't already done so we'd sure appreciate your help! We made it into three different categories in the Windows IT Pro - Best IT Products and Services of 2011 - Community Choice voting and we'd like to ask for your vote. Simply click on the "Vote Now" link below and vote for TNT Software in each of the following categories: 3) Best Auditing and Compliance Product (ELM Enterprise Manager) 25) Best Systems Monitoring Product (ELM Enterprise Manager) 30) Best Vendor Tech Support (TNT Software) |
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Last Chance So Vote today!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/windowsitpro-communitychoice2011-finalvoting
August Curiosity Poll Results - What Version of Exchange?
Microsoft Exchange remains a dominant player in business messaging software platforms (think email, calendars, contacts, etc), and like their OS's there are still a number of versions in use, old and new. So last month we asked again...
What version of Microsoft Exchange does your company use?
As of the publishing of this newsletter, here's what respondents had to say.
We asked this same question about two years ago and you can see those results below. MS Exchange 2003 still appears to be the dominant version, while 2007 actually lost ground. Possibly because some migrated directly from 2003 to 2010? We can only speculate...
September Curiosity Poll - Tablets in the Workplace
You see people carrying them around like the old days of the "dayplanner" - at soccer practice, school, camping, restaurants, just about anywhere. Are they useful in the workplace as well? Good question - let's see if we can find out!
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The "ELM 411" - Best Agent for the Job
ELM provides great flexibility and scalability for collecting a variety of health, status and event data from numerous systems. This can be accomplished with different types of agents, however there are certain limitations in the monitoring capabilities of agents you should be aware of when planning your deployment or adding on to an existing installation. In addition to monitoring capabilities, there are other performance factors to consider when either a service agent or virtual agent could be utilized to perform the same monitoring function.
Service Agents
A Service Agent is an executable (TNTAgent.exe) with companion files. The TNTAgent.exe process is installed as the TNT Agent service on the monitored computer. It communicates with an ELM Server via TCP sockets and all communications are encrypted and authenticated. Service Agents can be installed on Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. All Monitor Items assigned to a Service Agent are executed within the TNTAgent.exe process (except Agent Monitor, Exchange Monitor & Ping Monitor). Only Service Agents can monitor systems in real-time.
Pros
- Distributes some of the CPU cycles required to monitor the computer to the computer being monitored. The amount of CPU used by a Service Agent depends on the configured monitor items and their scheduled intervals, and the amount of data to be collected.
- Provides system-level caching. If the ELM Server or network between the ELM Server and Agent computer is unavailable, the Agent process will cache data to the Agent's local disk drive, then transmit the data when connectivity is restored.
- Provides user defined parameters for setting minimum and maximum cache size and file location.
- Provides single TCP socket port connectivity to the ELM Server, which is necessary if a firewall separates the ELM Server and Agent computer.
- Less network bandwidth is required for communication between the ELM Server and the Service agent on the monitored computer.
- ELM Server service account must have administrative privileges for only one task (Agent Monitor auto-restart).
Cons
- Adds overhead to the monitored system.
- Service Agents must be updated when upgrading ELM.
Virtual Agents
A Virtual Agent provides remote monitoring. No software is installed on the monitored system. Virtual Agents can be used to monitor Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 computers. All Monitor Items assigned to a Virtual Agent are executed within the ELM Server process running on the ELM Server computer. Many of them use RPC Win32 API calls and therefore require RPC and NetBIOS connectivity between the ELM Server and the Agent.
Pros
- Uses less processor CPU on the monitored computer.
- No software is installed on the monitored computer.
Cons
- Higher network overhead due to authentication, encryption, and other RPC functions.
- RPC and NetBIOS dependency make them firewall unfriendly
- Because Virtual Agents must run at scheduled intervals, Virtual Agents cannot be monitored in real-time.
- ELM Server service account requires administrative rights on all monitored computers.
IP Virtual Agents
IP Virtual Agents provide remote monitoring of internet services.
Pros
- Low cost monitoring of internet services, syslog, and snmp
Cons
- Monitoring is limited to certain features
- Typically require longer scheduled intervals
The table below demonstrates the capabilities of each type agent in relation to the monitoring function.
| ELM 6.0 and 5.5 Monitor Type |
Service Agent |
Virtual Agent |
IP Virtual Agent |
| Agent Monitor |  |
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| Cluster Monitor | |
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| ELM Server Monitor | |
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| Event Alarm | |
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| Event Collector | |
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| Event File Collector | |
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| Exchange Monitor | |
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| File Monitor | |
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| FTP Monitor |
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| IIS Monitor | |
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| Inventory Collector | |
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| Link Monitor | |
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| Performance Alarm | |
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| Performance Collector | |
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| Ping Monitor |
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| POP3 Monitor |
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| Process Monitor |
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| Service Monitor |
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| SMTP Monitor |
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| SNMP Alarm |
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| SNMP Collector |
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| SNMP Receiver | |
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| Syslog Receiver | |
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| SQL Server Monitor | |
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| TCP Port Monitor | |
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| Web Page Monitor | |
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| Windows Configuration Monitor | |
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| WMI Monitor | |
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Note: Certain monitoring functions can also be run at the ELM Server.
As always, if you have any questions regarding the best agent for the job for monitoring your systems, do not hesitate to contact TNT Software. We're more than happy to guide you through the process and provide best practice recommendations to aid in your decision making.
We hope that you found this article informative and wish you continued success with your ELM deployment!
NOTE: All ELM 411 articles are written based on ELM Enterprise Manager Version 6.0 and instructions may not be accurate for previous ELM Versions. If you would like assistance upgrading to ELM 6.0 so you can use these tips - please contact support@tntsoftware.com.
Share your own ELM tips!
Have a tip or trick with our ELM products you'd like to share with our newsletter subscribers? Send your ideas and any applicable screen shots to info@tntsoftware.com with "ELM 411" in the subject line. We'll take a look and if usable you'll see it published here in the ELM 411 section of upcoming newsletters!
As you've seen in the headlines, Steve Jobs has officially resigned from Apple as CEO. Whether you liked or disliked the man, he definitely made an impact on the world of technology. Here's a look back at his career with Apple.
| 1976 Apple Formed |
Together with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne (only briefly), Jobs would help to create the Apple II, one of the first truly personal computers. (The Apple I was a homemade product, and only 200 units were ever built.) In the age of Commodore 64s and IBM PCs, the Apple II would become a force to be reckoned with. |
| 1977 Apple, Inc. is formed |
Apple is incorporated as Apple Computer Inc. and the new company buys out the original partnership. |
| 1980 Apple IPO |
Apple goes public, share price jumps from $22 to $29 on the first day of trading. |
| 1983 John Sculley hired as CEO |
"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?" With that question, Jobs found a "proper" CEO for Apple Computer ... and sealed his own downfall, nearly taking Apple along with him. The idea that Steve Jobs would make a great CEO was not something that appears to have occurred to Apple's board, or possibly even Steve Jobs, back then. |
| 1984 The first Macintosh |
"See why 1984 won't be like 1984." The Super Bowl ad airs, and soon afterwards the first modern computer ever made is seen on store shelves. All the pieces are there; a mouse, a hard drive, and a point and click interface. As head of the company's Macintosh division, Steve Jobs has just made his mark on the world. |
| 1985 Fired from Apple |
The sugar water seller's sensibilities prevail over those of the creator of the Macintosh. Steve Jobs is axed, and spends the next decade or so doing trivial stuff. Like, say, founding Pixar, and leading a skunkworks project at NeXTSTEP that would eventually become Mac OS X. |
| 1997 The Return to Apple |
Apple's stock is tanking, its Macs aren't selling, and Michael Dell just called for it to shut down. But Apple's purchase of NeXTSTEP is the first, well, step to putting Steve Jobs in charge. He immediately shuts down unprofitable and unfocused parts of the company, and puts all of its energies into making the next generation of computers, starting with the iMac. |
| 1998 The Comeback |
Apple releases the all-in-one iMac, which sells millions of units, financially reviving the company and boosting its share price by 400 percent. IMac wins the Gold Award from British Design and Art Direction. Vogue calls it "one of Spring's hottest fashion statements," and Business Week says it is "one of the century's lasting images." Apple returns to profitability and records four profitable quarters in a row. |
| 2004 Health Problems |
In August, Jobs is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and undergoes surgery. He recovers and returns to work in September. |
| 2007 The iPhone |
Ten years of innovation and iPod-making lead up to the most powerful handheld computer ever made. But more than that, it's the most fun, and the easiest to use. Nearly every smartphone ever made afterward will bear more than a superficial resemblance to it. |
| 2009 Speculation |
In early January Jobs says his dramatic weight loss was caused by a hormone imbalance. He says the condition would not hinder his abilities to function as CEO. Around a week later Jobs says he will take a leave of absence from Apple until June because his medical condition had changed. He does not disclose his ailment. COO Tim Cook will handle Apple's day-to-day operations during Jobs' recovery period. Apple says Jobs will be involved with major strategic decisions. The Wall Street Journal reports that Jobs underwent a liver transplant. A Tennessee hospital later releases a statement confirming the operation. Jobs returns to work in June. |
| 2010 The iPad |
The "post-PC era" arrives. Netbook sales growth immediately levels off. Apple's "magical" tablet can't be kept on store shelves. Companies like HP will try, and fail, to create their own tablets in the coming years. Their failures are harbingers of things to come. |
| 2011 The Resignation |
January - Apple announces Jobs is taking a medical leave of absence, without specifying a reason for the leave or how long he'd be away. Questions are raised about the severity of Jobs' health problems, and its impact on the company's stock, product development and business operations. While still on leave, Jobs appears at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco to introduce the iCloud and iOS 5. A few days later, Jobs appears in front of the Cupertino City Council with a proposal to build a spaceship-like campus in the city. Jobs steps down as Apple's CEO, saying he can "no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO." Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook assumes the CEO title. Jobs remains at Apple as chairman of the board.
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| So long, Steve Jobs. We'll miss you. But judging from how Apple's handled the transition, you've done a good job making something that'll last longer than your tenure at its helm. | |
Sources: CNN, Wikipedia, Yahoo, PCWorld
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