WhatsUp Gold can notify administrators of problems through e-mail, text-capable pager or beeper. The product doesn't monitor server processes on Windows NT or any other platform. It also includes ping, port scanning and throughput utilities. Its quick and accurate discovery process and its informative status and availability charts are WhatsUp Gold's strong suits. WhatsUp Gold tracks SMTP, HTTP, DNS, FTP, Post Office Protocol 3, IMAP, telnet and other common services. Rather, it performs a simple poll of the network via SNMP to capture device status information. WhatsUp Gold doesn't offer graphical point-and-click drilling down into MIBs, nor does it give you usage baselines for devices. The supplied SNMP Manage-ment Information Base (MIB) browser is almost rudimentary. CONS: No server-level monitoring can only read documentation while connected to Dartware's Web site. PROS: Excellent awareness of Apple-based network devices. CONS: No server-level monitoring no corrective actions.ĬOMPANY: Dartware(603) 643-2268 - COST: Starts at $295 for 10-node network. PROS: Accurate discovery of devices useful status charts. The network mapping process used SmartScan's hierarchical connectivity data to create separate mapss for each subnet instead of drawing a single map containing all devices.ĬOMPANY: Ipswitch(781) 676-5700 - COST: $695 per server. We were especially keen on WhatsUp Gold's autodiscovery function, called SmartScan, which used router tables to identify our network segments during the monitoring process. Like InterMapper - and unlike the other products we reviewed - WhatsUp Gold monitors the network rather than a particular operating system. WhatsUp Gold has come a long way from its simple beginnings as a freeware download, but it retains its simple and uncluttered nature. You'll need an Internet connection and browser whenever you want to refer to it. Unfortunately, the all-too-brief documentation is entirely online at Dartware's Web site. Each customizable Web page is essentially a server-side script containing HTML statements and variables whose values you can set. By creating templates for the Web pages InterMapper displays, we were able to tailor its appearance to our liking. It presents a typical Macintosh interface that's easy to navigate, and it also offers a Web-based interface with customizable Web pages. InterMapper can also log the data for later export into a database program (such as FileMaker Pro) for further analysis. The overlaid image is termed a "strip chart," and it appears as a floating window linked to the map on which the network device exists. In addition to producing an SNMP-based map of the network, InterMapper can overlay the map with the history of one or more variables, such as switch or router availability. InterMapper can't restart programs, launch repair utilities or update relational databases with SQL. For corrective action, it can cycle power through a PowerKey Pro unit (a remote-control type of power strip) to rather forcefully reboot a Macintosh server. InterMapper can notify administrators of problems through e-mail, pager, AppleEvent or SNMP alert. Based on the hierarchical order in which the devices are discovered, InterMapper creates a map showing their connections. The SNMP requests InterMapper sends out include DNS server, User Datagram Protocol (UDP) Listener, Real Time Streaming Protocol, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, RADIUS, KeyServer, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, APC Uninterruptible Power Supply, Network Time Protocol (NTP), HTTP Proxy, HTTP Post, 4D Server and FileMaker Pro. Starting at a particular DNS name or IP address, InterMapper uses a combination of SNMP polls, IP pings, AppleTalk echo packets and Domain Name System (DNS) and Name Binding Protocol (NBP) queries to discover network devices. It's appropriate for AppleTalk-based networks consisting entirely or almost entirely of Macintosh computers. If you don't use Windows NT or you're really only interested in network monitoring rather than operating system monitoring, Dartware's InterMapper 3.0 or Ipswitch's WhatsUp Gold 5.0 might be just the ticket.ĭartware's InterMapper is a Macintosh-based tool that monitors a network for device status and availability.
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