Hewlett-Packard Co has launched two Windows-based local network management packages which it claims are particularly easy to use. The OpenView Workgroup Manager for Windows and the OpenView Interconnect Manager for Windows automate common management tasks and provide graphical control of network devices. Workgroup Manager provides workgroup-level network management for hubs, printers, personal computers and workstations. The product automatically discovers what is on the network – right down to identifying personal computers and printers – and then automatically draws a hierarchical network map. It can be scheduled to check all network devices automatically at specified times. Network managers can monitor and control Hewlett-Packard Ethertwist hubs as well as monitoring SDNMP/IP or IPX devices, and can also browse Management Interface Bases from Hewlett-Packard and other vendors. Interconnect Manager is designed for larger and more complex networks. It includes all the features of Workgroup Manager, while also controlling and monitoring bridges and routers, adding real-time trend analysis capabilities and performing router configuration. It also includes the company’s Resource Manager for MS-DOS. Workgroup Manager costs UKP1,400, while Interconnect Manager is UKP2,800; both are available now.
