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November 1996 By Amy K. Larsen Router Management Tools: Up to the Task? A multiplicity of applications makes router management easier--but there's still a long way to go When America Online we nt offline last August, the nightly news led with the numbers: 6 million users stuck on the shoulder of the information highway and AOL out $3 million in service reimbursements. But the root cause of the crash--a misconfigured router--probably had some net managers suspecting an even bigger unmentioned problem: Router management tools that just aren't right for the job. Maybe things are about to change. There are 10 vendors now selling more sophisticated tools that could help net managers keep a tighter rein on routers--and perhaps prevent disasters like the one that befell AOL. With configuration, monitoring, trending, and modeling capabilities all being added, things look like they're getting better. Better--but hardly perfect. Router vendors still sell tools that are strictly proprietary, and whether they come from router vendors or third parties, the tools are hard to use. And even though added features are something to get excited about, there isn't a single product that can do it all. "Things are definitely improving," comments Thomas Martin, senior networking network engineer at Oxford Health Plans (Norwalk, Conn.). "But these applications still have enough pieces missing to make router management a little hazardous." Take the Good With the Bad With pessimism pervasive, it may seem out of place to start with the positives. But today's router management tools are different from their predecessors. For instance, some products feature configuration and change management, which makes it possible to set up routers (either individually, or as a group), validate the configurations, and automatically post software upgrades--all remotely. Others now have monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, which allow net managers to track router status, troubleshoot problems, and scrutinize network activity. There also are router management tools that feature trending capabilities, which means they can predict the future performance of the network based on past traffic usage patterns. Finally, some tools also can model different router configurations running different applications. This frees net managers from having to test them on the real-world production network. Now, with the good news out of the way, here are the real issues. First, router vendors are having a hard time turning out tools that work across different platforms. The reason is simple (and frustrating): They all take different approaches when it comes to how their routers should be monitored and configured. This can spell real trouble for net managers who use routers from more than one vendor. "We have a hodgepodge of routers and no single system to manage them," says Don Murtaugh, director of telecommunications at Electronic Payment Services Inc. (Wilmington, Del.), an electronic transaction processing company. "It's no way to run a business." So the company has decided to go with Cisco products wall to wall. This way, it can use the vendor's Ciscoworks product for managing all devices. Thus the first step in selecting a router management tool is to make sure it works with installed equipment. Unfortunately, all of the router vendors that are discussed in this story sell tools that work with their own hardware only (see Table 1). Table 1: A Selection of Router Management Tools Vendor Product Interoperability with other vendors’ products Configuration Single- or multiple-device configuration Real-time diagnostics Trending Modeling Management system integration Price Bay Networks Santa Clara, Calif. 408-988-2400 http://www.baynetworks.com Optivity Internetwork 7.1 Control Center No Yes Multiple Yes No No Netview, Openview, Optivity $5,995 Site Manager No Yes Single Yes No No Netview, Openview, Optivity $100 per router Cabletron Systems Inc. Rochester, N.H. 603-332-9400 http://www.ctron.com Enterprise Configuration Manager Yes; all router vendors Yes Multiple No No No Spectrum $10,000 Router management modules Yes; all router vendors No N/A Yes No No Spectrum $1,000 to $2,500 per management module Cisco Systems Inc. San Jose, Calif. 408-526-4000 http://www.cisco.com Ciscoworks No Yes Multiple Yes No No Netview, Openview, Sun Solstice, Sunnet Manager Unix, $9,995; standalone Windows version, $2,495 Concord Communications Inc. Marlborough, Mass. 508-460-4646 http://www.concord.com Network Health Switch/Router Yes; Bay, Cisco1 No N/A No Yes No Spectrum From $12,000 for a base system (supports 25 branch routers) Hewlett-Packard Co. Palo Alto, Calif. 415-857-1501 http://www.hp.com Routermanager No Yes Single Yes No No Openview $2,500 Make Systems Inc. Mountain View, Calif. 415-941-9800 http://www.makesystems.com Netmaker XA Yes; Bay, Cisco No N/A No No Yes None $25,000 Netsys Technologies Inc. Palo Alto, Calif. 415-833-7500 http://www.netsystech.com Enterprise/Solver Yes; Bay, Cisco No N/A No Yes Yes None $40,000 Stonybrook Software Inc. Bohemia, N.Y. 516-567-6060 http://www.sbrook.com Routermanager Yes; Bay, Cisco, Digital, Novell, 3Com Yes Multiple Yes Yes No Managewise, Netview, Openview, Polycenter, TME-10 Netview $1,995, plus $200 per router Intranet Manager Yes; Bay, Cisco, Digital, Novell, 3Com Yes Multiple Yes Yes No Managewise, Openview, Netview, Polycenter, TME-10 Netview $1,995, plus $200 per router 3Com Corp. Santa Clara, Calif. 408-764-5000 http://www.3com.com Netbuilder II No Yes Multiple No No No Netview for AIX, Openview, Sun Solstice, Transcend $795 Transcend No No N/A Yes No No Netview for AIX, Openview, Sun Solstice, Transcend $4,995 3DV Technology Inc. Nashua, N.H. 603-595-2200 http://www.dddv.com Router PM Yes; all router vendors2 No No No Yes No None 1 router, $2,500; 500 routers, $37,500 1. Can be modified to work with other products. 2. Extensions only for Cisco routers. N/A = Not applicable Of the third-party applications that work with products from multiple vendors, most--like the Router PM from 3DV Technology Inc. (Nashua, N.H.)--have vendor-specific SNMP MIB (management information base) extensions only for routers from Cisco Systems Inc. (San Jose, Calif.). (A MIB extension is a vendor-defined set of management variables specific to a particular device model.) This means it's possible to manage equipment from other vendors, but networkers won't be able to cull the detailed, product-specific information that router vendors build into their MIB extentions, suc h as a rundown of the protocols being routed through each interface. Intranet Manager from Stonybrook Software Inc. (Bohemia, N.Y.), on the other hand, works with products from router vendors Bay Networks Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.), Cisco, Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC, Maynard, Mass.), Novell Inc. (Orem, Utah), and 3Com Corp. (Santa Clara, Calif.). If net managers can get the interoperability issues sorted out to their satisfaction, then they can turn their attention to specific capabilities. But even here there are plenty of factors to keep in mind. Can it Configure? The first is configuration--and on this front there is something to be pleased about. All of the router vendors listed here include some type of remote configuration utility with their products. Third-party vendors Cabletron Systems Inc. (Rochester, N.H.) and Stonybrook also furnish remote configuration capabilities. But making sure the tools permit configuration is just the beginning; there also are configuration -specific issues that need to be looked into. For instance, what does the user interface look like? Are there preprogrammed command sequences that make setup faster? Can a configuration be stored and downloaded to other routers? Also, can configurations be verified as valid? And does the tool permit distribution of software upgrades? Considering the hundreds of commands required to set up a router and specify the SNMP MIBs, net managers need to know what kind of interface comes with the product. At one time, all tools used command-line interfaces--and they're still the most popular type. But they can be hard to use, and net management novices might find them especially trying. Perhaps it's not so surprising, then, that graphical and menu-based interfaces have emerged as alternatives. Bay, for instance, incorporates a menu-based interface in its Site Manager tool. But new-and-improved isn't generating rave reviews among corporate networkers. Simplified interfaces make sense for the lower-end pr oducts, but some net managers say they're not so easy to use with high-end routers, which have more complicated setups. "We've looked at configuration applications that use interfaces that are supposed to be more user-friendly," says Oxford's Martin. "But I actually think they turn out to be more of a hassle than a command-line app." After evaluating the interface, it pays to see what kind of options are available for making setup faster. Some vendors include preformatted router tables with their configuration software, such as Bay with its Site Manager and Cabletron with its Enterprise Configuration Manager (ECM). Setup speed is just one benefit of preformatted tables: Since the number of steps needed to configure a router is reduced, there's less chance of misconfiguration. "A lot of issues can lead to a problematic router configuration," says Bill Tracey, director of advanced development for Cabletron's Spectrum management system. "But the biggest single cause of misconfigurations is human error." Some products have configuration management software that lets networkers set up multiple routers by copying configuration files. (All but Bay's Site Manager, Cabletron's ECM, and HP's Routermanager have this feature.) Net managers define templates and then store configuration information to be downloaded later to other routers. The template has more than basic setup information--it also includes the attributes of the routers that need to be managed. Some vendors, like Cisco, have automated this function so that net managers can actually schedule configurations in advance. The end result? Faster setup. Most configuration applications also let net managers verify that a configuration is valid before the router is added to the network. Some, like 3Com's Netbuilder II, check configuration every step of the way: After each command is received, it is either approved or rejected. The big benefit here is that net managers don't have to start the configuration process from scratch if they make an error. Cabletron takes things a step further. Its ECM comes with a database in which router connection information can be stored. When a router change is made, it's automatically entered into this repository. Net managers can then tap into the database to validate connections. If a router connection is incorrect, an alarm is sent to the ECM console. As of now, there's no way to automatically correct the misconfiguration or shut down the router, but Tracey says at least one customer has written a script with Spectrum APIs (application program interfaces) that permits it. It's not just at initial setup that misconfigurations are made. Even routine maintenance and software upgrades can spell trouble. Bay's Optivity Internetwork Control Center 7.1 is built with this in mind: It can keep track of the specific code each router is running. This can be very helpful if only certain routers need an upgrade--the Bay product splits the network into domains so that only the appropriate routers are targ eted. It also sets up in advance a date for new router code to be distributed among devices. These updates thus are made all at the same time, minimizing the possibility that routers will get the wrong code. Judging from the opinions of many net managers, however, it's debatable whether these new features and capabilities actually qualify as advances. "Writing our own utility turned out to be the simplest way to make configuration changes," says Thomas Petroskey, a staff systems analyst with network services at Inland Steel Corp. (East Chicago, Ind.). Inland Steel uses a customized application running on a TFTP (trivial file transfer protocol) server to download configurations to its 75 Cisco 4000 and 7000 routers. Looking for Trouble Getting routers up and running tends to be the hard part, but after net managers put configuration behind them they still need a way to monitor the devices. There are 11 products with software that features some sort of tracking capability, ranging from real-time router troubleshooting to the collection of router statistics over time (or "trending"). Some also can import statistics having to do with other network devices like hubs or switches. Further, eight of those products have real-time device diagnostics as a feature, but the extent of these capabilities varies. While all eight check parameters like processor utilization and memory errors by collecting information from SNMP agents embedded in the router, only a few can trace a problem to its root cause. Bay's Optivity Internetwork, Cisco's Ciscoworks, Cabletron's Router Management modules, and HP's Routermanager fall into this category. Most net managers also would like to keep tabs on the status of the routers' internal components. But only Cabletron's router management modules offer them a way to get this information: These tools have graphical interfaces that show different pieces of the device. On the downside, net managers who choose the Cabletron modules will also have to use the vendor's Spectrum management platform. While router management tools vary in terms of diagnostics, they're all equally weak when it comes to issuing automated fixes for router snafus. Some vendors have an explanation for this. "We've found most users would rather telnet into the device to correct any problems rather than trust a management system to provide an automated response," says Deborah Davis, a product specialist for network management at Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP, Palo Alto, Calif.). These tools also come up short in filtering out unnecessary management information. Basically, they provide too much data--and the last thing busy net managers need are alerts for countless minor performance problems. "You really have to be careful about how many MIB variables you specify," says Murtaugh of Electronic Payment Systems. "Pick out only the 'need to have,' not the 'nice to have.' Also, separate the attributes to be monitored from those you want to troubleshoot." As for monitorin g devices over time, there are three products net managers can choose from: Network Health Router/Switch from Concord Communications Inc. (Marlborough, Mass.), Intranet Manager from Stonybrook, and Router PM from 3DV. These tools compile device statistics and traffic information, then trend that data to build reports on network conditions. The principle here is simple: Gather historical information and use it to forecast potential problems. Say, for instance, utilization of a given link has been increasing at a rate of 10 percent a month. These products will use that data to determine when the speed of the line will have to be increased. "One of the key things Router PM does is report specifics on exception conditions," Oxford Health's Martin. "If, for example, we want to see how often CPU utilization creeps above 50 percent and what the traffic conditions are like at the time, Router PM will write a report." From that information, net managers can identify those places where the gear can't handle the traffic. The length of time over which these products collect data varies from 90 days (Stonybrook's Intranet Manager) to 70 weeks (Concord's Network Health). All three rely on RMON 2 probes to collect application traffic information, and all three can access Cisco-specific MIB extensions to build a case history. The Concord and Stonybrook tools also can retrieve data from Bay-specific MIBs. Finally, the Concord tool picks up traffic reports from the vendor's proprietary Trakker software and from the Distributed Sniffer standalone network analyzer from Network General Corp. (Menlo Park, Calif.). Trending applications do have a drawback, however. Namely, they require net managers to sort through all the information that's gathered, a task that takes time out from day-to-day troubleshooting. That's led some companies not to use trending software--even if they have it installed. Steel manufacturer Allegheny Ludlum Corp. (Pittsburgh) is a case in point. "We have Intranet Manager to trend performa nce stats," says Kristin Fontana, network management specialist. "But we really can't spare the staff to use the application to its fullest potential." So, are any major changes on the way in terms of monitoring? Maybe: Some vendors have made noise about adding Web-based reporting functions. Net managers could then use a browser to access status reports remotely. Still, those same vendors--citing security concerns--aren't as eager to include much in the way of configuration management. Avoiding Future Shock Testing out major network changes before implementing them makes perfect sense, and that's exactly the idea behind modeling applications. Two of the products have modeling capabilities: the Netmaker XA from Make Systems Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.) and the Enterprise/Solver from Netsys Technologies Inc. (Palo Alto, Calif.) gather statistics from the network to spot performance trends and then use the data to see how future configurations, applications, and equipment might work. Bo th also make use of data collected from RMON probes and protocol analyzers. The Enterprise/Solver imports actual Cisco router tables to simulate device configurations. Netmaker XA, meanwhile, has a mechanism for checking service level agreements against actual usage. For instance, the application can look at the CIR (committed information rate) for a frame relay connection and compare that against actual utilization. Trouble is, net managers who use Netmaker XA will have to enter the information manually. Still, modeling capabilities are really no easier to implement than any of the other monitoring features. For instance, Oxford had four routers three years ago, and today it has 40. Did the company spend the intervening time testing a grand networking scheme? Hardly, according to Martin, who says the routers went in one at a time as the organization grew. "We've given some thought to trying out a simulation tool," Martin says. "But they still require too much manual input." One possib le solution is to tie other router monitoring applications to modeling apps so that topology information can be fed directly into the simulation package. Vendors that offer diagnostic and trending applications, like Cabletron and 3Com, are looking into the possibility of partnering with vendors that specialize in the modeling end of things. Integration problems go beyond the tying together of various monitoring applications. It's also difficult to use the router management tools themselves with any kind of network management product. With the exception of Cabletron's ECM and management modules (the use of which requires Spectrum) and HP's Router Manager (which runs on the vendor's Openview platform), other router management tools offer only minimal integration--typically menu-level, and even then the breadth of platform support is limited. Ciscoworks stands out in that it has an icon that can be launched from a Solstice map; it also boasts command-line integration with Netview and with HP's Netmetrix RMON application. The Bottom Line Prices for router configuration and management tools run the gamut from $100 per router (Bay's Site Manager) to $40,000 for a full Netsys system. While fewer functions may make for a lower price, higher prices might not be an indicator of more features. Although some router management tools boast those eye-popping trending and simulation capabilities, there is some debate as to just how functional they are. Corporate networkers should also be aware that products like Concord's Network Health require the addition of third-party data collection devices. And anyone interested in using Cabletron's ECM and management modules will have to shell out another $15,000 for Spectrum. There's one final thing to keep in mind. Because no single tool can cover the range of router management from configuration to modeling to trending, multiple products will have to be used. Thus the router management problem comes full circle: Not only does the use of differe nt tools result in more money spent, but also it leads right back to interoperbility problems. Amy K. Larsen is LANs/ network management editor for Data Communications. She can be reached at alarsen@data.com. 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