| ★ wanayoo — archive 1999 http://data.com/roundups/tools.html | Nouvelle recherche | Portail wanayoo |
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vendor | Product | Category | Compatible databases | SQL decodes | Real-time analysis | Graphical presentation | Trend analysis | Scalability | Protocols | Measures application- response time | User-by-user breakdown | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Astratek Inc. New York 212-250-2948 http://www.astratek.com |
Visual LAN Probe for Sybase 1.0 | Software agent | Microsoft SQL Server; Oracle, Sybase, planned 1Q97 | Yes | No | No | No | 1 agent per server; 20 agents maximum per network | Microsoft SMB, TCP/IP; IPX/SPX planned 1Q97 | Yes | Yes | $995 for 1 agent and management console |
|
Axon Networks Inc. Newton, Mass. 617-630-9600 http://www.3com.com |
Traffix Manager 1.1 | RMON 2 probe | Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 probe per LAN segment; unlimited probes per network | Appletalk, DECnet, IPX/SPX, SNA,TCP/IP | No; planned for 1Q97 | No | $8,000 for a three-user license for management console; probes cost $3,295 each |
|
Bay Networks Inc. Santa Clara, Calif. 408-988-2400 http://www.baynetworks.com |
Optivity Onsite 2.2 | RMON 2 Probe | Informix, Oracle, Sybase | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 probe per LAN segment; unlimited probes per network | Appletalk, Banyan Vines, DECnet, IPX/SPX, OSI, SNA, and XNS | No; planned for 1Q97 | No | Starts at $5,995 for single-user license for management console; probes cost $3,000 each |
|
BMC Software Houston 713-918-8800 http://www.bmc.com |
BMC Patrol 3.1 | Software agent | Computer Associates Openingres, IBM DB2, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, Object Design Objectstore, Oracle, Sybase | No | No | Yes | Yes | 1 agent per database server; unlimited agents per network | TCP/IP | No | No | 10-server license ranges from $25,000 to $30,000, includes management console |
|
Compuware Corp. Farmington Hills, Mich. 810-737-7300 http://www.compuware.com |
Econet 2.0 | Software agent | IBM DB2, Oracle | No | No | Yes | Yes | 1 agent per server; 20 agents maximum per network | Appletalk, Banyan Vines, DECnet, IPX/SPX, SNA, TCP/IP, XNS | Yes | Yes | $16,380 for management console software and 6 agents |
|
Frontier Software Development Inc. Chelmsford, Mass. 508-244-4000 http://www.frontier.com |
Netscout Manager Plus 4.0 | RMON 2 probe | Oracle, Sybase; Informix planned for 4Q96 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 probe per LAN segment; unlimited probes per network | Appletalk, Banyan Vines, DECnet, IPX/SPX, SNA, TCP/IP, and XNS | No | No | $8,995 for management console; probes cost $3,000 each |
|
Network General Corp. Menlo Park, Calif. 415-473-2000 http://www.ngc.com |
Expert Sniffer 5.0 | Network analyzer | Oracle, Sybase | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 1 per LAN segment | Appletalk, APPN, DECnet, SNA, TCP/IP | Yes | No | Expert Sniffer 5.0 costs $9,995; module costs $2,995 |
|
Platinum Technology Inc. Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. 708-620-5000 http://www.platinum.com |
Enterprise Performance Management Console 3.02 | Software agent | IBM DB2, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 agent per database server; unlimited agents per network | Appletalk, DECnet, IPX/SPX, Microsoft SMB, SNA, TCP/IP | Yes | No | Prices depend on of number and speed server CPU, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 (includes management console) |
| SQL = Structured query language | SMB = Server Message Block | |||||||||||
Making sense of SQL troubleshooting tools can be tricky, so begin with the basics. Does the product support the databases deployed on the network? Then decide how detailed a view is needed, and be sure to consider overhead: Ironically enough, some tools can contribute to the bandwidth crunch they're supposed to help cure. Also take a look at how the product pr esents its data, and find out if it tracks long-term trends. And don't forget scalability--a real worry for net managers who need to keep tabs on hundreds of subnets.
There's more: Some products measure how quickly a database responds to a client request. Others offer a breakdown of exactly how much bandwidth each end-user consumes during a client-server session. And price, as always, is a big question--especially when some products start at $1,000 and others sell for $50,000.
One thing's certain: Client-server bottlenecks are only going to get worse. Companies typically double the amount of info stored in their databases every 12 to 18 months, and end-user demand is on the rise. So it's not hard to see how network bandwidth can get real lean real fast.
It's important not to confuse SQL troubleshooting tools with the administrative utilities that are either bundled with databases or sold as add-ons. Those products check to see how quickly database inquiries are handled. But they don't take into account the affect that SQL calls have on the network.
It's a not a question of one or the other. "Businesses need to use both tools to get the real picture," says John McConnell, president of McConnell Consulting Inc. (Boulder, Colo.).
Before trying to pick an SQL troubleshooting tool, corporate networkers should get a feel for what each type of tool does (see Figure 1). Here's a quick overview:
|
SQL troubleshooting tools are complex, but at least one aspect of the evaluation process is a no-brainer: Make sure the tool works with the SQL databases deployed on the enterprise.
True, SQL is a standard. But database vendors love to add proprietary features to their products. For instance, SQL*Net from Oracle Corp. (R edwood Shores, Calif.), implements a special transport layer called Transparent Network Substrate (TNS) as part of its messaging structure. Similarly, SQL Server from Sybase Inc. (Emeryville, Calif.) uses Tabular Data Stream (TDS). What this means is that an SQL troubleshooting tool that works with one database may not work with another.
All the tools discussed in this article can delve into SQL calls issued by Sybase databases. All except Astratek's Visual LAN Probe work with Oracle calls, and Astratek says it will add Oracle in the first quarter of 1997. BMC's Patrol Version 3.1 plays with seven databases, including DB2/6000 from IBM and SQL Server from Microsoft Corp. (Redmond, Wash.).
So much for the easy bit. Net managers also need to decide how deep into SQL transactions they want to peer. Astratek is the only vendor that reassembles SQL requests into the originating API (application program interface) calls. That allows net managers to see exactly which calls are generating the most tra ffic. Network General also decodes SQL calls but doesn't translate them back into APIs. That means net managers can view individual database transactions, but they can't get more detailed information--such as which calls were initiated by the client and which were sent by the server. The other troubleshooting tools can identify SQL traffic but can't decode it. Thus, these tools only make it possible to view SQL as a percentage of network traffic.
Net managers who want to keep their apps clipping along need to design with client-server in mind (see Streamlining SQL Calls ). They also must make sure that SQL troubleshooting tools don't add to the burden already loaded onto the network. For example, RMON 2 probes send a continuous stream of packets filled with information about application activity across the net to a central console. That process can increase overall traffic on subnets by as much as 10 percent. Software agents do someth ing similar, but in this case they gather data, preprocess it, and then wait for a user-defined period before sending it to a central console. That helps hold down network overhead. Network General's Sniffer eliminates overhead by doing all the decoding and correlating itself: Nothing has to be sent over the network. It's worth noting that both RMON 2 probes and Network General's analyzer offer a significant advantage: real-time analysis. That's something software agents, with their offline store-and-forward approach, can't match.
Detailed information about SQL apps isn't going to do net managers much good if they have trouble interpreting what they've got. Two factors should be considered: Can the troubleshooting tool display and present information in a graphical format? And can it perform long-term trend analyses?
Graphical presentations help net managers size up problems at a glance. And both features come in very handy when trying to sell CFOs and other corpo rate types on the need for new networking gear. A color-coded pie chart that reveals which clients and servers generate the most traffic is going to be a lot more convincing than a printout of SQL calls. Similarly, a trend report that shows how traffic is climbing month by month can be a very strong piece of evidence.
All the software agents except Astratek's come complete with utilities that automatically transform tabular data into graphs and charts. Compuware's Econet, for example, can map all of a company's LAN segments, with hot spots highlighted in color. Net managers also can view this map on-screen and drill down to show applications and their associated response times. Astratek says it will add graphics to its text-based interface by the first quarter of 1997.
A character-based interface is also all that's offered on Network General's Sniffer, which displays a view of each frame moving across the network. Unfortunately, trying to track SQL calls this way can get old real fast--especia lly since a typical database request can generate more than 1,000 frames in response. On the other hand, many net managers are familiar with the Sniffer, which saves time and money on training.
All the consoles used by RMON 2 probes boast graphical user interfaces. But some critics argue that they're too hard to read. "Net managers aren't realizing the value of RMON or RMON 2 because the products require too much work," says Jeff B. Erwin, president and chief executive officer of net management startup Kaspia Systems Inc. (Beaverton, Ore). Erwin says that trying to interpret cryptic RMON data can quickly become a full-time job because the probes don't offer enough help.
Users level another criticism at RMON 2 devices: They're hard to configure. "You have to hand-code each application you want to monitor in the software of each probe on every LAN segment," says Stanford's Mallory. For him, the decision not to use RMON came down to buy or build. "We would rather buy stuff than build it," he says. "With RMON you can build solutions by doing your own coding. But it's a fairly arcane process."
Erwin also argues that SQL troubleshooting tools have to do more than gather "real-time data on a per-segment basis." Without long-term trend analysis, he says, "Net managers have to wait for something to break before knowing where to look."
All the RMON probes support historical analysis, but it's up to the net manager to build in the hooks to offload and track application data over time. BMC, Compuware, Frontier, and Platinum all offer this analytical ability, as does Network General. Astratek says it will add trend analysis by the first quarter of the next year.
As corporate networks grow, net managers need to make sure the tools they buy can grow with them. And some SQL troubleshooters are better suited to life on the enterprise than others.
For starters, both Astratek and Compuware say their management consoles can keep tabs o n a maximum of 20 agents simultaneously. BMC and Platinum say there's no upper limit to the number of agents their consoles can handle. Similarly, the RMON 2 vendors say that there's no practical restriction on the number of probes that can be deployed and monitored.
When it comes to the Network General analyzer, net managers face a different sort of decision. They can lug the Sniffer to each segment of the network that needs to be monitored, or they can try to come up with enough cash to deploy multiple analyzers. "Try" is the operative word here: With its SQL module in place, the Sniffer retails for almost $13,0000--which probably makes it prohibitively expensive for bulk purchases.
RMON 2 probes are installed full-time on each segment--thus reducing the risk of hernias. But they also can be an expensive option. Probes typically cost $2,000 to $3,000 per segment, not to mention the $6,000 to $8,000 for the management station software required to collate RMON stats from multiple probes.
Of all the solutions, software agents are typically the most economical. That's largely because most of them don't require dedicated hardware. According to the vendors, they can run on database servers without adversely affecting their performance. Alternatively, net managers can opt to run some agents on low-end PCs.
Compuware's Econet costs $16,380 for a management console and six agents--or $2,730 per segment. Platinum Technology's Enterprise Performance Management Console is the only agent that's priced according to the number and performance of the CPUs in the monitoring station. That could get expensive if net managers use a high-end workstation to monitor a fairly small number of nodes; Platinum's most expensive license costs $50,000 per console.
But it's not just the size of the enterprise that has to be taken into account. Net managers also need to make sure that an SQL troubleshooting tool works with all the protocols. In some cases, that may be tough . All the products can play with TCP/ IP--in fact, IP is the only protocol that BMC's Software's Patrol can handle. Axon's Traffix Manager 1.1 also supports Appletalk, DECnet, IPX/SPX, and SNA, while Frontier Software's Netscout adds Banyan Vines, OSI, and XNS to the mix. Products from Astratek and Platinum Technology can deal with Microsoft's SMB (Server Message Block), which is used with Windows NT.
When it's all said and done, net managers are counting on SQL troubleshooting tools to tell them whether it's the application or the network that's at the root of a performance problem. The best way to do this is by timing application responses between the client and the database. Simply said, the tool notes when the client sends the query, when it arrives at the database, and how long it took for the request to be processed. By comparing the different time stamps, net managers can work out whether the call was delayed on the network or in the database itself.
Cle ver stuff: But right now not all the tools can deliver this feature. Astratek, Compuware, Network General, and Platinum already time application responses. Bay and Axon say they plan to add this ability, although they haven't given a date. BMC agrees that "it's an important goal" but didn't elaborate on its plans.
Net managers say they've waited long enough. "The ability to measure application response time becomes more important as we move from mainframe apps to client-server apps," says Mallory. "We need to know response times to help us understand what is going on with the backbone."
Some SQL troubleshooting tools can help pinpoint problems in another way--by tracing them all the way back to individual users. Astratek's Visual LAN Probe and Compuware's Econet can do this, as can all the RMON 2 probes. But the products implement this feature in different ways.
Astratek's software converts network packets containing SQL traffic into API calls, en abling net managers to identify exactly which application being run by which end-user is consuming excessive bandwidth. Compuware, in contrast, uses proprietary algorithms and heuristics (a method of solving problems by extrapolating data) to allow net managers to view applications and the messages generated by them on a user-by-user basis. Probe vendors, meanwhile, correlate SQL traffic with its origin and destination address in order to locate troublesome users.
Dealing with that sort of information is far simpler than trying to translate hex dumps, which is what the other SQL troubleshooting tools require. Hex files sequentially list time, source MAC (media access control) address, destination MAC address, network protocol, and route. But they're a pain to interpret and--even when the code is cracked--it's still tough to tell exactly which desktop machine or server is responsible for high levels of SQL traffic.
In the long run, while SQL troubleshooting tools can be costly and complex, the problems they help solve could wind up costing companies much more. "Running mission-critical database apps across a network without application management is a recipe for economic disaster," says Chet Geschickter, director of research at the Hurwitz Group Inc. (Watertown, Mass.).
[ Home ]
[
Registration
|
Subscriptions
]
[
Contact Us
|
E-Mail
]
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
 |
|
|
