Server Management Splash

LANDesk added server monitoring resources to its tool chest with the Jan. 11 launch of LANDesk Server Manager 8.5, a comprehensive suite of monitoring tools, said Dave Taylor, vice president at LANDesk, Salt Lake City.

Server Manager 8.5 uses an agent-based method of monitoring that creates minimal impact on server performance while providing a realtime view of the server infrastructure, said Taylor. On the security side, vulnerability assessments of servers and server-specific applications can be performed using Server Manager 8.5. The new version also offers intelligent platform management interface (IPMI) 2.0 support for networks utilizing out-of-band management systems.

Taylor said that the channel-friendly nature of Server Manager 8.5 makes the product an easy upsell for solution providers whose customers already run client monitoring software.

"We have a strong channel right now selling our desktop solution and now all those partners can sell the server product. We're taking our existing channel and turning them into a lean, mean, server-selling machine. And we're rolling out training and introductory offers," said Taylor.

LANDesk competitor Altiris also added server management to its platform through the acquisition of Tonic Software, an Austin, Texas-based software vendor specializing in Web application management products, said Steve Morton, vice president of product management at Altiris, Salt Lake City. The acquisition was unveiled Jan, 5, but details were not disclosed. By integrating Tonic's tools into Altiris' broad IT life-cycle management suite, Altiris, like LANDesk, expands further into the server management arena.

"You can expect the high-end Web application monitoring business to be a big part of our toolset with Tonic," said Morton. "Altiris remediation tools will be triggered by the tools Tonic brings to us." Both vendors say business is brisk in the 1,200- to 2,700-node market.

P.J. Bulger, vice president of solution provider 3H Technology, Vienna, Va., said moves by LANDesk and Altiris to expand their capabilities into the server and application monitoring space are sending signals to partners about the direction of the technology.

"[They're] dramatically saying, 'We are more than just about the hardware environment.' These vendors are saying, 'This is what issues you should be concerned about in your enterprise as far as overall life-cycle management," Bulger said.