Troux Configuration Management Software

Transcription

1 Sharon Fisher Product Report 5 December 2003 Troux Configuration Management Software Summary With the Troux Blueprinting System, Troux hopes to help create a new market with software to map an information technology system that includes hardware, connections and software and to store data in a repository. Table of Contents Overview Analysis Pricing Competitors Strengths Limitations Insight List Of Tables Table 1: Overview: Troux Blueprinting System Table 3: Price List: Troux Blueprinting System Gartner Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Gartner shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

2 Corporate Headquarters Troux Technologies 6300 Bridge Point Parkway Building 1, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78730, U.S.A. Tel: Fax: Internet: Overview Table 1: Overview: Troux Blueprinting System Model Troux Blueprinting System Version 3.1 Product Type Repository system that captures, organizes and updates information about an enterprise architecture. Price (US$) 195,000 Version Release July 2003 Date Original Product September 2001 Release Date Number of Devices System has been model-tested with up to 20 million components and up to 1,000 Supported concurrent users. Software Distribution Distribution Policies Configuration Management Mobile/Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Support Multicast Asset Discovery/Inventory Software Metering Remote Control Lockdown Uses the Troux Blueprinting Engine to answer domain-specific questions and perform what-if scenarios to identify and assess the impact of proposed changes. For any entity in the blueprint, users may follow its relationships and selectively add related entities to the view. Uses configurable Troux Collectors to collect and aggregate IT environment data from sources and check for changes. Classifies the conceptual, logical and physical elements of the architecture and discovers and documents the relationships and dependencies between them. (remote access and administration supported via Web interface). 5 December

3 Backup/Recovery Directory Support Security Virus Scanning Administrative Tools and Utilities Yes, all major directories, as well as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), using NT LAN Manager. Users gain Web-based access only to authorized information. The graphical diagram feature has been enhanced to improve the organization and layout of information, and to provide more efficient relationship routing. 5 December

4 Integration With Other Management Platforms Troux collectors and bridges allow the Troux Blueprinting System to be integrated with major management platforms. Information can be gathered from PCs, Unix workstations and mainframes. The following collectors are included: Management Applications BMC PATROL CA Unicenter CA Endevor HP OpenView IBMTivoli MicrosoftSMS Microsoft Operations Manager NetIQ AppManager Peregrine AssetCenter Remedy Asset Management Remedy Help Desk Remedy Change Management Instrumentation Methods Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Windows Management Initiative (WMI) Java Management Extensions (JMX) HTTP EAI/Middleware WebMethods Broker MicrosoftMQ IBM MQ Series Application Servers/Servlet Engines BEA WebLogic Server IBM WebSphere Application Server Oracle9i Application Server Sun ONE Application Server Apache Tomcat Web Servers/Servlet Engines Microsoft Internet Information Server Sun ONE Web Server Apache Databases/Data Management Oracle8i,9i Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, 2000 IBMDB28.1 Sybase ASE 12.5 Microsoft Access MicrosoftDTS 2003 Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. Open Database All Rights Reserved. Connectivity (ODBC)-accessible relational database management 5 December system (RDBMS) Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)-accessible RDBMS

5 t available. Analysis Troux is an enterprise IT information management system that provides an end-to-end map of the IT environment that includes networking, hardware, servers, applications and business processes. Troux provides a baseline picture of the IT environment. The Troux Blueprinting System is made up of the following components: Troux Blueprinting Engine manages data stored in the Troux Repository and provides services supporting blueprint life cycle management functions. It classifies components, discovers relationships and manages the access to information by modelers and data contributors. The Blueprinting Engine also manages collection and other scheduled activities. Troux Repository central database of enterprise IT information about the elements in the IT environment. Troux Collectors collects IT information from more than 60 types of data sources, on a centrally scheduled, on-demand or event-driven basis. Troux Bridges prepackaged connectors that give existing systems access to data from the Blueprinting System. Trout IT Portal provides information access, distribution and presentation to business and technology users. Integrated with the Troux Blueprinting System, the Web-based Troux IT Portal provides authorized users with access to the IT information and blueprints to support decision making and collaboration between business and IT. The Troux IT Portal includes the following components: Web presentation engine Personalization Third-party portlet integration Authentication/authorization Troux portlets Troux Blueprinting System integration Troux Blueprint Manager secure, Web-based application to perform Blueprint life cycle management functions such as defining or enhancing the blueprint model, reviewing or supplementing collected data, writing data management/classification rules and defining queries. The Troux product uses an open architecture and standards-based technologies, such as Java, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and XML. In a typical installation, the product lets network managers implement the following steps: Target the business process to be automated Develop a blueprint of the deployment environment Plan deployment 5 December

6 Check existing systems for capacity Design planned environment Compare planned changes to corporate standards Continue comparing technology implementations to business priorities Pricing Table 3: Price List: Troux Blueprinting System Product Troux Blueprinting System Base Price (US$) Maximum Price (US$) Education Discount Leasing Multicopy Discount Site License 195,000, including 60-user licenses ne Yes Pricing as of vember GSA Pricing Planned. Competitors Relicore. Strengths Saves Money The company claims that clients can achieve breakeven within 12 months and can drive an average 5 percent improvement in the IT budget. Provides Data Provides detailed information on the end-to-end technology environment and technology relationships that is important to multiple IT initiatives, including enterprise architecture, change planning, business continuity planning, data center optimization, application portfolio management and information privacy. Limitations Snapshot Rather Than Trending The software pulls usage information from other systems and puts it in its repository, meaning the information is valid only at a particular point in time. The repository logs all changes to facilitate trending over time. Professional Services Required Typically, an organization should expect to have to purchase professional services from the company to set up the product effectively. 5 December

7 Insight The Troux product provides useful features that have the potential to save a company money. However, the market area is new and it may take a while before users see the value in it. The company also needs to clarify the product s purpose and explain it more effectively. 5 December