VISUAL Message Center:
Server Agent for Windows^®

Do you rely on Windows systems as Web servers, email servers, or for ERP applications? Managing multiple servers, especially Windows "server farms" creates operational inefficiencies. It is not practical to manually monitor individual Windows event logs, but failing to react to important system or application errors that occur will immediately impact productivity and image, producing downtime and creating serious business losses.

VISUAL Message Center's Server Agent for Windows is a unique solution intended for use with Windows. It monitors all your Windows server event logs, collecting application, system, security and performance events, and sends them to the VISUAL Message Center Console.

Now all your critical systems and services can be managed from one central point. The powerful viewing, alert, automation and auditing functions offered by the VISUAL Message Center Console can be applied to Windows and iSeries events together.

Technical Details

Events

The Server Agent for Windows can be installed on any number of Windows servers in your network. It works as a service, collecting events such as:

System
Application
Security
File Replication
DNS
Directory Service
Any other Event Log type

Windows applications use the Event Log to report operating problems, and also to report successful completion of key processes. Monitoring for these events helps you to ensure that operations are running smoothly. Examples of important events are: failed backups; errors in email services; failed file replication; incorrect log-ons.

Performance

In addition, Windows Event Logs can be used to collect additional server information. For example, the PerfMon utility in Windows monitors performance related information. If user-defined thresholds are exceeded, an event is logged to the Event Log. Performance metrics include:

CPU utilization
Disk utilization
Network utilization
Physical and Virtual Memory utilization

Once received by the Smart Console, events can be treated in the same way as messages from other sources, such as iSeries servers or TCP/IP services.

VISUAL Message Center Agents/Modules
Smart Console	Centralizes the collection and management of information from all networked servers and agents
Notifier	Ensure high system availability with two-way SMS messaging and escalation lists
iSeries Server Agent	Collects and manages batch messages from any iSeries message queue (e.g., QSYSOPR). Monitors job activity and status, job queues, devices, history log (QHST)
Server Agent for Windows^®	Collects and manages application, system and security events from any Windows server (NT, 2000, XP)
iSeries Interactive Agent	Collects and manages all interactive iSeries user error messages
iSeries Performance Agent	Collects and manages critical performance parameters from iSeries servers. Includes powerful graphical console
iSeries Security Agent	Detects and audits possible threats to system and data integrity
iSeries Support Agent	Remote problem diagnosis tool for operators. Provides unique capabilities for resolving problems in production processes
TCP/IP Services Agent	Monitors availability and performance of any networked TCP/IP service, including POP3 email, SMTP, FTP more. Includes graphical Java console
Reporting System	Create over 40 graphical historical reports of your systems direct from the Smart Console. Reports on performance, events, systems usage, security, errors, users, and more.