PATROL 3.4 for Microsoft Exchange Server
BMC takes an interesting approach to software distribution. PATROL ships as part of BMC's PATROL family of enterprise-management products, which includes support for almost every back-end system platform. Although this distribution approach might seem fairly standard, the licensing plan you purchase dictates which of the product's monitoring modules you can actually use. When you open the product's box, you discover a slipcase that contains five CD-ROMs and five spiral-bound manuals. A maintenance update that BMC sent out shortly after the release of PATROL adds three more CD-ROMs to the mix.
I installed only PATROL, the Win2K and Exchange Server 5.5 modules, and the PATROL Explorer and PATROL Operations Manager components. The setup process unfolds through three main steps: installing the console, installing the agent, and installing the Knowledge Module Deployment Server (KDMS). After the installation was complete, I installed the PATROL maintenance release to update the software. After the system update was complete, I repeated the agent installation on each client machine. Each agent then uses TCP/IP to communicate with the central server. After I configured the client systems, I added them to the PATROL console, and the software began monitoring the network.
On the server side, BMC bases PATROL's architecture on three components: PATROL, the server component that runs on the back end; PATROL Operations Manager, the suite's event-management facility; and PATROL Explorer, the management console that handles event information. On the back end, PATROL uses SQL Server as a repository for collecting and storing trend data for historical analysis.
After the installation process was complete, I opened PATROL to discover that it's not an MMC snap-in. Instead, PATROL offers two distinct interfaces: the Developer Console and the Operator Console. BMC designed the Developer Console as a superset of the Operator Console. The enhanced console includes support for rule development, UI modification, and remote agent configuration. For testing, I used the Developer Console to configure and maintain PATROL.
The PATROL Developer Console is busy, as Figure 5 shows. The amount of information displayed can make learning how to use the software a daunting task. I often found myself buried under layers of menus and cracking the manuals for help performing simple tasks such as getting the status of the server. Although power users will love the power stashed within this UI, I would welcome a more streamlined interface.
For monitoring, PATROL's Knowledge Modules define rule sets. Knowledge Modules are a group of predefined rules that are tailored for a specific environment. The Knowledge Modules I worked with were all Exchange Server focused. The software subdivides each module into parameters (monitoring options) and commands (syntax that you execute). Although this configuration sounds confusing, you won't have to worry about it because everything is preconfigured.
To test PATROL's monitoring capabilities, I enabled a module to monitor the amount of disk space on the Exchange Server system. After I created a large dummy file to fill up the space on the Exchange Server system, the agent immediately reported the low space conditions to the PATROL server, which in turn notified me of the problem through a pop-up message. I then enabled the performance Knowledge Module and set it to track the message delivery schedule on the Exchange Server system. After I created an artificial bottleneck between the Exchange Server system and the rest of the network, PATROL noticed that Exchange Server was delivering mail at an excruciatingly slow rate and notified me of the problem. Finally, I shut down the Exchange Server services on the server to see how PATROL would react. Surprisingly, the program not only noticed the downed services but restarted them. If your environment depends on mission-critical services, you'll appreciate this feature.
To create a trend analysis chart, I used the Collect Data agent to consolidate historical data from multiple systems. This agent provides a wizard-based interface to let you select the computers from which to farm data, the database on which to store the data, and the date you want to interpret. After the software collects the data, you can run the Visualizer agent against the database to create an organized chart, which you can then export to several file formats, including HTML.
PATROL is a thorough and comprehensive Exchange Server management utility. However, it's also unwieldy and confusing to use. BMC designed the PATROL suite as an industrial-strength network-management program of which the Exchange Server component is only a small portion. The price reflects this idea: $3500 to $5000 per console, $815 per module, and $695 per server. In addition, the product's complex deployment process means that you won't be able to install PATROL over the weekend. Competing packages that are less complicated or less expensive duplicate much of PATROL's feature set; thus, I don't recommend this solution.
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<br> I'll address two concerns that the reviewer raises. First, he mentions the product's "complex deployment process." The reviewer installed many optional components that provide great value to large enterprises but that aren't required for basic Exchange Server monitoring. Installing only the base components would have taken the reviewer just a few minutes and provided functionality similar to most of the other products in the review.<br>
<br> Second, the reviewer states that competing packages are less complicated or less expensive than PATROL. The product currently presents common measurements simply and clearly on the default main desktop. Regarding price, the review includes two products*PATROL for Microsoft Windows 2000 Servers, which lists for $815, and PATROL for Microsoft Exchange Server, which lists for $695. Without the W2K module, pricing and functionality would be comparable to the other products reviewed. However, BMC recommends both products to provide comprehensive management of the entire server.<br>
<br> Constructive criticism helps us devise ways to improve our products for our end users. Although PATROL includes a bit more complexity than you'd see in a performance monitordriven, Exchange-specific management tool, PATROL is part of a comprehensive suite of products that provides complete end-to-end management of the enterprise.<br>
Ardis Griggs May 08, 2001