OmniVista 2500 NMS Application
The OmniVista 2500 NMS application is the foundation for managing
networks composed of Alcatel - Lucent and other network devices. The OmniVista
2500 (OV2500) gives administrators a unified view of the network
as well as the necessary functions and services required to support
next generation devices and applications. It features centralized
management, bulk operations, simplicity, and scalability.
It adheres to the essential network management functions of the
FCAPS model (fault, configuration, accounting, performance, security)
including:
• Discovery of all Alcatel - Lucent and
third party SNMP network devices
• Topology maps with interconnection links and performance information
• Multi-level user administration and security credential
• Event management, including action on events, which are based on
severity and action profiles
• Statistics and health monitoring with alarms and thresholds
• Inventory reports and switch auditing features
• Automatic creation of VLANs across multiple switches
• Locator for device mapping based on port location and IP/MAC addresses
• Automated and scheduled backup and restoration of switch configuration
and software image files
• Automated download of new switch software image files
• OmniVista Server Backup an application for constant replication
of the network management software environment
By providing centralized operations, the infrastructure is optimized
and deployment is simplified. Network device discovery and topology
maps provide both physical and logical views of the network. Users
are able to automate operations such as CLI scripting, create VLANs
across multiple devices, and provide third party device support.
Centralized operations also optimizes troubleshooting since it
is easier to monitor the health of the network using a combination
of alarm information, the locator service for pinpointing user
location, and the trap responder for taking quick, automated action
when there is an event. Health and statistic information is also
readily available.
OV2500’s centralized structure reduces
the administrative burden on the IT staff when managing complex
operations, such as QoS and security settings, for multiple switches
across the network. Data, voice, and more complicated policies
are easily defined and assigned priority through the use of PolicyView
with OneTouch QoS, making network optimization simpler. The centralized
structure also makes device access management easy with SecureView
Secure Access with OneTouch Security which automates and simplifies
isolation of intruders with the Quarantine Manager using OneTouch
Security for containment management
Discovery
OV2500 provides the ability to control the discovery of Alcatel - Lucent and third party
devices the IT staff member wishes to manage. Through the topology applications,
all supported devices are discovered, device lists can be sorted by IP address,
type, etc. and there is a dynamic indicator showing the status of each device.
Topology
A topology map can help the user determine where problems are and rapidly fix
them. Using the topology map, a user can quickly determine network issues
based on the dynamic, color-coded status feature so that a user can pinpoint
current and impending problems at a glance. All Alcatel - Lucent devices and third
party devices are supported. Topology also allows the network manager to
launch specific applications and as http-based management for the OmniAccess
Wireless devices.
VLAN Manager
The OV2500 VLAN manager allows users to create and manage VLANs across multiple
switches. Through the Manager, it's possible to:
• Assign ports to VLANs
• Define IP/IPX routing rules
• Assign IP/IPX address to routing interfaces
• Define mobility rules
The VLAN manager also supports 802.1Q as well as Spanning Tree,
and it's integrated with the topology database, making all of these
functions possible.
Resource Manager
The Resource Manager provides control of switch software and switch configuration
for automated backup / restoration of configurations and software image files,
and allows bulk download of software images. The Resource Manager allows
network admins to shift from a device centric to a network centric view,
maximizing the IT staffs' productivity while decreasing the number of administrators
required to maintain the network and increasing the number of remote locations
that can function without IT resources. Lastly, equipment standardization
enables automation of many tasks including switch reboot.
In summary, the Resource Manager saves time and IT resources,
it reduces human errors and remediation cost, simplifies software
by standardizing across networks, and optimizes the network infrastructure
with reduced mean time to recovery (MTTR).
CLI Scripting
Alcatel - Lucent Operating System (AOS) devices support command
line interface (CLI) scripting, which saves time by allowing repetitive
CLI tasks to be pushed simultaneously across multiple devices such
as in the initial configuration of many network devices or when
global changes such as SNMP community strings are needed. CLI scripting
was designed to be clean and simple, yet be able to consolidate
a wide range of configuration information into one set of commands.
Commands can be copied and distributed from one switch to several
others because the commands are standardized across all
AOS devices.
Troubleshooting optimization
OmniVista 2500 has optimized troubleshooting allowing users to monitor the
health of the network and set alarm thresholds to provide early warning of
potential problems before they become critical events. Devices that have
tripped alarms can be located, and through event management, immediate automatic
action can be taken on the event. The trap responder automatically notifies
personnel of the problem and automatic actions can be triggered in response,
reducing demands on the help desk.
Locator
As the name implies, this troubleshooting tool uses a combination
of Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) and bridge forwarding tables
in Alcatel - Lucent switches (and any other RFC 1493 compliant device) to
identify the current locations (switch, slot / port, MAC and IP addresses)
of the problem. Locator supports live historical searches to trace
where a specific address is located at a particular timestamp complete
with a history of where the user has moved within the network. Locator
lets the admin quickly pinpoint hostile elements enabling a quicker
containment of problems. It also enhances an admin's access control
to the network providing a first line of defense against security
hazards.
Lastly, Locator is able to discover non-AOS devices from third
party vendors and offers an option to find the closest AOS switch
to the third party box and draw a link on the topology map.
Performance - Health & Statistics
OmniVista allows users to get performance information from
multiple devices at once enabling users to correlate information
and analyze network-wide activities. OmniVista allows the user to
monitor the network's health through the use of thresholds on specific
parameters. When the threshold is crossed, a trap is sent to the
Notifications application to warn the admin of the problem.
OmniVista collects statistics across multiple
devices and modules at a time, which can then be viewed on a common
graph or table of information. These profiles show when the events
happened, and works on Alcatel - Lucent Operating System (AOS), Xylan Operating
System (XOS), and any device compliant with RFC 1493.
