SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 1996 — BMC Software Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Compaq Computer Corp., Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. today proposed an industry standards effort that will allow administrators to use any Web browser to manage disparate systems, networks and applications. The intent of the Web-Based Enterprise Management effort is to enable the development of tools that reduce the complexity and costs of enterprise management.
The Web-Based Enterprise Management standards effort is open to the entire hardware, software, OEM and internetworking community, many of whose members will announce support for the effort today. The effort is designed to integrate existing standards – such as the desktop management interface (DMI) for desktops and servers, the simple network management protocol (SNMP) for networks, and the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) for communication over the Internet – into an architecture that can be managed using any Web browser.
The initial proponents of this industrywide effort plan to cooperate on developing resulting standards. Previous industry attempts at integrating enterprise management have resulted in a variety of frameworks and incompatible management protocols and data models.
“Customers have already invested heavily in SNMP- and DMI-enabled systems and devices, and now many are eager to use Web technology to access that wealth of management information,”
said Dr. Jeffrey Case, president of SNMP Research.
“To achieve the integration customers are seeking, the interface between Web-based technologies and existing standards must be optimized for interoperability. The exciting effort launched today provides the foundation for architecting an intelligent, standards-based approach enabling customers to take advantage of their existing investment in standards-based management protocols.”
“Today’s management applications don’t go far enough toward interoperability,”
said Jamie Lewis, president of the Burton Group.
“The industry management standards effort announced today provides the industry with a tremendous opportunity to help corporate customers reduce the complexity and cost of managing their systems, networks and applications.”
Implementing a solution using the Web-Based Enterprise Management standards, information technology managers will gain an integrated low-cost management solution that spans their systems, networks and applications while preserving their investments in existing management standards and protocols.
Components of the Web-Based Enterprise Management Standards Effort
The effort outlined today is based on existing industry standards. Structured and unstructured data can be presented by a variety of methods, including SNMP/UDP, HTML/HTTP and DMI/RPC, as well as new methods being defined within the standards organizations to support SNMP over HTTP.
In addition, the effort promotes the use of two new management-related technologies to provide data modeling, manipulation and communication capabilities recently outlined at a meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF):
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HyperMedia Management Schema (HMMS), an extensible data model representing the managed environment
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HyperMedia Management Protocol (HMMP), a communication protocol embodying HMMS, to run over HTTP
The HyperMedia Management Protocol has been presented to the IETF and is currently under discussion. The HyperMedia Management Schema will be defined, maintained and evolved by the Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF), pending its approval. The schema will be maintained on a public Web site using specially constructed tools to ensure consistency and longevity of the data model.
A portable C++ implementation of a HyperMedia Object Manager (HMOM) will also be created, with plans to make it freely available. HMOM will manage elements as objects, integrating management data and coordinating control through a variety of management protocols and interfaces (such as SNMP, DMI, etc.) through Web-based consoles and other management applications. The specification for HMOM and the portable C++ implementation will be placed in the public domain.
For more information on the components of the Web-Based Enterprise Management effort, visit (http://www.wbem.freerange.com/) .
Company Backgrounds
BMC Software Inc. (NASDAQ: BMCS) is a worldwide developer and vendor of more than 100 software solutions for automating application and data management across host-based and open systems environments. A Forbes 500 company with annual revenues exceeding $400 million, BMC Software is the world’s 11th-largest independent software vendor and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. For more information on BMC Software, access its World Wide Web site at (http://www.bmc.com/) , or call (800) 841-2031 or (713) 918-8800.
Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the leading global supplier of internetworking solutions for corporate intranets and the global Internet. Cisco’s products, including routers, LAN and ATM switches, dial-up access servers and network management software, are integrated by the Cisco IOS software to link geographically dispersed LANs, WANs and IBM®
networks. Company news and product and service information are available at World Wide Web site (http://www.cisco.com/) . Cisco is headquartered in San Jose, Calif.
Compaq Computer Corp., a Fortune 100 company and the world’s largest supplier of personal computers, delivers useful innovation through products that network people with information. Compaq is strategically organized to meet the current and future needs of its customers, offering enterprise computing solutions, networking products, commercial PC products and consumer PCs. In 1995, the company reported worldwide sales of $14.9 billion. The company is an industry leader in environmentally friendly programs and business practices. Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products can be found at (http://www.compaq.com/) or by calling (800) OK-COMPAQ.
Product information and reseller locations can be obtained by calling (800) 345-1518.
Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, is committed to advancing the connected PC for high-performance business computing while reducing management and support costs. Information about Intel is available from the company’s site on the World Wide Web at (http://www.intel.com./pressroom/) .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
IOS is a trademark of Cisco Systems Inc.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp.
Industry Leaders Voice Their Support for Web-Based Enterprise Management
“As companies move to extend their computing environments into the Internet and intranets, effective management solutions must follow. As one of the initial sponsors of this effort, BMC Software is working with other industry powerhouses to provide this support by broadening the scope of distributed system, network and application management and enabling easy access to management information from any connection to the Internet.”
– Leland Putterman
Vice President
Worldwide Marketing
BMC Software Inc.
“Cisco believes that many of the same technologies that are driving the Internet firestorm can be leveraged to build the new types of applications needed to efficiently manage exploding corporate intranets and the Internet itself. Cisco is working with BMC Software, Compaq, Intel, Microsoft and others to develop an open, standards-based foundation leveraging these new technologies for development of the next generation of integrated management solutions.”
– Stephen DeWitt
Vice President
Enterprise Marketing
Cisco Systems Inc.
“Compaq understands the management challenges customers face when deploying client/server systems throughout a distributed enterprise. We launched this effort with BMC Software, Cisco, Intel and Microsoft to develop a standards-based management foundation that would allow for multiplatform integration, ease of use, ease of deployment and a reduction in the complexity and cost of managing networked systems. We look forward to working with the industry to bring this effort into reality.”
– Ronnie Ward
Vice President
Enterprise Solutions Division
Compaq Computer Corp.
“The Web-Based Enterprise Management specifications effort will combine the strength of the DMI standard with the power of Internet technologies to deliver new levels of cross-platform manageability. This effort is another key step in Intel’s progress in helping customers reduce the total cost of ownership of connected PCs by providing building blocks and solutions for powerful, standards-based management.”
– Frank Gill
Executive Vice President
Internet and Communications Group
Intel Corp.
“With these standards, Microsoft will provide customers with an open Internet-based management solution that utilizes and builds upon existing standards. We are committed to providing our customers with more manageable operating systems and applications, as well as a way to ensure reliable and secure delivery of management information across the Internet.”
– Jim Allchin
Senior Vice President
Desktop and Business Systems Division
Microsoft Corp.
