Product Description

Kardinia Performance Reporter provides reports on the performance of IP networks and systems. It uses the wide range of SNMP MIB variables that are available in standard and vendor enterprise MIBs to develop performance metrics, allowing a network manager to get reports on metrics like link utilization, link errors, packet drop rates, CPU utilization in routers, buffer utilization in nodes, and CPU, memory and disk utilization on server systems. It can be used to produce baselines and to compare current performance with established baselines in order to detect trends. Analysis of utilization trends allows a network manager to carry out network capacity planning. Analysis of trends in link errors and congestion metrics allows a network manager to detect impending failures and take preventive action.

Kardinia Performance Reporter is a client-server application. Two versions are available, Kardinia Performance Reporter for HP OpenView, and Kardinia Performance Reporter for Tivoli NetView.

Kardinia Performance Reporter for HP OpenView is closely integrated with HP OpenView Network Node Manager. The server component is installed as processes that run under the control of the NNM process manager and that make use of the NNM databases and APIs. You set up data collection using the NNM data collector, so you do not need to redefine node names to KPR.

Kardinia Performance Reporter for Tivoli NetView is closely integrated with Tivoli NetView and has been validated as "Ready for Tivoli" software. The server component is installed as processes that the NetView process manager controls and that make use of the NetView databases and APIs. You set up data collection using the NetView data collector, so you do not need to redefine node names to KPR.

Each version of Kardinia Performance Reporter is installed as one or more Report Clients and one or more Report Servers.

A Report Client runs on a Windows XP/2000 platform and integrates with a copy of Microsoft Excel running on the same platform. The client provides the desktop graphical user interface for defining, scheduling, viewing and printing reports. The reports are produced in Excel and can be displayed and saved as either Excel files or as HTML files for publishing on the web.

A Report Server for Kardinia Performance Reporter for HP OpenView runs on a Windows XP/2003/2000, Solaris, or HP-UX platform and integrates with a copy of HP OpenView Network Node Manager running on the same platform

A Report Server for Kardinia Performance Reporter for Tivoli NetView runs on a Windows 2003/2000, Solaris, or AIX platform and integrates with a copy of Tivoli NetView running on that platform.

The Report Server processes the raw SNMP MIB variable or MIB expression data collected by the OpenView or NetView data collector. It performs data reduction and calculates derived values and sends these back to the client. The use of intelligent Report Servers means that the raw data does not need to be transferred to a central point or duplicated in a central database. This avoids duplication of data storage, avoids manual steps in data exports, transfers and processing, and saves on network bandwidth.

The Report Client is used to define new network and system performance metrics when necessary, and to define new network and system performance reports that tabulate or graph metrics for target nodes. The Report Client may connect to any one of the installed Report Servers and request that one of the defined reports be generated. The reports can be set up for automatic production at scheduled times.

A large set of standard metric and report definitions is shipped with the product.

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Key Benefits

• Kardinia Performance Reporter allows you to define custom reports from any SNMP MIB variables, whether in IETF standard MIBS or vendor enterprise MIBs. This means you are not restricted to just the predefined reports that are shipped with the product.
• The close integration with HP OpenView Network Node Manager and Tivoli NetView means that you can produce custom reports for your network and systems with a minimum of effort in defining the required reports.
• As a network manager, you need to define data collection only in OpenView or NetView, and not separately in the performance reporting application. A Report Server automatically registers the nodes in the co-resident OpenView or NetView database and the MIB variables and expressions being polled by that copy of OpenView or NetView. A Report Client will then display a list of these nodes and their interfaces, and will display the MIB variables available for reporting from that Report Server. It is possible to define reports for classes of nodes and/or interfaces - for example, for Ethernet interfaces on routers.
• Reports can be set up for regular automatic production.
• Reports can be saved in HTML format, and network managers can place them on a Web server for viewing by different user groups.
• The generation of reports in Excel means that users can easily carry out further ad hoc analysis. In addition, all of the Microsoft Office family of products can be used in presenting and publishing network and system performance reports.
• The highly scalable client-server design fits well with OpenView's collection station - management station design. As a network grows and the performance monitoring requirements expand, additional Report Servers can be installed, each integrated with a collection station. Any Report Client can connect to any Report Server and obtain performance reports.
• The modular design means network managers can purchase an entry level version of the product and generate reports for a small network or for the core devices in a larger network, with a low investment cost.

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Hardware and Software Prerequisites

A Kardinia Performance Reporter installation consists of at least one Report Client and one Report Server.

The Report Client requires the following:

• Windows XP/2000
• Microsoft Office
• A TCP/IP connection to a Report Server

The Report Server requires ONE of the following:

• HP OpenView NNM v6.X or v7.X on Windows XP, 2003 or 2000
• HP OpenView NNM v6.X or v7.X on HP-UX v10 or v11
• HP OpenView NNM v6.X or v7.X on Solaris v2.6, v2.7, v8 or v9
• Tivoli NetView v7 on Windows XP, 2003 or 2000
• Tivoli NetView v7 on Solaris v2.6, v2.7, v8 or v9
• Tivoli NetView v7 on AIX v4.2, v4.3, v5.1 or v5.2

Disk space requirements are largely determined by the number of performance reports to be generated and saved at the client. To determine the space required by the management platform data collection files, refer to the management platform manuals.

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Distribution and Installation

Kardinia Performance Reporter Client and Servers can be obtained from the Download Kardinia Performance Reporter page on this site. After download, licensing must be effected as explained below.

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Licensing

To use this product, you will need to obtain a licence by completing and submitting a licence request form. A free 30 day trial licence may be obtained using this form. This can be converted to a permanent licence on paying to Kardinia Software the licence fee for the product.

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Example Report

An example of a web format report that graphs data rates on a Frame Relay PVC is shown below.

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