PLATINUM technology strengthens enterprise performance management with expanded database, server, and network solutions; PLATINUM announces major upgrades to DBVision and ServerVision; enhancements include Informix support, expanded UNIX server management

Business Wire, Feb 20, 1996

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 20, 1996--As part of a series of enterprise systems management announcements, PLATINUM technology, inc., today announced the latest version of its Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) product suite. (The EPM products were formerly available as the UniVision product suite.) PLATINUM announced that two EPM products, DBVision and ServerVision, are available in new versions that include a number of new features and functions, including expanded database support, and greatly improved and expanded UNIX server performance management. (Please see accompanying news releases dated February 20, 1996 for detailed information on other PLATINUM systems management products.)

"As part of PLATINUM's mission to deliver integrated enterprise systems management, our new Enterprise Performance Management solution is available to satisfy a much broader range of customer needs," said Mark Fetherolf, vice president of PLATINUM's Aston Brooke Lab, where the EPM products are developed.

"DBVision now supports Informix and offers many more options for Oracle and Sybase users. ServerVision is now a very robust, full-featured UNIX performance management tool. These products are invaluable in helping database and system administrators ensure the reliability and efficient function of their enterprise-wide relational databases and UNIX servers. By helping IT staff to be more effective in maintaining CPU usage at optimal levels, the EPM products pay for themselves very quickly."

The PLATINUM Enterprise Performance Management suite currently includes DBVision for Informix, Oracle, and Sybase; and ServerVision for UNIX. PLATINUM WireTap, a network service-level transaction monitoring and performance management tool, will soon be added to EPM, making EPM a truly comprehensive enterprise performance management solution, from the database level to the network. (For more information on WireTap, see news release from PLATINUM dated January 23, 1996.)

Enhancements to the Enterprise Performance Management Architecture

EPM employs an architecture in which intelligent distributed agents (DBVision and ServerVision) communicate with a central management console. Features and functions included in the EPM architecture are available to all of the agent components (currently, DBVision for Informix, Oracle, and Sybase; and ServerVision for UNIX).

PLATINUM today announced the following enhancements to the EPM architecture:

- SNMP support: This allows alarms to be sent to SNMP-based

management frameworks, such as HP OpenView, giving DBAs and

system administrators the option of managing performance from their

framework console.

- Expanded Extended Retrieval options: More options for Extended

Retrieval, which allows users to click on a section of a graphic to

view multiple layers of detailed server and database information,

down to the SQL level.

- Fast archive: EPM's new fast archive facility uses a

high-performance, non-relational data store for distributed

performance history data management.

- ThreeD graph: A new three-dimensional graph allows users to display

data gathered on multiple databases or multiple scan types,

within the same graphic display.

- Online Advisor text: This text, which provides information on how

to interpret the data a graphic is displaying, is now available

from every graphic window for every scan type.

Enhancements to DBVision

DBVision provides 24-hours-per-day, 7-days-per-week (24 x 7) monitoring of performance metrics for relational database management systems (RDBMSs) in distributed UNIX environments. It provides graphical and tabular displays of performance measurements, which help database administrators (DBAs) analyze potential problems, and tune systems before problems reach end users. If problems occur, DBVision can send alarms by onscreen message, e-mail or pager, and can automatically initiate corrective actions.

PLATINUM today announced the following enhancements to DBVision:

- Support for Informix: DBVision now offers full performance

management for Informix databases.

- Integration with PLATINUM TSreorg: DBVision is integrated with

TSreorg, PLATINUM's Oracle tablespace reorganization utility. When

DBVision encounters an Oracle tablespace that is disorganized, it

can alert TSreorg, which will initiate reorganization routines.

- Support for Oracle Symmetric Replication: Oracle Symmetric

Replication allows DBAs to create datasets that are automatically

copied to various databases, each time new data is added. DBVision

monitors the replication process and identifies problems (such as

if a replication failed, and why it failed).

- Support for Oracle Multithreaded Server: Oracle Multithreaded

Server allows users to share "shadow processes" that facilitate

communication between Oracle databases and users, thereby

increasing speed and efficiency of transactions. DBVision

monitors the multithreaded server processes, to measure

efficiency and identify problems (such as long wait times for

completion of user transactions).