Tivoli Joins Job Scheduling Industry Leaders to Define Open API; New API Increases Interoperability Between Workload Management and Systems Management Applications

Business Wire, Nov 10, 1997

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 10, 1997--Tivoli Systems Inc., with participation from Cybermation Inc., TME 10 OPC, ISA Corporation, New Dimension Software, PLATINUM Technology, Inc. and Unison Software, Inc., today announced the completion of a Scheduling Application Programming Interface (API) specification that increases interoperability between workload management and systems management applications and eases cross-discipline product interaction. Tivoli and its partners have collaborated through the Tivoli 10/Plus Association as part of a Management Working Group (MWG) to define this open industry standard for workload and job scheduling solutions. Each vendor in the MWG has agreed to adhere to this specification in developing product releases, with the ultimate goal of making the complex task of integrating solutions easier for customers.

In November 1996, Tivoli's 10/Plus Association formed MWGs for ten broad management disciplines to develop industry standards and promote openness among systems management vendors. The objective of these groups is to define specifications that ease the management of products within specific disciplines and facilitate the exchange of information between products and across disciplines. Specific MWGs include Workload Management, Database, Applications, Internet, LAN, Security, Help Desk, Network, Performance and Storage. Participation in each MWG is open to any vendor which offers a product in a specific discipline.

"The release of the Scheduling API specification is a significant step in a bold initiative to provide industry-wide interoperability within the systems management arena," said Paul Foley, chairman of the Workload Management Working Group and vice president of technology at Cybermation Inc. "All of the vendors involved in the MWG have moved ahead in our shared goal - to allow customers to integrate the most suitable tools for their environments and to create effective, seamless, enterprise-wide solutions."

"This open API will provide the groundwork for vendors to make their products work seamlessly with other products both within and across disciplines," said Steve Marcie, Tivoli co-founder and technology ambassador. "The Management Working Groups represent Tivoli's commitment to serve as a leading force in the development, acceptance and adoption of standards in the systems and network management arena."

Key Features and Functions

The open API specification allows management vendors to develop products that work together seamlessly and offer "out-of-the-box" functionality. The integration of workload management and systems management applications will provide operating efficiency in a variety of areas:

-- Common Tasks - to be executed across multiple workload management applications in a single environment;

-- Data Correlation - to be conducted from other applications, such as security, to implement protective responses; and

-- Direct Interaction - to be implemented between workload management applications and other applications, such as storage management or Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) systems.

The API features 22 function interfaces for managing and interacting with workload management products and identifies 37 common events typically generated by workload management products. The API standardizes various workload management teat http://www.tivoli.com, as well as via a linkting environments, from mobile computers to mans. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Tivoli is an IBM Company. Tivoli distributes its products worldwide, tbe trademarks of the respective companies with worked so closely with Cybermation and other vendors to create an open API standard for interoperabilitying of this important specification," said Mary giving end-users greater control of their coed to providing enterprise-wide solutions," said Darroll Buytenhuys, president of New Dimension Software. "We are pleased to be working with Tivoli and the Workload Management Working Group to create this new standard for interoperability across the enterprise."

PLATINUM Techhing this open API specification for job management will enable our developers to easily integrate PLATINUM ProVision with TME 10 thus providing additional flexibility for our mutual customers."

Unison Software, Inc.

"Unison was pleased to help define the scheduling API specification," said Gwen Rachlin, director of business development and alliances at Unison Software, Inc. "Being part first step toward providing the workload and sstems

Ann Taylor, 512/436-8742

ann.taylor@tivoli.com

or

.com