Performance Management

Managing the performance of networks is a major problem faced by Service Providers due to the increasing scale and complexity of network infrastructures.

Often a Service Provider is facing challenges in using a mix of legacy, next-generation and home-grown PM components deployed to manage different technologies and different market segments, spanning large geographical areas. This can result in an amalgam of infrastructure that is difficult to manage. A performance management system is needed for consolidated management, service reporting and to provide an accurate assessment of network performance from multiple points of reference.

The Fastwire Performance Management solution provides a scalable distributed architecture to handle networks of various sizes and technologies in a cost-effective pay-as-you-grow manner. Performance data, ranging from system and application metrics to simulated usage performance, are consolidated for centralized management. Key performance indicators and end-to-end service views provide greater visibility on areas of improvement and growth. Pre-defined thresholds proactively detect application and service performance issues before they result in brownouts and blackouts that negatively impacts customers. Our solution also includes provisions for scheduled, real-time and on-demand customized reporting for multiple simultaneous users.

Fastwire maintains partnerships with IBM to provide the following performance management software solutions:

IBM Tivoli NetCool Proviso

Third-generation architecture for network performance data management - shifts complexity to a central robust database by deploying collectors at the edge of network infrastructure.

Four tier architecture:

  • 1st Tier: dedicated to performance data collection resulting in reduced software and hardware complexity and increased reliability.
  • 2nd Tier: aggregates data, monitors alarm thresholds and reduces burden of top-level database.
  • 3rd Tier: sole database of the system for central data access, configuration and backup.
  • 4th Tier: application server for customized reporting and load-balancing.

Great scalability by supporting up to 2 million objects, long periods of raw data retention and supporting hundreds of simultaneous users.

Reduces system cost while increasing system scalability, manageability and ease of access to performance information.

Data mart for reporting, data mining and OSS integration.

More information at:

IBM Tivoli Netcool Monitors

  • Collect and consolidate data from over 1000 environments including business applications, Unix and NT systems, mainframe and midrange systems, data switches, voice switches, IP, ATM, Frame Relay, MPLS, and wireless networks.
  • Quick and easy deployment requiring little programming expertise.
  • System Service Monitors (SSM) monitor host systems for CPU and memory issues.
  • Application Service Monitors (ASM) measures hard-to-access, application-specific metrics from within the application.
  • SSM and ASM discover application and system resources, providing robust asset information.
  • Data Center Monitor (DCM) bring real-time event management to IBM mainframe and midrange systems.
  • Internet Service Monitor (ISM) simulates complex user transactions providing end-to-end user-side performance and availability metrics.
  • Usage Service Monitor (USM) measures bandwidth and application consumption enabling effective capacity planning.
  • Predefined thresholds alert administrators to problems before they occur.
  • Metrics collected can be used for problem diagnosis.

More information at: