NetCrunch
Encyclopedia
AdRem
NetCrunch is a commercial software solution for agentless, cross-platform network monitoring
developed by AdRem Software, Inc.
The program monitors 65 network service
s, Windows applications; Windows
, Linux
, NetWare, BSD, Mac OS X
systems and SNMP
(v1-3) devices without agents; centralizes fault management
by collecting and alerting on events from sources including Windows Event Log, syslog
s, and SNMP traps; presents physical and logical network topology
as automatically updated dynamic graphical views.
Auto Discovery - initial and scheduled discovery and classification of network resources
Network Views - physical and logical network topology
including predefined views like: IP networks, Routing Map, Physical Segments, Servers, Maps with Issues, and others.
Event Management - events from Windows, Syslog
and SNMP
traps
Monitoring Policies - sets of rules defining events to be monitored and data to be collected for later reporting, including predefined policies for:
1. Operating System - Windows (Active Directory
, Network Services Health, Security Audit, Terminal Services
, Windows Server, Basic Windows Monitoring), Linux, Mac OS, BSD, Netware, Other (AIX, AS/400, MIB
-II host resources).
2. Hardware – Network Devices (Nortel
, Alcatel OmniSwitch, Cisco
), IBM Director
, Dell OpenManage
, HP Systems Insight Manager
, APC PowerChute
.
3. Applications – Microsoft (Exchange 2003, IIS 5.0/6.0
, ISA Server 2000, ISA Server 2004, MS SQL
Server 7.0/2000, MS SQL Server 2005), APC Windows Events, ARCServe, CA eTrust Alert Manager, Lotus Notes
6, McAfee
AlertManager, Norton AntiVirus
Corporate Edition, Oracle
9i, Sophos
Enterprise Manager, Trend Micro
ServerProtect, Veritas Backup Exec
.
Availability Monitoring - network devices and services (HTTP, POP3, SMTP, etc.)
Performance Monitoring - real-time statistics, multi-server charts, and performance trends (devices, systems, and applications)
Long-term Trend Analysis – reports generated on demand or delivered on schedule via email.
Remote Access – Remote Administration Console and access via web browser.
User Experience Monitors – advanced monitoring of crucial network services. The program simulates user's action e.g. sends an email for POP3 service monitoring, etc.
Smart Monitoring - limiting monitoring traffic for specific sub networks.
Inventory - Ability to gather the basic inventory information of Windows machines (i.e. mainboard, processor type and memory), with options to schedule inventory audits to be performed, automatically discover and view installed software
SP2 x32/x64. AdRem NetCrunch Remote Administration Console runs on Windows 7/Vista
SP2/XP SP3
or Windows Server 2003
/2008 (x32/x64).
Common Premium XE Usage Scenarios include:
Multithreading -- NetCrunch Premium XE uses multithreading to take advantage of multi-core x64 machine.
Prioritized monitoring -- The program automatically sets up node monitoring order and time upon monitoring dependencies hierarchy.
Event suppression -- In case of failure of an intermediate node, the program suppresses alerts from nodes located beyond that node.
SQL event database (up to 128GB)
Web access -- By implementing AJAX technology the server/browser interactions run asynchronously without reloading the Web page.
LanLine Magazine, November 2010, Werner Degenhardt, "Netzwerküberwachung für viele Plattformen"
Networld Magazine, Michał Witkowski, February 2010. "Spokojnie, to tylko awaria"
Processor Magazine, Robin Weisman, January 2010. "Straightforward Network Server Management"
LANline Magazin Germany, Dr. Werner Degenhardt, June 2008. “Der neue Netzwerkatlas”
Processor Magazine, May 2008. “Easy Network Monitoring”
PC Magazine Russia February 2008. “AdRem Software выпускает систему мониторинга и управления сетью NetCrunch 5”
Datamation, Cynthia Harvey, February 2007. “Datamation Readers Name NetCrunch Number One”
AdRem Software
AdRem Software, IncAdRem Software is a software company headquartered in New York, USA and Krakow, Poland. It is specialized in providing highly developed network monitoring and administration tools.- History :...
NetCrunch is a commercial software solution for agentless, cross-platform network monitoring
Network monitoring
The term network monitoring describes the use of a system that constantly monitors a computer network for slow or failing components and that notifies the network administrator in case of outages...
developed by AdRem Software, Inc.
AdRem Software
AdRem Software, IncAdRem Software is a software company headquartered in New York, USA and Krakow, Poland. It is specialized in providing highly developed network monitoring and administration tools.- History :...
The program monitors 65 network service
Network service
Network services are the foundation of a networked computing environment. Generally network services are installed on one or more servers to provide shared resources to client computers.- Network services in LAN :...
s, Windows applications; Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, NetWare, BSD, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
systems and SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol
Simple Network Management Protocol is an "Internet-standard protocol for managing devices on IP networks. Devices that typically support SNMP include routers, switches, servers, workstations, printers, modem racks, and more." It is used mostly in network management systems to monitor...
(v1-3) devices without agents; centralizes fault management
Fault management
In network management, fault management is the set of functions that detect, isolate, and correct malfunctions in a telecommunications network, compensate for environmental changes, and include maintaining and examining error logs, accepting and acting on error detection notifications, tracing and...
by collecting and alerting on events from sources including Windows Event Log, syslog
Syslog
Syslog is a standard for computer data logging. It allows separation of the software that generates messages from the system that stores them and the software that reports and analyzes them...
s, and SNMP traps; presents physical and logical network topology
Network topology
Network topology is the layout pattern of interconnections of the various elements of a computer or biological network....
as automatically updated dynamic graphical views.
Features
AdRem NetCrunch key features:Auto Discovery - initial and scheduled discovery and classification of network resources
Network Views - physical and logical network topology
Network topology
Network topology is the layout pattern of interconnections of the various elements of a computer or biological network....
including predefined views like: IP networks, Routing Map, Physical Segments, Servers, Maps with Issues, and others.
Event Management - events from Windows, Syslog
Syslog
Syslog is a standard for computer data logging. It allows separation of the software that generates messages from the system that stores them and the software that reports and analyzes them...
and SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol
Simple Network Management Protocol is an "Internet-standard protocol for managing devices on IP networks. Devices that typically support SNMP include routers, switches, servers, workstations, printers, modem racks, and more." It is used mostly in network management systems to monitor...
traps
Monitoring Policies - sets of rules defining events to be monitored and data to be collected for later reporting, including predefined policies for:
1. Operating System - Windows (Active Directory
Active Directory
Active Directory is a directory service created by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems. Server computers on which Active Directory is running are called domain controllers....
, Network Services Health, Security Audit, Terminal Services
Terminal Services
Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2, formerly known as Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 and previous versions, is one of the components of Microsoft Windows that allows a user to access applications and data on a remote computer over a network, using the Remote Desktop...
, Windows Server, Basic Windows Monitoring), Linux, Mac OS, BSD, Netware, Other (AIX, AS/400, MIB
Management information base
A management information base is a virtual database used for managing the entities in a communications network. Most often associated with the Simple Network Management Protocol , the term is also used more generically in contexts such as in OSI/ISO Network management model...
-II host resources).
2. Hardware – Network Devices (Nortel
Nortel
Nortel Networks Corporation, formerly known as Northern Telecom Limited and sometimes known simply as Nortel, was a multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada...
, Alcatel OmniSwitch, Cisco
Cisco
Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...
), IBM Director
IBM Director
IBM Director is an element management system first introduced by IBM in 1993 as NetFinity Manager. The software was originally written to run on OS/2 2.0. It has subsequently gone through a number of name changes in the interim. It was changed in 1996 to IBM PC SystemView...
, Dell OpenManage
OpenManage
OpenManage, a Dell, Inc. product, consists of a number of network management and systems management applications.-OpenManage Applications: is a set of systems management applications built using industry standard protocols and specifications...
, HP Systems Insight Manager
HP Insight Manager
MinotHP Systems Insight Manager is a proprietary systems management tool designed to help manage HP servers.HP SIM is the basis for the HP system management tools and is part of HP's unified infrastructure management strategy, as well as HP Insight Control and Insight Dynamics management...
, APC PowerChute
Powerchute
PowerChute is a computer program made by APC to control the uninterruptible power supplies the company produces. It provides unattended shutdown of servers and workstations in the event of an extended power outage. It also monitors and logs the UPS status...
.
3. Applications – Microsoft (Exchange 2003, IIS 5.0/6.0
Internet Information Services
Internet Information Services – formerly called Internet Information Server – is a web server application and set of feature extension modules created by Microsoft for use with Microsoft Windows. It is the most used web server after Apache HTTP Server. IIS 7.5 supports HTTP, HTTPS,...
, ISA Server 2000, ISA Server 2004, MS SQL
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database server, developed by Microsoft: It is a software product whose primary function is to store and retrieve data as requested by other software applications, be it those on the same computer or those running on another computer across a network...
Server 7.0/2000, MS SQL Server 2005), APC Windows Events, ARCServe, CA eTrust Alert Manager, Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes is the client of a collaborative platform originally created by Lotus Development Corp. in 1989. In 1995 Lotus was acquired by IBM and became known as the Lotus Development division of IBM and is now part of the IBM Software Group...
6, McAfee
McAfee
McAfee, Inc. is a computer security company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. It markets software and services to home users, businesses and the public sector. On August 19, 2010, electronics company Intel agreed to purchase McAfee for $7.68 billion...
AlertManager, Norton AntiVirus
Norton AntiVirus
Norton AntiVirus, developed and distributed by Symantec Corporation, provides malware prevention and removal during a subscription period. It uses signatures and heuristics to identify viruses. Other features include e-mail spam filtering and phishing protection.Symantec distributes the product as...
Corporate Edition, Oracle
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
9i, Sophos
Sophos
Sophos is a developer and vendor of security software and hardware, including anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, network access control, encryption software and data loss prevention for desktops, servers, email systems and other network gateways....
Enterprise Manager, Trend Micro
Trend Micro
Trend Micro Inc. is a computer security company. It is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and markets Trend Micro Internet Security, Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security, OfficeScan, and other related security products and services...
ServerProtect, Veritas Backup Exec
Backup Exec
Backup Exec is proprietary backup software currently developed by Symantec. Backup Exec has a long history of being sold from one company to another. Its earliest roots stretch back to the early 1980s when Maynard Electronics created a bundle of software drivers to help sell their tape drive...
.
Availability Monitoring - network devices and services (HTTP, POP3, SMTP, etc.)
Performance Monitoring - real-time statistics, multi-server charts, and performance trends (devices, systems, and applications)
Long-term Trend Analysis – reports generated on demand or delivered on schedule via email.
Remote Access – Remote Administration Console and access via web browser.
User Experience Monitors – advanced monitoring of crucial network services. The program simulates user's action e.g. sends an email for POP3 service monitoring, etc.
Smart Monitoring - limiting monitoring traffic for specific sub networks.
Inventory - Ability to gather the basic inventory information of Windows machines (i.e. mainboard, processor type and memory), with options to schedule inventory audits to be performed, automatically discover and view installed software
Platform
Recommended platforms for NetCrunch Server are Windows 2008 x32/x64 or Windows 2003Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft, introduced on 24 April 2003. An updated version, Windows Server 2003 R2, was released to manufacturing on 6 December 2005...
SP2 x32/x64. AdRem NetCrunch Remote Administration Console runs on Windows 7/Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
SP2/XP SP3
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
or Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft, introduced on 24 April 2003. An updated version, Windows Server 2003 R2, was released to manufacturing on 6 December 2005...
/2008 (x32/x64).
Editions
There are two editions: Premium and Premium XE. The Premium XE edition is designed for large networks and intended to run on a dedicated Windows 2008 server.Common Premium XE Usage Scenarios include:
- Network with more than a 1000 nodes for availability monitoring
- Network with more than a 1000 network services for availability monitoring
- Network with more than a 100 servers and routers for performance monitoring
- Network with sub networks
- Network with external servers connected over WAN Links
- Network with CISCO or Nortel switches
- MS SQL, Exchange application performance monitoring and trending
Language versions
There are several language versions of AdRem NetCrunch: english, japanese, polish, german, french, spanish and italian.Technology overview
Client-server architecture -- User manages NetCrunch server using Remote Administration Consoles.Multithreading -- NetCrunch Premium XE uses multithreading to take advantage of multi-core x64 machine.
Prioritized monitoring -- The program automatically sets up node monitoring order and time upon monitoring dependencies hierarchy.
Event suppression -- In case of failure of an intermediate node, the program suppresses alerts from nodes located beyond that node.
SQL event database (up to 128GB)
Web access -- By implementing AJAX technology the server/browser interactions run asynchronously without reloading the Web page.
Independent reviews
Bjoerns Windows Blog, December 2010, "Netzwerküberwachung mit NetCrunch 6"LanLine Magazine, November 2010, Werner Degenhardt, "Netzwerküberwachung für viele Plattformen"
Networld Magazine, Michał Witkowski, February 2010. "Spokojnie, to tylko awaria"
Processor Magazine, Robin Weisman, January 2010. "Straightforward Network Server Management"
LANline Magazin Germany, Dr. Werner Degenhardt, June 2008. “Der neue Netzwerkatlas”
Processor Magazine, May 2008. “Easy Network Monitoring”
PC Magazine Russia February 2008. “AdRem Software выпускает систему мониторинга и управления сетью NetCrunch 5”
Datamation, Cynthia Harvey, February 2007. “Datamation Readers Name NetCrunch Number One”