Boole & Babbage Synchronizes Automation Across OS/390 and Client/Server Environments.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 1998--

New Direct TCP/IP Connection Between AutoOPERATOR and

COMMAND/POST Provides Advanced Automation of Applications

Across the Enterprise

Boole & Babbage(R) (Nasdaq:BOOL), a leader in availability and service level management for distributed systems, today announced advanced synchronization of enterprise automation across mainframe and client/server environments.

The high bandwidth synchronization is delivered via a new direct TCP/IP connection between its Boole & Babbage market-leading enterprise management console, COMMAND/POST(R), and the OS/390 automated response tool, MainView(R) AutoOPERATOR(tm).

The direct TCP/IP connection allows high bandwidth data transfers that enable multiple, concurrent conversations from one or more OS/390 systems to one or more COMMAND/POST servers. This is particularly important when taking immediate corrective actions in an OS/390 environment where high priority malfunctions could occur to subsystems or applications concurrently.

The TCP/IP connection has been designed to enable data level integration between COMMAND/POST and MainView, including object sharing. This capability is significant in achieving seamless interoperability between the enterprise console and the OS/390 environment.

"We are already seeing benefits from the enhanced synchronization offered by the new direct connection," said Chris Thornton, consulting analyst at PCS Health Systems. "Knowledge is power in enterprise management. The direct TCP/IP connection provides accurate, real-time information -- giving us better knowledge of what is happening in our enterprise and permitting a quicker response to any problems that arise."

AutoOPERATOR captures and filters events from tools such as VTAM sessions and OS/390 subsystems such as MQSeries, IMS, CICS TS, and DB2, coordinating automation across all the different images in a Parallel Sysplex or a traditional mainframe environment. The filtered mainframe events are seamlessly integrated with the information collected from the distributed enterprise into COMMAND/POST via the advanced TCP/IP connection to provide cross-platform event correlation and advanced automation synchronization on an enterprise-wide level.

COMMAND/POST is today's leading enterprise management console, already consolidating OS/390 and client/server environments at over 600 customer sites around the world. COMMAND/POST provides customized business process views of events happening on any system in the enterprise, views of real-time synchronization of automated corrective actions, and alerts operators if service levels do not meet pre-defined thresholds.

The new functionality adds enhanced synchronization capabilities, including auto-discovery of OS/390 objects, and the ability to re-IPL the mainframe remotely.

"At many companies, ERP application components run on UNIX and NT servers while accessing and integrating with database transaction processing systems that run on OS/390," said Steve Foote, senior vice president at the Hurwitz Group.

"In order to effectively manage mission-critical applications in such a heterogeneous environment, and pinpoint the cause of service level deficiencies, management tools must be able to manage the application end-to-end, including systems and dependent subsystems running UNIX, NT, and OS/390. Boole & Babbage provides such a tool and is now delivering enhanced customer benefits through cross-platform synchronized automation."

"COMMAND/POST has been able to manage the mainframe environment for many years, irrespective of the OS/390 management tools deployed," said Gary Read, senior director client/server marketing for Boole & Babbage. "This new functionality provides additional benefits for AutoOPERATOR customers, and gives them the power to meet and exceed their service level requirements."

About COMMAND/POST

The COMMAND/POST family of solutions provides end-to-end service level management for ensuring availability of networked applications. Through the business process views of the COMMAND/POST enterprise console, IT staff can greatly reduce complexity while proactively monitoring the health of the entire IT infrastructure.

Pre-configured COMMAND/POST Power Modules enhance the enterprise console's application management capabilities with agent-driven features such as alert management, event correlation and multi-tiered automation. The COMMAND/POST solution forms the cornerstone of the Boole & Babbage Desired State Management initiative to provide a workable, turnkey solution for managing service levels in alignment with business policies.

About Boole & Babbage

Boole & Babbage is a worldwide leader in availability and service level management for distributed systems. Its Enterprise Automation product lines provide a management solution for the entire IT enterprise that encompasses systems, applications, middleware, databases and Web technologies.

The Boole & Babbage set of solutions is currently used by large manufacturing companies, domestic and international government agencies, the majority of the world's largest financial institutions, airlines, IT outsourcers and utilities to improve service levels and reduce IT management costs.

Founded in 1967, Boole & Babbage is the oldest publicly traded software vendor in the systems management industry and today is approximately $225 million company with 930 employees in 43 offices in 26 countries. Corporate headquarters are located in San Jose, California. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.boole.com, or call 800/544-2152.

Boole & Babbage, Inc. is a Tivoli (NYSE:IBM) Premiere Partner, a Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HWP) Premier Partner, an IBM (NYSE:IBM) BesTeam Member, and a Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) Solutions Developer.

Note to Editors: Boole & Babbage, COMMAND/POST and MainView are registered trademarks of Boole & Babbage, Inc. AutoOPERATOR is a trademark of Boole & Babbage, Inc. All other product names and trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.