Concord's network health application accesses hub and RMON MIBs.

MARLBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 1994--Concord Communications announced today two breakthrough applications that set a new standard for network data retrieval and proactive network management.

Universal Poller extends the data sources available to Concord's TRAKKER to include hubs and RMON (remote network monitoring) agents already distributed throughout the network. Network Health, the first of a series of applications leveraging Universal Poller's core technology, allows users to identify and resolve potential network trouble spots before they become critical and affect performance.

"Concord is committed to helping network managers break out of crisis mode and focus on real business issues," said Kevin Conklin, Vice President of Marketing at Concord Communications. "Network Health is an extremely powerful tool that will raise the expectation level for applications developers to follow. Universal Poller's unique data retrieval technology provides the source of Network Health's unparalleled analytical capabilities. Bay Networks and Cabletron both understand the benefits of Concord's approach and their support has been tremendous."

Universal Poller

The Universal Poller uses standard SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) requests to extract data from hub MIBs (Management Information Bases) and RMON agents distributed throughout the network. Universal Poller translates the retrieved variables into entries in TRAKKER's integrated SQL relational database. TRAKKER applications such as Network Health can then access the relational database and perform sophisticated analyses for users. Upon shipment, Universal Poller will support Bay Networks 3000 and Cabletron MMAC hub configurations as well as standard RMON agents.

"This product (Concord's Universal Poller) leverages the intelligence we've built into our System 3000 and compliments the management capabilities we offer our customers. We're pleased Concord is providing managers with tools for this critical area," said Gary Law, Director of Market Development at Bay Networks.

"Cabletron is committed to helping customers realize the benefits of this type of management software. Concord's Universal Poller and Network Health application coupled with the extensive management data available in our MMAC hubs form a powerful management asset for our users," said Bill Tracy, Cabletron's director of SPECTRUM Applications. "Concord has also joined the SPECTRUM Partner's Program and we are exploring other areas of potential collaboration including the integration of other TRAKKER applications with the SPECTRUM management platform."

Gartner Group has reviewed Universal Poller and Network Health at several points in the development process. Says Gartner's Bradley Hecht, "The network analysis market is poised for explosive growth over the next 24 months. Concord's new applications position them well to take advantage of this opportunity."

Network Health

Network Health uses sophisticated techniques to graphically summarize network activity:

o Daily Volume compares total network activity to a baseline taken on the same day in a prior week. This report helps network managers evaluate equipment requirements and access the impact of new applications on the network.

o Situations to Watch analyzes the entire network's top ten problems. For each situation, it identifies the segment affected, the casual factor, and utilizes linear regression analysis to predict how many days until that segment will notice a performance degradation.

o Segment Utilization Profiles depict what percentage of time during the previous day each segment spent at various utilization levels. Color coding allows the user to scan the report for "hot" spots.

o Health Index is a unique metric that summarizes the health of each segment based upon the different parameters for Ethernet and Token Ring segments.

"Network Health will be an invaluable tool that lets network managers shift from tactical responses to strategic management," said John McConnell, President of McConnell Consulting Inc. "The Situations To Watch report automatically detects the most pressing problems and lets administrators focus on real problems before they affect any business activities. This should increase staff productivity and reduce the cost of ownership -- two of the most pressing issues network managers face."

"Network Health will allow us to stay on top of our network," said Scott Lawrence, Associate Director of Sony Music Entertainment Inc. "We will use this tool to avoid critical problems and document the service levels available to our users."

Pricing and Availability

Universal Poller and Network Health are expected to ship in early December as modules of TRAKKER. Network Health will be priced at $12,495. A license to use Universal Poller for up to 50 segments will cost $7,495.

Concord Communications Inc. is a leading supplier of network management solutions for mission-critical environments. Concord's TRAKKER family of proactive management applications provide customers with the information they need to effectively plan and manage the growth of their enterprise networks. The privately held company is headquartered in Marlboro, Mass.

CONTACT: Neva Group

              Jackie Lustig, 617/441-4000 ext. 229
              or
              Concord Communications
              Barbara Bennett, 508/460-4646