DMTF Releases Final ASF 2.0 Standard; Latest Release of the Alert Standard Format Specification Increases Security for Remote Management.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2003

Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. (DMTF), today announced the release of the final version of its Alert Standard Format 2.0 (ASF) Specification.

ASF 2.0 adds important security measures to the standard, which defines alerting and remote control interfaces to proactively manage networked devices when their operating system (OS) is absent.

The ASF Specification defines the Remote Management Control Protocol (RMCP), which allows a network administrator to respond to an alert remotely in many different ways: powering on the system, powering off the system, or forcing a reboot (either to the default boot device or to an alternate boot device such as a Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) server). This functionality saves the network administrator valuable time by reducing visits to the desktop, giving them the ability to fix problems remotely from a management console.

"Security is a critical issue in today's enterprise," says Andrea Westerinen of Cisco, vice president of technology for DMTF. "ASF 2.0 defines a four-phase session protocol, which includes discovery, authentication, command transfer and termination. With its new authentication capabilities, ASF 2.0 delivers the remote management administrators need, with the security that organizations require."

OS-absent is defined as a computer system state where the operating system is not available. This could occur due to boot problems or OS errors, or because the system is in a low power sleep state. The first industry specification for OS-absent management, ASF allows a network administrator to be alerted to failures of specific components within a networked device, thereby minimizing on-site maintenance while maximizing remote visibility of -- and access to -- local systems. Without ASF, OS-absent problems require manual intervention to power cycle or force a reboot of the system. Now, more immediate responses -- that can be executed remotely -- are available.

"Intel believes strongly in delivering the features our customers need to effectively manage their systems in a distributed environment, and ASF plays a key role in the IS manager's toolbox," said Kevin Cline, strategic marketing manager, Intel Corp. "We play an active role in DMTF's work on ASF, and remain fully committed to its continued success going forward."

"DMTF's ASF 2.0 delivers critical functionality that helps maximize uptime," said Mark Kuess, senior manager, business development, 3Com. "We're staunch supporters of industry standards that enable products to be effectively managed in the diverse vendor environments that are in place today, and ASF 2.0 is an important addition for managing OS-absent situations."

The ASF specification is complementary to other existing DMTF and industry standards that serve networked devices in an OS-present environment. These include the DMTF's Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM), Common Information Model (CIM), Directory Enabled Networks (DEN) and Desktop Management Interface (DMI) standards.

The ASF specification is now available for download from the DMTF Web site at http://www.dmtf.org/standards/standard_alert.php.

About DMTF

Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. (DMTF), developer of CIM, is the industry organization leading the development, adoption, and interoperability of management standards and initiatives for enterprise and Internet environments. CIM is the breakthrough standard for the exchange of management information in a platform-independent and technology-neutral way, streamlining integration and reducing costs by enabling end-to-end multi-vendor interoperability in management systems. Key technology vendors and affiliated standards groups that implement CIM enable a more integrated, cost-effective and less crisis-driven approach to management.

Companies interested in joining the DMTF or obtaining more information about DMTF standards and the activities of the DMTF Working Committees should call 503/963-3505 or visit the DMTF Web site at www.dmtf.org.

Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. is a non-profit 501 c (6) corporation dedicated to developing, promoting, and facilitating collaborative industry technical standards and interoperability in desktop and enterprise management for hardware and software.