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Candle Introduces Leading-Edge Performance Management And Availability Technology For Linux Environment

Announcement posted by Candle Corporation 15 Jan 2003

New OMEGAMON XE for Linux Brings Savings to Mission-Critical Server Computing; Optimises Investment in Linux for zSeries and S/390
Candle Corporation, a leading enterprise infrastructure management provider, today announced OMEGAMON XE (Extended Edition) for Linux, a comprehensive solution for managing the performance and availability of the Linux operating system running on IBM eServer zSeries mainframes. The new solution empowers organisations with the extensive systems management capabilities required to deploy Linux in mission-critical environments and help them reduce server expenses. OMEGAMON XE for Linux serves as a vital first line of defence against performance and availability threats to critical applications and platforms running in a Linux environment.

Linux is the fastest-growing operating system in the server market, with IDC projecting that it will hold 32 per cent of the market by year-end 2002. When running Linux on zSeries, customers can achieve considerable cost savings through server consolidation.

One IBM mainframe can run multiple Linux images under z/VM partitions or Virtual Image Facility partitions, thereby potentially replacing hundreds of stand-alone servers. This "server-farm-in-a-mainframe-box" approach can help reduce power costs, as well as the real estate and staffing requirements associated with managing a server farm handling a comparable load. In addition, since Linux is open-source software, the costs associated with running Linux are often less than those of proprietary
operating systems.

"The implementation of proven performance management and availability tools is even more important in an open Linux environment than it is in other operating environments," said John Kogel, vice president, Systems and Service Management group, Candle Corporation. "Protecting the performance and availability of your Linux operating system protects the applications that power your business."

OMEGAMON XE for Linux provides support for the full life cycle of operations. It targets the requirements of technical managers testing applications before implementation and in deployment, as well as the needs of business managers focused on analysing performance to assess service-level management and return on investment. OMEGAMON XE for Linux supports SuSE and Red Hat distributions for Intel, zSeries and S/390 systems. Additionally, OMEGAMON XE for Linux supports Turbolinux distribution for zSeries and S/390 systems.

The solution monitors critical system characteristics, such as disk inode, disk use, file system and network connections, as well as systemwide performance statistics and processes. It also identifies hard-to-diagnose conditions that could cause outages or performance issues, and generates alerts and reports that warn of potential problems before they occur. OMEGAMON XE for Linux:

* Monitors Linux capabilities in real time, enabling users to manage and tune their Linux environments
* Monitors Linux workloads to detect runaway processes and resource consumption
* Monitors network and disk information critical to workloads and Linux images
* Enables users to incorporate Linux information into an enterprisewide view of systems performance

Like all OMEGAMON XE solutions, OMEGAMON XE for Linux features a powerful graphical user interface that enables users to solve problems quickly and personalise information to meet their unique needs. The OMEGAMON XE interface features a customisable "workspace," a single screen that displays all critical data that a user needs to isolate and resolve faults quickly. This workspace can be leveraged for rapid knowledge recall from multiple sources. In addition, users can take advantage of Expert Advice, which explains exactly how problems should be handled, and Take Action, which are pull-down options that automatically perform user-defined tasks when certain problems arise. The solution's historical reporting capabilities allow users to define the data they need to track performance and availability over time to determine trends and help them be more proactive in preventing problems.

OMEGAMON XE for Linux integrates seamlessly with OMEGAMON DE (Dashboard Edition) to provide an aggregated view of the performance of critical applications of the entire enterprise.

"Linux-based management products are an important part of IBM's efforts to help ensure customers have the systems and tools to develop, deploy and maintain mission-critical Linux solutions on the zSeries platform," said Joann Duguid, IBM director of eServer Linux Marketing. "With business partners like Candle, IBM is increasing the number of products available on the zSeries platform, and creating a higher standard of application manageability and availability for Linux- based solutions. Both organisations are focusing their efforts to deliver leading-edge e-business solutions that enable customers to compete and succeed in the global market."

Pricing and Availability

Candle's pricing for OMEGAMON XE for Linux for zSeries and S/390 operating systems allows users to optimise their IT investments and realise the total cost of ownership savings Linux provides. Available today, OMEGAMON XE for Linux is US$15,000 per engine for production licenses. Since many customers are exploring Linux, Candle also offers a development license for US$7,500 per engine.

About Candle Corporation
Candle Corporation provides solutions to manage and optimise business-critical infrastructures, systems, service levels and other information technology assets. By enabling companies to manage the performance and availability of their systems and applications across multiple environments, Candle empowers customers to align IT investments with business value. More than 3,000 of the world's largest companies use Candle products and consulting services, including 73 percent of the Global 100. With more than 5,000 customer sites in 60 countries, Candle is one of the world's largest independent software and services companies. Candle is headquartered in El Segundo, California. For more information, visit www.candle.com.

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Candle, Candle flame design and the Candle logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Candle Corporation. The IBM e-business logo, eServer, zSeries, z/VM, DB2, WebSphere MQ and WebSphere are registered trademarks or trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The IBM eServer brand consists of the established IBM e-business logo with the following descriptive term "server" following it. Other product names and terms in this document may be trademarks of their respective companies.