BMC Beefs Up Server Tools

The new versions of Patrol for Microsoft Windows Servers 3.0 and Patrol for Unix 9.0 have more automated features to reduce the cost and complexity associated with managing systems, said Sean Duclaux, director of Patrol platforms at BMC, based here.

After installing previous versions of the products, solution providers had to set threshold parameters for monitoring CPU usage, disk space, memory status and other metrics. The upgraded version of Patrol is preset with 20 to 25 parameters that the average systems administrator requires, Duclaux said.

"These out-of-the-box capabilities speed up implementation so our channel partners can concentrate on higher value-add services," he said.

For Windows environments, BMC added new patent-pending algorithms to automatically monitor the availability and performance of Active Director.

The capabilities related to Active Directory could help cut costs in Windows environments, where pain points currently exist, said Frank Oley, account manager at MRK Technologies, a Cleveland-based solution provider.

Patrol for Microsoft Windows Servers 3.0 and Patrol for Unix 9.0 both cost $815 per server.

For many solution providers, BMC's server management products form a foundation for future sales opportunities around the vendor's higher-end performance assurance solutions,Patrol Perform and Patrol Predict, Duclaux said. Indeed, half of MRK's customers that implement the base Patrol management tools also buy Perform, while one-quarter of them buy both, Oley said.