🚀 go-pugleaf

	Randall P Johnson asks:

>Is this new release an improvement upon DEC MSU?  Or is it a version 
>that brings the VMS and Ultrix managers closer together?

>If it is in improvement, what improvements should we see?

	With the DECmcc BMS V1.2, the EMA based DECmcc director is now
	available from Digital on VMS and ULTRIX, and is also available
	from Olivetti on their PC based SVR4 platform.  It's the same
	product, ported.  Improvements include better SNMP support, 
	real time graphs, improved alarming, much better performance,
	a event notification application, autotopology for IP and DECnet,
	application launch capabilities, the option to use local files rather 
	than a distributed name server, and lots of little improvements.  

	So - on the ULTRIX operating system, Digital now has two management
	products to choose from.  The DECmcc Management Station for ULTRIX
	aka MSU continues to be supported, with future versions on the way.
	It's targeted for those who need the latest in SNMP management
	features, without the need for integrated management of other 
	protocols.  MSU is the best for LAN/WAN management in an IP network. 
	MSU also has launched applications to manage some of Digital's legacy 
	protocols like DECnet IV, DEC bridges, FDDI and terminal servers.  
	The EMA DECmcc Director products (BMS, EMS) is focused in a similar 
	direction as the OSF/DME.  It's where Digital is integrating both 
	system and network management functions together.  It's architected 
	to allow all management information, and all applications to be 
	separated from the protocol used. SNMP alone meets the needs of a lot 
	of folks today - and those folks will be best served by MSU today - 
	however as SMP, RPC, and CMIP protocols come into use, the object 
	oriented approach that EMA (and DME) takes goes beyond what SNMP 
	managers do today in separating the issue of protocol from 
	functionality.  DECmcc BMS is still a bit ahead of it's time, and
	is still unique in the market, so MSU fills the gap for those looking 
	for just a SNMP manager.

	With the advent of manager to manager prootocols and the ability
	to generate traps as the outcome of alarms, the two products
	will move closer together.  Already, they use a similar application
	launch facility - and the goal is to provide a similar SNMP library
	and SQL interface.  A large management environment will make use
	of both element management systems like MSU (and other SNMP 
	managers) and enterprise management systems like DECmcc Director 
	and OSF/DME.  The shipping of DECmcc on VMS and ULTRIX is just 
	another step along the way.

	bill gassman