What Is MS Operations Manager?
Microsoft Operations Manager 2007 is a next-generation network management solution that monitors the availability, performance, and safety of your IT system by automatically detecting trouble and tendencies occurring on critical computers throughout your entire network.

Operations Manager operates by automatically examining event logs from critical servers, then selecting, consolidating, and evaluating these network events according to a comprehensive built-in database. When Microsoft Operations Manager identifies trouble or a potentially dangerous tendency, it can execute special repair routines or send alarms to notify designated service personnel. For instance, Microsoft Operations Manager could proactively isolate a compromised server to prevent the propagation of a detected virus. Microsoft Operations Manager also generates trend reports so you can monitor the health of your information network and make sure that problem warnings have been appropriately addressed.

Microsoft Operations Manager 2007 features powerful enhancements over MS Operations Manager 2005 including rich new reports and a simple to customize reporting environment, plus minimization of false warnings via advanced self-tuning monitoring thresholds that learn and adjust warning triggers to the ordinary production usage patterns of applications and hardware. Microsoft Operations Manager 2007 also introduces model-based management. By characterizing the network setup as models, System Center Operations Manager 2007 can more readily understand the interactions between the distributed applications and hardware that make up your information technology services. These models, defined in the System Definition Model that represents the basis for the standard Services Modeling Language (SML), allow for more fine-grained discovery of network components and the power to track not just the servers but the entire end-to-end service as a unique object.

System Center Operations Manager Management Packs
Management Packs are the building blocks which carry Microsoft Operations Manager management features to OS platforms, applications, and other technology components. A Management Pack (MP) contains field-tested expertise to find, monitor, troubleshoot, chronicle, and resolve problems for a specified network component. Management Packs contain health models based on the Systems Definition Model (SDM) to analyze the efficiency, reliability, configuration and security data, as well as the health of associated components, to decide the general condition of components. Operations Manager Management Packs are designed for Microsoft and third party operating systems, applications, and devices.

Microsoft provides System Center Operations Manager MPs for over 60 products and Windows components. Microsoft's Management Packs are produced by the same teams who created the associated products so the expertise and knowledge incorporated comes from the most knowledgeable source. All Microsoft MPs are provided for authorized users of Operations Manager 2007. MPs developed by Microsoft include:

  • Windows 2008
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2000
  • Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services
  • MS Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2003, Exchange 2000
  • SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000
  • SharePoint Server 2003
  • Microsoft Dynamics Customer Relationship Management 3.0 Server
  • MS Virtual Server
  • Microsoft Network Load Balancing
  • Windows Computer Cluster Server 2003
  • MS Internet Information Services (IIS) 2003
  • Host Integration Server (HIS)
  • Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006
  • Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2.0
  • .NET Framework
  • Windows XP for PCs
  • Microsoft Commerce Server 2007 and 2000
  • Microsoft Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Service
  • MS Message Queuing
  • Microsoft Windows Domain Name Server (DNS) Service 2003 and 2000
  • File Replication Services 2003 and 2000
  • Windows Internet Name Services (WINS) 2003 and 2000
  • Routing and Remote Access
  • SNA Server 4.0
  • MS MSDTC
  • MS Terminal Services
  • MS Transaction Server (MTS)
  • MS Site Server 3.0
  • Application Center 2000
  • BlackBerry Enterprise Server

    3rd-party and Customized MS Operations Manager 2007 Management Packs
    Microsoft Operations Manager 2007 MPs for many non-Microsoft products such as Linux, Oracle, and SAP, and for a range of network appliances, are produced and offered by Microsoft Partners. There are over one hundred Microsoft Partner MPs created for the majority of technologies utilized by most businesses.

    Microsoft has published several utilities creating or modifying Management Packs for Microsoft Operations Manager 2007. The Distributed Application Designer is a GUI-based tool for assisting network administrators to produce performance models and MPs for their information technology Services. Microsoft's Management Pack Authoring Console is a GUI-based tool designed to assist network administrators and developers to create Management Packs for their custom business programs and other network components. The Operations Manager 2007 Software Development Kit (SDK) contains programming interfaces so developers can more thoroughly control and automate System Center Operations Manager 2007.

    Benefits of Microsoft Operations Manager 2007
    Microsoft Operations Manager 2007 improves the reliability of mission-critical applications by automatically detecting and helping to resolve trouble spots before they can crash a computer. For an example of how Microsoft Operations Manager has benefited a San Francisco Bay Area company, read the Microsoft Operations Manager Case Study.

    Microsoft Operations Manager can improve system throughput by monitoring specified performance thresholds and usage trends on key servers, allowing network managers to be more proactive in deploying performance-boosting products and to address issues before they result in severe network bottlenecks.

    Microsoft Operations Manager lowers IT staffing expenses by simplifying the procedures of system management. Because Microsoft Operations Manager can intelligently filter and organize massive amounts of data collected from many computers, fewer system managers are required to take care of IT operations. In addition, the capability of MS Operations Manager to act automatically in response to alerts makes it possible to create rules-based scripts that can take sophisticated corrective actions which would otherwise require the hands-on support of IT personnel.

    By automatically creating alerts and distributing them via e-mail or wireless pagers to predetermined IT staff, System Center Operations Manager 2007 makes it easier for IT organizations to meet service level agreements. Microsoft Operations Manager's database helps deal with problems faster, and MS Operations Manager's reports make sure that job tickets don't get ignored. Automatic round-the-clock tracking and alert transmission also allows businesses to utilize their IT group more effectively so that more tasks can be taken on without compromising network support.

    In a nutshell, Operations Manager gives small and midsize businesses the benefits of 24x7 system monitoring plus expertise in problem resolution without having to manage a big, in-house service group.

    How Progent Can Help You Benefit from Operations Manager
    Deploying Microsoft Operations Manager's, powerful monitoring software can be a difficult. With more than six years of background with the NetIQ product upon which Microsoft Operations Manager is based, Progent's IT consulting engineers can assist you to select appropriate System Center Operations Manager components, install and configure System Center Operations Manager, and write custom rules, scripts, reports, and alerts for your business. Progent can also document System Center Operations Manager's application monitoring rules and protocols.

    For network problems uncovered by Microsoft Operations Manager, you can outsource trouble tickets to Progent's Microsoft-certified support team. With years of network management background, these support specialists have the know-how to respond efficiently to the data produced by Microsoft Operations Manager to keep business-critical networks operating steadily. By examining trend reports and responding appropriately to alarms, Progent can eliminate emerging problems before they cause downtime and repair critical problems immediately after they appear. In the majority of cases, Progent can handle trouble remotely, saving time and expense. For severe trouble that calls for on-premise support, Progent can promptly send a field consultant to the location of any small business in the San Francisco Bay Area or in major locations throughout the U.S..

    Progent's large staff of consulting experts makes it possible, if required, to escalate challenging problems by utilizing the skills to some of the industry's most knowledgeable computer consultants.

    To learn more about Microsoft Operations Manager and how Progent can help your small company achieve world-class IT management by adopting this powerful technology, select one of these links:

    In order to contact Progent about consulting expertise for Operations Manager, phone 1-800-993-9400 or email operations-manager-help@progent.com.

    Progent's Consulting Services for Microsoft .NET Server Technology
    For small and mid-sized businesses throughout the U.S., Progent's Microsoft-authorized consultants can provide computer help and IT consulting services for the entire family of Microsoft .NET Enterprise Servers, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2003. Progent's migration, integration, update, and consulting capabilities include system architecture, configuration, and management help for project management and documentation, on-site and remote technical support and system repair, Help Desk Support, certified security consulting, turn-key outsourcing, and hosting services.

    In case your business requires urgent remote help from a certified engineer, go to Progent's Emergency Online Network Support.

    Learn additional information about Progent's Consulting Services for Microsoft Server Products.


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