AST introduces latest version of BMC`s flagship management suite

AST Enterprise Systems Management, a division of the AST Group, has introduced the next generation of BMC Software`s flagship PATROL Management Suite. PATROL 3.3`s new features such as remote installation and deployment, centralised management and advanced security capabilities, greatly reduce distributed management complexity for enterprise customers.

"With the rapid growth of the Internet, e-commerce and distributed systems, trying to manage these dynamic environments has become highly complex," says Martyn Healy, Executive Director of AST ESM. "PATROL 3.3 is designed to simplify the management of complex IT environments and help customers deploy PATROL management solutions quickly and effectively to achieve a rapid ROI."

"Customers with very complex environments are constantly needing to make changes to their PATROL Knowledge Modules in order to better manage their applications," adds Healy. "The version control feature in the Knowledge Module Deployment Server will allow users to track all of these changes and deploy them with greater confidence."

Besides the cross-platform benefits, PATROL 3.3 takes MicrosoftWindows NT applications management to a new level. It proactively monitors, detects and resolves application availability problems well before they begin to affect end-users.

It quickly deploys and simplifies distributed systems management through features such as:

• Intuitive, remote installation and deployment - The new GUI simplifies the initial installation and deployment of PATROL software to both local and remote machines, resulting in quick deployment and an immediate ROI. In addition, it provides packaging support for distribution via Microsoft`s Systems Management Server (SMS) product.

• Centralised configuration management - the PATROL Knowledge Module Deployment Server in PATROL 3.3 provides a centralised configuration repository for PATROL Knowledge Modules (KMs) version control and deployment, allowing all PATROL KMs to be managed from a central location.

• Enhanced Microsoft Windows NT support - PATROL 3.3 includes full Windows Management Infrastructure support through the PATROL Adapter for Web-based enterprise management (WBEM), providing bi-directional communication between PATROL and other WBEM-enabled applications.

• Security enhancements - the External Security Interface allows customers to implement security enhancements in accordance with their established policies. It provides support for third-party security facilities, such as Kerberos, for user authentication.