HP OpenView Program and Tivoli Systems Lead Effort to Establish New Performance Management API for Application Response-time Measurement
ST. LOUIS, June 24, 1996 - Hewlett-Packard Company and Tivoli Systems today announced they have collaborated to develop an open, vendor-neutral approach to manage the performance of distributed applications. The Application Response Measurement (ARM ) API, is an application programming interface for measuring end-to-end application response time. The ARM API will allow vendors to create management-ready applications and end users to measure and control the total performance of their business-critical distributed applications.
The lack of effective applications management capabilities is often cited as the major barrier to the wide-scale deployment of client/server solutions. The ARM API is an open management interface that will allow users to extend their system and network management tools directly to applications, creating a comprehensive end-to-end management capability. The objective of the ARM API is to enable vendors of off-the-shelf applications, development tools and management tools as well as systems integrators and in-house IT departments to produce management-ready applications and management tools.
By instrumenting an application to the ARM API, vendors and users create applications that have the ability to establish and monitor service levels tied to business objectives. The full range of performance management operations enabled include:
- Monitoring of application availability;
- Monitoring of application performance (i.e., response time, workload throughput, actual service levels seen by end users)
- Monitoring of application usage (i.e., who is using the application, how often, and which kind of operations are being performed);
- An open standard approach to measure end-to-end transaction response time; and
- The opportunity to cost effectively make management-ready applications.
"Measuring application response time has become a business necessity with user expectations now demanding around-the-clock availability with continuously utstanding performance," said Mark Solle, general manager of HP's Software Services and Technology Division. "HP and Tivoli have combined their industry-leading expertise to offer customers a way to measure application performance against such aggressive business matrices."
"Performance management is a key area of need for our partners and users alike," said Scott Harmon, vice president of marketing and strategy for Tivoli Systems. "It made perfect sense to work with HP in this area as our two companies have some of the industry's most advanced performance management technology available today, as well as the partnerships to effect widespread use of ARM API."
Both companies are making the ARM API available in their management products and support it as part of their respective partner organizations. In addition, both companies have agreed to technical input, review and refinement using their respective partner organizations. Using this input as well as customer feedback, HP and Tivoli will continue to advance the ARM API.
The HP OpenView Program will provide ARM support as part of its HP MeasureWare resource and performance management solutions. This capability will be available by mid-summer 1996. The ARM API will be an integrated component of the HP OpenView management API set which is reviewed by HP OpenView solution partners.
Tivoli will provide support for the ARM API in its TME 10 family of network computing management products. Additionally, Tivoli will incorporate it into the Applications Management Specification (AMS) which is controlled by its partners in the applications management working group of the 10/Plus Association.
To help ensure that application developers will be fully equipped to utilize the new ARM API, HP and Tivoli have collaborated on an ARM Software Developers Kit (SDK). Using the ARM SDK, developers can easily mark sections of their application to define business transactions. By invoking the API at the beginning and end of each transaction, developers enable their applications to be monitored by any ARM-compliant management tool. The SDK will allow developers to instrument to the ARM with minimal impact on their application. All of the libraries and other tools necessary for interfacing to a development tool are included in the SDK, relieving the developer from having to write any additional code.
The ARM SDK is immediately available at no charge from the HP and Tivoli World Wide Web sites, http://www.hp.com/go/arm and http://www.tivoli.com.
HP OpenView offers users integrated network, system, application and database management. Solutions consist of a broad portfolio of management products from HP and OpenView Solution Partners and a complete set of services that are designed to help customers improve service and reduce operations costs.
Hewlett Packard Company is a leading global manufacturer of computing, communications and measurement products and services recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 108,300 employees and had revenue of $31.5 billion in its 1996 fiscal year.
Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.
Tivoli Systems, an IBM Company, provides an open, end-to-end management solution from mainframes to the desktop, spanning network and systems management. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Tivoli distributes its products worldwide through a network of domestic and international sales offices, systems integrators, resellers and IBM sales channels. For more information about Tivoli Systems and its products, visit their World Wide Web site at http://www.tivoli.com.
EDITORIAL CONTACTS:
Jeffrey Scott, HP
(408) 447-0851Claire Campbell, Tivoli Systems
(512) 436-8311
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