Deployment considerations

You can deploy your entire Network Manager installation on a single server or as a distributed installation.

During a Network Manager installation, you install a number of Network Manager components' including the following:
Network Manager core components
This component consists of the core Network Manager processes: network discovery, polling, root cause analysis and event enrichment.
NCIM database
This database stores topology data.
Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus
This component consists of the Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus event management software. Many customers choose to have a trouble-ticketing system integrated with Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus.
Network Manager GUI components
This component includes the Dashboard Application Services Hub GUI framework, Web GUI components, Jazz for Service Management, and Java™.
Other components
Other components include Cognos Analytics and Network Manager reports.

The objective of the installation is to place these components on one or more servers.

Restriction: You must not use different versions of the same products or components together, unless advised otherwise by instructions in the IBM Knowledge Center or by IBM Support. If you need multiple instances of a product or component, you must install or upgrade them to the same version and fix pack. You must also ensure that the same set of test fixes, if any, are installed. For example, if you need multiple instances of the Network Manager GUI Components in one deployment, ensure that they are the same version, fix pack, and test fixes.
The following are typical Network Manager deployment configurations:
  • Single-server deployment
  • Distributed deployment: two servers or more
The factors that require an increased number of servers in a distributed deployment include the following:
  • Active event rates
  • Amount and rate of stored polling data
  • Device status polling rates and number of polling targets
  • Network response times for polled targets
  • Discovery frequency and
  • Size of the network to be discovered (for each domain, where there are multiple domains)
Note: These deployment configurations do not take into consideration requirements for other product integrations.

In addition, you must consider deployment of appropriate systems to support GUI client sessions.

Also, IPv6 dual stack support is required if workstations or network devices have IPv6.

Single-server deployment

Single-server deployments are appropriate for small demonstration or educational systems, and for systems to support small to medium customer networks.

Restriction: A limitation of a single-server deployment is that Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus and Network Manager must be upgraded at the same time. All upgrades to major releases must be done at the same time to avoid compatibility issues. A major release is a release that has its own documentation set, for example, Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus V8.1.0. Fixpacks can be applied at different times.

Distributed deployment: two servers or more

In distributed deployments, Network Manager components are distributed across multiple servers, that is, two servers or more. Here are some guidelines for distributed deployments:
  • Two-server deployments are appropriate for the top end of the range of medium customer networks.
  • Deployments might require three servers or more in situations where there are multiple network domains.
  • Three-server deployments might also be deployed where it is determined that a separate server is required to support a relational database product that provides topology data storage. In addition, a separate database server enables the relational database to support multiple applications, in addition to Network Manager.

Two-server deployment

An example of a two-server deployment consists of the following allocation of host workstations:
  • Server 1: Network Manager core components, Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus, and the NCIM database. The core components are the network discovery, polling, root cause analysis and event enrichment components.
  • Server 2: Dashboard Application Services Hub with associated Network Manager web applications.

Three-server deployment

An example of a three-server deployment consists of the following allocation of host workstations:
  • Server 1: Network Manager core components.
  • Server 2: Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus
  • Server 3: Dashboard Application Services Hub with associated Network Manager web applications, together with the NCIM database.

Client systems

You must consider deployment of appropriate systems to support GUI client sessions.

The following system specification provides support for a wide range of end-user activities on GUI client sessions:
  • Larger display supporting comfortable viewing at higher resolution, such as 1280x1024
  • Current speed single or dual core processor
  • 3 GB of memory
  • Supported JRE and Internet browser
  • Fast Ethernet.
  • Processor specification:
    For normal topology displays or event displays
    Single processor with the following speeds: 1 GHz or better, as found on many laptops, 2.4 GHz, as found in many workstations
    Enhanced time to display larger or complex topology maps and enhanced display of MIB graphs
    A very current processor (3.0 GHz or better) typically available in the latest workstation class systems.