To perform complete and efficient operations management, Microsoft Operations Manager 2000 (MOM) is based on the Microsoft Distributed Network Architecture (DNA): Presentation, Business Logic, and Data.
The Presentation layer consists of the MOM Administrator Console, the Web Console, and MOM Reporting.
Agents, Consolidators, associated Agent Managers, and Data Access Servers (DAS) are part of the Business Logic layer. The DAS provides centralized database access and query logic, as well as the communications between the interfaces in the Presentation layer and the components in the Data layer.
The various Windows 2000 data sources and the MOM database make up the Data layer. MOM supports Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and later.
The MOM architecture includes product components and interfaces. Components provide product functionality and are grouped in configuration groups. Interfaces provide access to the collected data, and provide configuration functionality.
MOM consists of the following components:
| Agent | Service that runs on each computer you want to monitor. An agent captures information from a remote computer, applies processing rules to the collected information, and sends the information to a Consolidator. |
| Consolidator | Service that runs on a select number of computers in your enterprise. A Consolidator includes an Agent Manager component, which installs, uninstalls, and configures agents. A Consolidator also acts as an agent on the computer where it is installed. Consolidators send collected information to a Data Access Server (DAS). |
| Data Access Server (DAS) | Service that runs on a select number of computers in your enterprise. The DAS controls the flow of data between the database, Consolidators, and the MOM Administrator Console and Web Console. |
| Database | Storage facility for configuration information and collected data for a configuration group. |
| Web Console Server | Component installed on a Microsoft Information Services (IIS) computer that hosts the Web Console. |
MOM offers the following interfaces:
| MOM Administrator Console | Allows you to monitor data, create rules, and configure Microsoft Operations Manager 2000 components. |
| Web Console | Allows you to view the data in the database from any Windows platform that can run Microsoft Internet Explorer. The Web Console provides remote monitoring and easy access for roaming administrators. |
| MOM Reporting | Allows you to run auditing reports and performance management and capacity planning graphs from the information in the database. |
A configuration group consists of the following components:
Each configuration group contains only one database and must have a unique name. The database provides a central storage location for all data collected from that configuration group, as well as alerts, rules, scripts, and configuration data. You can have more than one configuration group in your enterprise. Agents can reside in more than one configuration group, sending the same or different information to each configuration group. The following list provides a few examples of why you might want more than one configuration group in your enterprise:
The agent is part of the Business Logic layer in Microsoft Operations Manager 2000. An agent is a service that runs on every computer that you want to monitor. An agent can capture the following information from the computer on which it is running:
The agent applies processing rules to the collected information and performs actions as stipulated by the processing rules. By applying processing rules to collected information, the agent can perform any of the following actions and responses:
The agent temporarily stores information in a buffer before sending it through a guaranteed delivery mechanism to a Consolidator. MOM can integrate with enterprise management frameworks by sending high-priority events as SNMP traps from each agent.
The agent uses a guaranteed delivery mechanism to ensure that each item of data is sent. Agents continue to collect data even through lengthy network outages by batching and sending data in a controlled fashion when network connectivity resumes.
At regular intervals, the agent initiates communications with a Consolidator. You can configure the amount of data sent at each interval. For quicker response to alerts, you can configure the agent to send alerts immediately when they occur.
Agents send a periodic heartbeat to a Consolidator that helps ensure the agent is operating properly.
The Consolidator is part of the Business Logic layer in Microsoft Operations Manager 2000. The Consolidator is a service that runs on a select number of computers in a configuration group. A Consolidator provides Consolidator functionality, acts as an agent on the Consolidator computer, and provides Agent Manager functionality.
Consolidators receive collected information from agents. Consolidators perform central actions specified by processing rules, such as running a script or a batch file or notifying an operator of a detected condition. Consolidators also forward information to the DAS.
If a change occurs to a processing rule that applies to an agent on a computer in the Managed Computers list, the Consolidator ensures that the latest processing rules reach the agent. The Consolidator sends these processing rules to agents when the agent is installed and whenever the rules change.
A Consolidator acts as an agent on the computer where it is installed. The Consolidator performs all the actions that agents perform on remote computers. Because the Consolidator provides the same services as an agent, MOM does not install separate agents on Consolidator computers.
The Consolidator contains an Agent Manager. The Agent Manager is responsible for installing and configuring agents on all the computers defined in its Managed Computers list.
You define an initial Managed Computer rule when you install the Consolidator. You can use wildcards and regular expressions to define this rule. The Managed Computers list, which is the result of the Managed Computer rule, is a dynamic list of computers that can change as you add, remove, and change computers in your enterprise. You can expand the Managed Computer rule through the MOM Administrator Console.
Periodically, the Agent Manager scans for any change in the computers that match the Managed Computer rule. The Agent Manager then installs, uninstalls, and reconfigures agents on computers in the Managed Computers list as necessary. The Agent Manager can perform these functions automatically, or only after your approval. The Agent Manager will install an agent on a computer only if that computer belongs to a Managed Computers list.
Configuration groups can contain more than one Consolidator. Having more than one Consolidator in a configuration group might be necessary for the following reasons:
The DAS is part of the Business Logic layer in Microsoft Operations Manager 2000. Most requests for data from the database and all requests to insert data into the database go through the DAS. The DAS links Consolidators, the MOM Administrator Console, and the Web Console server to the database.
Note
The DAS is based on COM+ and Component Services that provide load sharing and object pooling for smoother operation. The DAS provides centralized database access logic, centralized query logic, shared caching of agent and event information, and pooled connections to the database.
The DAS receives information sent by Consolidators and inserts the information into the database. The DAS also routes processing rules, based on current computer grouping rules, from the database to Consolidators. Consolidators send these processing rules to agents.
The DAS maintains data consistency and logging. For example, when someone changes the resolution state of an alert, the DAS logs all configuration changes, along with the name of the user making the change.
Configuration groups can contain more than one DAS. Having more than one DAS in a configuration group might be necessary for scalability.
When a component or interface attempts to send data to or retrieve data from the database, the component or interface requests a DAS from the database computer. The database computer determines the least-loaded DAS and supplies that DAS to the component or interface requesting a DAS.
The database is part of the Data layer of Microsoft Operations Manager 2000. The database is the central storage facility for events, alerts, performance data, rules, and scripts. MOM supports SQL Server databases.
The database consists of two files: primary database definitions, data tables, and indices in one file and the database log in the second file.
MOM interfaces allow you to view the health of monitored computers and configure product functionality. The MOM Administrator Console provides central monitoring and configuration of MOM through Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins. The Web Console provides views of database information accessible from platforms supporting Microsoft Internet Explorer. MOM Reporting provides reports from data in the database.
The MOM Administrator Console provides the central monitoring and configuration point in Microsoft Operations Manager 2000. The MOM Administrator Console consists of snap-in applications that provide monitoring and configuration functionality. The Microsoft Operations Manager 2000 snap-in provides a framework for the following snap-ins:
| Monitor | Used to create views for alerts, computers, computer attributes, computer groups, events, and performance data based on selected criteria. Also used to monitor product component status. |
| Rules | Used to create new computer attributes, computer grouping rules, processing rules, and scripts, and to create and manage notification groups. |
| Configuration | Used to configure agents, Consolidators, and Agent Managers. |
The MOM Administrator Console can integrate with third-party problem ticket applications, customer knowledge bases, and custom business applications. The MOM Administrator Console provides a context menu that you can customize and extend to include applications, commands, or batch files in custom tasks. Right-clicking an item in the Monitor details pane displays the context-sensitive, customized menu, where you can select the custom task and send the selected item to that application.
The Web Console allows you to view database information from any Windows platform that supports Microsoft Internet Explorer. The Web Console provides remote monitoring and easy access for roaming administrators.
MOM uses Active Server Pages and Microsoft IIS to provide a complete view of all collected information. The Web Console server connects to the database through the Data Access Server (DAS).
Using the Web Console, you can see many different views of the database information. You can see views related to events, alerts, computers, and performance. You can create custom views for specific situations, such as all Critical Error alerts. The Web Console front page is the Ops Portal, which provides customizable, preconfigured views for specific management areas
The Web Console provides monitoring capabilities. It does not provide rules definition or configuration capabilities.
MOM Reporting provides more than 70 standard reports. These reports include specific security auditing and general system monitoring reports and graphs useful for capacity planning or performance analysis.
MOM Reporting uses a run-time version of Microsoft Access and an ODBC connection, authenticated by Windows 2000, to the database. You can generate reports on demand or at scheduled times and save them in HTML format for viewing through an Internet browser, or linked from the MOM Administrator Console or the Web Console.
If you have the full version of Microsoft Access, you can customize the reports to meet your specific needs or to deliver reports in alternate formats for spreadsheets or e-mail.