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NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: NEAL WEINBERG
on PRODUCT REVIEWS 10/25/01 - Today's focus: Visualware's VisualPulse 1.7 Dear Wincenty Kaminski, In this issue: * VisualPulse 1.7 is a top-notch tool for monitoring network health * Links related to Network World product reviews * Featured reader resource ____________________________________________________________ Getting certified? Ensure your success with practice tests! Network World and Boson Software partner to conveniently bring you affordable, high-quality technical practice tests. Loaded with more than 200 questions highly rated Boson tests help you prepare for your certification exams from today's leading companies such as Cisco, Compaq, IBM, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Linux, Microsoft and Sun. Visit http://nww1.com/go/1015netsmart.html ____________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Visualware's VisualPulse 1.7 By Neal Weinberg Visualware's VisualPulse 1.7 is a winning combination of statistics and graphical interface that should be in every network manager's bag of tricks. VisualPulse 1.7 is a network monitoring tool that provides network managers with detailed statistics on packet loss and latency. VisualPulse sends Internet Control Message Protocol ping packets at regular intervals and measures packet loss and round-trip time. VisualPulse is Web server-based and operates on Linux and Windows platforms. While VisualPulse supports Windows 95, 98 and Millennium Edition, Visualware recommends deploying VisualPulse on a Windows 2000 server in an enterprise environment. A feature of VisualPulse that we found particularly attractive was its minimal client requirements. If you have a Java-enabled browser, you can access all of the reporting and configuration options of VisualPulse. VisualPulse requires Microsoft's Java VM build 5.00.3167 or later, and the use of Internet Explorer is recommended. The VisualPulse home page is extremely well laid out. All the functions needed to configure and operate VisualPulse are grouped into status, report and tool headings. The status group is the heart of VisualPulse, containing links to a listing of all systems being monitored, critical latency and packet loss reports, and the system monitor. The system monitor page provides a scrolling display of the response time and packet loss for each system VisualPulse is watching. If less than five packets have been lost, the host name is highlighted in yellow. If more than five packets are lost, it turns red. Packet loss is indicated by a vertical red bar, and latency by a vertical black bar. This page was so well designed that we could glance at it and get an immediate sense of network health. VisualPulse also provides a simple-to-use e-mail notification feature. Plug in your mail server host name and the e-mail address to which you want alerts sent and you're ready. With the number of bad guys hacking away on the Internet, network managers might be nervous about putting a list of critical systems and network performance statistics where everyone can see it. Don't worry - VisualPulse gives administrators a robust set of security options to keep the black hats from gaining access to vital network stats. The installation process was simple, and the documentation for VisualPulse is excellent. Visualware provides online frequently asked questions and a user's manual that is well written and superbly illustrated with screenshots. We easily found answers to all our questions and had no need to call technical support. For the full report, go to http://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/2001/0924rev.html _______________________________________________________________ To contact Neal Weinberg: Neal Weinberg is features editor at Network World, in charge of product reviews, Buyer's Guides, technology primers, how-tos, issue-oriented feature stories and the Technology Insider series. You can reach him at mailto:nweinber@nww.com. _______________________________________________________________ RELATED LINKS Network management wares on tap at ComNet Network World, 01/29/01 http://www.nwfusion.com/archive/2001/116098_01-29-2001.html Riversoft helps identify net problems Network World, 07/02/01 http://www.nwfusion.com/archive/2001/122328_07-02-2001.html The archive for Reviews is: http://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/index.html ______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE Network World Fusion's Net.Worker site Whether your company is growing larger or scaling back, corporate managers are looking for ways to cut costs while retaining and recruiting star employees. One smart solution - at least on paper - is to let some employees work from home. Network World's Net.Worker Web site bridges the gap between the telework concept and the hardware, software and services needed to make it happen. We bring you news and reviews, sound advice and keen insight into the technologies and solutions you need to manage a remote and mobile workforce. Visit http://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/index.html _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply today at http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/nl ______________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail newsletters, go to: http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/news/scripts/notprinteditnews.asp To unsubscribe from promotional e-mail go to: http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ep To change your e-mail address, go to: http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/news/scripts/changeemail.asp Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to this message. Have editorial comments? Write Jeff Caruso, Newsletter Editor, at: mailto:jcaruso@nww.com For advertising information, write Jamie Kalbach, Fusion Sales Manager, at: mailto:jkalbach@nww.com Copyright Network World, Inc., 2001 ------------------------ This message was sent to: vkamins@enron.com
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