Newsletter

May 27, 1998

Board of Directors:

Brenda Kirkpatrick, President

Dave Voegele, Vice President

3-7 International Sybase User Group Wash.,D.C.

4-8 NetWorld+Interop 98, Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada

6-8 NetWorld+Interop 98, Technology Exhib. Las Vegas, Nevada

11-14 AIIM, Anaheim, California

1 Spectrum, SpectroVan, Columbus, Ohio

BMC Software's PATROL Technical Symposium was Feb 18 - 20, 1998. It was nothing less than spectacular. BMC Education and Services did such a great job. The presentations included topics such as: Integration of PATROL Database Administration with PATROL Application Management, Interactive Dialogs in PATROL

Script Language (PSL), Migrating PATROL from V3.1 to V3.2, Optimizing NetWare Server Performance and so many more. You can obtain the CD with all the briefs for free by calling Genie Edgerly at 800-841-2031 x4115.

I find this to be a great resource. I don’t leave home without it. I urge you to get yours today.

The Technical Symposium was more than just another tech fair. We also had a lot of fun. The ERPUG wants to say thanks for doing such a great job and providing us with a forum for knowledge and fun. Where else can you be engrossed in completely technical discussions all day and have your picture taken on a long horn steer at night?

For more information about the PATROL Symposium, visit the BMC Software website at: www.bmc.com

(under education).

If you have an questions please feel free to call me at (207)963-2047 or send email to snmp4u@kirkpatrickconsulting.com.

May 27th Agenda, Ritz-Carlton, 1700 Tysons Blvd, (Tysons 2 Mall) Tysons Corner, Virginia

08:30 - 09:00 Registration (Continental Breakfast Provided)

09:00 - 09:45 PATROL 3.2 NT (the hard questions will be answered)

09:45 - 10:00 break

10:00 - 10:45 PATROL Developers Network Toolkit

10:45 - 11:00 break

11:00 - 12:00 Money and Time Saving KM Development (Techniques)

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch (Provided)

1:00 - 1:45 BMC Nerve Center

1:45 - 2:00 break

2:00 - 2:45 BMC Nerve Center (cont.)

2:45 - 3:00 break

3:00 - 3:45 PATROL DB Stats

3:45 - 4:00 break

4:00 - 4:30 Open discussions on PATROL NT and UNIX

Presentation Abstracts

Join us for an indepth look at some of PATROL NT Console’s more challenging aspects. We will be discussing the NT replication server, using the NT console, and other PATROL NT features. Nevell is one of BMC Software’s most talented engineers and we are lucky to have him present PATROL v.3.2 NT.

Every wondered how BMC Software builds PATROLView products to interface with Enterprise Management Consoles, for example, Network Node Manager, Spectrum, Micromuse, Tivoli, Sun Net Manager, and Solstice? Neville will show us, using the PATROL Developer’s Network, PATROLView toolkit. Neville is going to get into the bits and bytes so that we can build PATROLView interfaces ourselves. Even if you don’t build a PATROLView interface understanding how it is done will help you understand using the off-the-shelf PATROLView products. I am very excited about seeing this presentation.

You can write custom KMs which are robust, efficient and reusable. You don’t believe me? Then come to this presentation and see if it doesn’t improve your KM development skills. Even if you don’t write KMs you will understand the off-the-shelf KMs better than before. KM developers are a different breed so join us while we try to let you in on some of our best kept secrets.

We are all struggling with corporate and client issues dealing with System Level Agreements (SLAs) and system availability. BMC, using PATROL, has created the utopia of monitoring and automated fault recovery solutions. This jewel of enterprise management is called the Nerve Center. For those of you who have seen the Nerve Center this is a chance to ask the hard questions: How did you build it? How long did it take? How can we use your technology to build a Nerve Center for our internal use and/or our clients. I have no doubt that after seeing a demonstration of the Nerve Center you will be even more impressed with BMC Software than you are today.

The PATROL Data Management group has done it again! Whenever there is a need for database products BMC Software is the first to create the package to help us solve our most difficult problems. PATROL DB Stats is no exception. Doug Burnett will help us to understand the importance of PATROL DB Stats. Our biggest challenge is wasted space and bad database performance. PATROL DB Stats gives DBAs the tools needed to recognize and solve these problems in one package. PATROL DB Stats does the following:

• provides statistics and advanced analysis for Oracle storage management

• takes full advantage of PATROL consoles and agents to provide graphical charting of trends, storage-related alerts, and automated recovery actions

• collects, stores, and analyzes statistics from both the Oracle dictionary and the Oracle Redo logs

• provides proactive space management by recommending storage parameters for improved performance and storage utilization

We created the Eastern Regional PATROL Users Group in order to provide a forum to exchange ideas and talk about woes and successes. Let’s take this 45 minute time slot to do exactly that. I am hoping that you will come with questions or discussion ideas in mind but our group his chalk full of innovative, fast thinkers so I am confident that this will be a lively discussion. Neville Kruger, Doug Burnett, and myself will try and make sure that you get all your questions answered.

We have had great turnouts for our Eastern Regional PATROL Users Group (ERPUG) meetings! BMC Software is committed to having someone from BMC Education and Services and/or BMC Software Consultant group at all the meetings. This is great for us because we receive exceptional education at a substantially discounted rate.

I believe we learned a lot from our presenters over the last year. I can hardly believe that it’s been a year since I started the ERPUG. We shared antidotes, woes, and success stories which is the purpose of the ERPUG. I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I receive requests for ERPUG membership on a daily basis, which tells me that we really needed this kind of forum. For the members who have been in the ERPUG since day one, yearly membership dues are due on or by May 27, 1998.

or by US mail to Brenda Kirkpatrick, ERPUG, PO Box 548, Winter Harbor, ME 04698. Articles will, for the most part, be printed unedited; therefore, they should be copy-ready. If you need some help, just ask. We have extended the PATROL umbrella to include integrated products such as Remedy, CuraMessage, Network Node Manager, Spectrum, etc. so articles on these products are also welcome.

Keep in mind that the presentation agendas are strictly based on comments from members like you. We count the number of requests for each topic and create the agenda based on the requests. So if you want to see a presentation then vote either at the meeting, via email, via US mail or by calling the ERPUG (207) 963-2047.

Please send questions for a "Dear ERPUG" column. Responses will be both e-mailed and included in the ERPUG Newsletter. If you have an answer for a commonly asked question, please send both question and answer to "Dear ERPUG".

If you have any ideas for regular columns and/or columns please send the ideas to me. If you have an idea, but don't wish to author a column, or vice versa, please contact me at (207) 963-2047 and maybe we can find a solution.

The ERPUG Newsletter is picture-friendly. I encourage pictures. For example if you have a picture of a spectacular consoles then please send it. Pictures in jpeg, tif, gif, bmp are welcome. The ERPUG has a scanner so you can even send a hardcopy snapshot.

ERPUG dates and meeting agendas appear on our web site at www.kirkpatrickconsulting.com/erpug/erpug.htm
under erpug.html. PATROL Users Group information can also be found at www.bmc.com/events

I hope to see all of you on May 27th!!