Features
Architecture
A client-server architecture, used in conjunction with mechanisms to both push and pull data, permits Big Brother to run agent-less for network tests or use agent-based configurations for more detailed client information. This provides low overhead and high flexibility.
Redundancy
To ensure a catastrophic failure does not restrict alerts, redundancy is supported to allow multiple instances of Big Brother to run in parallel. Clients can report into multiple Web displays and notification servers.
Display
A graphical interface displays, in real-time, system status information in either a Web-based or WML-based format (Unix/Linux version only) for WAP-enabled devices. An intuitive color-coded representation of which servers are experiencing issues allows users to quickly determine what areas need immediate attention.
Network Tests
Out of the box support includes the ability to test ftp, http, smtp, pop3, dns, telnet, imap, nntp, and ssh servers. Support for additional tests is easily added.
Local Tests
When installed on a local machine, Big Brother monitors disk space, CPU usage, messages, and the existence of user-defined processes.
Notification
Sophisticated notifications based on time of day, machine or failed tests are generated. Advanced features such as paging groups, acknowledgments, escalations, and delay before paging (to eliminate erroneous notifications of self-resolved problems) are also supported.
Availability Reporting
Historical information about status changes is stored and used to generate availability and service level agreement (SLA) reports.
Plug-ins and Extensions
Big Brother was designed with extensibility in mind. Plug-ins can be written in any language, and users from around the world have written hundreds of extensions to monitor everything from VMS and AS/400 clients to CPU temperature on Solaris machines.
System Req.
Support platforms
The Big Brother servers run on Window/Unix/Linux. Client software is available for Windows/Unix/Linux, with user contributed clients available for Netware, Mac OS 9, VMS, AS/400 and VM/ESA.