XTREE TOOLS FOR NETWORKS SHIPS Complete Suite of LAN Management Tools; Provides All-In-One Software Solution In Single Integrated Package SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA -- Jan. 25, 1993 -- Expanding further into the network management arena, XTree Company today began shipping XTree Tools for Networks, Novell Edition, previously announced at NetWorld/Dallas. Designed for and by LAN administrators, XTree Tools for Networks is a complete suite of management tools every LAN manager needs to become a more effective and pro-active professional. Reasonably priced, it carries a suggested retail price of $695 per server (U.S. MSRP); each additional server is $395 (U.S. MSRP). The product is available worldwide through XTree's network of qualified resellers, VARs and distributors. Corporate site licenses can be obtained directly from the Company. "Our primary goals in designing Tools was to "demystify" and simplify LAN management," said King Lee, XTree's president and CEO. "We're presenting a set of building blocks to LAN managers -- offering them real solutions and solid advice. We've designed this product to give them an advanced "degree" in LAN management, as well as affording them an opportunity to become more valuable professionals for their companies," he added. Lee said XTree believes XTree Tools for Networks is a good start in accomplishing these goals. "It not only contains the tools necessary to react to and fix problems, it shows LAN managers how to become pro-active and avoid problems from happening in the first place." XTree Tools for Networks consists of seven basic modules, all with one common interface. They are: configuration management, server monitoring, workstation monitoring, configuration backup and restore, QuikStat, WatchLAN and NetTrack. CONFIGURATION MANAGER - This module lets you change and document the server configuration. Because it allows modification of users, groups, queues and file server information (i.e., system files and login scripts), it effectively replaces NetWare's SYSCON utility. It provides the means to make these changes and gives before and after reports of the configuration(s) changed. Information is displayed on one screen eliminating the need of moving between multiple layers of different menus, thus minimizing keystrokes. Moreover, Configuration Manager has features not found in SYSCON such as Supervisor Equivalents, which locates all users with supervisor privileges and displays them in one window. A pop-up Info Box relays information at any time about any object on your network; i. e., cryptic user names or unfamiliar group definitions; Reports, see who and what makes up your network; Simplified Edit, lets you see and change trustee directory assignments and rights while scrolling through group/user lists; Disk Summary, summarizes disk space usage and helps you keep track of usage for the entire network; and Copy/Paste, quickly copy and paste information to single or multiple destination(s). SERVER MONITOR - Providing valuable information about server performance, this module also helps interpret its significance. With its built-in reporting feature, Server Monitor provides a view of the network to help maximize performance and minimize problems. It gives standard FCONSOLE functionality with reporting capabilities. Because information can be printed and saved, changes in network performance over time can be observed. XTree Tools for Networks own NetWare Loadable Module (NLM) provides extensive details about the 3.1x environment, including server performance statistics. Not found in any other product, it also provides command capabilities heretofore only available through NetWare RCONSOLE. With Server Monitor, you can print SET parameters, change them and load and unload NLMs -- without using RCONSOLE. WORKSTATION MONITOR - This module displays information about the configuration and performance of workstations connected to the network. Static information -- such as Shell, Driver and IPX/SPX versions -- is provided, along with graphic, real-time analysis of each. This enables a network administrator to analyze dynamic packet information. Performance differences between workstations are visually highlighted by scrolling through the connection list. Workstation Monitor provides a way to analyze the relationship between hardware/software and network performances. With a TSR loaded in memory of a connected workstation, information on computer type, bios, video type and memory map is displayed, allowing you to control remote workstations on your keyboard and edit those files remotely. Moreover, the reporting capability allows you to generate a configuration report for every workstation connected to the network. CONFIGURATION BACKUP & RESTORE - Because network backups are an integral part of network management, XTree Tools for Networks Backup&Restore utility lets you quickly save the NetWare bindery (a special-purpose database that stores vital network information, like users, groups and queues) and other essential network information, and restore it in the event of corruption or deletion. This can be stored to a floppy disk, hard drive or even the network drive. In addition to the bindery, it captures system files, trustee rights, login scripts and printer configuration data files. While not part of the bindery, this data is stored by NetWare on the file server. QuikStat - Designed to help in testing network performance and identifying potential problems before they happen. An extensive list of over 100 tests, for both NetWare 2.x and 3.x, makes preventive network management easier. You select a value or condition as the "norm" for each test -- anything beyond the norm is alerted. For example, you set a performance threshold of 90 percent on a file server's disk space utilization -- an allowable limit prior to reevaluating your disk storage needs. QuikStat functions like a camera, giving an instant picture of your network's performance. Each "snapshot" immediately warns if any test in the list has exceeded the threshold set for it, displaying the actual value of any failed test. A command line option allows the program to be run from a DOS prompt or within a batch file. For instance, QuikStat can be run from a batch file at a certain time of day to look for performance problems. It also can be made part of your login script and set to display warning messages for failed tests, and is ideally suited for testing information which does not quickly change or need to be monitored on a continual basis. Used with WatchLAN, it is an excellent testing utility. WatchLAN - A workstation based runtime testing and event notification program providing continuous monitoring of user-defined thresholds and activates a variety of notification functions (i.e., MHS, cc:Mail, digital paging, 25th line messaging, execute program, execute batch file), included in the program and defined by the network administrator. With over 100 tests for both NetWare 2.x and 3.1x, it lets you set unique thresholds for each network you monitor. A node testing capability is included, letting you check for a specific node address such as an SNA gateway or print server. Baseline results from NetTrack may also be imported, eliminating the need to key in performance sampling results. WatchLAN lets you set the frequency of the polling intervals and maintains a file which logs the results of each test cycle. This list is constantly updated and can be saved and/or printed and is password-protected to prevent unauthorized access to the workstation. NetTrack - A utility for collecting, averaging, accumulating, displaying and logging the performance related statistics of the File Server -- allowing the system administrator to better determine trends and plan future network growth. NetTrack can be used to monitor real-time, average, peak and accumulated levels for both user defined intervals as well as activity over time. It presents the information in realtime on the screen and also logs it to disk, for later review. NetTrack is also a tool for analyzing any changes to the network (i.e., new users or applications; hardware, software or configuration changes) having the ability to affect its performance. With a baseline of normalcy determined, system administrators are able to take measures to resolve problems at the source. Because statistics on many network activities are maintained internally, it is easy to identify time periods associated with peak resource requirements and potential bottlenecks to File Server performance. With this information in the log file, everything needed to justify recommendations for possible reconfiguration or hardware changes to help improve network performance is at your fingertips.