Re: [nv-l] Map usage in future versions of NetView

["Phillip BLATZHEIM" <phillip.blatzheim@atofina.com>]

James,

Please see my answers below. (RED)

Thanks,
Phillip

Phillip Blatzheim
ATOFINA Petrochemical, Inc.
Information Technology -Network Services
15710 John F Kennedy Blvd
Houston, TX 77032

Phone:  +1 (281) 227-5545
Fax:        +1 (281) 227-5515
Pager:    +1 (281) 621-5545
Email:    phillip.blatzheim@atofina.com 

"The truth is more important than the facts."
Frank Lloyd Wright

James Markham <markhaja@us.ibm.com> Sent by: owner-nv-l@lists.us.ibm.com 02/26/2004 02:03 PM Please respond to nv-l

To:        nv-l@lists.us.ibm.com         cc:                 Subject:        [nv-l] Map usage in future versions of NetView

I work on the interaction design team for TEC. Interaction design's purpose is to try to understand the customer's business goals, and to design the particular product to assist in meeting these goals. One of the things we are doing, is trying to better understand how customers are using the Map functionality in NetView. I've got a series of questions on map/submap usage below. Your responses will be used as data points as we work through the design of the next TEC/NetView product. 

Please email your responses directly to me rather than to the nv-l list, unless of course there is something that you would like to discuss in the open list forum. 

Also remember, if any information is considered confidential, please check to make sure that a confidential disclosure agreement is in place before responding. 

1. Do you monitor for problems on your network by looking at the maps, or the event browser/TEC Console? Both
a. If you monitor the map, why do you use that rather than the event browser/TEC Console? From the network point of view the map typically shows us the closest router or switch to the problem to start troubleshooting from.

2. Do you have actual network diagrams/drawings of your network that you use during network problem determination? Yes
a. If so, how are the diagrams maintained? Microsoft Visio drawings exported to jpeg.
b. How do you access them during problem determination? HTML links to the jpeg files

3. How much time per week do you or people in your organization spend on map maintenance? one person 1-2 hours per week.

4. Do you use NetView's automatic layout of maps or do you layout the maps manually? Both
a. If you manually layout the map, how do you organize it: geographically, by device type, by business 
    organization, to reflect your physical network layout? The IP Internet Map is manually laid-out geographically and physically. The sub-maps are laid-out automatically.
b. Why do you organize it this way? So that higher priority sites and devices are centered on the map.

5. Can you share an image or images of your most effective maps? Unfortunately I can not.
a. Why do you consider them effective? Input from the read-only access users (Help-Desk) was sought so that they could see where a problem was so that if the end-users called in they would have an immediate response to the fact that an issue was known and being worked on by an appropriate member of the support staff.
b. What do these maps help your business achieve? Communication to our customers; our help desk is our first customer and the typical interface to the end-user, our ultimate customer.

Thank you! 

Jim Markham
Tivoli Systems
IBM Software Group
Email: markhaja@us.ibm.com
T/L 687-1405, (919)224-1405