The sysLog facility, one such avenue for network notification, is supported by many products, including those from Cisco^TM and Lucent/Ascend^TM, as well as UNIX workstations. Error and status messages are sent to a common server, usually (unfortunately) into a huge unmanageable log file.

CMSâ LogRhythm turns this venerable facility into a powerful tool for network health assurance.
With CMSâ LogRhythm, you can:

• Assign any Windows^TM machine to be a sysLog server, receiving critical information from your network devices
• Sort and filter on the color-coded server log to isolate problems and identify trends
• Automate your response to network events with case-based logic, launching custom programs or notifying key personnel via email
• Export all data for quick analysis using standard spreadsheets and database tools.

As status information flows from your network into the CMSâ LogRhythm server, it becomes immediately available, categorized by time/date, IP address, user-defined name, and a full description.

Each event is labeled and color-coded by severity. The device subsystem ("facility") that generated the event is also specified.

Sorting events in ascending or descending order is as easy as clicking on the button atop each resizable column of the scrollable table.

Suppose you want to study the events for just a handful of your devices. Or perhaps you're looking for messages containing a certain keyword, or that happened at a particular time. Just apply the flexible filter feature to the log. The filter even recognizes Cisco-specific headers in the events.

You'll want more than just raw data to detect trends in your network. CMSâ LogRhythm offers three distinct views of the data it has gathered.

• The Detailed View, described above, lists every network event in color-coded form with full sort and filter capability

• The Most-Active View lists every network device in order of the number of events each has generated, with the most active device at the top

• The Most-Severe View lists every network device in order of the severity events each has generated, with the device ranking highest in severity at the top

CMSâ LogRhythm makes it easy to move your network log data to other tools for deeper analysis. You can:

• Export some or all of the events to a comma-separated value (.csv) file, which can then be read by Microsoft^TM Excel^TM or other off-the-shelf tools for graphing and post-processing

• Filter the log and save the selected events to one or more log files, then send them to another user of CMSâ LogRhythm in your organization

• Copy one or many events to the clipboard and paste them directly into a document or report

What if a critical network event occurs after hours, or when you're not watching? CMSâ LogRhythm lets you automate a response to specific events, right when they are received. You can:

• Define one or more cases to detect events from a given set of devices and meeting a specific series of criteria

• Assign one or more actions to each case that will be performed when any event meets the criteria of that case

• Initiate any foreground or background application or batch file when a defined event occurs

• Send an email message to one or more recipients on a defined event

In many cases, when a device reports an error condition, the first thing you'll want to do is log on to the device with Telnet. CMSâ LogRhythm lets you skip some intervening steps. Simply right-click on any event in the list and select "Telnet" to launch the Telnet (or other) tool of your choice to connect to the erring device.

CMSâ LogRhythm allows you to maintain a database containing each network element emitting sysLog messages. The database allows you to assign recognizable names to the IP addresses of your devices. This database may be shared with other Milgo Software Solutions, such as CMSâ HealthAssure.

CMSâ LogRhythm is available for Microsoftâ Windows^TM 95, Windows^TM 98 and Windows^TM NT 4.0.

As a Milgo Software Solution, CMSâ LogRhythm is engineered to high standards. You can trust that, when we developed this software product, we relied on:

• Peer review of requirements
• Detailed specifications
• Object-oriented design approaches
• Thorough code reviews
• Formal documented testing
• Automated error detection tools

From Your Networking Partner

Headquartered in Sunrise, Fla., Milgo Solutions is a global provider of best-in-class, multibrand networking solutions with a 40-year tradition of excellence in data networking. The company’s capabilities cover the entire network life cycle from planning and design through deployment, operations and support. Milgo Solutions has extensive pre- and post-sales expertise in router, hub, switch and network management technologies.

CMS LogRhythm runs on Windows 95/98/NT. Internet Explorer 4.0 or newer must be present. Press the button and you can download a free demo version and a locked full version in one file.

Copyright © 1999 - All rights reserved.

Last Modified: September 8, 1999