News
Diagnostic/Repair Tool for Exchange Ships
- By Stuart J. Johnston
- September 28, 2005
Zenprise is shipping its management tool of the same name for real-time, automated diagnosis and resolution of Microsoft Exchange problems.
The Zenprise product is designed to provide automated resolution for complex e-mail problems. The goal is to significantly decrease the time and money spent on staff performing manual troubleshooting.
The product uses algorithms to analyze multiple infrastructure components, such as Active Directory, DNS and network devices, to identify the cause of an issue. Zenprise developers relied on beta testers’ feedback to identify tedious and time-consuming tasks that could be automated.
Zenprise’s algorithms automatically correlate errors across infrastructure components to quickly detect the underlying cause of errors, and to provide detailed step-by-step instructions to the administrator on how to resolve them, according to the company’s statement.
The product collects operational performance data across the user’s entire Exchange environment to determine typical activity levels or performance baselines. The system then detects deviations – or symptoms – from the baselines. Zenprise’s “correlation algorithm” analyzes the symptoms and groups related symptoms. Then, the “causation algorithm” tests the grouped symptoms against several probable causes to accurately determine the underlying cause. Finally, the “correction algorithm” offers actionable resolution steps, presenting detailed instructions on how to resolve the problem.
The Zenprise correlation, causation and correction algorithms rely on a “symptom database” that contains details on all known Exchange symptoms and their underlying causes. Among the problems that Zenprise says its product monitors for and repairs are: What is causing the message queues to grow out of control? Why can’t users log onto their mailboxes today? Why won’t the information store mount? and Why are messages not being delivered to remote users?
Zenprise starts at $15 per user per year. The price covers support, subscription updates and Zenprise software for as many Exchange servers as the customer has.
About the Author
Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.