This IBM® Redbooks® Product Guide describes IBM Network Advisor Version 14.0. Although every network type has unique management requirements, most organizations face similar challenges managing their network environments. These challenges can include minimizing network downtime, reducing operational expenses, managing application service level agreements (SLAs), and providing robust security. Until now, no single tool has been able to address these needs across different network types.

This IBM® Redbooks® Product Guide describes IBM Network Advisor Version 14.2. Although every network type has unique management requirements, most organizations face similar challenges managing their network environments. These challenges can include minimizing network downtime, reducing operational expenses, managing application service level agreements (SLAs), and providing robust security. Until now, no single tool was able to address these needs across various network types.

Under pressure to reduce costs and increase agility, organizations can get stuck in reactive mode, overspending through inefficiencies to keep their networks running. By standardizing and automating processes, however, network teams can proactively address availability and performance issues, and dramatically reduce costs.

To address this issue, the IBM Network Advisor software management tool provides simplified network management for today’s increasingly dynamic storage area network (SAN) fabrics. This single application can deliver end-to-end visibility and insight across network types by integrating with Fabric Vision technology. It supports SANs (including Gen 6 and Gen 5 Fibre Channel (FC) platforms), IBM FICON®, and other non-IBM, Brocade based FC networks. In addition, this tool supports comprehensive lifecycle management capabilities across different networks through a simple, seamless user experience.

Figure 1 shows the customizable IBM Network Advisor SAN dashboard.


Figure 1. Customizable IBM Network Advisor SAN dashboard (web client view)


Did you know?

IBM Network Advisor simplifies storage network management and helps organizations proactively diagnose and troubleshoot issues to maximize uptime, increase operational efficiency, and reduce costs.

IBM Network Advisor provides simple wizards and right-click menu options to automate critical tasks, from configuration through troubleshooting and reporting.


Product highlights

You can use IBM Network Advisor to gain the following benefits: