Introducing IBM Director

This topic provides an overview of IBM Director.

IBM Director is a comprehensive systems-management solution. Based on industry standards, it can be used with most Intel-microprocessor-based systems and certain IBM® eServer iSeries™, pSeries®, and zSeries® servers.

A powerful suite of tools and utilities, IBM Director automates many of the processes that are required to manage systems proactively, including capacity planning, asset tracking, preventive maintenance, diagnostic monitoring, troubleshooting, and more. It has a graphical user interface that provides easy access to both local and remote systems.

IBM Director can be used in environments with multiple operating systems (heterogeneous environments) and integrated with robust workgroup and enterprise management software from IBM (such as Tivoli® software), Computer Associates, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft®, NetIQ, and BMC Software.

IBM Director environment

IBM Director is designed to manage a complex environment that contains numerous servers, desktop computers, workstations, mobile computers (notebook computers), and assorted devices. IBM Director can manage up to 5000 systems.

An IBM Director environment contains the following groups of hardware:
  • One or more servers on which IBM Director Server is installed. Such servers are called management servers.
  • Servers, workstations, desktop computers, and mobile computers that are managed by IBM Director. Such systems are called managed systems.
  • Network devices, printers, or computers that have Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agents installed or embedded. Such devices are called SNMP devices.
  • Additional managed objects such as platforms and chassis. Collectively, all managed systems, devices and objects are referred to as managed objects.
圖 1 shows the hardware in an IBM Director environment.
圖 1. Hardware in an IBM Director environment
Hardware in an IBM Director environment
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