Here is that article from 'EE Times' in its entirety......looks pretty good........
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February 24, 1997, Issue: 942
Section: Power Technologies
Web puts accent on power protection
By Robert Thurston, Embedded Systems, Product Manager, Kevin
Brown, Software Marketing Manager, American Power Conversion,
West Kingston, R.I.
The proliferation of client/server networking has raised awareness of the
need for power protection. As the uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
has become a critical component of the network, the need for extensive
UPS and power management has grown also. UPS manufacturers are
driven by the market to integrate with the customer's
network-management strategy, which is being affected by the evolution of
Web technology.
In the past, UPS management was limited. The goal of the UPS was to
simply notify the server that a power outage had occurred, and the
software that resided on the server would then gracefully shut down the
operating system. The advantage to network administrators was an
increase in data integrity. This model was prevalent until 1990, when
American Power Conversion (APC) introduced the first "intelligent"
UPS software.
In addition to shutting down the operating system, this new software had
the ability to perform diagnostics such as power monitoring, UPS battery
testing, and even environmental monitoring, allowing network
administrators, for the first time, to proactively manage their UPS and
power. As network administrators became aware of the need for robust
UPS and power management, they demanded that UPS information be
integrated with their standard network-management strategy. Up until this
time, the software was generally a proprietary client/server application.
The first step toward open network management was the simple
network-management protocol (SNMP), which began to receive wide
acceptance in 1993. As an open protocol, SNMP allowed users to group
their previously disparate management systems under a common umbrella.
APC was driven to have their products managed by the same protocol
that managed these other network devices.
However, both proprietary and SNMP management strategies demand a
high level of software development. Under the proprietary model, the
manufacturer must develop client management software that is compatible
with multiple operating systems. For instance, an administrator may want
to manage his Netware server from a Windows or Unix workstation. As a
result, the manufacturer would have to port the client application to both
of these operating systems.
Complicated as the proprietary model is, the SNMP
network-management model makes the problem worse. Although SNMP
is an open standard, it only provides a common protocol for the exchange
of information. Each network-management system (NMS) requires a
different graphical interface for every platform.
As an example, APC developed a snap-in application for HP OpenView
for Unix running on HP-UX. This application then had to be ported to HP
OpenView for Unix running on Sun Solaris as well as SunNet Manager
running on Sun Solaris. Instead of one Sun Solaris-based application, we
had to develop two. However, with the recent advances of Web-based
management technology, device manufacturers will enjoy an enormous
decrease in the effort required to develop and deploy
network-manageable products.
The key to the reduction of development effort is the Web browser. Web
technology not only gives a common protocol, HTTP, but a common
client, the Web browser, and a standardized interface, HTML. The
device manufacturer no longer needs to worry about the client application
or operating system. As long as the device can communicate utilizing
HTTP, a network administrator can manage it using any standard Web
browser on any operating system. The device simply needs to contain the
HTML pages that are displayed in the Web browser. Therefore, all
porting and development of different client applications is effectively
eliminated and the manufacturer no longer has to support a proprietary
interface as well as a SNMP-based interface.
The reduction of development effort is leading many device manufacturers
to quickly embrace this management scheme. Products from the server,
hub, printer and UPS/power-management industry already include some
form of Web-based management. In addition, this new client model is
incorporated into some SNMP-management systems, creating hybrid
SNMP plus Web-management systems. Some NMSes can launch a Web
browser off of the network map if the node is Web-manageable. The
pace at which various manufacturers are embracing Web-management
technology indicates a successful future for this schema.
Aside from eased development efforts and support issues, Web-based
management will allow for a wide variety of benefits for the user that were
previously not possible. Perhaps the most basic of these benefits is the
fact that the administrator will use the browser for all device management.
This common client will allow for basic similarity to the look and feel of
management applications. However, one of the greatest benefits of
Web-based management is the existing infrastructure of the World Wide
Web. This infrastructure enables a dynamic interaction between the
administrator and the manufacturer, permitting users to interface with
companies in a completely new medium.
Warranty cards
A simple example is warranty cards. Most manufacturers provide a card
that customers need to manually complete and remember to mail.
Unfortunately, most customers do not fill out and return these cards,
which affects the manufacturer's ability to provide quality customer
service. The Internet offers a convenient alternative. By making the
warranty registration process part of the initial Web-based device
configuration, completion of the information becomes part of the
installation, and delivery to the manufacturer is electronic and automatic.
Web-based device management also enhances technical support. For
instance, a user monitoring a device via a Web browser can have instant
access to the manufacturer's home page for information such as technical
white papers, frequently-asked questions, or troubleshooting guides. No
longer will the user have to search for the manufacturer's support number
and then wait, on hold, for the next available agent. All the information will
be provided on line.
In addition, software updates become much easier. The admin-istrator will
be able to download and install the latest version of the software from the
Web browser. The user will no longer need to wait for delivery of media
in order to begin installation.
Perhaps the biggest benefit to the user will be the ability of the
manufacturer to deliver more feature-rich and higher-quality
device-management software and embedded systems. Since fewer
manufacturer resources will be spent on porting and support of client
applications, there will be more resources dedicated to increasing
functionality and quality.
APC is developing Web-based device management in two areas. First, in
the case of a UPS supporting a server, APC has developed the
WebAgent plug-in program for its PowerChute plus software, which
enables the software and the UPS to be managed by a Web browser.
The communication mechanism for this program is currently dependent on
the server running a Web server application such as Netscape Enterprise
Server or Microsoft Internet Information Server. Over time, the
functionality of this plug-in will increase as security issues are resolved and
the protocols mature.
Device management can also be accomplished by utilizing embedded
technologies. By developing an embedded device that includes a Web
Server and an SNMP stack, any device can be managed via SNMP
and/or HTTP. A Web-manageable embedded device requires no client
software other than the Web browser. Management functionality is
entirely contained within the device, reducing the cost of maintaining client
and server management software.
Network control
APC has made its first strides towards this management technology with
its recently introduced MasterSwitch, an embedded Web-manageable
product that controls power to devices on a network. This product
provides the administrator with the ability to remotely reboot networking
equipment in case the system locks up. APC designed this product
around the administrator's need for a simpler power-management solution.
In time, other products will be added that include Web management.
Once a wider offering of products supports this management technology,
customers will be provided convenient, flexible management for all their
power needs. New APC Web-manageable products and their future
enhancements will offer customers more flexibility and better features,
contributing to reduced complexity of network management.
Copyright r 1997 CMP Media Inc.
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