Map and manage EE traffic routing for maximum network availability

ZEM Summary	ZEM Technical Brief
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Enterprise Extender (EE) provides a means of transporting SNA data over an IP network by efficiently encapsulating SNA High Performance Routing (HPR) frames in User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams. By wrapping the SNA payload in this way, EE enables SNA data to be carried over an IP backbone without changing either the SNA applications or the IP hardware.

In an effort to maximize business continuity and minimize application and network outages, organizations have invested heavily in solutions for the management of application and network traffic. However, the unique blend of IP and APPN/HPR (“the new SNA”) technologies found in EE presents challenges when it comes to implementation and network management and EE cannot be efficiently and effectively monitored using traditional tools.

Meaningful APPN/HPR information is difficult to extract unless you know exactly what you’re looking for (by which time your networks might already be down). Furthermore, there is no provision for interval monitoring or trend analysis. Dedicated IP monitors, such as ZEN IP MONITOR - IMPLEX from William Data Systems, provide statistical information and EE monitoring at the IP level by identifying traffic flowing across EE ports; however, these monitors do not provide performance indicators at the APPN/HPR level. And since the typical APPN/HPR problems which affect performance and system outages are often unrelated to IP, relying on an IP monitor for APPN/HPR and EE monitoring is inconsistent with providing the best possible service to your users.

APPN/HPR and EE carry so much business-critical application data, it is vital that your network teams have access to the right network management tools and the solution you choose must provide the most complete picture. Longtime advocates of EE, William Data Systems has developed ZEN EE MONITOR, a solution that offers your network technicians the tools and information to provide optimal levels of IT responsiveness to meet customer expectations.