Up your management

The growing complexity and sprawling nature of modern networks have. meant that skills in management software have become vital for any network professional. But how do you acquire or improve them?

The best place to start is with the vendor. Visit the company's home page to find some avenues for training. Most sites will have some training-related content, or at least a link to a training partner.

Training in Computer Associates' (CA)Unicenter network management software is available via the company's UK training services wing at www.cai.com. The courses are held in Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Slough.

The structure of Unicenter training depends on the level of experience that students have. For novices, there is an introductory course - Unicenter TNG basics - which is aimed at systems administrators, network engineers and systems managers.

Back to basics

According to CA, the basic course provides enough information for students to get the product up and running. But for those looking for something more challenging, there is an advanced course, which is designed to provide training in installation and configuration. Those students enrolled in the advanced course should already have attended the basics course.

Most of the teaching is done via online workshops. Topics covered include: how to integrate Worldview, Event Management and Distributed State Machines (DSM); how to customise the Worldview GUI; and how to implement management policies through manager/agent technology.

Once these foundation courses are completed, or if you have the right background knowledge, there are specialist two-day courses available.

They are divided into pairs, and students are advised to progress from one to the other.

Before taking the Unicenter Single Sign-On course, students should have attended the Security Implementation course, which provides an overview of the system and security issues involved in planning and maintaining a secure network.

The foundation courses cost about #1,500 for the week, and the two-day specialist courses start at about #600.

Details on training in Hewlett-Packard's (HP) Openview can be found at http:// partners1.europe.hp.com/uk/ eso/eso.nsf. It is also possible to register online for courses at this website.

There are a wide range of courses on offer that vary in price according to content and duration. A two-day course starts at about #750, a three-day course at #1,075, and a five-day course at #1,650.

For certified training in Openview, go direct to HP. Peter Brooks, portfolio manager of Openview training UK, said: "We don't have training partners - most people are happy to come to HP. We have looked at it from time to time, but the training is quite technical. You need to know Unix, NT and networking, so it would be difficult for a third party to find qualified instructors."

HP has about 15 different courses in Openview, covering Unix and NT environments, including HP Openview Network Node Manager Administration Part I (Unix) and HP Openview Network Node Manager Fundamentals for Windows NT Administrators.

HP's main training centre is located in Pinewood, near Reading, but the company also has sites in Dublin, central London and Manchester. Prices do not include accommodation but, according to Brooks, the company will help students find hotels nearby.

TME is of the essence

Training in Tivoli's TME 10 network management software, recently renamed Tivoli Enterprise, is available via a number of sources. Tivoli has its own training centres in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, details of which can be found at www.Tivoli.com/ o_services.

One of the company's main training partners is IBM, which has UK offices in London's South Bank. Others include IT Masters (UK), based in Middlesex and Uxbridge, and Berkshire-based Protek.

Information on Cabletron's Spectrum software can be found at the company's UK training website at www.cabletron.com/training/world/uk/. The site contains information on the various courses available but, for the latest course dates, phone the company direct on (01635) 580000.

Courses are available in Spectrum Element Manager Version 2, Spectrum Administrator, Advance Administrator and Spectrum Customisation. The Element Manager for Ethernet course is designed to provide a basic knowledge of the software. It covers installation and configuration, drawing a map, and using the package to manage, monitor and troubleshoot Ethernet networks.

The course lasts two days and consists of lectures and lab work. Prerequisites include knowledge of DOS, Windows and Ethernet networks.

According to Cabletron, the Spectrum Administration course provides an "in-depth review for the network management system". Students learn how to model the enterprise network, save and restore the database, and recover from database corruption.

The company is keen to emphasise the hands-on content of the course, which is carried out in the labs and designed to allow students to perform those tasks often experienced in mission-critical environments.

The courses are available at Cabletron's main UK office in Newbury, Berkshire, and London. The company is planning to offer some of the courses via Global Knowledge Network, a training partner based in Reading. The two-day Element Manager course starts at about #730, and the four-day administrator, advance administrator and customisation courses cost about #2,100.