Microsoft adopts Smarts route to systems management

Microsoft will integrate EMC's Smart systems management tool into its own software

Microsoft has struck a deal to integrate EMC’s Smarts network discovery and health monitoring software into the next version of its System Centre Operations Manager (SCOM) software.

The agreement should bring improved system management capabilities to companies with large networks based on a multitude of different vendors’ hardware and software, including servers, applications, storage, web services and network devices such as routers, switches, hubs, virtual routers and security devices.

The EMC Smarts Connector for Microsoft System Centre Operations Manager 2007 will be available in May. It will allow the two software tools to share information about network discovery and topology, and synchronise alert and problem resolution status.

The two companies will extend their collaboration to integrate Smarts root cause analysis technology in SCOM sometime in 2008.

Jon Siegal, senior product marketing manager for EMC Smarts, said the increased complexity in today's datacentres and virtual environments is creating demand for sophisticated root cause analysis, even in mid-size enterprises.

"Network management is an integral part of end-to-end service management, and Microsoft does not have network awareness with its current [SCOM] product – this will save IT managers a lot of time in pinpointing network issues and prioritising fixes," Siegal said.

Smarts was acquired by EMC in 2004 for an estimated $260m and was originally aimed at large telcos rather than enterprise customers.