Fujitsu Unveils Software for Detecting Network and Cloud Environment Failures

Fujitsu today announced the launch of a software package for managing network monitoring services available only in Japan.

Proactnes II SM V01 monitors and analyzes the communications response and data volumes (packets) of networks found inside large-scale datacenters that provide cloud services, as well as the Internet which connects users to cloud services. The software detects early signs of failure by pinpointing areas in the cloud where these problems arise.

The new software prevents system problems from occurring in a customer's private cloud, public clouds offered by cloud service providers, as well as existing ICT systems. At the same time, it allows customers to improve operating efficiency while enabling them to quickly restore system operations if a failure does arise.

Background

With the spread of cloud computing, datacenter ICT resources and customer ICT systems are becoming increasingly larger and complex due to the deployment of virtualization and automation technologies. As a result, in the areas of both private cloud operations management and public clouds that deliver cloud services, companies have to deal with the growing burden of understanding the configuration of virtual systems and ensuring their stable operations.

To address this challenge, Fujitsu is launching Proactnes SM V01, a software package for managing services that monitor networks both inside and outside of datacenters.

Software Features

Proactnes II SM V01 employs cloud computing system-failure detection technologies introduced by Fujitsu Laboratories Limited in February 2010. An industry first, these technologies can detect system failures before they happen, with improved ability to analyze cloud system data and gather information, thus narrowing down the causes of failures and resolving them successively.

The new technology is being employed at Fujitsu's Tatebayashi System Center, which provides customers with cloud services, to help monitor the stable operations of Fujitsu's services, thus ensuring a service level of 99.99%.

1. Uncovers failure areas in real-time

By analyzing the response of communications across a network, the system pinpoints exactly where a failure has occurred, on both the datacenter's internal network and external networks that connect users to cloud services. This enables administrators to quickly uncover communications problems, a cause of failures that is difficult to track down, thereby making it possible to restore system operations when trouble occurs at an early stage.

2. Detects signs of system trouble

Based on the correlation between the volume of data (packet) traveling across a network within a datacenter and the CPU usage assigned to each virtual server (virtual machine), the technology identifies virtual servers experiencing unusual behavior, allowing it to detect early signs of system trouble.

3. Makes visible the virtual systems of cloud service users

In cloud computing, it is generally difficult to determine which physical servers a user's virtual server is operating on. However, this software package uses network device settings and other information to make the configuration of users' virtual systems visible. This eliminates the complexity involved in configuration management for system administrators, making it possible to quickly address system failures if they arise.

Sales Target

25 billion yen by the end of fiscal 2013 (fiscal year ending March 31) in sales of Proactnes II series products, including related hardware, software and system development.