Conference azur::mcc

3830.0. "Customer requests for future DECmcc functionality" by CUJO::HILL (Dan Hill-Net.Mgt.-Customer Resident) Wed Sep 30 1992 00:52

  Customer  Req uests for User Interface changes to DECmcc IMPM:
-------------   -----------------------------------------------

1. INCREASE THE EASE OF USE and allow for more user-customizable features.

2. PRINT capability made EASY from pull-down menu
     -Print map or data window

3. REPORT cabability made EASY from pull-down menu
     -Reporting should be TRIVIAL and require no setup (ie, canned reports).

4. Historical Recording (not intuitively obvious)
     -Show Statistics 
        -Time selection criteria should be more intuitive.
        -If can't be made more intuitive in next release, explain
         them better in the documentation.  Give examples and results.
     -Provide more examples of Historical Data Recording.

5. From the network management station (NMS), send a request to an IP node
   on the network that it PING another IP node on the network to determine
   reachability between those two nodes, graphing the data in a separate
   window.  The same graphing capability is desired for DECnet TEST.

6. Font sizes and styles should be customizeable for IMPM.  These changes,
   as well as changes to existing lines, circles, and other graphic objects,
   including entity icon type,  should be possible from the IMPM.  For a 
   good idea of desired functionality, use MACdraw on a Macintosh.

7. Users should be able to "freeze" the map and all objects on it, preventing
   deletions of objects and entities simultaneously.

8. Users should have the ability to customize the floating menu (MB2), adding
   and deleting their most-used commands.

9. "Bubble help" windows should be available with context sensitive help.  
   (Again, see the Macintosh environment.)
   At a minimum, help should be completely context sensitive.  For example,
   when you are in a management window looking at DECnet LINE COUNTERS,
   and HELP is selected, the help text should apply to that window and 
   include all info about the parameters/attributes listed.

10.Users should have the ability to customize their menu "actions" to 
   reduce or eliminate mouse clicks.  Much of this might be accomplished
   via a customizable floating window.

11.Improve LOOK-INTO performance.

12.Improve the FIND capability.  Include:
	-Highlighting "found" entity (i.e., change the selection focus).
	-Find and select a node by:
		-DECnet, IP, or Physical address.
		-Partial or Full node name (e.g. search for *RM* to find
		 node ARMS1)

13.Customize audible alarms (i.e., utilize the sound capabilities of a
   workstation, or allow multiple beeps at a minimum).

14.Allow for global alarm rules with exclusions for certain nodes.
   (This is possible for Notifications right now using "Filters".)

15.Disable notifications for an entity on the Iconic Map, as well as 
   via "Filters" in Notification.

16.Provide better documentation and examples on alarm rules creation and 
   events setup.  DECmcc should function with a minimum set of alarm rules
   "right out of the box".