Conference azur::mcc

4589.0. "MCC install chronical/commentary" by PTOVAX::DANZAK (Pittsburgher �) Mon Feb 22 1993 23:44

    Back in November we decided to demonstrate "Network Management" as part
    of our NETsupport services proposal for a customer.  We thought that
    this would fit with several other customers who we were going to pitch
    NETsupport to....so...I thought that I'd try to install MCC in the demo
    room.  This chronicals that attempt:
    
       - In November, install MCC V1.2, try an AUTOCONFIGURE on DECnet and
         TCP/IP...the "toolbox" was virtually useless, it was difficult to
         maintain, I couldn't figure out where the MIR (or any other files
         were kept, etc.) and finally backed off - figuring that I only had
         about 2 days (In scattered hours through 2 weeks) to do this, so 
         I gave up.  (I did *not* have time to read the 3 volumes of V1.1
         manuals that we had.)
    
       - In December, I reinstalled the product, tried it again over
          Christmas and (Since I couldn't figure out if it was EMS or
         BMS etc....installed both....got some installation errors, etc.)
         Hey, it was the demo room system, why not...  Eventually gave
         up after creating some really disgusting domains
    
       - (We decided that we'd have a client visit another client running
         MCC, that was Version 1.0 (or something like that) and it went
         VERY badly.
    
       - In January - I installed something easier - Phase V (Wave 2), at
         least it installed and - god knows why - worked for the most part.
         Feeling heady with succcess, I tried another crack and MCC V1.2,
         now I couldn't manage any Phase IV nodes...one step forward ...
         two steps back. (Researched thru notes etc.)
    
       - In February - we decided we needed MCC to demo, so...after
         the NEtwork symposium...I dug into research this mess.  Found 
         out that I needed a PATCH to make it work with Phase V.  Installed
         the patch - things sorta worked better.
    
       - Found out that there was V1.2.3....installed it - twice, but
         I couldn't figure out how to get ALARMS to work - I did what
         seemed logical from the menu...but nothing happened.
    
       - We figured that since our one client was going TCP/IP 
         we'd demo MSU (Far be it from us to try to sell OSI...but I
         digress...)we get a hired gun to fly in and spend 3 days tinkering
         to set up MSU.  (I continue MCC research)
    
       - After much poking, frustrating, etc. I find V1.3 of MCC, install
         it and it fails...it needs a better MOTIF....reinstall it after
         upgrading MOTIF...it works much better.
    
       - Ran into someone from NETsupport who new MCC (V1.2 (or less) and 
         they showed me how to write an alarm rule etc.  I finally got my
         demo (i..e flick a PC off and MCC alarms...semi-accurate topology
         of oour building and easynet triangle, some IP census stuff)
    
       - After poking with the MSU stuff , look at it's defaults for IP
         autotopology mung about with it in MCC, and I FINALLY get the
         and IP autoconfig to work.
    
       - One day I hope to get the damn thing working with DNS, I gave
         up trying that after about 2-3 times over the past few monhts...
         duuh.....(Remember DNS is now 2.0...)
    
    Aside from that, it's easy.
    
    I'm really happy that we have a wonderful mega-galactic product that
    does everything.  I really wish someone would re-invent the KISS
    principle with it (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and provide a jump-start
    guide that would at least give you pointers as to how to do quick stuff
    that works - i.e. manipulate those maps, quickly re-register things
    into multiple domains, quickly find all domains where mumble is
    registered)
    
    The 3 volumes of outdated documentation that I had were of no help,
    there didn't seem to be anything of a 'jump start' guide that listed
    some common hints, kinks, pitfalls and operations which did NOT require
    you to understand the interrelationship (or lack thereof) between
    components.
    
    And - the human factors interface of the command language is very
    lacking - unless of course you compile BNF in your sleep.....the error
    messages are totally uninformative and the help - must have been
    modeled after NCL - which was modeled after IBM/TSO help. 
    
    I would have copied/printed out docs - but hey - 3 volumes of more
    up-to-date junque with no quick/start or 'how to'...I decided to save a
    tree.
    
    (I shudder at the fact that the MCC_AUDIT.COM (that I unearthed in the
    SURVIVAL directory) - isn't PART of the silly installation kit!)
    
    Frequently we are called upon to become an 'expert' in the field in a
    given area in a short period of time.  (In this case, 3-4 days lead
    time.)  Given that mind-set, it should be imperative that
    Engineering/marketing create some 'how to' guide for products of this
    level of complexity.
    
    Bottom line - we showed MSU - cause we were able to get someone in who
    could install/demo it quicker than we could get MCC up/functional.
    
    Enuf.....
    
    Engineering - test your product.  Get another engineer from another
    group, allow them access to ONE document about the product and ask them
    to make it minimally functional in 2 days.  If they can't there is
    something very wrong.  That is VERY frequently the situation in the
    field - with both your customers and support staff.
    
    That's my 2�
    j

    well.....
    
    What you are asking for is what we have termed "OOB" , Out Of Box
    operations. The goals is  to provide an interface into the setup
    of MCC to help you reduce the time to  install/implement MCC.
    Our goals is 1 day set-up. At this point in time this item is marked
    as a critical item to the success of the product. As to funding
    and such, we are doing budgeting now so your note will be forwarded
    to the money men for consideration.
    
    Also note we have started work on simplifying things like the set-up
    of alarms through the new alarm manager tool, of which a prototype
    has been shipped with V1.3 for evaluation.