Conference azur::mcc

    
    
    See VINO::POLYCENTRE or the note that is highlighted when you OPEN MCC.
    This contains more waffling words about this subject..
    
    But I think Markus like the rest of us want to know what the hell
    is going on with MCC in PLAIN language. Especially from a support
    angle..
    
    Is there any plain speakers out there in the know, who would like
    to let the rest of us in on what is going to happen ?? 
    
    Gary Lowe NUK CSC comms.

You can see note 5460 in this conference, as well as note 173 and others
in the VINO::POLYCENTER conference.  There is also a taped DVN broadcast
available (or will be shortly), and a sales update article.

I'll try to summarize in as clear a language as I can.

- The Polycenter product suite will quickly be migrating to use
  Polycenter Netview as a base, rather than DECmcc as a base.

- There will be no further enhancements to the DECmcc based products.

- There will be no general release of BMS or the director (PNM 200, etc)
  on any platform beyond the current VAX/VMS and RISC/ULTRIX

- We will continue to support the current VAX/VMS and RISC/ULTRIX
  products (bugfixes and whatever is necessary to support O/S releases
  of VMS or ULTRIX) for some time, and will be providing migration
  support for customers to switch to Netview based tools.

As a result of some staffing issues (most of which pre-date the
Netview announcement) we are experiencing some delays in resolving
DECmcc problems at this time (for example, an inability to keep up
with the volume of questions in this notes conference.)  We in
engineering appologize for the pain this is causing.  We are working
as quickly as possible to improve this support, but it will take some
time still.

You can actually find all of the above information from the sources cited
at the top of this message.  If you are going to discuss the issue with 
customers, please review the other material first (and leave out the part
about our internal staffing issue -:)

-- Erik Mintz

    
    I think by standard T's and C's mcc will be supported for 7 years
    

In the interest of clarity, I've excersized moderators privilege to
correct a detail or two in this note and removed the corresponding
replies with corrections:

================================================================================
Note 5538.4      POLYCENTER NetView announcement - end of mcc???          4 of 6
BLUMON::WEISENFELD "Marian"                         115 lines  26-AUG-1993 16:28
                    -< Hey, LET'S SHOW SOME LIFE, FOLKS !! >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Folks,
    
    The simple response to the question posted in the base note is
    
    NO!!!!
    
    The POLYCENTER Network Manager 200 & 400, and the POLYCENTER SNMP
    Manager 300 will continue to be supported.  Furthermore, the 
    POLYCENTER Network Manager on OpenVMS VAX will be updated to 
    provide support for V6.0, and the POLYCENTER Network Manager on
    ULTRIX will support V4.3a.
    
    SUPPORT FOR THESE PRODUCTS WILL CONTINUE INDEFINITELY...we have
    not announced any product retirement information relative to the
    POLYCENTER NetView announcement.  (Note that the POLYCENTER SNMP
    Manager will not be sold after December 31, 1993 due to its
    tight integration with the Ingres database.)
    
    The egineers, technical consultants, product marketing managers
    and services are all committed to continuing to support the
    currently shipping POLYCENTER products.  This means that the
    FIELD should also be supporting and SELLING these products.
    
    Finally, the account teams have been clamoring for a specific
    statement of direction regarding the POLYCENTER portfolio, and
    have been asking for a better way to compete against HP.
    
    Well, now you have it!
    
    First, Digital is committed to open, distributed, client-server
    computing, and we will deliver it on all AXP platforms, emphasizing
    in FY94 our world-class UNIX operating system, DEC OSF/1 AXP.
    
    Second, POLYCENTER NetView delivers the best-in-class, windows-
    based graphical user interface that customers have been looking
    for.  This GUI will be consistent across all AXP platforms.
    
    Third, POLYCENTER NetView ensures that there is a defacto,
    industry standard set of APIs for ISVs so that all of the leading
    system and network management products can be easily ported to
    and launched on AXP platforms.
    
    Fourth, Digital and IBM are combining resources to support a joint
    third party association based on the NetView/6000 technology. This
    means that the list of potential management applications for Digital
    customers just tripled in size.
    
    Finally, Digital has always led the industry with services and systems
    integration support, and we will continue to do so using the new
    POLYCENTER NetView technology, and providing a smooth migration path
    for our existing POLYCENTER customers.
    
    Hey folks, BELIEVE IT, LIVE IT, AND TALK ABOUT IT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS!
    
    Yours, in truth and sincerity,
    Marian
    
    And for more information ... please refer to the following areas, some
    of which were mentioned in a previous reply (thank you, Erik!):
    

    Please look in the following notes conferences for information 
    relating to the POLYCENTER Strategy and the POLYCENTER NetView
    announcement:

    VINO::POLYCENTER.NOTE
    IMDOWN::NETVIEW.NOTE
    MOLAR::NETMGT.NOTE
    
    In a continuing effort to bring you information as soon as possible
    we have posted POLYCENTER files in the public area.  Some of this 
    information is DIGITAL CONFIDENTIAL, and should be treated appropriately.
    The following directories contain POLYCENTER NetView information:
    
    Directory VINO::POLYCENTER$PUBLIC:[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
    Directory VINO::POLYCENTER$PUBLIC:[SALES_TOOLS]

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    POLYCENTER NetView Press Release --

	POLYCENTER_NETVIEW_PRESS_RELEASE.TXT;1

    POLYCENTER NetView Sales Update Article --

	SALES_UPDATE_24AUG.TXT;1

    POLYCENTER NetView White Paper --

    	POLYCENTER_NETVIEW.TXT;1
    *** NOTE: The Q&A at the end of this document is "DIGITAL CONFIDENTIAL"
    
    POLYCENTER NetView PID --

    The overview presentation for the August 24th POLYCENTER announcement
    (which is a PID until August 24th), is available in these POLYCENTER 
    public area locations:
    
    	POLYCENTER_NETVIEW_SLIDES.PS;1
    	POLYCENTER_NETVIEW_SLIDE_SCRIPT.PS;1
    
    Please note that one file contains the overheads and the other contains
    the scripted presentation.
    
    TWO IMPORTANT NOTES!

    Refer to the speaker notes and make a choice between slides 19 and 20, 
    don't use both. 

    Pages 8 & 9 are almost exact repeats *except* ... 8 is optional for the
    analyst/consultant audience, speaker notes correctly point this out ... 
    9 is optional for the ISV audience, note the middle of the POLYGON says
    "YOUR" management applications, speaker notes need to be updated because
    they say this is for the analyst/consultant audience, too.  
    

    RE: .2
    
    You mention that the Polycenter product suite will quickly be migrating
    to use the Netview base.
    
    Define what you mean by quickly.  6 months?  1 year?  2 years?
    
    ANother way to ak this question is when will Polycenter Netview support
    DECnet PIV, Bridges, FDDI, etc.
    
    Although I recognize the long term potential, at first ship, Polycenter
    Netview will be a replacement for MSU and it won't be capab;e of
    managing as many entities.
    
    Regards,
    
    Mark
    

And don't forget Terminal Server support...

>    
>    The POLYCENTER Network Manager 200 & 400, and the POLYCENTER SNMP
>    Manager 300 will continue to be supported.  Furthermore, the 
>    POLYCENTER Network Manager on OpenVMS VAX will be updated to 
>    provide support for V6.0, and the POLYCENTER Network Manager on
>    ULTRIX will support V4.3a.
>    
>    SUPPORT FOR THESE PRODUCTS WILL CONTINUE INDEFINITELY...we have
>    not announced any product retirement information relative to the
>    POLYCENTER NetView announcement.  (Note that the POLYCENTER SNMP
>    Manager will not be sold after December 31, 1993 due to its
>    tight integration with the Ingres database.)
>    

One thing NOT mentioned is what type of support we will get. POLYCENTER NEtwork
Manager 200 & 400 is not what we want to support forever. We lack a lot of
functionality in the products to make them user-friendly. I guess we won't see
new functionality in the products, and hence we don't get the support we need
to sell these products. I can't sell this product today when I know we won't
enhance it further in functionality.

If this is not true, could someone put up a list of things that will be
enhanced, so that we know what to expect. 

Bj�rn Olav Haugom

    re:.7
    
    Olav,
        I agree with everything you have said except for the part about
    support.  The product has been supported for the last couple of months
    with less people than it should have had.  This will probably continue
    for a few more weeks.  But there are serious plans to increase the
    product support to some reasonable level.
    
    -Matt.

As Matt has indicated, we are in the process of improving our
remedial support effort.  However, as you note, no new features
are planned in the VMS or ULTRIX based products.  We will be focusing
our enhancement efforts on the new products, and hope the customers
will be pleased with the results.

-- Erik

I'm not sure I understand this enough.

The TEMIP product will continue to be developed after being ported to OSF/1.
I read in a mail that TEMIP will still be using the POLYCENTER Framework, and
continue to develop the Framework in areas such as improve the dictionary
updates, implement distributed directors, and other Framework specific
functions. If this is the case, couldn't this work be adopted in the POLYCENTER
Network Manager 200 product, and be supported? 

If I could decide, my customers could buy the POLYCENTER Framework V1.3, adding
nescessary POLYCENTER Packages, and updgrade to TEMIP when new functionality is
ready. The problem is the price. TEMIP is a lot more expensive than lets say
the POLYCENTER Framework pluss the NOTIFICATION Package, and the POLYCENTER
Network Manager 200 also I guess. The problem is that the customers can't
afford to upgrade to something they don't fully need.

Any feedback?

Bj�rn Olav Haugom

    Although it might be possible to do as you suggest, there are no plans
    for any "new" polycenter director based products.  We will be providing
    TeMIP with a "bag" of components (as opposed to a full polycenter kit)
    which they will use to build their product with.
    
    -Matt.