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The Components:
Desktop/Laptop Agent – SAAZ is an agent based system. Every managed desktop or laptop must have the SAAZ agent installed. The agents can be deployed manually, with a remote deployment tool provide by Zenith or by login scripts/GPOs. The desktop agent collects system configurations, asset information (software and hardware), Microsoft patch status, S.M.A.R.T. harddrive statistics, and antivirus and anti-spyware information which are then sent to the Data Center Application. The Desktop Agent is also responsible for executing patch and software deployments, uninstall routines, maintenance activities and remote control initiation. The Desktop Agent performs its responsibilities based on instructions received from the Data Center Application.
Server Agent – Like the Desktop Agent, the Server Agent must be installed on every Windows Server that will be monitored or managed. The Server Agent monitors parameters on the host server and can be directed to monitor Linux servers and SNMP network devices. The Server Agent continuously monitors performance counters, log files, event logs, WMI data and a myriad of other critical files and information sources transmitting this information to the Data Center Application for further processing, analysis and alerting. When an issue occurs on the host server or on other devices being monitored by the Server Agent, the agent sends the alert to the Data Center for immediate processing and any necessary alerting. Alerts are posted on the SAAZ webportal, can be entered into a ticketing system or sent by e-mail/cell phone. The Server Agent also collects and transmits data to the Data Center that will be utilized for performance trending and analysis.
Data Center Application (DCA) – The DCA is responsible for alert management, analytical processing, managing secure connections with the Server and Desktop Agents, ticket workflow management and running Zenith’s internal NOCCS (Network Operations Center Control Software). The DCA resides on a highly redundant server farm. Zenith hosts its primary servers at Hurricane Electric in Fremont, CA which is rated among the top ten data centers in the world. Zenith also has a high availability site in Pittsburgh, PA with Expedient Communications. The DCA is the brains of the SAAZ solution which allows the DAs and SAs to be light-weight minimizing the impact on managed target machines. Lastly, the hosted architecture obviates the need for IT service providers to buy and maintain hardware and software.
Web Portal and Remote Administration Console – The SAAZ software has a web portal front-end for viewing alerts, tickets, messages, reports and allows service providers to communicate
with the Zenith NOC. Access to the portal is role based allowing the IT service provider to grant access to the software and end-clients based on an engineer’s profile and client assignment. Limited access to the web portal may be granted to end-clients by the IT service provider. The remote administration console enables a partner’s engineers to remotely and securely manage desktops and servers at client locations through the Internet. SAAZ’s remote control features do not require any reconfiguration of the firewall and have strong logging and audit trail features.
Gateway Component – Each Desktop Agent separately downloading patches, updates or software from the Internet is bandwidth-intensive. The gateway component is installed on one machine on a local area network and it functions like a download cache/proxy. The gateway component can be installed on any desktop or server running Windows 2000 or higher and should be online 24 hours each day. The gateway component contains an embedded web server or can be installed on a server running IIS 5.0 or above. Any SAAZ Desktop Agents installed at a client site will communicate to the gateway using standard HTTP instead of utilizing bandwidth communicating with the Data Center directly.
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