[nv-l] Map usage in future versions of NetView

I work on the interaction design team for TEC. Interaction design's purpose is to try to understand the customer's business goals, and to design the particular product to assist in meeting these goals. One of the things we are doing, is trying to better understand how customers are using the Map functionality in NetView. I've got a series of questions on map/submap usage below. Your responses will be used as data points as we work through the design of the next TEC/NetView product.

Please email your responses directly to me rather than to the nv-l list, unless of course there is something that you would like to discuss in the open list forum.

Also remember, if any information is considered confidential, please check to make sure that a confidential disclosure agreement is in place before responding.

1. Do you monitor for problems on your network by looking at the maps, or the event browser/TEC Console?
a. If you monitor the map, why do you use that rather than the event browser/TEC Console?

2. Do you have actual network diagrams/drawings of your network that you use during network problem determination?
a. If so, how are the diagrams maintained?
b. How do you access them during problem determination?

3. How much time per week do you or people in your organization spend on map maintenance?

4. Do you use NetView's automatic layout of maps or do you layout the maps manually?
a. If you manually layout the map, how do you organize it: geographically, by device type, by business
organization, to reflect your physical network layout?
b. Why do you organize it this way?

5. Can you share an image or images of your most effective maps?
a. Why do you consider them effective?
b. What do these maps help your business achieve?

Thank you!

Jim Markham
Tivoli Systems
IBM Software Group
Email: markhaja AT us.ibm DOT com
T/L 687-1405, (919)224-1405