Introduction; What Can Hp Toptools Manage - HP 742n - Pavilion - 512 MB RAM User Manual

toptools

Introduction

Toptools is a web-based, device management tool that enables administrators and MIS managers to use a web
browser to obtain information about devices on their network. It provides a common management application for HP
personal computers, Netservers, HP-UX systems, AdvanceStack and ProCurve hubs and switches, and LaserJet
printers as well as products from other vendors.

What Can HP Toptools Manage?

Toptools provides critical network and systems management services to both HP and non-HP devices on the
network allowing administrators to quickly and easily determine the health and configuration of their network
resources through the following services:
•
Asset Management. Toptools discovers and reports on all devices connected to the network (PCs, servers,
printers, networking devices) using automated discovery and inventory processes that save collected data to an
ODBC compliant database. Users can browse network resources and reports using a web browser to open a
toptools console session, or a database application like Microsoft Access to merge data into more sophisticated
IS project and asset management databases. In addition, toptools can be used with HP-UX ServiceControl
Manager (SCM) to provide additional management capabilities for HP-UX systems.
•
Fault Management. Toptools receives, logs, displays, and acts on alerts from devices in your network, and
then provides the tools to help troubleshoot and resolve problems when they occur. For example, Hubs &
Switches Automatic Configuration Management can configure your ProCurve switches to automatically send a
trap to the Toptools server when a traffic problem occurs. Toptools can be configured to send a page when the
alert is received. When paged, the administrator can log into toptools using a web browser, get more details on
the alert, and then access the switch from the toptools Device Selector to correct the problem by (e.g.) changing
the configuration of a port.
•
Configuration Management. Using toptools, administrators can directly access the configuration of critical
resources such as printers through HP Web JetAdmin, or distribute software such as drivers or BIOS to HP
personal computers and Netservers.
•
Security Management. Toptools allows users to configure access to HP products through actions such as Lock
System for an HP Vectra, or configuring MAC address access to ports on HP ProCurve hubs.
•
Performance Management. Toptools provides both network and system performance monitoring tools.
Toptools for Hubs & Switches offers the Network Performance Advisor and Traffic Monitor to view and advise
on network traffic. Toptools for Desktops agents provide Resource Monitoring tools that monitor and display
system resource utilization on PCs and generate alerts when thresholds are exceeded. Toptools contains the
System Performance Advisor which monitors systems utilization and generates systems utilization alerts for HP
and non-HP PC and server products at the individual device or group level.
Any device from any vendor can be managed, provided that the device is on a TCP/IP or IPX/SPX network and
running a management agent from one of the following industry standardized protocols: DMI, SNMP, WMI,
HTTP. The amount of management support provided by toptools is determined by:
•
HP Product. Toptools is designed to lower the cost of ownership of HP computing products by accessing the
manageability built into HP products. While toptools will provide a strong management solution for products
from other vendors, toptools will provide the most extensive detail on HP products.
•
Agent support. Toptools provides the best support to new HP products running current HP management
agents. The more agent standards that are supported by a device the more data toptools can collect. For non-HP
systems, the level of industry standard compliance can also affect the amount of information that toptools can
access.
User Guide
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