Pentagon portal gets management feature

Military network operators that use the Network Information System portal to monitor the Pentagon's plethora of systems can now use it to manage them as well.

The portal's developer, Lockheed Martin Corp., completed the upgrade last month using technology based on Micromuse Inc.'s Netcool software.

The "manager of managers" upgrade enables operators "to work interactively with live data across the network, integrating a full suite of management tools," said Clayton Crosby, Lockheed Martin program manager.

The Netcool-based solution enables operations staff to access Network Information System information through a common Web interface and produce reports in real time. The Web interface also permits a variety of computer systems to access the portal without the need to load client software.

The portal is used by technical personnel from the Army, the Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and other Defense agencies to manage and monitor the numerous computer networks housed within the Pentagon. About 150 network operators and 1,000 users tap the portal to access various applications, according to Lockheed Martin.

The portal, which became fully operational last October, provides secure, single sign-on access to applications that include:

* Domain Name System lookup.

* Network performance utilization.

* E-mail.

* Web browser capabilities.

When accessing the portal, users can monitor system trends, access a document library, manage electronic timecard information and perform other tasks, according to Lockheed Martin.