Architecture

Large and complex networks require huge volumes of data to be collected, analyzed, stored, and reported. If you are managing large-scale, distributed IT operations for a service provider or IT organization, you can appreciate ScienceLogic's robust yet flexible architecture that allows you almost limitless expansion while maintaining high availability and security.

ScienceLogic's decentralized architecture was designed to efficiently handle thousands of devices and trillions of data queries. The central data repository is capable of managing up to 10,000 managed devices; stores all configuration, statistical, and business data; and is clustered with database stand-bys and a SAN for high availability.

Select the most efficient architecture design.

The central data repository can handle up to 3.6 trillion database queries daily. To allow the data repository to manage all those queries, data processing is moved to the edge where the devices reside. Only retention and event rules are carried across WAN, where bandwidth is limited and expensive, and log parsing, trap handling, and polling – the heavy communication – can happen on the LAN where bandwidth is more plentiful. The ScienceLogic monitoring solution also uses data compression technologies – it uses about 65% less bandwidth than typical monitoring solutions.

Data is collected by dedicated physical or virtual appliances that are tuned for optimal performance of specific functionality. Each data collector can handle hundreds of nodes and also collect and correlate inbound messaging. Data collectors are grouped to perform automatic load balancing and failover for data collection. If one collector fails, other collectors in the same group take over for the required work.

Put your mind at ease knowing that your data is locked down.

As organizations suffer greater security threats while still planning to move resources to the public cloud, security may be of great concern to you. ScienceLogic's decentralized and encrypted architecture allows you to better protect the monitoring and management data.

SECURITY AND CREDENTIAL MANAGEMENT FEATURES

• NSA AES-128 encryption algorithm between database and collectors
• HTTPS/ SSL-secured web-based data services for secure sign-on access
• Customizable user permission keys and multi-organizational restrictions for granular and controlled user access
• Extensive audit logging of user activity
• Access credentials for remotely managed systems, such as SNMP, SQL, SOAP, XML, and others
• User credentials viewed by name, not by identifying information
• Advanced credentials for web-based services, allowing customized headers and more than 80 unique options

Critical system access information is stored and protected locally at the edge. A traditional centralized management system requires administrators to open a large number of ports to allow traffic to flow back for anything that needs to be monitored. With the ScienceLogic decentralized system, traffic from each monitored device only needs to reach the data collector instead of going all the way back to the central monitoring system, which can remain behind firewalls or have additional security restrictions.

Integrate all your devices and third-party tools into one easy monitoring solution.

ScienceLogic uses a combination of passive and active methods to gather data and event information from devices and existing third-party solutions – regardless of vendor or operating system.

DATA MONITORING FEATURES

• Passive monitoring methods
  • Accept email
  • Traps and syslogs
  • Informs
• Active polling methods
  • SNMP v1, v2, v3
  • HTTP/S to retrieve XML-formatted data or to perform web content verification
  • SOAP/XML
  • SQL queries
  • SMTP for round-trip mail performance testing
  • ICMP checks
  • TCP port checking
• Data management
  • Embedded performance-tuned data repository included
  • Support for sophisticated data normalization for long-term data analysis and retention

COMPATIBILITY FEATURES

• Support for IPv4 and IPv6
• Support for SNMP v1, v2, v3, including support for RFC 3413 – proxy
• Support for native communication with MySQL, Oracle, MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL, IBM DB/2, Sybase ASE, Informix, and Ingress databases
• WMI monitoring through SNMP gateway
• Microsoft Active Directory and LDAP for user authentication

Most of the functionality provided by ScienceLogic, particularly that based upon SNMP monitoring, does not require you to install agents. Some systems may have pre-installed agents, e.g., Dell OpenManage, IBM Director, and HP Insight Manager, which are leveraged by ScienceLogic's management templates to provide very granular monitoring. ScienceLogic can also support your requirements WMI agents for advanced monitoring of MS SQL, MS Exchange, MS IIS, and automated server stops and restarts. Sciencelogic also supports SOAP transactions at the API level for access to systems such as Cisco AXL, NetApp Z-API, or VMware API interfaces. In fact, ScienceLogic is designed for compatibility.