The System Administration Guide explains how to use the Visual Performance Manager (VPM) server.A VPM server is a dedicated, uniquely configured database server running Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server software. A server stores, manages, and interprets data collected in a VPM-monitored data network. This guide discusses how to use the server to configure and manage Analysis Service Elements (ASEs), collect performance data from ASEs, and maintain the network performance database.

This guide also explains how the server communicates with ASEs and clients, how to use the server to provision and manage VPM user accounts and secure user access to VPM, and how to monitor system agent/license usage.

This guide is intended for network administrators and management professionals who perform WAN configuration and/or WAN performance monitoring and analysis. The reader is expected to have background knowledge in one or more of the following WAN access technologies: frame relay, ATM, HDLC, IP/Internet, Ethernet, VPN. Users should also have a working knowledge of Structured Query Language (SQL) and Microsoft SQL Server systems.