BMC is taking a second shot at server configuration management with the purchase of BladeLogic for $800 million. If you recall, BMC purchased Marimba in 2004, but the market never really embraced the technology. This recent move is a counterpunch to HP's acquisition of Opsware last year. BladeLogic frequently competed against Opsware in the server configuration management and data center automation market.

Opsware also offered network and storage configuration in addition to process automation. Opsware was able to bundle a complete data center automation package nicely for HP, while BMC has been moving in the same direction through the acquisition of RealOps (process automation) and BladeLogic (server configuration).

Unfortunately, BMC was never able to get Marimba, which it bought in 2004 for $239 million, to stick. There are a lot more synergies with BladeLogic, as it already integrates with Remedy and RunBook Automation.