For our tests, which focused on MoM functionality, Micromuse decided not to include its performance and topology products, so we had no discovery to perform. In this respect, Netcool acted like BMC Software's Patrol Enterprise Manager and Managed Objects' Formula, focusing on underlying management platforms' event streams. There was no correlation based on topology or any polling of network devices.
On the other hand, Netcool has so many options for filtering and sorting events, it's almost an art to administer. Netcool is an event-viewing development environment. Events can be filtered and saved as Boolean logic, making any combination of filtering possible.
Out of the box, Netcool's correlation really amounts to simple event matching. For example, a down event on a particular node is checked periodically for matching incoming clear events, using the node, module, interface and type of event (node down in this example), to clear the new node up event and the existing node down event.
We achieved visual correlation by grouping like devices. By creating an event filter that represents a network device and systems location class, and creating a map or icon representation, we could monitor the status of all services, then double-click to see more specifics.
Nothing about Netcool is very easy. The event list isn't terribly difficult to figure out, but the product's heritage comes through, having Motif, Windows NT and Web-based clients. This complexity, however, is mostly an administration problem; the admin must coordinate and understand the client's capabilities. Netcool's Webtop is really the future for Micromuse, since it makes most of Netcool's functionality available remotely. The Webtop was okay, but had minor failures, such as not bringing up help files consistently.
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