Systems Management

Architecture
Most systems management architectures use the same basic structure and set of relationships. Managed nodes such as servers, and some desktop or notebooks clients, run software that enable them to send alerts when they recognize problems (for example, when one or more user-determined thresholds are exceeded). Upon receiving these alerts, management stations can be programmed to react by executing the appropriate action, such as operator notification, event logging, system shutdown, or automatic attempts at system repair.
Management stations can also poll managed nodes to check the values of certain variables. Polling can be automatic or user-initiated, but agents on the managed nodes respond to all polls. Agents are software modules that compile information about the managed nodes on which they reside. This information is then stored in a management database, and provided (proactively or reactively) to management stations via a systems management protocol.