How it Works

ANSA Architecture

ANSA (Autonomic Network & System Administrator) is the foundation on which ANSA Products and Services are constructed. ANSA has been built from the ground up utilizing a patented Modular Agent Technology, industry standards, N-Tier architecture and a .NET framework for scalability and performance. This adaptable platform allows ANSA Products to be flexible, fast, visible and precise. The simplicity, speed and security of the Modular Agent Technology lies in the power of the unique single agent and its ability to handle multiple tasks and work loads that would ordinarily take many conventional agents to complete.

Based on the “perceived status” of the agent’s environment, it has the ability to adapt behavior and reaction based on user-set policy. The “self regulatory” ability of the Modular Agent is the perfect answer to the unforeseen complexities of the constantly changing business environment. Always alert, always on the job the Modular Agent is cross platform compatible, has multi-server capability, finds Virtual Machines, (even when they are turned off) and is highly scalable. For instance, if it senses the transfer of large files, it expands the pipeline in order to complete the transfer as quickly as possible. Resources are never wasted, when Idle the footprint sits at 1.5 MB – one of the smallest in the industry.

Autonomic Software’s powerful Modular Agent extends to the network, system, and application levels, providing the means to automatically monitor and manage those systems with little or no IT involvement. It has the inherent ability to do almost any managed service or remote monitoring request.

ANSA is Flexible

ANSA’s modular agent design permits our engineers and developers to use and reuse components to quickly create and recreate new products and services. The flexibility of the Agent Technology makes it possible to seamlessly integrate other tools, management solutions, templates, interfaces and policies into a powerful unified application that out performs competitors and gives customers what they want… cost-effective solutions they don’t have to think about.

Network scans are very fast. When the agent gathers data it sends it directly to the controller – the agent does not interact with the data repository or any internal controller processes. The controller takes the data and passes it on to the repository. This method allows the agent to rapidly focus on its task and because most of the data manipulation happens in the controller, network resources are not monopolized.

ANSA installations are also fast. Agents are deployed remotely from the easy-to-use web-based console. This saves countless hours of manual semi -automatic deployments. Because of the product architecture agents can be installed in minutes in a small organization and under eight hours for 1000 nodes. Installation depends on the speed or size of the network pipe itself. ANSA’s Agent is bi-directional allowing administrators to monitor any number of enterprise functions in near time if required. The agent also updates IT administrators on critical events when they happen.

ANSA provides deep visibility into the makeup and operation of an organizations network in many ways it acts as an ad hoc business intelligence tool. Data collection can drill down to obtain information not normally seen with competitor’s products. ANSA compiles the data into different formats and views as required by operational and C level management. Once data is collected and stored in the repository, user defined storage time limits allows the data to be stored as long as IT management considers it important.

ANSA asset scans are 100% accurate. Patches and software deployments are validated for correct installation and functionality. Desktop network energy consumption is managed for 100% compliance.

Looking to the Future

ANSA is designed to easily accommodate new technologies, custom applications and unique customer requirements. The architecture is flexible enough to be quickly remolded to form new applications and for the future Autonomic software is planning a comprehensive solution that will manage and secure free roaming mobile devices, such as PDAs, Smart Phones and tablet devices. The future is always changing and our ANSA products and services are designed to change with it.

ANSA is made up of a Controller, web-based console with a graphical user interface, and the Modular Agent which resides on targeted desktop or server. The Controller manages the agent, houses the ANSA operation modules and the data repository.