PatchManager - Cable Management Software » FAQs

FAQs

1. I would like to try out the PatchManager software. Is there a trial version available?
2. PatchManager is based on a 'model' of the network. What does this mean?
3. What operating systems does PatchManager support?
4. I am planning to replace my current cabling administration database/spreadsheet. How do I migrate this information into PatchManager?
5. How is the PatchManager software deployed?
6. In the client-server scenario, is there a limit to the number of clients supported?
7. What technology is the PatchManager software made with?
8. What Database Management Systems (DBMS) does PatchManager support?
9. What are the hardware requirements for PatchManager?
10. Can PatchManager be deployed in a virtualized environment such as RDP, Citrix or WMWare?
11. We have users operating in the field or who have to be available on-call at home. Can these users access PatchManager?
12. I have a very large data center/site that I am considering to administer in PatchManager. Is there a limit on the size of the database that PatchManager supports?
13. Does PatchManager come with an equipment template library?
14. When I request a template, in what format are they delivered?
15. Whan can I do if my question is not listed?

1. I would like to try out the PatchManager software. Is there a trial version available?
   Yes, click on the link Request a Trial for a free 14 day trial version of the software.
   
   
2. PatchManager is based on a 'model' of the network. What does this mean?
   Objects in PatchManager such as racks, network equipment, ports and cables are constructed in a library of templates. These templates can then be used to build the model of the network. The advantage of this template based approach is complete flexibility. For example, both off-the-shelf equipment (eg. Cisco, Nortel, HP, Dell, Sun Microsystems, Siemens, etc.) and custom equipment (eg. military communication equipment) can be equally easily modelled in PatchManager.
   
   
3. What operating systems does PatchManager support?
   PatchManager Server can be deployed on the following operating systems (with service packs indicated where appropriate): Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional (SP1 and SP2), Windows 2000 Professional (SP4), Windows 2000 Server (SP4), RedHat Enterprise Linux 5, RedHat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0,  RedHat Enterprise Linux AS 3.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9. Where applicable, both 32-bit and 64-bit operating system flavors are supported. Other operating systems not on this list (such as SUN Solaris variants) can also be supported upon request.
   
   
4. I am planning to replace my current cabling administration database/spreadsheet. How do I migrate this information into PatchManager?
   PatchManager has a powerful import function to import CSV(Excel) based files.
   
   
5. How is the PatchManager software deployed?
   PatchManager can be deployed as a standalone desktop application or as a client-server application. PatchManager supports both installed and browser based clients.
   
   
6. In the client-server scenario, is there a limit to the number of clients supported?
   No, there is no limit to the number of clients supported.
   
   
7. What technology is the PatchManager software made with?
   PatchManager is made with Java technology. Data is stored in a standard relational database.
   
   
8. What Database Management Systems (DBMS) does PatchManager support?
   The following Database Management Systems are supported: Microsoft SQL Server 2000, 2005, 2008, Oracle, IBM DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL and HSQLDB.
   Other Database Management Systems systems not on this list can also be supported upon request. Note that connectivity between PatchManager Server and the Database Management System is provided by Type 4 JDBC drivers, so no further software or configuration is needed to achieve the connectivity.
   
   
9. What are the hardware requirements for PatchManager?
   Minimum requirements for PatchManager are at least 4GB RAM and at least a 2GHz processor.
   
   
10. Can PatchManager be deployed in a virtualized environment such as RDP, Citrix or WMWare?
    Yes, there are no special restrictions imposed by PatchManager.
    
    
11. We have users operating in the field or who have to be available on-call at home. Can these users access PatchManager?
    Yes, you can easily host PatchManager Server on a server in your organization that is internet/VPN accessible.
    
    
12. I have a very large data center/site that I am considering to administer in PatchManager. Is there a limit to the size of the database that PatchManager supports?
    No, there is no limit on the database size. As an example, there are PatchManager deployments successfully running that administer over 500,000 connections.
    
    
13. Does PatchManager come with an equipment template library?
    Yes, PatchManager is delivered with a standard equipment template library. Additionally, users are free to change/make their own templates as required. To ensure that templates are always available for your particular equipment, we also offer a free 'Request a Template' service.
    
    
14. When I request a template, in what format are they delivered?
    Templates can be downloaded from your customer account on our website. For ease of transfer, templates are made available as XML files and are imported through the PatchManager user interface.
    
    
15. What can I do if my question is not listed?
    Please contact support@patchmanager.com.