DeviceAuthority Tracks Alterations

AlterPoints DeviceAuthority neatly tracks network device configuration changes and made it easy for me to see who was making changes to Labs routers, firewalls and switches.

Competitors such as Tripwires comparably priced Tripwire for Network Devices can also do this. In addition, Tripwire for Network Devices is OPSEC-compliant, meaning that it works well with Check Point Software Technologies firewall and intrusion detection systems—and OPSEC certification is something that Device- Authority does not have.

Even so, tests at eWeek Labs showed that DeviceAuthority worked well in managing the wide variety of Cisco gear that I use to run the Labs test network in San Francisco. I also controlled the configuration of our Extreme Networks switches from the same console as the Cisco gear. DeviceAuthority also supports equipment from Foundry and a host of other infrastructure equipment providers.

Last month, AlterPoint announced DeviceAuthority support for equipment from Avaya and Enterasys Networks, in addition to its support for the Extreme hardware that we tested at eWeek Labs. Supporting diverse equipment brands is essential for the product to gain wider acceptance because network managers with heterogeneous equipment are likely to see staff productivity improvements if they can automate configuration management.

DeviceAuthority is priced at $4,000 to manage 20 devices, and incremental license bundles are available.