User Interface Overview
MOM 2005 provides interfaces with the flexibility required to meet the needs of an operations center staff. Interface design focuses on two usability themes: discoverability and automation.
Specifically, the interfaces focus on making it easy for a user to discover where to start a task, or where to go in the user interface to change a configuration. Additionally, the interfaces ease the completion of a task by automating and guiding processes by using wizards and dialogs. For example, there are several discoverable entry-points to the Install/Uninstall Agents wizard, which automates the process of installing or removing agents.
These interfaces are role-based and task-based, and map to the following primary user types defined for the MOM environment:
Administrators
Authors
Users
SC DW Reader
Note
The idea of role delineation is further enforced by the MOM Local Groups that are created when you first run the MOM setup program. Group membership determines what you can view and the actions that you can take in a console. Detailed information about these groups, and MOM accounts, is provided in the Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Security Guide.
The following table summarizes the local groups and describes the actions that group members can take.
Table 2.2 MOM local groups
Group |
Description |
|---|---|
MOM Administrators |
Members have full access to the MOM feature set, including all of the installed MOM consoles. |
MOM Authors |
Members have full access to the Operator console and have limited access to elements in the Administrator console. They can view and change settings in the following Administrator console nodes: Operations and Management Packs. |
MOM Users |
Members can view and modify settings in the Operator console and in the Operations node of the Administrator console. |
SC DW DTS |
Members can transfer operational data from the MOM Database to the MOM Reporting Database and can modify information in the MOM Reporting Database. |
SC DW Reader |
Members can view information in the Reporting Database. |
Note
A MOM Service account is also created during setup. However, this account is intended solely for use by MOM services and processes. DO NOT add individuals to this group.
The following table summarizes the MOM user interfaces and their characteristics.
Table 2.3 MOM user interface and user summary
User interface |
Group |
Primary users |
Typical tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
Administrator console |
MOM Administrators, MOM Authors |
IT Administrators and individuals responsible for configuring and maintaining MOM. |
MOM Management and configuration, Global Settings configuration, Management Pack authoring, and Management Pack import/export. |
Operator console |
MOM Users (MOM Administrators, MOM Authors) |
Tier 1 & 2 Operators who identify, diagnose and fix problems. |
Alerts management, changing views, monitoring, and launching tasks |
Web console |
MOM Users (MOM Administrators, MOM Authors) |
Operators, IT staff, and operations customers on thin clients, with a need to access basic alert, event, and computer information. |
Alerts management, changing Views |
Reporting console |
SC DW Reader, SC DW DTS |
IT staff, analysts, and managers who are interested in seeing the historical analysis of operational data. |
View information in the Reporting database, edit information in the Reporting database |
The tasks listed in the preceding table are not exhaustive. Detailed information about each interface its functionality is covered in later in this chapter.