About DataMiner Experience and Performance Management

EPM elements

An EPM element (formerly known as CPE Manager) is created like any other DataMiner element, on a standard DMA with capacity license. However, unlike a regular element, it can control and monitor a large number of objects. Its specific properties depend on the protocol that is assigned to it during element creation.

Many different EPM protocols exist, and often these are custom-made to match particular situations. EPM elements have a dedicated user interface, which is determined by the element protocol. As such, the user interface can be different for each EPM element.

EPM architecture

EPM uses the following protocols:

• EPM Manager protocol: Used for one front-end (FE) element and multiple back-end (BE) elements.

• EPM Collector protocol(s): Used to poll all the lowest-level information and inform the FE of the topology relationships.

A typical EPM architecture consists of the following elements:

• Front-end element:

  • In charge of provisioning and assigning unique keys to all topology entities.
  • Only sets tables with higher-level topology entities.
  • In charge of aggregation at the higher level.
  • Merges remaining topology information from all BE elements.
  • Ideally should be on its own DMA with few or no other elements.

• Back-end element:

  • Contains the rest of the topology information.
  • In charge of aggregating the remaining levels.
  • In typical EPM installations, only one BE element is needed per DMA. They are the managers of the entire DMA.

• Collector elements:

  • Poll device KPI information.
  • As many collector elements per DMA as needed.