Lack of usability in SIM 4.1

[JP_MandG_Please_Remove_]

Hi All,

I have found some serious backward design issues in the new HP SIM 4.1 from CIM 7.

When trying to make a Task Event you have to go through so many drop down menus, not to mention so many different pages. CIM 7 allowed for a java window to load up and give you a list of all catagories that allowed you to expand the branches and select multiple Queries, events or devices for tasks that are being configured.

Also most of the sections were configurable from one screen not from going back and forth like HP SIM. It is extremely frustrating having to go through each drop down menu trying to figure out what is where and what is associated with what. Having that one single java window allowed a much easier look at what needed to be added (Saves time and manageble cost). Will HP be changing this in the near future to something close to what CIM 7 had.

Another thing that CIM 7 had that is not in SIM 4.1 is the ability to create an task (notification in this sense) from the list of events (by selecting the event and then selecting create task). This is also time consumming having to go through the whole process of trying to find the events in all the drop down menus.

Though SIM 4.1 has a lot of great features it seems to lack usability in the places that need it the most. Also features that were in the old version, that made a system admins life of managing his servers so much simpler, are not found in the New HP SIM.

Is there someone (email address or phone number) that I can contact to put forward suggestions for features that I (and I am sure many other people also) would like to see in future releases of HP SIM.

I expected HP SIM 4.1 to be like CIM 7 with more features and a different look, yet close to the same usability. I still find CIM 7 faster and far easier to configure than HP SIM 4.1. I am very reluctant to place my HP SIM 4.1 server into production as a result of all this. It seems like HP SIM has become too advanced for its own good.

[David Claypool]

Your message has been forwarded to the product manager.

I would like to point out also that the design of the HP SIM UI was not taken lightly. Lots of feedback about what was good and not so good from the IM7 UI was considered, and from early prototype, the HP SIM UI went through extensive user testing. I understand that the direction taken may not be how you would have done it, but the design was not made in a vacuum.

We are always lookiing for ways to improve the product in the future. Thanks for your feedback.

[JP_MandG_Please_Remove_]

David,

Thank you for your response.

I do understand that your production team may have looked hard into how CIM 7 was made and developed HP SIM accordingly.

At this moment in time I think I will keep in CIM 7 in place as it makes my job far faster. I don't particularily want to spend hours on trying to configure tasks, events and server groupings in HP SIM when it takes me 5 minutes to do it in CIM 7.

I thank you for fowarding on my message to the relevent team.

[David Claypool]

Jason, the dev team has expressed an interest in getting some additional input directly from you. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to me with my first name dot last name at hp.com (attempting to defeat spammer bots).

[Scott Shaffer]

One thing I can comment on : we will be addressing the issue with not being able to select existing Event Lists when setting up Automatic Event Handling. Look for this in our next major update next year.