International Business Machines Corp., in a move that expands its disaster-recovery business, is rolling out new software and services to monitor computer networks and the business operations they control. The new Products, announced Wednesday, are the first offerings under its Project eLiza, which IBM announced six months ago. Project eLiza is a blueprint for developing computer systems that can monitor themselves and adapt to changing conditions, much the way a living creature automatically adjusts its breathing.
IBM"s new e-business management services include mapping the steps involved in a business transaction, such as taking an order. Then the service tracks which computer is involved with each part of the transaction. By monitoring the computers, the new IBM service can help customers decide what needs to be fixed or replaced first in the event of a computer shutdown.