I won't speak for Adobe, but I will suggest that in offering the Server Manager (for Standard), they have at least given us a better alternative to the longstanding and more-meager CFSTAT and JRun Metrics. No, they have not given us the full Server Monitor, but that's part of their strategy for regarding that those with such "higher performance" concerns should buy Enterprise.
Not contending against your opinion that they should consider adding more monitoring in Standard. Just asserting that at least the Server Manager is a step in the right direction.
Note also that the Server Manager does still more than high-level monitoring, but also provides an AIR-based interface to Admin functionality, and adds the new ability to compare settings and apply hotfixes across servers, and so on. (For those needing that on CF 8, or more for CF9, there is also the free MerlinManager.com software.)
As for the comparison page, I also don't feel (personally) that there's anything deceitful. It does clearly say that the server manager is on Standard and Enteprise, while the Monitoring is only on Enterprise. As for what those distinctions mean, well, that matrix is terse in many ways (trying to fit as much on a page as they can). I don't see it as being intentionally duplicitous.
As for your "where does that leave me points"
-only gives overview of CF Standard
Yes, but again I'd say that's better than things were prior to 9
-does not overly assist with applying Cumulative Hot Fixes when CHF
have manual steps
Yes, that's true that it doesn't help with manual steps, though it allows you to apply them yourself. Even Merlin doesn't really highlight when manual steps are needed. For those who may want to tell Carl to "just read the technote", I think he's referring to something I've blogged about where when you skip CHFs, you need to make sure that an earlier one didn't have its own manual steps (http://www.carehart.org/blog/client/index.cfm/2010/12/12/cfmyths_cumulative_hotfixes).
-can inspect things like datasources, mappings and JVM details even
alter tho I can do that anyway via CFadminUI
Well, yes, it's true you could do those things yourself via the Admin API. The same could be said of the CF Admin itself: you can do things yourself if you want to. That's why the Admin API was introduced in CF 7. Now, as to what the Server Manager brings to the table, it's that a) it's an AIR app and b) you can do the comparisons among servers (right-click on a server and choose "diff with").
The Server Manager also integrates with the Server Monitor in that if one sets an alert, there's an option there "notify client" which if enabled means that if you have the Server Manager started on your desktop (even if minimized), it will cause your system tray to popup a notification of that alert. Granted, that's another "Enterprise-only" feature, so not a winning point for your case, but still, I'm just asserting why, along with the above, the Server Manager does offer value for all CF9 users.
Could they improve it and add more? Sure, and it's fair to ask--though I don't know that they really watch these forums for such ideas. You'd be better off making your concerns known on the wish form (more at http://www.carehart.org/blog/client/index.cfm/2008/12/13/finding_the_cfwish_form).
All that said, we're still on the same side, Carl. I appreciate your stepping in often to share insights here. I'm not trying to pick a fight here. You asked for what others thought, and I'm just sharing my opinion as one who of course pays a lot attention to all this stuff and wants to help others do so as well.
/charlie
/Charlie (troubleshooter, carehart. org)
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