For instance, a stock trade needs to go through a number of systems as it's processed, from a J2EE or .Net application server to an integration server and on to a mainframe, Lu said. He added that a transaction management tool such as TMART can give systems managers information about "the round-trip and breakdown of time spent over each of the major components."

TMART simulates the experiences of end users and shows transaction response time from their systems to the first hop in a network, according to Nessler. The tool also captures the details of failed transactions to help with problem diagnosis, and it integrates with BMC's systems and service level management products.

The Mainview Transaction Analyzer isolates transactions on mainframes and correlates information about the transactions from different subsystems. Different versions of the tool support IBM's DB2 database and its CICS and IMS software, Nessler said.

BMC didn't disclose planned release dates for the two upcoming tools. One will monitor transactions on distributed systems as well as mainframes, while the other will provide real-time isolation and resolution of transaction problems across the different domains of a corporate network, Nessler said.

Rich Ptak, an analyst at Ptak, Noel & Associates in Amherst, N.H., said that the transaction management products will give BMC's customers a horizontal view of transactions across their entire mainframe and distributed architectures.