Issue Sponsored By:
> Vintela
IN THIS ISSUE:
> Community Notes
> Articles
> In The Forums
> Downloads
> Links
> Industry News
> Today's Fun Link
|
|
| |
 |
 |
|
Manage Unix, Linux, and Mac OS X using SMS 2003
Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 is an ideal solution for change and configuration management of Windows-based systems, but what about your non-Windows systems? Thanks to Vintela Management Extensions (VMX) enterprise organizations with heterogeneous environments can now extend the management capabilities of SMS 2003 to non-Windows systems such as Unix, Linux, and Mac OS X. Learn more by downloading a FREE white paper. |
| | |
|
|
Important SMSv4 survey
From Rod Trent's Web blog
In SMSv4, we are working on providing dramatically improved security for client/server communication including machines that connect over the Internet by taking into account the following:
* Provide mutual authentication between the SMS clients and the SMS servers using the standard SSL protocol.
* Provide privacy protection of client data through encryption and prevent the snoopers from viewing the data exchanged between the SMS clients and the SMS servers.
* Provide a line of defense from Denial of Service (DoS) attacks from un-authenticated machines (anonymous).
* Prevent attempts by the rogue clients to upload malicious data to the servers and download information to their machines.
This improved security requires issuing, deploying and maintaining certificates on clients and servers. It is important for us to understand the issues relating to certificate deployment and management, and the level of certificate customization required by organizations so we can make the appropriate design decisions for this functionality.
Please help us make these decisions by asking your customers to fill out the following survey by Wednesday, May 4, 2005:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=609641035140
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Deb McFadden
Enterprise Team Lead
Microsoft SMS
Turbo SMS!
From the 1E Web blog:
By Phil Wilcock (philw@1e.com) with thanks to Simon Burbidge from 1E who discovered this little gem. Here's a MOF that when compiled on an SMS client, removes a mandatory two minute wait between the client receiving policy and actioning it. It's really useful when testing in the lab -- if you're constantly running advertisements then every two minutes counts.
To implement this, copy the text below and create a text file called setwait.mof Edit the line containing the sitecode - SMS:XXX and enter your own sitecode compile the MOF on your SMS client using the following command:
mofcomp.exe setwait.mof
The restart the SMS Agent Host service and watch SMS fly!
#pragma
namespace("\\\\.\\root\\ccm\\policy\\machine\\Requestedconfig")
instance of CCM_PolicyAgent_Configuration
{
PolicySource = "Local";
PolicyDownloadMethod = "BITS";
PolicyEnableUserGroupSupport = true;
PolicyRequestAssignmentTimeout = 65;
PolicyTimeUntilAck = 43200;
PolicyTimeUntilExpire = 86400;
AuthorityName = "SMS:XXX";
PolicyTimeUntilUpdateActualConfig = 0;
};
MOM: MOM FAQ: Action Account
[by Rod Trent, 29 April 2005]
What is the Action Account in MOM 2005?
> Read all MOM articles
PATCH MANAGEMENT: Creating collections for KB898060 (post MS05-019 hotfix)
[by Greg Smith, 29 April 2005]
MS05-019 and Win2003 SP1 introduced a flaw in the TCPIP stack that could cause systems to lose network connectivity. Microsoft has since released KB898060 to address this problem. Here is how I created collections to deploy the five flavors of this patch.
> Read all Patch Management articles
SMS 2003: SMS Expert offers new tool Collection Injection
[by Charlie Heavner, 29 April 2005]
SMS Expert offers new tool, Collection Injection. Improved management of SMS Collections. Create, Modify, Delete collections from your site server from within the Collection interface.
> Read all SMS 2003 articles
VB SCRIPTING: Direct Membership Collection Cleanup!
[by Jason Scheffelmaer, 29 April 2005]
Allows collection cleanup by removing direct membership resourceID's from a collection based on successful advertisement status to that collection.
> Read all VB Scripting articles
ACTIVE DIRECTORY AND GROUP POLICY: List Group Policy settings
ANTIVIRUS PRODUCTS AND BEST PRACTICES: MS antivirus tool
MOM: Agent configuration
SMS 2.0: delete one DP from distribution point group
SMS 2003: Site Design Newbie Questions
WINDOWS PE: Imaging Products for use in Winpe
Reed's Famous MMS Notes v 2005
by rporter Here's what I send my superiors to justify my continued MMS existence.
MOM - Microsoft CRM 1.2 Connector
[29 April 2005]
The MOM-CRM Connector is a COM+ component for creating the necessary entries in Microsoft CRM and a Web service component for connecting to the MOM 2005 connector framework. The connector code is written in C# on the Microsoft .NET Framework. While MOM 2005 proactively monitors your IT services environment, it raises initial alert warnings that are filtered and forwarded with the MOM-CRM Connector to Microsoft CRM 1.2 Customer Service, where a trouble ticket is generated, and where you can assign, manage, and resolve the cases with automated routing, queuing, and escalation of service requests, along with case management, tracking, and auto-response e-mail.
Visio Connector for MBSA
[29 April 2005]
The Visio Connector for MBSA (Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer) is a Visio COM add-in that allows IT administrators to view the results of an MBSA network scan on a Visio network diagram.
Platform SDK Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
[29 April 2005]
The Platform SDK provides documentation, sample code, tools, header files, and libraries for a variety of APIs used to create Windows-based applications.
Windows Server 2003 'R2' beta on standby
[29 April 2005]
Testers will be able to download the public beta of the warm-up for Longhorn after Microsoft works out some administrative kinks. (SearchWin2000.com)
Clustering: The pros and cons uncovered
[29 April 2005]
Clustered servers have become a mainstay of the data center, and now clustering is quickly becoming the preferred technology for making storage more scalable, reliable and easier to manage. (SearchStorage.com)
Virus and worm activity spikes
[29 April 2005]
Despite a lack of global outbreaks, AV vendor warns of huge onslaught of malicious code, mostly variants of other worms and viruses. (SearchSecurity.com)
Privacy: How much regulation is too much?
[29 April 2005]
Experts say there's a very fine line between much needed government intervention and "over-regulation." (SearchSecurity.com)
Intellectual property and SAP: Seeding the year of the partner
[29 April 2005]
The impact of IBM's efforts on enterprise software in general, and SAP in particular, will be profound, according to Joshua Greenbaum, principal consultant at Daly City, Calif-based Enterprise Applications Consulting. (SearchSAP.com)
Colubris wires its future to network convergence
[29 April 2005]
Colubris' new strategy focuses on integrating wired and wireless network infrastructure. It's hoping an increasing focus on network convergence will help it emerge as a competitive force in the Wi-Fi hardware market. (SearchNetworking.com)
Architects cite complexity and reuse as key challenges
[29 April 2005]
Enterprise architects are turning to Web services to foster reuse and reduce the complexities of traditional enterprise application integration. (SearchWebServices.com)
Interactive Model of the Cisco Catalyst 4507R Switch
|