August, 2007

System Center Essentials:RedMonk Brain-dump

cote@redmonk.com

Overview

•Red/green light monitoring & more•Management tasks, not just “read”•Provisioning and updates•Extensible with Management Packs•Wide Microsoft coverage•Entry price: $2,000 (sticker)•For mid-size companies

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Target Market

•Mid-market•Limits: 30 servers, 500 clients, 50 “network devices”

•1-n “IT Pros” on staff•4 days worth of historic data•22k eval downloads May 1st to Aug 07

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Pricing

•90 day trial•Base: $2,000 for 10 servers, 50 clients•More Servers: $100/server•More Clients: $20/client (batches of 5)•Will ship with Windows SMB•Also: requires Windows SMB or Server•Also: scaling up requires SQL Server•Of course: volume discounts•Details: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/essentials/howtobuy/

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Install

•Requires Windows SMB or Server•Should take “about an hour”•Discovery (through AD & manual)•Requires ActiveDirectory•Select monitored “objects”•Configure software updates•Deploy agents as needed

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Coverage

•Windows Client (2000, XP, Vista)•Windows Server (2000, Server 2003)•Physical and virtual•Exchange, SQL Server, Office, SharePoint, CRM 3.0, Data Protection Manager, IIS

•ActiveDirectory, Event & App Log•SNMP, OLE DB, network ports, Windows services

•Web transactions•Any Management Pack (~200 available)

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Management & Doing Stuff

•In-line tasks - “fix it now” links, diagnostic tasks

•Trouble shooting help for select apps•“Expert Knowledge”•Provisioning - very full featured•Help includes screencasts

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Reporting

•30-50 reports out-of-the-box•Asset auditing, update compliance, health

•Daily health report: asset, config, monitoring, actions to take.

•Imported Management Pack reports

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Daily Health

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Notifications

•Standard...•Email•SMS•Pager•No third party integration

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Asset Management

•Catalogs software and hardware•Based on Add/Remove Programs list•Reports for compliance•Implicit asset policy through reports•Update/provision software

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Interface: Overview

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Panels

•Computers - navigate assets, see details, run tasks, etc.

•Monitoring - view alerts, tasks, params•Updates - get, approve, schedule patches from Microsoft & others

•Software - deploy new software, e.g., Office

•Reporting•Administration - mgmt packs & co.•Authoring - build from “templates”

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Interface: Computer Detail

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Interface: Computer Detail, XP

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Network Topology

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Interface: Monitoring Detail

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Interface: Software

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Authoring

•Wizards to add “simple” objects•Web transactions: includes teaching•OLE DB (remote)•Network port (“TCP port”)•Windows service•Add name, version, expert knowledge

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Limitations & Co.

•Scaling ceilings•“Primarily” Windows software assets*•Non-computer devices (mobile, etc.)•Integration•Install Requirements

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Future

•Service Desk?•AssetMetrix - integrate with fingerprints, asset discovery

•SaaS - questionable as Microsoft likes “connected services”

•“Free” - bundled with Server editions

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