Not All Microsoft Patches Are Perfect
Mark Minasi's article "MSBlaster: The Post-Game Wrap-Up" (Windows & .NET Magazine UPDATE, August 29, 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 40074) was interesting, but I think the author is being too easy on Microsoft. Yes, individuals need to be more active in patching their systems, but not all Microsoft patches are perfect. Some patches break things, and some don't do what they're supposed to. Large corporations know this, and most need to test patches before applying them. Some large corporations have to establish guidelines based not on what the network administrator wants but on what the federal government or the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) require. Microsoft has made improvements in securing its software, but the company has a long way to go.
—Dave Shipman
dave@shipmanhome.net
In Search of .NET
Regarding Mark Smith's "In Search of .NET," (July 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 39178), I work for a large telecommunications firm with more than 80,000 employees, but my 14-person workgroup is more like a small business. I am the server administrator, DBA, and application developer. Since upgrading to SQL Server 2000, Visual Studio .NET 2003, and Windows Server 2003, my personal productivity has exploded. Now that I've clicked with .NET as a developer, the ideas for redesigning old apps and databases and creating new ones just keep coming. I don't know how to measure the ROI in dollars, but I feel more valuable as an asset. Implementing .NET has helped me increase my contribution to the business by providing improved service to the knowledge workers I support. Plus, it is invaluable to me to feel renewed enthusiasm for my work after 21.5 years at the same company.
—Tim Bodie
timbodie@hotmail.com
Need Advice on Desktop Management
I enjoyed reading Ed Roth's "Enterprise Management Options" (May 15, 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 38735). I'm looking for advice before I make a decision for my company to purchase a tool to manage desktops more efficiently. I'm looking for a product that's user-friendly, that we'll be able to use with add-on improvements year after year, that will let me manage hardware and software inventory, and that will deploy patches, service packs, and software. I'd like the product to have other features, of course, but I mainly want to eliminate desk-side visits. Because my company is a Windows shop, does it make sense for us to stick with a Microsoft product such as Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS)? We're also looking at products from Configuresoft, OnDemand Software, and PatchLink.
—Michael J. DeLassio
michael.delassio@jwt.com
You didn't mention the size of your company, which will be a factor in your product choice. SMS is certainly an attractive option for companies that use Windows because SMS integrates easily, and many such companies already have licensing in place that makes SMS relatively affordable. SMS also is integrated with Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS) to simplify patch and update delivery to desktops and servers. One knock SMS gets is that it's cumbersome to administer. I think this criticism applies to most management applications: If the product is powerful enough to do what you want, it's by definition not simple to manage. I would suggest that you also look at ManageSoft and Altiris products to assess their capabilities as standalone applications and as add-ons to SMS. Good luck in your decision-making process and implementation.
—Ed Roth
Magazine Hosts New Conference
To meet the growing need for technical information about administering Exchange Server, Windows & .NET Magazine is expanding its Connections 2003 conference to include a concurrent conference about Exchange and Outlook administration: Exchange Connections 2003. The conference is set for November 2 through 6, 2003, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Orlando, Florida. Keynote speaker for the Exchange Connections conference will be Kevin McCuistion, Microsoft's director of Exchange, and Tony Redmond, vice president and chief technology officer for HP Services. Sue Mosher, a consultant who directs the Slipstick Systems Outlook and Exchange Solutions Center, will be a featured speaker.
Exchange Connections will include sessions such as "Backup and Recovery Essentials for Exchange," "Exchange 2003 Security Enhancements," and "Exchange and Clustering: The Whole Story" along with numerous presentations about fighting spam, enhancing OWA, and deploying Exchange and Outlook. Pre-conference workshops include "Exchange 2000 and 2003 Administration Essentials," a full-day session about installing Exchange Server, preparing Active Directory (AD) for an Exchange Server installation, securing servers against viruses and attacks, managing system resources, and performing basic backup and recovery and disaster-recovery operations.
Windows & .NET Magazine senior contributing editor Mark Minasi will deliver the keynote address, "Windows Server 2003 Report Card," at the concurrent Windows & .NET Magazine Connections conference. For more information, go to http://www.winconnections.com.
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