Monitoring and Alerting Software. Repeating last year's neck-and-neck
race for this award, Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 took the honors
this year by just one vote—the exact number by which it lost in 2005.
MOM 2005 features an extensive Knowledge Base that includes comments and practical
information from users. The Alert View function lets administrators view various
alerts, examine alert details, see the rule that generated the alert, and resolve
the alert from within the Operator Console. MOM 2005 highlights critical alerts
that need immediate attention and provides a state and topological view that
administrators can use either to survey a selected system's current state or
to drill down into to pinpoint the root cause of a problem.
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OS Migration Tool. Taking a second award in the Systems Management category,
ScriptLogic's Desktop Authority has been named Best OS Migration Tool by our
readers. The software also won three other awards in the Systems Management
category: Change and Configuration Management Tool, Registry Management Tool,
and Remote Management Tool. Desktop Authority uses a centralized management
console with ScriptLogic's proprietary Validation Logic technology to facilitate
Windows OS migrations. Desktop Authority profiles eliminate the need to customize
user settings during a migration. The software automates tasks such as printer
and drive mapping, folder redirection, and mail profile setup. In addition,
the software establishes new user settings during the first logon after any
configuration changes, creating a seamless transition for users.
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Patch Management Tool. Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) took the
Patch Management Tool award for the second year. Readers like for them to for
Microsoft Exchange Server, and Microsoft Office, as well as the Windows OS.
WSUS classifies each fix or patch with a label, a system that administrators
can use to download only patches in particular classifications. The new Auto
Approval Option detects which patches a specific client is missing and sends
this information to the server. With this information, an administrator can
determine how many workstations need particular patches and schedule the downloads.
Registry Management Tool. ScriptLogic Desktop Authority is on a roll
in the Systems Management category, taking its third award, for Best Registry
Management Tool. For administrators, changing registry settings isn't a difficult
task; the real problem lies in knowing which users' machines should apply registry
changes. Desktop Authority's patented Validation Logic technology helps administrators
determine which users' machines need to apply a particular registry change.
Validation Logic consists of 40 elements that allow for granular identification
such as for group affiliation, Active Directory (AD) site, computer name, and
MAC address, and it employs Boolean logic in the form of AND, OR, and NOT statements.
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Remote Management Tool. An obviously versatile tool that readers believe
in, ScriptLogic's Deskop Authority takes a fourth award in the Systems Management
category, this time as Best Remote Management Tool. Desktop Authority lets an
administrator connect to a user's desktop through any Java-enabled Web browser
and provide assistance without disrupting the user's workflow. A number of tasks
can be performed, such as editing the registry, examining services operation,
or monitoring system performance. And when it's necessary, Desktop Authority
lets you take control of the desktop. The product provides various levels of
access, allowing you to control who can remotely log on to a desktop and which
tasks that person can perform.
Performance Tuning Tool. Identify Software's AppSight for Microsoft
Windows/.NET continuously monitors application execution and identifies the
causes of application failure. The AppSight Application Problem Resolution System
recognizes common problems associated with application and system performance,
application and system configurations, user errors, and application migration
and upgrade problems. The system contains four modules that identify and correct
problems in Windows and .NET applications to help fine-tune application performance:
AppSight Black Box records all application-problem data; AppSight Console allows
users to collaborate and pinpoint application problems; AppSight Server is the
central repository for all Black Box data; and AppSight Application Monitoring
continuously monitors the health of your environment and automatically resolves
problems.
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