System Management Functions and Options

An effective system management infrastructure is necessary for optimal performance and results. Systems management is a crucial yet demanding function that ensures seamless network coordination, control, security and organization. To maximize network productivity and efficiency, a company's network software inventory must be updated constantly to incorporate more advanced system management tools.

Eliminate Redundant Information

Efficient allocation of the system's resources is necessary for leaner operations. The system administrator has to conscientiously manage active directory so as to ensure that redundant information and user accounts can be flushed from the system.

However, manually searching for every superfluous account is time-consuming as well as grossly inefficient. System administrators must consider using an active directory tool for easier active directory administration. To administer directory, the system administrator will only need to run this specialized application to identify inactive or redundant objects.

Strengthen Control over IT Assets

A company must also maintain control over the company's hardware, software, and other IT assets so that these could be operated at the most efficient level and at the least possible cost.

A company can use a gpupdate tool to remotely control, monitor and manage the network's computers. With real time graphical monitoring functionality, the system administrator can have immediate access to each computer's operations, risks and applications and then make the appropriate policy changes. He can also use secedit to impose group policy refresh/update so that policy changes can be immediately implemented. If the computers are not in use, he can turn them on with wake on lan functionality, restart the computer then shut it down when the update is done.

Enhance IT Asset Tracking

Without clear and accurate information of the company's hardware software inventory, a company may lose a huge amount of revenue through legal sanctions due to noncompliance with operating standards.

An inventory tool can prevent this through its cutting edge IT asset tracking capability. Aside from knowing exactly what IT assets the company owns, the system administrator will also be informed about current and upcoming license compliance issues. This way, the company can conform to acceptable practices set forth in the IT infrastructure library.

Protect Active Directory

A company must have a foolproof password security policy to deter theft of information and unauthorized tapping to company resources and to be password policy compliant. Unfortunately, traditional systems management applications only allow one standard passfilt configuration for the whole network.

An advanced password policy enforcer tool can help resolve the need for an invulnerable yet flexible password policy active directory. Through the use of this tool, the system administrator has extensive control over the password length, password combinations, password reset and password age rules, and other password filters for every user account.