Desktop, Server, and Device Management - Overview

Desktop, Device, and Server Management covers the management of desktops, mobile devices, and servers, including planning and deployment for patches, operating systems, and applications across the network. It also provides guidance on how you can leverage virtualization and branch-office technologies to improve your IT infrastructure.

The four levels of optimization for Desktop, Device, and Server Management can take you from a Basic infrastructure—in which there are no standards for hardware, operating systems, or applications—to a Dynamic infrastructure that can help you to employ a capacity-analysis solution. This system can help you understand what capacity you already have and can help you make sure that all of your resources are being fully utilized.

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Ensynch's expert team of professionals have broad and deep Desktop, Server, and Device Management experience. Our clients know they are getting proven, consistent solutions and "Whatever IT Takes" commitment, to deliver unparalleled return on investment.

Basic

There are no desktop standards for hardware, operating systems, or applications at a basic level of Desktop, Device, and Server Management, nor is the use of automated patch management widespread. Organizations do not yet have desktop image strategies to help them maintain user productivity through the consistent use of current software. Managing multiple desktops is difficult and users experience frequent technology disruptions. There is no server monitoring. A lack of mobile device provisioning means that these organizations have no mobile application inventory or deployment support. Helpdesk call volume is high and there are long resolution times due to inconsistent desktop states.

Standardized

At this level, organizations have begun to simplify Desktop, Device, and Server Management with automated patch management and a defined set of standard desktop and server images. Desktop image strategies are based on images that include the operating system, antivirus software, management tools, productivity suites (such as the Microsoft Office system), and LOB applications. These organizations have a consistent plan to manage 80 percent of their desktops, but do not yet perform compatibility testing to ensure that each application runs correctly before it is widely deployed. They have consolidated and simplified management for 80 percent of their test environments and use monitoring solutions for 80 percent or more of their critical servers. Not only do they provision security policies including the use of PINs to block unauthorized access to mobile devices, but they also have policy-enforcement tools such as remote wipe. They have provisioning plans for both mobile devices and non-PC (embedded) devices.

Rationalized

Organizations at a rationalized level of maturity for Desktop, Device, and Server Management use the Windows Vista operating system, Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), or Windows 2000 as their primary desktop operating system to simplify patch management. They have automated their operating system image deployments to the desktop. At the server level, they have automated software distribution for 80 percent of their desktops (both physical and virtual). Automated management and tracking for hardware and software helps IT managers know what the company’s assets are—and where they are located. These organizations use virtualization and centralized management tools to easily manage  network servers, services, and printers in both the central network and branch locations such as branch offices. They have a consistent plan to manage their operating systems and they employ an application-compatibility testing solution. Service level agreement (SLA) monitoring of mission-critical servers, including IT service-level reporting, means that network problems are found, diagnosed, and fixed before they cause downtime. Certificate provisioning and authorization for mobile devices simplifies device management, and the use of 802.1x certificates helps companies protect and control access to network resources with better wireless security than what traditional WEP or non-secured networks can offer.

Organizations can deliver thin-client Web applications through Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) on mobile devices to give mobile workers access to company information. The security and stability of desktop and mobile environments is consistent inside and outside the corporate firewall.

Dynamic

Companies that have achieved a level of dynamic IT employ a capacity-analysis solution to understand what capacity they already have and make sure that all their resources are being fully utilized. They use Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) manipulation for dynamic application access and recovery for desktop applications. Desktop virtualization enables the use of multiple operating systems for easy migrations and streamlined deployments. Virtual workload management and provisioning support greater control in managing utilization and balancing workloads in order to meet SLAs and changing business demands. Standard configurations for all servers, applications, and hardware types are defined, maintained, and audited.

There is automated patch management for mobile and non-client–computer devices. Not only do these organizations implement model-enabled, service-level monitoring of desktops, applications, and servers, but they can also proactively manage and monitor their connected mobile devices, which use a standard operating system. IT managers have a centralized solution for pushing software installations and content to mobile devices that are continuously provisioned. Users can access LOB applications from the office and from the road.

Desktop, Server, and Device Management Related Products

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Microsoft Operations Manager 2003
System Center Configuration Manager
System Center Operations Manager
System Center Forefront
System Center Data Protection Manager
System Center Virtual Machine Manager

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