Ok, this might be a little self-indulgent, but I have no one else to complain to....

My company is going to be switching to SMS 2003 . This pisses me off completely.

Systems Management platforms are far superior nowadays than they were in the past. Not a single one of them can get away with not supporting equipment inventory, and software patch/update capabilities, which used to be very difficult to perform on large networks (remember teams of folks roaming the cube landscape of your company installing shit to your computer??). Even the once hated Microsoft offering, SMS has come along way with it’s newest version, 2003. However, some key features that make managing today’s extremely heterogeneous networks are still lacking in that offering and should not be considered even remotely capable of handling the tasks that Novell Zenworks programs can.

First (See figure 1), the key features that SMS is capable of performing as opposed to Novell, are pointless in a lot of networks. Microsoft toughts it’s tight integration with .msi technology which of course Microsoft created, but the Zenworks offering can be tweaked to compensate and work with .msi technology just as easily. For example, SMS 2003’s ability to integrate seamlessly with add/remove programs can be compensated simply by the Novell Zenworks product running an msexec /(product code ID) script to add or remove an .msi completely form a workstation. Moreover, Zenworks can do so in silent mode using system privileges so that your users don't even need local admin rights for the software packages to distribute and install. What little you gain by way of tight integration with Microsoft O/S features, Zenworks can make up for with extremely tight policy handling controls, and a 100% industry compliant LDAP directory that does not require a snapin database like SMS. SMS 2003 is Active Direcotry “Aware”—not 100% snapped into Active Directory. Plus Active Directory and SMS require that you be tied down to Microsoft servers, and the almost laughaple Active Directory replication/refresh scheme that they use, which simply makes a network with 100,000 or more LDAP objects slow and sluggish.

The *Real* advantages to Zenworks (see figure 2) can be seen in it’s ability to leverage not just Windows O/S clients, but handelds, Linux, Cellphones, Unix clients, and the list goes on and on. You don’t even need to run Zenworks on a Novell or Suse Linux server to get your network up and running on Zenworks services. Plus with the ability to distribute applicatiosn to a client anywhere in the world, on any O/S platform or device, seamlessly, with only a browser connection and Java running on your client is amazing.

I could go on and on all night, but I’m just saying that I really really really don’t understand why big wigs makes such stupid decisions when it comes to technology. Anybody could read any white paper out there on distribution platforms or system management services and see that the only thing that even comes close to Novell Zenworks is Artiris or Tivoli—not fucking SMS 2003 ?


Figure 1 : Key Application Distribution Features




Figure 2: Handheld Device Support

[Edited 10/31/06 19:03pm]
[Edited 11/1/06 15:23pm]

probably nothing to do with the technology and everything to do with the

ZombieKitten said:

You know, you may be right.

I think I'm going to delete this thread. I'm embarrassed I let me emotions get out of hand and be so vulnerable.

AsianBomb777 said:

the master's workplace (1800 employees) switched their phone networks over to some crap supplier on a 1 year contract. It was so crap he could not even use his phone at home it must have been real cheap.

ZombieKitten said:

That sucks.

THis is going to affect approx 80, 000 clients. Once swapped over the SMS 2003, and Microsoft, it will become extremely painful to swap back if deemed necessary in the future.

The real tragedy is that it is proven that we had a 3000% (yes 3 thousand percent) ROI (return on investment) in the first 3 months of implementing Zenworks services (and that was back when we were only 40,000 strong)

AsianBomb777 said:

that is totally
someone was probably not wearing their glasses

jerseykrs said:

You'd totally have a different attitude if I was talking about expensive handbags!

AsianBomb777 said:

It's luggage you clown!

jerseykrs said:

you say tomato, I say TUMIto

jerseykrs said:

you say tomato, I say TUMIto

AsianBomb777 said:

I say redundant.

its so hot when you talk like that ab

brownsugar said:

I think I'm going to prematurely distribute my patch to you right this minute honey

My Sweet Techie Monkey.

It's so cool when he shows he knows adult stuff like this.

Fauxie said:

indeed

AsianBomb777 said:

What did you expect, love, it gives people a headache.

And you complain about my threads.

CarrieMpls said:

And your threads really suck, but still, I know what you're saying!

AsianBomb777 said:

I love me some TUMI. Next year I should have the entire luggage set.

M

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Thank you! At least somebody got the joke.
A week ago, I didn't even know what TUMI was.

AsianBomb777 said:

Yeah, it's ODD who DOES, and who DOESN'T.

Just adds to my confusion.....

luv4all7 said:

The Gey. The Gey always know.

AsianBomb777 said:

I'm sayin'.

luv4all7 said:

Are you trying to imply your a fruit fly?

AsianBomb777 said:

I always have been.....but this one, just caught me a little off gaurd is all.

luv4all7 said:

What's your opinion of remote re-imaging capabilities in silent mode or lights-out-distribution?



(I'm trying to steer this thread back on course!)

AsianBomb777 said:

Ummmmm, is this about the clapper?