With Syspectr, Berlin-based software company O & O has now presented a solution that is especially suitable for small companies and is also hosted in the United States.
O & O Syspectr
O & O Syspectr supports all Windows systems, starting with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. For this purpose, each user must log on to the web page of the to create your own account
Overview retained through the transmission of info
He then takes his systems into the management software. This consists of a client program which is downloaded from the web page and installed on the computers. It then runs in the background, logs and monitors the various functions of the Windows system.
Two-factor authentication and permissions provide security
This client program must be configured individually for the corresponding system from the server. However, this only works if the user has previously set up his account. The system requirements are minimal. Only the .NET 4.0 framework must exist on the Windows system.
Conclusion
In addition, it is important that the user has administrative rights on the client system. Thus, an administrator must start a browser to start a new Windows computer, log on to the Syspectr web page, click Add Computer, and download and install the client program.
For larger networks where the client system members are an Active Directory domain, it is also possible to bring this client as an MSI file to the systems by using group policies. A detailed guide is available on the website of the supplier.
After a while, the page has updated the information about the system, and the administrator can begin to control. The system recognizes what the operating system version is, and displays the basic hardware data, such as CPU, main memory and graphics card, based on the data sent by the client program. It is a good thing that this solution - although it can certainly not replace a complete inventory solution - also shows how many memory blocks are installed in the system, for example in the main memory.
For example, an administrator remotely determines whether, for example, a main storage bin was removed from the system. The systems can be displayed in groups, which the user creates according to their own ideas. The solution reliably recognizes virtualized operating systems among the computers - which worked perfectly in our test series with the Windows 7 systems. Within the test network, the Windows 7 machines were operated as virtual machines running VMware Workstation.
There are different filters for the display, such as one to see only the systems that are currently active, or the solution also shows the data of the systems, even if they are not currently online. If they are switched on again, they updated the data very quickly within our test position. The data transmission is always SSL-encrypted.
In addition to the online status and the operating system version, the administrator also receives information on how the security of the respective system is ordered. For example, if a user turns off the Windows firewall, the system immediately reports this. Also important security aspects such as the guest account (it is really disabled?), Or the user may have turned off the UAC (User Account Control), is monitored by the system administrator through the web application.
The manufacturer has also integrated several programs from its own portfolio into the solution so that users access the S.M.A.R.T data of the hard disks connected to the computer (internal and USB) using DriveLED. So it gets a warning when an external hard disk has been running for several days and is hot.
However, such a solution is only useful if, in case of doubt, the administrator can also directly access the monitored system. This is achieved by the sensible integration of the remote desktop client into the solution. In addition, more experienced administrators have the option of using a remote console, which is also integrated, to work with the command line on the system to be managed.
Because the solution allows to make very far-reaching changes to a system and, for example, shut down or restart a remote system, an additional two-factor authentication has been introduced for all such activities: even if a user accesses the Web Interface, he must enter a separate PIN again before executing such a command. This is determined when the respective system is read in.
If several employees support the systems, it is also useful to allow a colleague access to the managed systems. To do this, you only need to set up a free Syspectr account. The administrator can use it to access the read-only (which does not have access to RDP, for example) or write access.
Because this permission is just as easy to remove, this is a good way to give project workers, for example, a temporary access. At this point, we have been bothered by the fact that it is also very difficult for relatively experienced users to find the place where they switch to the released systems - first we saw only our own systems
The invited person has to switch to the permissions under the entry My account and suddenly finds a barely noticeable pull-down menu under the heading "Available bills", where he can now choose the other address. We would like to see a clearly marked change-over already on the homepage, which is to be found in the obvious place and clearly named.
O & O syspectr is so flexible and easy to get it started: when it comes to managing and managing a not too large number of Windows systems over the web, Syspectr is certainly a solution that takes a second look . It is easy to install so administrators in the secondary work, who often look after the system in small and medium-sized companies, should have no problem with it. The solution allows them to quickly and reliably implement monitoring and remote maintenance for these computers.
Another advantage of the solution is that it logs all warnings, incidents, and many changes on the systems and saves them. This chronicle can still be evaluated if the systems are no longer managed with the software. Also, the fact that a free version is available for up to 10 systems (which, however, has limitations), speaks for the solution. Finally, with all its current products, the manufacturer gives customers a year free of charge.
The solution was functional for us very well, because of deficiencies in the service it was not quite good for the evaluation. We would like the manufacturer to work on the service. Especially the search for the conversion of the authorization we found very disturbing - it counteracts the otherwise so clear and in most cases logical operating concept of the software
In addition, we would like to have even more system areas in the access: For example, the event display of the Windows computers or the network and sharing center are on our wish list. Of course, a system administrator can also do this separately via remote control or a remote desktop session - but it would be better and more practical to integrate into the Syspectr interface.
Finally, there is the abundant selection of different icons, which symbolize the respective system state: Whether this kind of comic representation of the system in a professional software is meaningful, probably every user must decide for himself.
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