How Do I Keep Up with the ''Jones's''?

Think back to the days of the early network. Remember when the greatest issue facing IT Departments was how to effectively monitor and track the configuration of systems, and how that configuration changes? Now with regulatory requirements and government issued mandates, keeping track of your desktops has become an even more daunting task. Even if you aren’t forced to do so, savvy IT managers want to know how their shop stacks up to others in their peer group, or rather, how do I keep up with the Jones’s?”

With the recent release of Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007, we now have an incredible framework in place for tracking and remediating configuration changes throughout the Windows computing environment.

With the Desired Configuration Management framework in SCCM, we have a system for assessing and reporting on configuration across a wide variety of systems and services. Microsoft and third party software manufacturers have created templates that contain settings and configuration information specific to each product or service. For example, there are Configuration Object templates available for products ranging from Windows Server, SQL Server, and Exchange, to Citrix Presentation Server, and various Anti-Virus and Desktop Applications.

The Configuration Objects are contained in an XML Manifest which is very open to manufacturers and developers who wish to create templates for their applications, no matter their shape or size. These individual objects are imported into the system via Configuration Packs. With the addition of this feature, it would not be uncommon to see these templates distributed with application packages of all shapes and sizes.

By using these templates you can compare your Windows Servers and Workstations to a recommended best practice set forth, or in a way, how your shop compares to the “Jones’s”.   Desired Configuration Management (DCM) templates can look for items such as unauthorized running services, password policies, or even versions of applications or files. The templates can be easily adjusted to fit the environment as required. Once the templates are applied and configured, reports can be generated on exceptions to the configuration. With this info, you can do the things necessary to catch up with your peers.

Microsoft as well as many third-party vendors have also created templates to help organizations facing regulatory requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), HIPAA, and FISMA jump start this process. These Configuration Packs are pre-built templates that compare the running configuration of a Windows System to practices set forth in these regulations.

Whether you are facing regulatory requirements, moving along the Microsoft Core Infrastructure Optimization Model, or just frankly want to know how your shop stacks up against others, System Center Configuration Manager and the Desired Configuration Management framework provide you with a very useful set of tools for analyzing your environment and handling the various configurations you have in place, allowing you to increase the overall efficiency of your IT processes.