Terminal Server pulled into mgmt. suite

By JOHN FONTANA
Network World, 05/24/99

Those struggling to manage users on Microsoft's Windows Terminal Server will get a bit of a hand this week from Mission Critical Software.

The Houston company is adding support for Terminal Server and Citrix's MetaFrame to Version 5.0 to its Directory Administrator tool. The new software, which is part of the company's OnePoint system management suite, lets network administrators manage all 19 Terminal Server user properties from a single console. The console also includes administrative controls for NT and Exchange users.

Server-centric computing is beginning to play a more important role in the enterprise as corporations look for different ways to deploy software and control costs. According to International Data Corp., 50,000 to 60,000 Terminal Servers are already deployed worldwide.

To highlight the growing demand, Microsoft is building these multiuser server capabilities into Windows 2000. The follow-on is the need to manage users.

"Directory Administrator is a service that will make life for administrators easier by making it more automated," says Richard Ptak, an analyst with the Hurwitz Group in Boston. "This is the type of device that can free administrators from a single desktop and allow for remote administration."

With Version 5.0, administrators can also delegate authority for user management on an administrator-by-administrator basis. Directory Administrator 5.0 is the first third-party tool that separates Terminal Server management into a stand-alone function. The tool also allows for setting policies on who can perform what tasks and for auditing changes to user configurations.

"NT-based administration can't provide granular controls on administrations and delegation," says Kent Erickson, director of product management for Mission Critical.

Directory Administrator 5.0 runs on NT and the forthcoming Windows 2000. Support for Terminal Server management is a free upgrade for existing OnePoint customers. The OnePoint suite is priced at $27 per managed user account.

Mission Critical: (713) 548-1700