How we did it

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We installed each product's desktop management console and any server software on a Compaq ProLiant 5500R server with dual 550-MHz Xeon processors and 512M bytes of memory. Our network consisted of three servers running either Windows NT 4.0 SP 6a, Windows 2000 Advanced Server Service Pack 1 or Novell NetWare 5.1 Service Pack 2a. The client machines included five Compaq iPaq desktops, two of which were legacy-free, meaning they have only Universal Serial Bus, VGA monitor and audio connectors. We used a Cybex/Avocent Autoview 400 and a SwitchView OSD KVM switch to connect the desktop clients and servers to two sets of keyboards, monitors and mice. Our network used a single Linksys EtherFast 10/100 12-port switch to connect the workstations and servers.

To test the components of each suite, we ran hardware and software inventories of each client and used available reporting tools to examine the results. To test the software distribution tools, we distributed a copy of the WinZIP file compression tool to each of our clients. Next, we looked at how each product managed a client's desktop configuration by attempting to change Windows registry entries and distribute system policy information. We then evaluated each product's ability to automatically heal broken applications by deleting a key .DLL from a Windows application and then observing how the management application handles the situation. We also evaluated each product's Web-based management capabilities, looked at how each product handled license metering by first tracking and then exceeding a license threshold and finally assessed the remote control features of each product.

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Ferrill is a freelance writer in Lancaster, Calif. He has a master's degree in electrical engineering and has been using and writing about network management software for more than 10 years. He can be reached at paul.ferrill@verizon.net.

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Building a strong foundation
With tools such as inventory, software distribution and license metering, these desktop management suites can help you build a better network.
Network World, 01/31/00.