Small Wonders gives ScriptLogic a server boost

In the past, I’ve written about ScriptLogic’s client-side products that combine logon scripting, group policies and user profile management into a graphical management console supporting all 32-bit Windows platforms (95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP and 2003). The company was born of founder Brian Styles’ frustration with the lack of “NetWare login script” type tools for Windows networks.

When I wrote about Styles a year and a half ago, I said that when he gets the bit in his teeth, he writes code until all hours just to add “a little more functionality” to the product (see https://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/nt/2002/01590336.html).

Now ScriptLogic wants to work its magic on server-side tools as well as client-side, so what does it do? Should it lock up Styles to create a ServerScriptLogic? Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day, and Brian has most of those blocked out already. But there is another answer – acquire the needed technology.

Small Wonders Software has been around for a little more than 10 years providing administrative and security software for Windows NT/2000 servers. Sounds like a perfect match, right? Well, ScriptLogic hopes so, because it recently acquired Small Wonders and is moving quickly to integrate the server-side software into its overall management product toolbag.

Of particular importance is Small Wonders’ expertise in Active Directory management (the “Active Administrator” product), which is rapidly being coupled with ScriptLogic’s policy and profile management tools to create a world-class management facility for all Windows networks. Active Administrator goes well beyond the built-in Active Directory management tools to allow you, among other things, to:

* View and report delegated permissions across your domain.

* Search for permissions on Active Directory objects.

* Report on the number of each class of objects in Active Directory.

* Manage all users, groups and computers in Active Directory, regardless of organizational unit (OU) location.

Not to be overlooked are the security-focused tools – Enterprise Security Reporter, Secure Copy, Security Explorer, and Service Explorer – that Small Wonders was known for. Full details are available at ScriptLogic’s product Web site (https://www.scriptlogic.com/eng/products/). Demo and/or evaluation copies are available for most of the applications and services. Check the links at https://www.smallwonders.com/news/reviews.htm for reviews and third-party evaluations of the Small Wonders products.

ScriptLogic has had the reputation of doing one thing (client-side scripting) and doing it very well. Here’s hoping it can now do two things (client-side and server-side scripting) and continue to do it very well. I think it can.