RES Automation Manager 2012

RES Automation Manager 2012 enhances existing capabilities with the following:


Cross platform support (including Red Hat & SuSE)
Take all your existing management scripts, copy & paste them into controlled and secure modules. Can be included in RunBooks to make changes in multi-tenant systems & services. 
New Linux Tasks:

• Execute Command
• Reboot
• Shutdown
• Download Resource

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager integration
Utilize the Automation Manager Self Service Portal to install applications through collections in ConfigMgr. You can also query the ConfigMgr client status (version, available services, cache options etc).


Scalability and performance improvements, including native 64-bit support
Unlimited scalability through the new Dispatcher+. Previous recommended limit per Dispatcher was 150 CCA (concurrent agents). This limit has been removed.


Launch window support
Control when jobs can be launched on systems to prevent changes during business hours. This can be overruled in the delegation model (for emergency maintenance).


Agent, Team and evaluator relationship enhancements
Allows for running queries and then automatically perform an action based on the outcome.
Evaluators now included:

• =
• >
• <
• <=
• >=
• <>
• LIKE 
• NOT LIKE

Enhanced support for evaluators in the following queries:

• Query AD Computer
• Query AD Group
• Query AD Object
• Query AD Organizational Unit
• Query AD User
• Query Computer Properties
• Query Disk Space
• Query Installed Programs
• Query Service Properties
• Query TCP/IP Properties

New Task: Change Team Membership
Add or remove agents from teams directly in a task.


New Global Setting: Default Schedule
To have an additional safe net the default scheduling can be changed from Scheduled to On Hold. This also applies to rescheduled jobs.


Job Scheduling
The option to schedule offline agents at next boot is enhanced with; or when Agent is resumed after hibernate, sleep or standby. this is very useful for managing laptops.


RunBook Scheduling
The option to use RunBook parameter has been enhanced with the following;

• to select Agents on computer name
• to select Agents on active Console user
• to select Agents on last Console user
• to select most recent Agent on last Console User

Global Variables
When configuring a Task, the values of many fields can now optionally be replaced with Variables. Similar to parameters, Variables function as placeholders for customer-specific values, such as, server names, passwords or credentials. Different from parameters however, Variables are resolved at the moment of Job execution, rather than at the moment of Job scheduling.



Plus many additional enhancements.


/Patrik

Windows 8 Persona Management

This short video demonstrates RES Workspace Manager handling persona's (profile) between Windows 7 and Windows 8 in real time.

It just works!

/Patrik

World leading solution now even better!

RES Workspace Manager SR2 is released. This world leading User Workspace Management solution is now even better!

This service release does not only contain improvements but also new functionality. Here's a few examples:

1. Configuration Wizard - Now customers can get up and running with the solution even quicker with the built-in configuration wizard. This wizard will guide you through common configuration choices and paths in a few steps. You can choose between Evaluation or Production setup. It even includes sample data for Usage Tracking analysis!

2. Navigation map - The console has been enhanced with a navigation map to make it even easier to quickly jump to desired sections.

3. Video tutorials - Video tutorials make it even quicker to get started with RES Workspace Manager as well as configuring various parts such as Folder Synchronization and Workspace Model. You will find all video tutorials here.

Besides the above new features, RES Workspace Manager also now officially supports Citrix XenApp 6.5, has reduced network I/O, support for Baseline Desktop Analyzer files support for shares in advanced connection states and more...

Make sure to upgrade if you are an existing customer or install if you want to make the single most important step in your desktop management strategy.

/Patrik

How to split the Workspace Manager datastore

I have created a video that shows how you easily can split the RES Workspace Manager database to a primary and secondary datastore.

The primary will be used for configuration and log data and stored in a high available Microsoft SQL server environment.

The secondary datastore will be used for Usage Tracking and I have selected to store this in a MySQL server database running on RedHat Enterprise Linux 5.6.

Before we go ahead and split the data store we have to make sure that all clients have the MySQL Connector ODBC drivers installed.  This is done in a few seconds with RES Automation Manager.

When the connector software has been installed we can go ahead and split the data store.

When the split is complete, RES Workspace Manager will automatically create a new pointer on the Workspace Composer so Usage Tracking data is copied to the new datastore.

/Patrik

Relieving IT stress by implementing automation - Step 3

The final video in the series on 'How to relieve IT stress' explains how RES Automation Manager and Service Orchestration further removes the need of human interaction when implementing changes in the IT infrastructure. The Run Book we created in the previous video can now be delegated back to the organization as a service. This will;

• Allow the organisation to decide when changes are needed
• IT will still be in control on how the changes are implemented
• Free up time for both the IT administrator and the service desk

This is the third and final step in the maturity process moving from a rationalized to a dynamic IT environment.

Compare the 'Before Automation' video with the 'Step -3' video. How much time did IT spend on making the actual change in the 'Step -3'  video?

This means more time to deliver on strategic responsibilities and less resources needed for mundane repeatable tasks.

Here's the previous videos in the series;

Step 2 - Creating Run Books

Step 1 - Automating daily IT tasks

Before Automation

/Patrik

Relieving IT stress by implementing automation - Step 2

This third video in the series on 'How to relieve IT stress' explains how the previously created task in RES Automation Manager can be turned into a run book and delegated to service desk. This will;

• Minimize IT administrator workload
• Create more time for strategic initiatives.

This is the second step in the maturity model moving from a standardized to a rationalized IT infrastructure.

In the next video I will show how these Run Books can be delegated back into the organisation through self service. This will not only offload the service desk but also allow the organisation to be in control on when changes will be made while IT still are in control on how the changes are implemented. Stay tuned...

/Patrik

Relieving IT stress by implementing automation - Step 1

This video shows that automating daily IT tasks with RES Automation Manager can make changes;

• Predictable
• More secure
• Increase Quality of Service

This is also the first step in the maturity model moving from a basic IT environment to a standardized IT environment.

In the next video, I will show how you can create Run Books of the standardized tasks and delegate them to service desk. This will further relieve stress from the IT administrator.

/Patrik

Relieving IT administrator stress by implementing automation - Before Scenario

The only way to do more with less is to automate daily IT tasks.  I will show, in four different videos, how easy this is done with RES Automation Manager.

Before scenario: No processes or automation in place. Changes are being done ad hoc and 'uncontrolled'. User request a change that has to be done in Active Directory by an IT administrator.

This video shows how changes could be done in the above scenario.

In the next video I will explain how risk can be reduced by automating daily IT tasks. Step 1 in the maturity model.

/Patrik

Focus on the right things when delivering services to your users

Delivering It services is not an easy thing. Sometimes we make it even more difficult than necessary. We will have to live in a world of multiple service delivery mechanisms. Users will have multiple ways of accessing services. VDI, TS, desktops, laptops and other mobile devices. For IT to keep up with new demands they must invest in new technologies. The problem is that this only adds to complexity and the difficulty managing the users.


Take a look at the list below and think about delivering IT services and what is most important;

How? (delivery technology)
When? (time)
Where? (location)
Why? (ID/role)
What? (content/service)

Having a technical background I know that it is easy to fall back into your comfort zone - technology.  But is this always best for the company?

My preference would be like this;

What?
Why?
Where?
When?
How?

With this I am not saying that how is unimportant but it should not be priority one!

What potentially could happen is that the technology itself will limit on what you must deliver. You should be able to select the best technology for every purpose and not let this result in a more complex environment to manage.

You need a solution that helps you focus on what to deliver instead of how - i.e. managing a hybrid environment.

Such solution could be RES Workspace Manager. RES Workspace Manager helps you manage the desired state of the user. Decoupling all user related settings from the underlaying technology stack. You can call it virtualization, but we call it User Workspace Management. The context of the user (ID/role, location and time) will determine what will be delivered using a hybrid delivery technology.

Look at an earlier blog post explaining the concept of User Workspace Management.

/Patrik

Applying multiple policies on the same application

In this short video I demonstrate how you easily, without scripting or creating multiple application packages, can apply multiple configurations on a single application instance.

For more information about context aware just-in-time application configuration, please visit RES Software.

/Patrik

Turn existing scripts into dynamic and reusable tasks

A lot of administration, particularly on servers, is used with scripts either with Powershell, VB or Secure Shell (SSH).  You can basically do anything with scripts and more and more features are exposed to scripting.

The problem with scripts is that they are usually hard to maintain and troubleshoot. They are rarely documented which results in painful hand overs to new administrators. Scripts are also often created for one distinct purpose and cannot be reused.

So how can you take existing scripts and make them dynamic and reusable?

The answer is RES Automation Manager.

In RES Automation Manager you can easily import your existing scripts and turn them into a module/task. This task can then be scheduled in a controlled fashion by administrators with no administrative rights on the systems the script is being executed on. By using parameters in RES Automation Manager the scripts can be generic, dynamic and reusable. I will explain exactly how it works in the below video.

If you want to know more on how to get in control, please visit RES Software on the web.


Patrik

Query uptime and perform controlled reboots

I got a question last week from a company if they, with RES Automation Manager, could easily query uptime on their Windows servers and then perform a controlled reboot.

I have created a video that demonstrates how this can be done.

Beware that this is a very powerful tool and could cause unwanted results if used in the wrong way.

This can be avoided by delegating control and setting a scope on possible systems where the task can be executed.

If you want to know more about RES Automation Manager please visit RES Software on the web.

/Patrik

How to change local administrator password in less than 60 seconds on all computers

In this video I demonstrate how easy it is to change the local administrator password on all servers and desktops in less than 60 seconds.

With RES Automation Manager making changes like this is as easy as 1 2 3!

This module can be delegated to help desk and the actual change is done without them having local administrative rights. All changes are audited.

For more information, please visit RES Software on the web.

/Patrik

How to remove local admin rights and elevate rights when needed

Removing local administrator rights from desktops and laptops have a huge impact! According to Gartner you could reduce the TCO with as much as $1237 per user per year! It could also, according to Microsoft, mitigate the effect of 92% of critical vulnerabilities.

There are a lot of reasons why local administrative rights is needed. It could be legacy applications, access to specific Control Panel applets or applications that need to change hardware settings.

What are we waiting for? Let's go ahead and see how it can be done.

RES Workspace Manager 2011 have the possibility to add Dynamic Privileges to specific processes for specific users.

In the video I demonstrate how it is configured and the way it works.

If you want to know more, please visit RES Software.

/Patrik