A Feature-Based Analysis & Comparison of IT Automation Tools: Comparing Kaseya to Windows Server 2003 Developed By: Timothy Cruz & Flavio Suguimitzu Advisor : Dr. S. Masoud Sadjadi School of Computing and Information Sciences Florida International University (305)

Agenda Introduction Comparison & Discussion Glossary Acknowledgements References

Overview Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003 (W2K3) is the sole foundation of every business cyber-infrastructure. W2K3 has become the industry standard server platform that even Kaseya requires it in order to be used effectively. The power that can be harnessed by a system administrator is without a doubt worth its price per license

Background Windows Server 2003 was released on April 24, 2003 Developed and Supported by Microsoft Microsoft was established on April 4, 1975 Holds 91.58% of the operating system market share Microsoft developed and maintains multiple websites to educate and certify individuals MSDN TechNet Microsoft Learning

Grouping Managed Devices Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003 uses Active Directory to facilitate the management of grouped devices. Anything that AD tracks is considered an object which can constitute a user, resource, system, or service that is managed by Active Directory. Therefore containers can also be used to group like objects together, such as a set of printers, or a set of users for a specific domain.

Functional Coverage Architecture Auditing and asset management Remote control Agent procedures Monitoring Patch management Backup and disaster recovery Endpoint security User state management Help desk Reporting System/user/admin management

1.1 Architecture The Windows Server 2003 solution is based on an agent- less architecture. Workstations need to be configured manually in order to be interconnected to the Domain Controller. A VPN would be required in order for a workstation to communicate to a remote Domain Controller.

1.2 Auditing & Asset management Windows Server 2003 audits through Group Policy Auditing is accomplished by tracking user profile and actions Account Logon Events and Management Directory Services Access Logon Events Object Access Policy Change Privilege Use Process Tracking System Events

1.2 Auditing & Asset management Hardware and Third-Party Software can not be audited Kaseya’s Audit module is able to accomplish more when compared to Windows Server 2003

1.3 Remote Control Windows Server 2003 comes with built-in remote control and remote assistance technology. Requires more configuration than Kaseya’s Remote Control module. Kaseya provides a wider variety of tools to interact with the remote workstation. FTP and view processes remotely. remote connection to workstations that do not have an agent installed by means of reverse connection. resetting user login passwords and being able to chat with the Users and interact with them

1.4 Automation Windows Server 2003 can be completely automated through the use of scripts: Visual Basic Script (.vbs extension) Windows PowerShell In Kaseya, they use a module called Agent Procedures Discuss the strength, level of sophistication, and ease of use for the supported automation in this solution. Use the Kaseya Agent Procedure module as a reference.

1.4 Automation PowerShell is the most sophisticated out of all three because it is built on the.NET framework. Script with.NET API Incorporate Unix/Linux based shells commands such as the pipeline “ | “ Kaseya’s Agent Procedures on the other hand, does allow basic commands such as the “If-Then-Else” and the use of variables and 64-bit commands.

1.4 Automation Agent Procedures can interact with the.NET framework for scripting if it calls on pre-written scripts, however neither PowerShell or VBS can call on Agent Proecdures therefore limiting the automation only to its own language.

1.5 Monitoring Event Viewer is Windows Server 2003 monitoring solution. Event Viewer can only monitor faults or warnings. Five base categories: System Security Application Setup Forwarded Events

1.5 Monitoring Can setup custom logs Unable to create alarms

1.6 Patch Management Patch Management is done through Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) WSUS acts like the central server. Updates can be saved on the WSUS server then distributed across the network to save bandwidth. Can only be incorporated on Windows-based machines Very detailed patch management reporting service WSUS contains very similar features to Kaseya’s Patch Management

1.7 Backup & Disaster Recovery In Windows Server 2003, the Backup Utility (BU) software is only limited to the local machine. Not automated like Kaseya’s BUDR module. Kaseya’s BUDR can initiate backup of workstations and have these images saved on the Kaseya server. the ability to conduct universal restores. This feature allows any system administrator to restore systems with “dissimilar hardware or even virtual machines, eliminating the procurement and interoperability factors when trying to get the business back up and running quickly.”

1.7 Backup & Disaster Recovery While Windows Server 2003 BU does not have this aspect embedded in the utility, Windows Server 2003 along with Scheduled Tasks, another utility built in Windows Server, can be used to schedule such tasks. Windows Server 2003 does not come with any utility that will replicate BUDR’s universal restore, unless third-party software is implemented such as Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition.

1.8 Endpoint Security Windows Server 2003 has no integrated Antivirus like KES A separate third party suite would be required. Windows Server 2003, Active Directory can setup users with a “limited users” account. “the limited account is intended for someone who should be prohibited from changing most computer settings and deleting important files. They generally cannot install software.” (Microsoft)

1.8 Endpoint Security While the disadvantages for limited accounts equate to nuisances on part of both administrator and the end- user trying to install a legitimate program. It is the best defense any computer has to avoid executing malware.

1.9 User State Management Well developed within Windows Server No centralized program for User State Management Done through multiple programs and consoles: Group Policy Print Management Map Network Drive Wizard Roaming User Policies is a strong tool used for Desktop Migration Can not manage power management policies.

1.10 Help Desk Kaseya’s Help Desk is a module that allows service representatives to help agent-installed workstations. This includes tracking and managing incidents, problems, and service requests. As well as an integrated ticketing system and a searchable integrated Knowledge Base and Known Error database Windows Server 2003 is more of an Operating System and not an IT Automation solution.

1.11 Reporting No native reporting system No way to obtain report-like information from one centralized program. Event Viewer can do a small amount of reporting. Kaseya’s Info Center trumps Windows Server 2003 on reporting.

1.12 System/User/Admin Management System/User/Admin Management is a strong point within Windows Server Active Directory is a popular and powerful tool that allows administrators to manage Systems, Users, and Administrators. Can put user accounts into groups for easier implementation of security policies. Somewhat difficult to implement, easier to maintain Kaseya’s System/User/Admin management is easier to deploy and maintain, but not as powerful.

1.13 Usability Windows 2003’s utilities and programs are not web based. Alternative to be able to access the server would be via a remote connection. In order to configure it correctly, the system administrator would need to be knowledgeable on many topics. Active Directory VBS or PowerShell And many more…

1.13 Usability These different utilities and programs only focus on accomplishing specific tasks, and they are integrated into a single domain. Unlike Kaseya’s web-based portal that allows a single administrator to control multiple locations from a single website. If a system administrator were to control multiple locations, they would need to remotely log into each domain controller. No synergy!

1.14 Reliability Reliable but not the best solution out there. Second worst in downtime(8.90 hours) when compared to other popular server OS solutions. Downtime was contributed to security issues Windows still retains the majority of the market share. Generally speaking, IT administrators are looking at other IT automation solutions.

1.15 Performance Very Good Performance Performance is dependent on the Windows Server 2003 edition and the environment Each edition is tailored for the general environment needs Performance is vastly dependent on the hardware. Windows Server 2003 allocates a specified portion of the RAM and CPU for it’s own use.

1.16 Supportability Since Windows Server 2003 is not an IT Automation solution and there is no help desk software integrated in Windows 2003, there is no supportability at all. The system administrator can see what caused the error by viewing Event Logs Unless third party software is used to integrate a support desk, using Windows 2003 alone can not fulfill this task.

Agenda Introduction Comparison & Discussion Glossary Acknowledgements References

2. Comparison and Discussion Overall Kaseya’s versatility surpasses that of Windows Server 2003 when it comes to automation. Both work together flawlessly together. Windows Server 2003 however does not need Kaseya in order to operate as a stand-alone solution. Kaseya was designed as an IT Automation solution; whereas Windows Server 2003 was engineered as a server operating system. Kaseya’s user-friendly GUI and seamless integration of their multiple modules ranks them high as an IT Automation solution.

2.1 Evaluating and Discussing 1 Architecture Rating: 3 Required more configuration than Kaseya per workstation and the web-less interface makes it difficult to administrate over remote locations. 2 Audit & Asset Mgt Rating: 3 Able to audit user profiles and trends; however, lacks the ability to audit hardware and third-party software. 3 Remote Control Rating: 3 Connecting to remote locations requires NAT routing to be implemented. 4 Automation Rating: 4 VBS and PowerShell scripting is sophisticated; however, unless used with another utility, it’s only limited to the local machine. 5 Monitoring Rating: 2 Inability to monitor multiple computers from the server without the use of third-party tools. 6 Patch Mgt Rating: 4 Very strong patch management utilities within WSUS and the ability to allocate updates to a test group. 7 Backup & Disaster Recovery Rating: 3 Simple interface and straightforward backup capabilities, but no simple interface to configure all workstation’s backups from a single interface. 8 Endpoint Security Rating: 3 Limited Users template is the best line of defense, but needs to rely on third party antivirus software. 9 User State Mgt Rating: 3 Group Policy is a powerful tool that allows administrators to create roaming profiles and security policies on each user account. 10 Helpdesk Rating: 1 Because there is no help desk utility unless a third party program is implemented 11 Reporting Rating: 1 Universal reporting is almost nonexistent and hard to obtain reports over multiple consoles and applications. 12 System Rating: 4 Active Directory very strong and versatile tool to manage users and system policies. 13 Usability Rating: 2 Strong learning curve and time consuming configuration required for an infrastructure to run correctly. 14 Reliability Rating: 3 Decently reliable; however, average downtime makes it somewhat unattractive. 15 Performance Rating: 4 Strong performance, depending on the edition and hardware. 16 Supportability Rating: 1 No help desk.

2.2 Rating Results Explanation/Discussion KaseyaYour Assigned Solution 1 Architecture 53 2 Audit & Asset Mgt 43 3 Remote Control 53 4 Automation 44 5 Monitoring 32 6 Patch Mgt 54 7 Backup & Disaster Recovery 53 8 Endpoint Security 53 9 User State Mgt HelpDesk Reporting System Usability Reliability Performance Supportability 51 Total 7044

3. Glossary Active Directory (AD) - Active directory is a network service that acts as a directory structure. It is used on Microsoft Windows based servers to store information and data about networks, domains and users. Backup Utility (BU) - Backup Utility is Microsoft's solution for backup and recovery. It is strictly limited to the local machine and is unable to backup or recover computers remotely. Event Viewer (EV) - Event Viewer is Microsoft's solution in letting administrators and users view the event logs of local or remote machines. Group Policy (GP) - Group Policy is a set of rules that allows the administrator to restrict, or give, certain amount of control to users and computers on a network. Map Network Drive Wizard - Map Network Drive Wizard is a utility that allows users to connect and configure hard drive access through the network.

3. Glossary Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) - The Microsoft Developer Network is Microsoft's service that allows it to inform, train, and supply tools to developers on all Microsoft products. PowerShell - PowerShell is an extensible command-line scripting language. Print Management - Print Management is Microsoft's solution to manage and deploy network printers. Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) - Remote Desktop Connection is a Windows based tool that allows users to connect to applications and date on a remote computer. TechNet - TechNet is Microsoft's program and resource used to provide technical information, news, and events to IT professionals. Virtual Private Network (VPN) - Virtual Private Networks are computer networks that remotely connects to another underlying computer network as if it was physically connected to it.

3. Glossary Virtual System Administrator (VSA) - Kaseya's Virtual System Administrator is their remote web-based environment that helps users to administrate, diagnose, repair, monitor, and update computers that are linked to Kaseya's agent technology. Visual Basic Scripting (VBS) - Visual Basic Scripting is a Windows based scripting language. It originated as a limited variation of Microsoft's Visual Basic programming language. Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) - Windows Server Update Service allows administrators to maintain and deploy Microsoft hot fixes and updates, released through Automatic Update, to computers in a corporate environment.

4. Acknowledgements Special thanks to Student MSDN and Kaseya for their support in providing software for this research and demo purposes.

5. References Bilic, Nino. "System Event Viewer Tips." Microsoft TechNet: Resources for IT Professionals. Web. 26 Apr "Chapter 1: Windows 2003 Basics." Web.. Edwards, Mark J. "Windows Server: The New King of Downtime." Windows IT Pro - The Leading Independent Community for IT Pros. Web. 26 Apr Gafvert, Kristofer. "Backup Windows Server 2003." FAQ and Articles for Windows Server 2003, C#, SQL Server. Web. 26 Apr Huggins, Diana. "SolutionBase: Creating a Windows Server 2003 Audit Policy." TechRepublic Articles. Web. 26 Apr Microsoft. "Introduction to Group Policy in Windows Server 2003." Web. Apr Microsoft. "MSFT Annual Report 2009." Microsoft Corporation. Web. 26 Apr

5. References Microsoft. "Types of User Accounts." Microsoft Corporation. Web. 26 Apr Microsoft. "Windows Products and Technologies History: Windows Server Timeline." Microsoft Corporation. Web. 26 Apr Microsoft. "Windows Server Update Services Home." Microsoft TechNet: Resources for IT Professionals. Web. 26 Apr NetMarketShare. "Operating System Market Share." Market Share for Browsers, Operating Systems and Search Engines. Web. 26 Apr