Network Admin Tools

[trieder]

For all the Windows/*nix admin (even home users with more than one machine), would you like an application to manage your intranet/lan? I am currently in the process of writing a program that will allow you to get machine stats/control the machine and perform various other tasks from any workstation on your intranet/lan (possibly m/wan in the future) . It has many other edges plus it will be very cheap, say $5 - $10 per seat... Any body interested (or know of anything similar that is cheaper)?

[MDS]

I would rather manully control all of my network and administative functions as it is always the best bet. I don't know about posting a app up for sale on the forum as it could be taken as spam. just to let you know. I can control any system on my home network from my main box and I can VPN to my network I maintain at work(14 computers) and do almost anything I need to do from home also.

Also "I was thinking of even making it open source" is what you posted in other threads.

[Bill in SD, CA]

Originally posted by MDS
Also "I was thinking of even making it open source" is what you posted in other threads.

Bill

[e980238]

Its cool guys,

I personally know trieder and he isnt meaning to spam, he is just a techimo noob

Why dont you tell everyone the kinds of features you are putting into the prog?

[trieder]

MDS - Maybe I misunderstand you but just because I offer one piece of software as open source doesn't mean they all will be, one app was a firewall (to replace the commercial ones that don't really do that much in the first place) and this one is an administrative tool.

As for manually controlling machines, in an intranet enviroment that spans the length of a building, sure go ahead, if you want to walk around be my guest I for one prefer to get all my work done in a few clicks without walking a few hundred feet...

As for spamming, I really wasn't trying to spam, so my appologies on that behalf, I was just really trying to make people aware of what I am doing (I don't own a business or anything)

What I plan on including in this program:

* Enumeration of installed applications, ability to uninstall them or install new ones
* Process Listings along with the ability to terminate the applications
* Window listings along with the ability to capture a screen shot or a window shot... plus disabling windows, hiding windows, etc etc (in case you catch the employee doing something he shouldn't be doing)
* Process filtering
* PC Anywhere capabilities
* Ability to map, remap, delete shares/network drives
* Machine Stats (ie disk space, ram stats, logged in user, host name etc)
* remote rebooting/shutdown
* small bandwidth and memory foot print

I know most of these things are available in seperate apps or as a part of windows, but this is an all in one application with a few more features I haven't mentioned (on purpose)...

[capybara]

trieder - i think u got a great idea + a valid business idea:
have a better product and charge less for it.

[MDS]

"As for manually controlling machines, in an intranet enviroment that spans the length of a building, sure go ahead, if you want to walk around be my guest I for one prefer to get all my work done in a few clicks without walking a few hundred feet... "

If you would have read all of my post you would see that I can control any system on my home network plus all systems on my work network 42miles away from my main box. And I never said it wouldn't be a good app, I just said that many people especially when it comes to company networking would rather do things manually.

[trieder]

capybara - Thanks

MDS - I suppose if you want to manually VPN/TS into 100+ computers thats fine, but personally the idea of making a few clicks and then clicking GO and having say... a 5-10 step proess (taking a few minutes per machine) complete itself on over 100 hosts through automation sounds better to me... free time to manage other things!

As for doing things manually because of preference you must have no concept of task automation... why do things by hand when they can be automated? If you run a network of 50 machines and you're the only admin there then maybe doing things by hand is acceptable, but when you've got to manage an enterprise or a portion of (one or more subnets computers OR portions of a server farm) then task automation is a necessity! I mean hell, you wouldn't hack the registry on every machine, you would use policy manager on groups no?

[John Prophet]

"why do things by hand when they can be automated? "


that conversation could entail a lottttttttttt, lol. Two different philosophies.

[trieder]

Originally posted by John Prophet
"why do things by hand when they can be automated? "


that conversation could entail a lottttttttttt, lol. Two different philosophies.

It's cliche, but we all know time is money. I don't really need to explain it more than that, but if you would like to give a few arguments of why manual labor on hundreds of machines is better than doing it via automation, then please, do tell.

Also.. I know I don't find it fun to walk around the building applying patches and changing share names by hand. If you want to spend say 2 hours doing such things be my guest, I however prefer to do things manually and save myself the time and aggravation..