Waiting for SMS 2003

First it was last summer; then it was last fall; now, as far as most of us can tell, it’ll be this fall before Microsoft will finally release SMS (Systems Management Server) 2003. A few months longer and we can start making the “They should have called it 2004″ jokes.

If you’re using SMS 2.0 and eagerly awaiting the new features promised in SMS 2003, then you’re undoubtedly peeved. This places most SMS users in the difficult position of weighing the costs and benefits of an entirely new systems management product now against SMS 2003 later. Purchasing something new results in immediate satisfaction, but will probably cost more when you factor in implementation time as well as the inevitable learning curve. Waiting for SMS 2003, on the other hand, means continuing to limp along with a feature set that even Microsoft admits is a bit behind the times. Or does it?

While they sometimes seem hidden in a dense jungle of Windows-compatible software utilities, there are third-party developers out there who have specialized in improving the SMS feature set. I’ve used a few of these over the last year and have a short list of favorites.

Altiris makes three great utilities for SMS users, two of which I use regularly, the third of which I’ve deployed at a client site with no ill effects thus far. First there’s a Web Administrator for SMS that drops the SMS 2.0 console into a browser view, including support for remote control and reporting. This is invaluable when I’m running around remote locations without a notebook.

Altiris’ Mobile Client for SMS is also a great client tool for those waiting for SMS 2003’s Advanced Client with its new mobile and remote user support. Altiris’ Mobile Client for SMS also has specific features for mobile users who maintain existing SMS 2.0 packages and programs.

Altiris’ Unix Client for SMS is one I’ve deployed at a single site that was running a legacy system on an old RS/6000 F50. The Altiris client captured a full inventory as well as distributed software to the RS/6000 via the same console as the rest of the network.

For those bugged by SMS 2.0’s limited reporting tools, allow me to point you at Aelita and its SnapReports for Microsoft SMS. This utility is designed specifically for SMS 2.0 and gives administrators far more leverage to create useful reports using SMS data repository than what they get out of the box with SMS. It’s great for impressing clients with what they don’t know about their own network.

I also really like Gravity Square’s GSI Advanced Scheduler for SMS 2.0, which integrates directly with the SMS console to provide much more granular control over software package distribution schedules — much easier than going native script-based.

For those still not happy with SMS’ mobile management capabilities even after installing Altiris’ Mobile Client, you can try Mobile Automation’s Mobile Lifecycle Management Suite. This suite of back-end tools nicely complements the Altiris’ client-based tool (after a certain amount of initial tweaking), because it gives the SMS management console mobile device-specific tools, including better session management and inventory control.

A company called 1E makes a utility called SMSNomad, designed to monitor SMS sessions over slow (read WAN and remote) links, and then optimize that bandwidth utilization with smart bandwidth allocation and restarting downloads.

Perhaps SMS 2.0’s biggest weakness is in software inventory and control; ironic, since that’s supposedly its raison d’etre. SMS 2003 promises an entirely re-written software metering module, but for those still stuck with SMS 2.0, that’s small comfort. Although I’ve been unable to find anything third-party that directly improves SMS’ software metering functionality, there are some utilities that do more than the old user-to-product key spreadsheet method did.

Tally Systems, for instance, makes PowerCensus, which can greatly increase SMS’ internal inventory process, capturing more accurate and more detailed software (and hardware) usage information. And CompuThoughts’ SMSworks application provides better control over remote application settings during an SMS-based installation, including not only active application configuration, but also better reporting and recording information for later metering processes.

SMS 2.0 may have retreated far from the cutting edge of systems management, especially for those already migrated to Windows XP, but instead of spawning large dollars for a brand new and untried desktop management and software control solution, you can beef up SMS 2.0’s existing feature set into third-party utilities for relatively small investments. That helps things run more smoothly until SMS 2003 finally arrives and gives us a whole new set of headaches.