Patch Management and System Inventory on a Windows network?

Question

What are some good ways to have patch management and systems/hardware inventory for a Windows (Server 2003 or 2008) network?

For example, at a minimum knowing the basics for all the machines out on the network such as OS version, patch level, what hotfixes they have, processor, ram, etc.

Even better would be knowing more details such as peripherals.

Ideally if there were a way to push service packs, and hotfixes (and other software?) to the machines, that would be great.

What are some options for this?

Answer 1

Take a look at OCS Inventory: http://www.ocsinventory-ng.org/ . It does most of what you want, but be warned that the GUI is a little... rough. Something else to consider would be WSUS. It can definitely tell you hotfixes/patches/system information, but it can be a bit tricky to set up.

I suspect a combination of OCS Inventory and WSUS would do everything you want.

Answer 2

SpiceWorks does a decent job of the inventory part of what you want, may be a big "bulky" for you however. For windows patching/updating, WSUS is made for your need. It's not too hard to setup, maybe an afternoon at most.

Answer 3

If your environment is larger than 1,500 machines, the Microsoft System Center suite of products might be right for you. If you are a Microsoft Partner, it is a cost effective option for a smaller company. But if you actually purchase the license separately, you have to have a lot of machines to manage before you get any decent ROI.