Network Managment Tools

[AnthonyAbbey]

Hello,

I’m new to network management so be kind. I’m looking for something free or open source preferably, that we can install on our sbs server 2003 or on all client machines, that will allow me to remotely manage the workstations on the network. By this I mean, see the hard drives, browse through them add remove files, change registry, see what updates are installed, install updates while the user still uses the machine all without them knowing. I don’t want to see their screen or watch them just run some tasks in the background. It would be nice to take over their computer when needed but only by first popping a message up on their screen that they accept then lets me remotely control it.

I have had a quick look at WMI and PowerShell 1.0, but not sure if these are what I need.

Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: all our client machines are XP

Edited May 20, 2009 by AnthonyAbbey

[CoffeeFiend]

Many tasks, many options... I don't know of any free tool that will do everything you may wish for, but there's built-in ways to do most of those things.

see the hard drives, browse through them add remove files

administrative shares (e.g. \\computername\c$)

change registry

can easily be scripted (or even use batchfiles applying a .reg file or using reg.exe), and regedit has an option to connect to other computers too

see what updates are installed, install updates

can be scripted, some people do update checks/applying them in their login scripts... mind you, I'd just push updates using WSUS (free)

run some tasks in the background

can be scripted if needed too. many ways to do this

It would be nice to take over their computer when needed

remote desktop. many other solutions exist too, such as vnc

Lots of people use System Management Server / System Center Configuration Manager for a lot of similar/related tasks, but unfortunately it's not free.

[AnthonyAbbey]

Thanks a lot I will look into those things you suggested. I wanted to stay away from scripts as mucha s possible.