LANDesk Management Suite Advantages

Posted: Sep 02, 2009 |Comments: 0 | Views: 125 |

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LANDesk Management Suite is one of the very latest software tools developed by LANDesk a division
of Avocent Corporation that will enable your staff to fine tune and automate systems security and
management tasks, as well as manage, visualize, protect and update virtually all your organizations
desktops, mobile devices as well as servers from one single desk console.

You can utilize LANDesk Management Suite as a means to save time, upgrade overall efficiency, lower
operating costs and increase productivity of both yourself and those who access it with the following
features:

Inventory management

OS deployment and profile migration

Software distribution technologies

Intel® Active Management Technology (AMT) support

Remote control and problem resolution

Software license monitoring

Mobile device, desktop, laptop, as well as multiple platform support

Secure exclusive systems management via the Internet

Monitoring Software Licenses

This software tool allows for easy scanning of unknown applications. With LANDesk you can even stop
unauthorized users from launching software with expired licenses whether or not they're connected to
the network. You can also easily maintain an ongoing and comprehensive overview of software license
usage and expediently respond to audits with extensive application use and reporting on compliance.
Also highly efficient query tools make for quick and easy analysis of your IT Environment.

Problem Resolution

LANDesk® Management Suite contains in it remote control and problem solving features that all
businesses need for expediency and operating cost control and reduction. These features also function
to decrease overall demands on help desk resources, which includes LANDesk® Management Gateway
on top of increasing security and efficiency.

Managing Inventory
This software tool contains virtually all of the inventory management capacities of LANDesk®
Inventory Manager to enable the discovery of networked computing devices, track and gather custom
data fields, monitor software use, effortlessly maintain software inventories and detailed hardware to
maintain licensing compliance, reduce licensing costs, respond to audits and better plan upgrades.

Profile Migration and OS Deployment

This software tool also allows you to expediently move users and as well as their profiles to completely
new operating systems if you so choose. It's the LANDesk® OS Deployment Wizard that’s used to
assist you in navigating through the complete OS migration process. This means that you can
automatically initiate applications and expediently use machines in the absence of dedicated servers
on all subsets and network configurations.

Intel Active Management Support

This software tool also supports Intel AMT technology which allows you to lengthen your management
capabilities when overseeing Intel AMT based hardware by way of remote healing regardless of the OS
or the ability to utilize output to repair systems that are failing to respond.

Complete Support for Laptops, Desktops, Mobile Devices As Well As Multiple Platforms

LANDesk® Management Suite allows its users to assume complete control of all data processing
platforms and show compliance to all configuration, as well as security standards, with broad ranging
support for Mac OS, Windows, Linux, Unix as well as a variety of hand held systems including Palm OS
and Java.

General Information

WHAT IS LANDESK?

LANDesk is an asset management software system used to remotely inventory and manage desktop computers. It
has the ability to report on installed software and hardware, allow remote assistance, and install operating system
security patches. Comprehensive information can be found at the LANDesk website.
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IS IT MANDATORY?

Yes, LANDesk must be installed on all AU-owned assets.

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WHY IS OIT DEPLOYING THE LANDESK MANAGEMENT SUITE?

REMOTE ASSISTANCE / EFFICIENCY

OIT strives to provide the best customer service experience. With the customer's consent and LANDesk Remote
Assistance, Help Desk analysts can see exactly what the customer sees. This allows them to provide help instantly,
over the phone. Field technicians can thus be deployed more quickly to attend to urgent hardware and software
issues that require a physical presence.

ASSET MANAGEMENT

All workstations with the LANDesk Agent provide valuable inventory data about the machines they are installed on;
such as: available storage, total RAM, and age of hardware. This will allow OIT staff and our local support partners
to effectively manage the workstation management lifecycle.

SECURITY

LANDesk will enable OIT and your departmental IT support staff to address vulnerabilities remotely and quickly.
LANDesk can install software patches on day one, or remotely change workstation settings to counter recently
discovered security holes.

SOFTWARE UPDATES

The LANDesk Agent, combined with patch management, can ensure that all applications are up to date with the
latest security fixes. LANDesk can update a variety of products from many vendors. Even AU specific applications,
like the Datatel UI, can be updated through LANDesk.

REPORTING

Site administrators using LANDesk can create customized, detailed reports regarding departmental hardware and
software assets.

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WILL LANDESK WORK ON MY MACINTOSH OR OTHER NON-WINDOWS COMPUTER?

There is a LANDesk client for Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard, as well as a Linux client. LANDesk capabilities vary for
each of the different operating systems, but inventory reporting works across all platforms.

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WILL LANDESK CHANGE SETTINGS ON MY MANAGED COMPUTER?

No. The LANDesk Agent communicates exclusively with the LANDesk Core server to ensure that the managed
workstation is up to date, and protected from malicious software. Additionally the Agent performs a hardware and
software inventory scan, once a day when the computer is idle.

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WHAT CAN OIT SEE ON MY COMPUTER AFTER LANDESK IS INSTALLED?

LANDesk will not permit OIT to view the files on your computer. Using LANDesk, OIT can only view inventory
information about the hardware components and software applications. 

When using the Remote Assistance tool, you are able to grant permission to a Help Desk Analyst and to share your
desktop with them. During a Remote Assistance session, they will see exactly what you see and be able to move
the mouse cursor and type through the keyboard. Please note: permission must be granted for each session
before viewing begins.

A Remote Assistance session is just like having that person sitting with you in your office: you will be able to see
each action as it is performed. You can stop the session at any time.

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IS OIT USING LANDESK TO MONITOR STAFF, FACULTY, OR STUDENT BEHAVIOR?

No. LANDesk does not monitor staff, faculty, or students; or the websites they visit. LANDesk does check to see if
your software applications are up to date with the latest Microsoft patches, as well as patches from other
companies such as Adobe, Apple, Corel, Dell, and Symantec. LANDesk also returns important information to
administrators about the hardware installed in a university-owned workstation.

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I HAVE SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON MY WORKSTATION. IS IT VULNERABLE TO

SNOOPING OR TAMPERING VIA LANDESK?

No. LANDesk does not increase risk. However, be sure that you store all important information on a network
resource, like your G or I drive, to ensure that it is secure and backed up. We discourage you from storing sensitive
or important information on your workstation. Please contact the IT Help Desk at 202-885-
2550,helpdesk@american.edu, or AskAmericanUHelp and ask to have your workstation encrypted.
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WILL LANDESK AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF MY WORKSTATION?

LANDesk has been deployed on over 3600 workstations, both Windows and OS X, with no adverse effects on
performance.

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HOW DOES LANDESK HANDLE MOBILE LAPTOPS?

The LANDesk Agent is only active while utilizing remote assistance features and sending inventory to the Core
Server. The rest of the time, it is inactive and will not interfere with network communication.

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Remote User Assistance

WHAT IS REMOTE ASSISTANCE?

The Remote Assistance feature in LANDesk lets you share control of your computer with an OIT Help Desk analyst.
This will help OIT to more quickly and accurately troubleshoot and resolve problems. Please note: the Help Desk
can not access your computer or provide remote assistance without your explicit permission. To authorize an
analyst to help you remotely, you will need to click OK when presented with a remote assistance dialog box.
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DOES REMOTE ASSISTANCE WORK WHEN I AM USING MY WORKSTATION OFF CAMPUS?

Yes, Remote Assistance works with workstations that are not on AU's network, using the LANDesk Management
Gateway.

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IT Asset Management

WHAT INFORMATION IS IN THE INVENTORY AND WHEN IS IT COLLECTED?

The inventory contains detailed information about all of the hardware components and software applications
installed on your computer. It can be used to determine how much and what kind of memory is in your computer,
what operating system you have, and the versions of the software that you use. The inventory tool will run no
more than once per day.

All of this information assists OIT when troubleshooting a problem with your computer. Inventory information will
also help departments evaluate their current technology assets when it is time to buy new computers. The
inventory tool cannot access any of your personal files.

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WHAT IS ASSET MANAGEMENT?

Asset management is a combination of inventory control and maintenance. It helps departments answer basic
questions about their computing environment, such as:

 How many workstations do we own?

 When did we deploy this workstation?

 Is the workstation due for replacement?

 Is the workstation in use?

 Is the workstation using one of our software licenses?

 Is the workstation up to date with the latest antivirus signatures?

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Patch Management

WHY PATCH MANAGEMENT?

Patch Management helps to safeguard AU owned computers and AU data from cyber criminals looking to exploit
applications that are out of date. Patch Management keeps operating system software and applications up to date.

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DOES PATCH MANAGEMENT REPLACE CCA, WHICH IS AU'S CURRENT "HEALTH CHECK"
SOLUTION?

No. CCA will continue to be used to ensure each workstation accessing American University's network, logs in with
AU credentials and passes a baseline health check.

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WHAT TYPE OF PATCHES WILL BE MANAGED?

OIT will use LANDesk to determine which systems require Microsoft critical and recommended patches, as well as
other third party software patches, such as: Adobe, Flash, and Java.

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WHEN WILL PATCHES BE INSTALLED?

Patches will be installed on AU workstations on a standard monthly schedule. You will have an opportunity to defer
standard patches for at least 7 days, by clicking the SNOOZE button. After the deferral window, the patches will
be delivered to vulnerable AU owned computers that have LANDesk client installed.

In addition, there may be a need for an out of cycle patch installation to protect against a Zero-Day threat.

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WHAT IS A ZERO-DAY THREAT?

Zero-Day is the term used by security professionals to describe a security hole that has been discovered by cyber
criminals that was unknown by software developers. If we see or hear of cyber criminals exploiting the security
hole, OIT will test, and then install the appropriate patch to vulnerable systems as soon as it becomes available.
This installation may occur outside of our monthly schedule. We will notify the community, through Today@AU at a
minimum, before installing a patch in these situations.

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WILL MY WORKSTATION'S PERFORMANCE BE IMPACTED WHEN A PATCH IS BEING

INSTALLED?

The performance impact of patching will depend on the type and quantity of patches being applied. However, the
impact will be equal to that of installing the patches via the Windows Update site. To minimize user impact,
customers are given the opportunity to defer standard patches for at least 7 days.

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HOW CAN I ENSURE THAT PATCHES ARE INSTALLED AT MY PREFERRED TIME?

If you are keeping your applications patched and up to date, it will not be necessary for LANDesk to install
patches.

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WHAT HAPPENS IF A PARTICULAR PATCH IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH MY

SYSTEM/APPLICATION?

Before each monthly patching cycle, all patches will be inventoried and announced in Today@AU and via e-mail to
our technical team leaders. These patches will be tested internally by OIT as well as by our technical team
leaders. We will allow three weeks to pass from the initial release of the patch until the deployment date for end
user testing, before patches become mandatory. If you find a patch that is incompatible with your system or
application, please report this to the IT Help Desk at 202-885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu,
or AskAmericanUHelp and ask to talk with an IT Security staff member about pursuing an exception and
documenting the risk acceptance.
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WILL PATCHES BE INSTALLED ON MY MAC?

At this time, OS X patching has not been implemented. However, we are currently testing the use of the LANDesk
Agent for OS X to patch OS X workstations.