Comparing Kaseya to users.cis.fiu.edu/~sadjadi/Teaching/IT Automation/Spring... · Web viewSystems – Windows servers, Windows desktops, HP-UX, Solaris, AIX, Linux

A Feature-Based Analysis & Comparison of IT Automation Tools:

Comparing Kaseya to SilverBack Technologies

Developed by: Matthew WanderNestor Zamora

Advisor:Dr. S. Masoud Sadjadi

School of Computing and Information SciencesFlorida International University

Contact Information:[email protected],

http://www.cs.fiu.edu/~sadjadi (305)348-1835

http://www.cs.fiu.edu/~sadjadi

mailto:[email protected]

Comparing Kaseya to SilverBack Technologies [email protected]

1. Introduction

Overview: Dell ProManage Remote Infrastructure Monitoring (DPRIM) is a revolutionary IT Automation tool owned by Dell Inc. It can monitor a wide variety of devices such as servers, desktops, switches and routers. DPRIM’s alert system has warnings about scheduled events that did not occur arranged by date and time. Reports can also be created; including performance reports which describe security issues, provide patch summaries, and outline network and server usage. Service reports can be scheduled and sent to clients automatically, detailing events and issues on a monthly basis. DPRIM is unlike conventional automation tools such as Kaseya; it functions without the use of agents. It can monitor devices using patented remote technology as opposed to agents. This remote technology is a proxy server installed at the customer’s location called SilverStreak. A single image containing everything needed only needs to be installed once per customer location and is maintained centrally. DPRIM can then create an SSH or Telnet session which is used for remote access.

Background: DPRIM Technologies is one of the longest running Managed Service Provider Company as of today, starting just 11 years ago in 1999. In the summer of 2007, in a deal to expand Dell’s presence in the managed service industry, Dell purchased SilverBack Technologies where it became integrated with Dell ProManage Remote Infrastructure Monitoring. DPRIM Technologies now offers a range of services from monitoring of computers, networks, and applications to reporting and patch management, all without a monitoring agent. Since its conception in 1999, Dell has won many awards and recognition for being the standard by which other remote management products are judged. In 2001, the company’s InfoCare service was awarded the Crossroads 2001 A-List Award. They were also awarded Five-Star Rating for the third time by Varbusiness Magazine in 2005.

OS Coverage: To install SilverStreak, which is the backbone of DPRIM, on a device one of the following Windows operating systems are required:

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Windows 2000 Professional or Server with any Service Pack (Service Pack 4 recommended)

Windows Server 2003, 32-bit or 64-bit

Windows XP Professional, 32-bit or 64-bit with Service Pack 1 or higher (Service Pack 2 or higher recommended, with Microsoft’s firewall Startup Type set to ‘Manual’)

Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate, 32-bit or 64-bit (Service Pack 1 or higher recommended)

Vulnerability scanning is not supported on Windows Vista and Server 2003 (64-bit). This is because of a current limitation on the Retina vulnerability scanner by eEye Digital Security, and will be fixed when they provide support for those operating systems.

Grouping Managed Devices: Groups are a collection of Managed Devices that can be used to create Monitoring Policy Targets. This is possible with Silverback Technologies under the “Add a Group” tab. Placing managed assets into groups enables the user to specify Monitoring Policies only to a set of Managed Assets chosen by the user. The grouping of assets also allows the user to use groups as Monitoring Policy targets in order to directly specify Monitoring Policy targets, as opposed to including those Managed Assets in a Monitoring Policy.

Functional Coverage:

Multi-tenant monitoring Access control, delegation and privileges Notifications

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Policy-based provisioning Easy-to-use user interface Integrated, customizable knowledge base Interactive HTML documentation Performance Vulnerability scanning Patch management Intrusion monitoring Firewall monitoring Asset management Scheduled rediscoveries Local credentials Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM)

1.1 Architecture

The Dell ProManage Remote Infrastructure Monitoring (DPRIM) platform uses a distributed management approach that gets around connectivity issues posed by firewalls and NAT. Instead of using an agent, in the case of Kaseya, DPRIM deploys a program called SilverStreak – a proxy at the customer’s location, which then creates an SSL tunnel back to the main application. Using this method, Dell has removed the need for VPNs. After making the SilverStreak tunnel, you are now setup to run any kind of remote access including Telnet, SSH, and Windows Terminal Services. By using an agent-less system, Dell has substantially reduced WAN usage caused by agent-based monitoring.

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1.2 Auditing & Asset management

DPRIM’s assets reporting feature tracks assets by IP address, nodename and software image for capacity planning, maintenance andaccounting purposes. Each report provides information about four keytarget types:

Networks – routers, switches and firewalls

Systems – Windows servers, Windows desktops, HP-UX, Solaris, AIX, Linux servers, and printers

Applications – Cisco Unified Call Manager (CUCM) servers, Exchange 2000, 2003, and 2007 servers, SQL Servers, and Active Directory servers.

1.3 Remote Control

DPRIM can remotely access operating systems such as Windows and Linux and devices such as switches and routers. It also has support for many

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networking protocols such as RDP, VNC, SSH and telnet. The system is integrated, requiring no additional software and also possesses the ability to transfer files. DPRIM can also support multiple remote access sessions simultaneously.

1.4 Automation

DPRIM has many different automation features, ranging from remote desktop, remote scripting, automatic distribution to remote systems, running scripts per a schedule or on-demand, running scripts simultaneously on multiple systems, policy templates to allow you to apply best practices across multiple services, etc. Using these different automation techniques is quite easy in DPRIM. You click the remote scripting tab and create or select a script created for you by SilverBack Tech.

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1.5 Monitoring

DPRIM has a fully integrated best-of-class monitoring system which supports the most comprehensive fault, performance and security monitoring. The monitoring section covers almost all makes and models of devices, operating systems and applications. DPRIM provides out of the box monitoring for most infrastructure devices:

Firewalls Routers Switches Printers Servers Desktops Applications

This is management is done without the use of an agent and VPN-less. The software is fully integrated so it does not require additional software.

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1.6 Patch Management

Patch management is also an integrated feature in DPRIM, requiring no additional software. Patches can be scheduled or installed manually. DPRIM supports about 400 different products/versions and does so without the use of a VPN or agent. One-click settings are available, which can set automatic updates to always download the latest available patches and if installation fails, an alert will be generated.

Users can generate executive level reports on a regular basis. Reports include recently installed patches, installation failure information, and what patches are missing for each machine on the network. DPRIM has direct

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links to Microsoft’s knowledge base, which makes patch installation faster and more efficient.

New software can be distributed manually or scheduled and distributed automatically to systems. DPRIM can also support silent installations, which can run simultaneously on multiple systems. Installations can be done unattended and alerts are generated if installation failures occur. Reports can be generated with installation results and details.

1.7 Backup & Disaster Recovery

DPRIM does not have a fully functional backup system. As of now, DPRIM only backs up credentials on SilverStreak.

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1.8 Endpoint Security

DPRIM has a fully integrated (no additional software required) endpoint security monitoring service. This portion of DPRIM creates reports using industry standard format, which is Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVEs) format. DPRIM does interior and exterior scans with or without credentials. It can also update automatically to the latest available CVEs.

This section also identifies and watches over open ports, shares, and more. DPRIM also has integrated patch scanning in this portion of its program, which scans for more than 400 different products and versions. DPRIM’s endpoint security supports different types of devices such as switches, servers, firewalls and routers. DPRIM’s endpoint security has many key features:

Integrated vulnerability scanning Executive level reports by customer, device or bulletin Direct links to Microsoft’s knowledge base Automatic updates to latest available patches Login/logout activity monitoring Account modification monitoring Automatic alerts for suspicious activity Security alerts from routers, switches, firewalls, desktops, and servers Centralized definitions of analysis rules Distributed collection and analysis of events Event storage for later forensic analysis

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1.9 User State Management

DPRIM has User State Management as a fully integrated service. This service includes many key features:

Remote control connectivity to desktops Ability to distribute patches to desktops Prepare and execute scripts on desktops Share console access with desktop user Ability to distribute software to desktops

DPRIM's User State Management feature can monitor security alerts such as login failures, viruses and application usage. It has fault and performance monitoring and supports roaming laptops, a functionality that few other Automation software has.

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1.10 Help Desk

DPRIM has a fully integrated ticketing/alert management system. It has the ability to track and report on a large history of issues. There is also proactive paging system which can be done via email, cell or pager. Tickets and alerts can be created and sent on a time-based notification. The help desk feature allows you to view hundreds of customer alerts on a single screen. There is support for call escalation and for managing issue severity. Integration with third party software such as Connectwise and ServiceNow is also possible.

1.11 Reporting

DPRIM uses different types of reports that include, but are not limited to, executive level summary reports, monthly reports, performance reports, and security scorecards. This section of DPRIM has the option to

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automatically email scheduled reports to your staff and/or customers. Multiple reports can be bundled together in an on-demand or scheduled generation, in PDF or HTML format. DPRIM also offers two-page performance and security that offer high-level snapshots that can be run on a weekly or monthly basis. More comprehensive reports are available to DPRIM users such as in-depth monthly service reports which cover aspects such as performance and security, over a monthly basis.

1.12 System/User/Admin Management

DPRIM provides Alert/Event Management which can be configured to receive only alerts that users find important. It has profiles for both users and administrators which allow you to restrict the usage of different system features. Access can also be assigned for individual machines as opposed to having one administrator control everything. Adding users and assigning their rights is simple using DPRIM’s graphical interface.

1.13 Usability

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DPRIM has an easy to use, web-based interface. The learning curve is not steep, and the features are better explained and organized than many other Automation programs. Moving amongst the different modules is fast and efficient, and allows you to achieve tasks in a short amount of time.

1.14 Reliability

DPRIM incorporates many of the best processes and procedures from the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). The ITIL is a series of publications by IT professionals providing guidance on the best practice for IT service management. It can incorporate many of the features, right out of the box:

Incident Management Configuration Management Problem Management Service Level Management Change Management Availability Management

Features such as the integrated knowledge center, serve as an embedded help desk to assist operations staff in knowing what to do when a particular alarm is triggered. This allows providers to use the more inexperienced staff members to troubleshoot alerts and focus on using the senior personnel on more strategic efforts.

1.15 Performance

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DPRIM uses a Web based system, which in our opinion was relatively quick. The system responded to our every move without having to make us wait long periods of time.

1.16 Supportability

DPRIM can monitor almost any device connected to a network, not just computers but also routers, switches, telephones, and printers. It also can monitor different software or operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Solaris, AIX and MAC. DPRIM is also very scalable, making it useful for both small businesses and large ones. The support structure is multi-tiered, designed to minimize bandwidth. Help desk response is very fast, usually responding to any request within 24 hours.

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2. Comparison and Discussion

2.1 Evaluating and Discussing SilverBack Technologies

1ArchitectureRating: 4

This agent-less program is easy to get up and running.

2Audit & Asset MgtRating: 4

Tracks assets by IP address, node name and software image

3Remote ControlRating: 4

Remote control is supported by Windows and Linux devices. Also can support multiple remote access sessions.

4AutomationRating: 4

Automation made simple by using the scripts feature. And being able to schedule when they are run.

5MonitoringRating: 5

This is the leader in monitoring where all other products should be compared to.

6Patch MgtRating: 4

It has one-click settings that can set automatic updates to always download the latest patches.

7Backup & Disaster RecoveryRating: 1

It has a very poor backup and disaster recovery feature.

8Endpoint SecurityRating: 4

DPRIM is fully integrated and requires no extra software.

9User State MgtRating: 3

DPRIM's User State Management feature can monitor security alerts such as login failures, viruses and application usage.

10HelpDeskRating: 4

It has the ability to track and report on many issues, and allows for viewing hundreds of customer alerts at a time.

11 Reporting Has many different types of reports and

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Rating: 5 report settings and is very easy to use.

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SystemRating: 4

Access can also be assigned for individual machines as opposed to having one administrator control everything.

13UsabilityRating: 4

Easy to use web-interface. And a low learning curve.

14ReliabilityRating: 4

It has been reliable and the system has not failed yet.

15PerformanceRating: 5

Very fast web-based system.

16SupportabilityRating: 5

It can monitor almost any device and almost any operating system. While help desk response is very quick.

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2.2 Rating Results Explanation/Discussion: Individual Solution Comparison Rating System Table

Kaseya SilverBack Technologies

1 Architecture 4 42 Audit & Asset Mgt 4 43 Remote Control 5 44 Automation 4 45 Monitoring 4 56 Patch Mgt 3 4

7Backup & Disaster Recovery

4 1

8 Endpoint Security 5 49 User State Mgt 3 310 HelpDesk 5 411 Reporting 4 512 System 4 413 Usability 3 414 Reliability 4 415 Performance 3 516 Supportability 4 5

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Total 63 64

All in all, SilverBack Technologies was a good and easy to use program. Compared to Kaseya, it has a few superior features including a friendlier user interface. Even though they are both web-based programs SilverBack technologies was faster in response time. By our rating system, Kaseya was rated a 63/80 while SilverBack Technologies was given a 64/80. Kaseya is superior in Endpoint Security because it has many more options. It also is better in backup because SilverBack Tech can only backup credentials.

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3. Glossary

1. DPRIM - Dell ProManage Remote Infrastructure Monitoring

2. VPN – Virtual Private Network.

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4. Acknowledgements

1. Don GrimesModular ServicesO. 512.946.1677 or toll free 877.671.3355 ext. 946.1677C. 512.423.6835Email: [email protected]

2. Lincoln H. DeMouraSr. Solutions Consultant | Modular ServicesDell Global ServicesMobile: +1 508-813-6026Email: [email protected]

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5. References

1. Clarke, Gavin. "Dell buys SilverBack on road to recovery." Register 18th 07 2007: n. pag. Web. 22 Apr 2010. <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/18/dell_silverback_acquisition/>.

2. "Dell ProManage Remote Infrastructure Monitoring." SilverBack Tech. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr 2010. <http://www.silverbacktech.com>.

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Documents

Comparing Kaseya to users.cis.fiu.edu/~sadjadi/Teaching/IT Automation/Spring... · Web viewSystems – Windows servers, Windows desktops, HP-UX, Solaris, AIX, Linux