Articles by Marcin Policht 

If you've been concerned about hosting full-fledged domain controllers in environments that could be easily compromised, consider a Read Only Domain Controller.

Clustered NFS under Windows Server 2003 supports cross-platform authentication and allows admins to map Active Directory users to Unix users and groups.

If you're in the process of installing Windows Server 2003, being familiar with Automated Deployment Services is critical.

The Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment facilitates the process for which it is named. The software guides admins through the Windows XP Pro deployment process, from initial inventorying to post-deployment tasks.

The Systems Management Server 2003 Operating System Deployment Feature Pack delivers the benefits of Windows PE — reduced installation time, improved hardware support, and scripting capabilities — without its inherent availability problems.

Microsoft's Software Update Services tool is designed to enable a customized deployment infrastructure by allowing network admininstrators to patch selectivity. We look at the tool's features and discuss how to install, configure, and administer it.

Scanning for Microsoft Office updates is no longer limited to the computer on which the scan is launched. The Office Update Inventory Tool offers the capability to scan multiple computers to determine if upgrades are needed.

We continue our examination of free Windows patch management solutions with an eye on Shavlik Technologies' offerings and the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer — products offer a host of interface and deployment options as well as reporting capabilities.

We continue our examination of free Windows patch management solutions with an eye on Shavlik Technologies' offerings and the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer. The products offer a host of interface and deployment options as well as reporting capabilities.

The most basic patch-related technology available in Windows 2000 and above is Windows Update. The functionality relies on cooperation between client and server components, but gives administrators a host of options for configuring the tool.

Windows Server 2003 security implemented exclusively in software is often an inefficient approach. Explore the benefits of hardware-based cryptography options, with an emphasis on products from Rainbow-Chrysalis and nCipher.

In the second part of our Windows patch management series, we begin a discussion of free solutions with a look at general techniques for querying registry and launch processes on local and remote systems. We also look at various scripting options.

Advancements in patch management have made it easier to keep Windows environments secure. Our new Windows Patch Management series kicks off with some recent history about patch-related technologies and an overview of general patch management concepts.