Ensuring Software Delivery for W2K
Veritas Software Corp. recently introduced software that makes sure Windows 2000 machines get the software they need.
Veritas' (www.veritas.com) WinInstall 2000 distributes software across the network to desktops, workstations, and servers, allowing administrators to lubricate software installation and enforce software policies networkwide. A single console controls WinInstall 2000, which takes packages off of a network machine and then delivers and installs the packages remotely.
Microsoft Corp. (www.microsoft.com) took an interest in Veritas’ changes for Windows 2000, so much so that Redmond bundled a scaled-down version of WinInstall 2000 with the operating system. Microsoft believes the solution will aid in Windows 2000 migration. Veritas hopes that the bundling of WinInstall 2000 will create an appetite for the full version. "We’re hoping to ride the coattails of Microsoft," says Michael Wentz, executive vice president at Veritas.
Wentz says the full version of WinInstall may be ideal for another Microsoft-related task. "WinInstall can provide automated delivery for Service Packs," he says. Administrators accustomed to updating NT on a server-by-server or desktop-by-desktop basis can benefit from centralized, automated software delivery.
WinInstall also helps with management issues, in addition to the IT issues. Corporate software policies can be enforced by regular, automated reinstalls of approved software. Wentz says, "You can’t lock those processors down," but suggests that regular software checks are often more friendly than strict desktop rules.
WinInstall is an NT-centric product that runs on NT machines and focuses on delivering NT software, but WinInstall can also deliver software to Unix and Linux machines. The install packages are platform agnostic, able to be opened and applied on any platform.