Bigfix Expands, Enhances Server Management Offerings
Improved management, visibility for distributed, heterogeneous virtual and physical
Note: ESJ’s editors carefully choose vendor-issued press releases about new or upgraded products and services. We have edited and/or condensed this release to highlight key features but make no claims as to the accuracy of the vendor's statements.
BigFix has made several feature and function upgrades to its Server Management solutions that enable customers to improve their ability to consolidate management of entire IT infrastructures across several dimensions of heterogeneity -- endpoint desktop/mobile computers and servers; Windows, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS, and VMware ESX operating environments; physical and virtual assets; and centralized and globally distributed architectures.
Key enhancements include:
- Improved support for managing Linux-based assets, including Linux software distribution and patching
- New abilities to manage servers running VMware ESX virtualization software, including patch management and asset inventory support for virtual machines running in ESX hypervisor environments
- Addition of many non-Microsoft Windows applications to BigFix DSS Software Asset Management software catalogs, enabling seamless license and usage management of Windows, Linux, UNIX and other applications via the BigFix Unified Management Platform
- Access to BigFix technical controls policy libraries for automated, continuous compliance and reporting for standards such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC), and Defense Information Systems Agency Security Technical Implementation Guides (DISA STIG).
- Breadth of coverage extends to over a dozen distinct Unix platforms, multiple flavors of Windows including Windows Server 2000, Server 2003, and Server 2008, as well as multiple variants of Linux (Red Hat Enterprise, SUSE, zLinux, and VMware ESX hypervisors)
BigFix’s products enable customers to unify management processes across entire IT infrastructures, saving time, simplifying processes, and lowering total cost of ownership. The company's licensing terms put automated server management within reach of organizations that cannot justify the cost of “big iron” solutions often overloaded with irrelevant features.
BigFix Server Management Solutions
BigFix Server Management solutions leverage the same BigFix Unified Management Platform (BigFix Agent, BigFix Relays, BigFix Server, etc.) used to provide real-time visibility and control of distributed endpoint PCs, laptop/notebook, and mobile devices. This can create a “single pane of glass” for managing distributed PCs, mobile devices, and servers over a single BigFix visibility and control solution for centralized IT organizations.
Customers can incrementally implement BigFix Server Management in existing BigFix solutions by adding BigFix Agents to server computers without investing in additional support infrastructure or first-time start up costs.
BigFix Server Management provides access to a wide array of server management applications including Patch Management, Configuration Management, Vulnerability Management, Continuous Compliance Controls, Software Asset Management, and custom policy and scripting features.
Installing the BigFix Agent and the vast majority of management actions enabled by BigFix Server Management do not require rebooting the server or disrupting service availability—utilizing an average of two percent of CPU processing bandwidth, the BigFix Agent is lightweight and optimized to work in server environments.
When it comes to regulatory compliance, customers have access to a growing library of over 4,300 technical configuration controls, covering 16 server platforms.
More information is available at www.bigfix.com.