Quest Software, a global systems management, data protection, and security software provider, has announced the general availability of KACE Systems Deployment Appliance (SDA) 7.0, which automates large-scale system deployment and simplifies migrations of multiple operating systems.
In addition, Quest has released KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) 9.1, a multiplatform endpoint management solution that takes an automated approach to addressing systems management needs, from initial inventory of all hardware and software to ongoing management and retirement.
According to Quest, multiplatform IT environments and endpoint device management grow increasingly complex each year as new devices—from IoT devices to other network-connected devices including PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, tablets, printers and more—continue to proliferate company networks. Manual disk imaging is no longer feasible for IT departments, who find themselves tasked with more and more responsibilities as the IT ecosystem evolves.
It is critical, therefore, that organizations support their IT teams by providing the solutions that enable effective management of IT environments—instead of merely managing disparate management systems. With KACE SDA and KACE SMA, the company says, IT administrators and network managers can easily manage the complete lifecycle of all devices attached to the network, from deployment to retirement to provisioning to updating software, all from a single pane of glass view.
This newest release of KACE SDA makes it possible for IT users to streamline and optimize systems imaging and deployment processes with a broader scope of management through feature enhancements, including Linux scripted installs.
New features and functionalities in KACE SDA 7.0 include:
- Linux scripted installations: Added support for Linux that encompasses Red Hat, CentOS and Ubuntu and allows for faster, more automated installation services for Linux devices and makes it easier to service a broader range of machines in the enterprise.
- New WIM file capabilities: Users can select WIM files for import as an image and download WIM files for offline maintenance and replace current files. With more flexibility in introducing WIMs, it also provides enhanced logs that give admins a greater level of detail on where WIMs have been deployed.
- Windows Media Manager enhancement: Streamlines the user experience with Windows Media Manager rewritten in C# and updated to include KBE manipulator features.
- Updated SAMBA: Fewer touches in the password update process, with updated SAMBA share passwords that automatically update in every boot environment on the appliance.
- Operating System upgrade: Users now have the most current, supported and secure version of FreeBSD.
KACE SMA allows IT admins to see what endpoints are connected to the network and automates the patching process—giving these teams peace of mind that they are protected from future ransomware attacks. It is designed to save time and deliver rapid ROI, on average in just 2 months.
With version 9.1, customers can now merge tickets while keeping an audit trail on all associated tickets, preserve HTML formatting in emailed tickets and comments, and access new Mobile Device Management (MDM) fields. The newest release of KACE SMA also supports new OS versions such as macOS 10.14, Windows 10 Fall 2018 Update, SUSE 15, and Fedora 28 and OpenSUSE 15 (both agentless only). Platform and infrastructure changes include contextual Knowledge Based articles, an agent assistant tool kit that provides helpful troubleshooting options, and new Azure support that offers users the full SMA experience in Azure.
With the updates and new functionality added to KACE SDA and SMA—offerings available within the Quest Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) business—Quest says, IT and system administrators will be able to tighten their endpoint management strategy and proactively provision, manage, secure, and service their growing endpoint environments.