NAP + System Center Configuration Manager = Better Together
Ever hear of a little product called SMS? Well, the latest version (System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or SCCM) has just RTM’d and is about to launch. Next month I am flying over to Barcelona for the huge TechEd / IT Forum event to tell Europe about NAP (in case they haven’t heard). This also happens to be where Microsoft is launching SCCM 2007 to the world.
The NAP team and the SCCM team are a rock throw away from each other on the Microsoft campus. Since we were so close (joke :->) we decided to integrate our products! Woohoo! You can enforce, remediate and all the other cool jazz that NAP provides using SCCM 2007! Not too shabby.
I found an amazing SCCM/NAP TechNet site which breaks it down for you, but here is our integration in brief:
· Enforce compliance of software updates as part of a phased deployment. When you have a small number of computers that have failed to install current software updates through standard mechanisms by a target date, you can use Network Access Protection policies in Configuration Manager with an effective date to configure enforced compliance for these few computers.
· Enforce compliance of software updates as part of an expedited deployment. When you have computers that must urgently install one or more critical software updates (for example, to address a zero-day exploit), you can use Network Access Protection policies in Configuration Manager that are configured to be effective as soon as possible.
Man, I am super excited about the coming year for NAP. All eyes are on February 27th, 2008 - when we launch Windows Server 2008 in Los Angeles. That’s going to be some party, can’t wait!
NAP the WORLD,
Jeff Sigman
Senior Program Manager
Network Access Protection (NAP)
NAP Site
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