MarXtar Wake-On-WAN LANDesk 8.7 Support

A quick update for those of you using LANDesk 8.7. this latest version has been fully tested against LANDesk 8.7 and we have identified and resolved the issue we were encountering on some systems.

Please download and make use of this updated version.

Mark Star

New MarXtar Wake-On-WAN for LANDesk Released

We are pleased to announce the launch of the new MarXtar Wake-On-WAN for LANDesk. In this version we have responded to the large numbers of you that requested enhancements including:

• Use Wake-On-WAN with Scheduled Tasks
• Perform Scheduled Wake-Up and Shut Down
• Only use Windows Machines as Wake-On-WAN Reps
• Automatically make use of Multicast Representatives and Preferred Package Servers
• Greater Logging
• New Broadcast WoL facility

The new version is the Professional Edition and carries a new per console license model. The original Wake-On-WAN functionality is still free and includes the feature fixes listed above.

Visit MarXtar Wake-On-WAN for LANDesk to find out more about this greate new release and to download the free and trial versions.

Wake-On-WAN and LDMS 8.7

We've had a few reports that the WoL executable is not being launched when Wake-On-WAN is installed on some LANDesk 8.7 systems. We are investigating and hope to have a fix shortly. Sorry for any inconvenience.

.Net 3.5 on LANDesk Core

We've had a few questions from people who are not keen to install .Net 3.5 on their LANDesk Core Server. The important thing to note about this is that .Net 3.5 still configures version 2.0 for the ASP.Net components so LANDesk just isn't affected and LANDesk cores work without issue.

If LANDesk support tell you 3.5 isn't supported, remember this just means it has not gone through their official testing, not that it causes issues. If they can point to specific issues caused by the presence of 3.5 (which they should be able to if they exist since they are the central repository of all issues) then please tell us.

Of the 200+ people that have downloaded our products we have not had a single report of a .Net3.5 related issues.

LANDesk® Security Suite to Include HIPS; NAC Will be Offered as an Add-On

LANDesk have announced that effective November 1, 2008, LANDesk® Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) will be included with LANDesk® Security Suite (LDSS). Also effective November 1, 2008, LANDesk® Network Access Control (NAC) will no longer be included in LDSS for new customers but will be sold as an add-on to LDSS.

LANDesk® Host Intrusion Prevention System

The inclusion of HIPS in LDSS will add a significant layer of protection to LDSS. "HIPS is a critical layer to our LANDesk Security Suite," says Devin Anderson, Business Line Manager for LANDesk security products. "It helps LANDesk customers protect themselves from targeted attacks and zero day threats by providing key technologies such as buffer-overflow protection, whitelisting, and application control."

HIPS gives customers more ability to prevent programs and applications from engaging in malicious behaviors, such as modifying certain registry keys, directories, files, and the system startup group. Using buffer-overflow protection, file certification and file protection rules, as well as other techniques, users' machines are protected.

HIPS helps LDSS customers bridge the "Patch Gap" - the period of time between when a vulnerability is announced, exploited, and when a patch is finally available. By protecting against the zero-day threats, HIPS can better ensure machines are safe even before patches are available.

For those security administrators who are ready to go to the next level and deploy whitelisting, HIPS can optionally be configured for whitelisting protection. With security model devices, whitelists can be easily maintained and updated, without the extensive management efforts that have plagued whitelisting solutions for years.

All customers with a current support and maintenance contract and licensed to use LDSS version 8.8 and newer will receive HIPS at no additional charge.

LANDesk Network Access Control

LANDesk® Network Access Control (formerly known as LANDesk® Trusted Access) will be removed from LDSS and available separately as an add-on to LDSS. All customers who purchase LANDesk® Security Suite before November 1, 2008 will maintain rights to use NAC. This change will only affect new customers after November 1, 2008

Oracle Support Added to Wake-On-WAN for LANDesk

We have had confirmation that our updates for MarXtar Wake-On-WAN for LANDesk now make it compatible with LANDesk systems running on Oracle.

We've updated the installation media available for download on our website. Thanks to Steve Murphy of Utah State University for your feedback.

Mark Star

Oracle Updates

We have had a few requests now for Oracle versions of our products. We will start with Wake-On-WAN for LANDesk as that has had the most requests. A version is in test at the moment and we will release pending positive feedback from those currently testing it.

I'm an 'expert' as of today

Really pleased today. Since we started this venture I've wanted to give support to the LANDesk community by posting on http://community.landesk.com . Today I got the points needed to classify me as an 'Expert'. A little sad of me but it felt pretty nice.

I'm going to keep being active and aim to get high up on that leaderboard. I got a lot of help from the old forum in my early years and it's nice to be able to give some of that help back.

Our 100th LANDesk Power State Notifier Download

Wow! Looks like we found something you all really like. Today we had our 100th download for Power State Notifier Lite for LANDesk. Wake On WAN for LANDesk isn't far behind either.

I'm really glad so many people have seen the benefit from this tool and we continue to work to bring some even greater capabilities in the near future.

Thanks for all the support and the great feedback.

Mark Star - MarXtar Ltd

Wake-On-WAN for LANDesk 8.7 Support Added

Following on from the previous post, we have now updated the download so that includes the LANDesk 8.7 support module. For those of you that tried the LANDesk 8.8 build, just download this using your original download link, uninstall your previous version and install this one.

If you can't find it, just go to http://www.marxtar.com/products/WakeOnWAN/LANDesk-Wake-On-WAN.htm and re-register for the download.

Enjoy!

What new tools would float your boat?

At MarXtar we're working on the release of a number of exciting products but we are always open for new ideas. Why not tell us what new tools either to support your existing LANDesk system or to act as a standalone product would really make your life easier.

Remember, we're looking for ideas that are feasible (no anti-grav sneakers) and for ideas that are likely to apply to others as well. Simple but effective is the key.

Let us know what your idea is by emailing marketing@marxtar.com and if we develop your idea your company will receive a copy free of charge.

Issue - Wake-On-WAN on LANDesk 8.7

We have discovered an issue where our plug-in is not working with the LANDesk 8.7 console. We have realised that we missed the piece that we need to launch .Net2.0 from the .Net1.1 console.

We are working on rebuilding so that the call will work properly and apologise for this. We'll update everyone that gave a valid email address once this has been done and uploaded as well as posting to this blog.

Mark Star

Will these LANDesk tools stay free?

I've had some emails over the last week or so asking if these LANDesk enhancements are really going to stay free. I wanted to say clearly that the free tools (and some others we are working on) will remain free. That's not to say we won't have some products that are chargeable in the near future though. Our aim is to give poweful utilities to help our fellow administrators but also to provide powerful value-add components for a reasonable cost.

Watch this space...

Wake-On-WAN for LANDesk is here

We've made this available for everyone now. The plug-in is free to download and use. Hope you all find it useful.

http://www.marxtar.com/products/WakeOnWAN/LANDesk-Wake-On-WAN.htm

Mark Star

LANDesk's New Power Management Plug-in

I recently posted on a LANDesk community thread in answer to questions around power management and suggested that the user should take a look at Power State Notifier Lite as a way to get a clearer picture of their environment's power state. Shortly afterward, LANDesk themselves posted that the upcoming SP2 for 8.8 would include a new Power management module which I found very interesting so thought I'd take a look at what was posted.

What I saw made me think that LANDesk's module and MarXtar's Power State Notifier products would be complementary. From what i can see from the document attached to the thread, the new SP2 functionality will improve the way that power policies are applied to machines and also allow a level of predictive analysis of potential cost savings, however what doesn't appear to be there is any level of monitoring of what is really happening on the systems.

This is where PSN Lite (and our upcoming PSN full version) can complement since we provide data on the power state of the machines that can be used to report on what policies could be applied as well as how those policies are affecting the systems. LANDesk sets the policies while we provide the reports.

Best of all, SP2 gives its functionality for free and PSN Lite does too. What could be better than that?!

Here's the thread... http://community.landesk.com/support/thread/1722

Mark Star

LANDesk Wake-on-WAN (WoW!)

When I first looked to buy LANDesk as an end user, I was told about the wonderful possibilities of Wake-On-LAN (WoL) by the salesperson. Strangely though, that salesperson didn't mention the barriers to WoL traversing subnets and being a relative IT newbie myself at the time I didn't realise. I was a little disappointed to learn that my right-click Wake Up option didn't do anything outside of the network where I was running my console.

I was pleased when LANDesk added WoL to multicast so that the subnet representatives would perform the wake up, but it was frustrating having to create dummy distribution tasks just to get a machine to wake up.

As we have been building the MarXtar Universe of products I couldn't resist the opportunity to give something to my fellow LANDesk users by creating what we have been calling Wake-On-WAN.

As with Power State Notifier Lite, WoW will be a free plug-in to LANDesk that will allow you to remotely wake up one or more machines even if they are on a remote subnet. We are putting the finishing touches to it now and will be posting more information once it is ready for release.


Hope you all like it!

Mark Star - Managing Director MarXtar Ltd

LANDesk Free Power State Notifier Plug-in

MarXtar has added a free LANDesk plug-in to the MarXtar Universe. This plug-in gives real-time information about the Power Status of LANDesk managed devices.

Now at a glance administrators can see which machines are on, off, or in a standby/hibernation state as well as whether the user is logged on/off or the system is locked.

Free to all existing LANDesk customers, Power State Notifier Lite gives clearer visibility of the environment, aids software deployment, and enables planning to reduce power consumption.

http://www.marxtar.com