BigFix's structure is entirely agent-based, similar to most enterprise patch management products we've seen. Deployment of agents can be easily automated to Windows systems through a client installation program provided. Happily, packages provided by BigFix for installation on non-Windows systems were also simple to install and well documented. Installed agents can even scan their local networks for devices without agents installed and attempt to deploy agents to those clients.
One area where BigFix stands out from other patching products reviewed is in administrative features. We were able to create baselines of patches that can be assigned to user-created groups; individually specified clients; or groups of clients based on information retrieved by BigFix, such as subnet or OS. Using properly configured baselines can significantly reduce the amount of administrative time needed for patch management in any size environment.
For Windows shops, the default patch setting is "no reboot," even if the patch vendor has specified that a reboot is needed. This is useful for servers that can be rebooted only during a maintenance window. In the reporting interface, you will see a "pending reboot" state after these patches. Additionally, we could set up a scheduled task to reboot any clients currently in the pending reboot state during a designated window.
Wizard Fix
Bob Friday, Chief AI Officer for Juniper Networks, explains how the advanced technology is transforming operations.
Contact center leaders from 8x8, Awaken Intelligence, and 360insight discuss the importance of agent experience.
AI may force enterprises to rewire parts of their data centers so they are fully optimized to run such workloads. The question is do you use Ethernet or InfiniBand?
