What software do you use to audit your machines?

[Adam Sandler]

Hello:

I just wondering what software everyone uses to audit their
machines... to keep track of things like installed programs, versions,
configurations, etc.

Also curious about if the application you use has an API and/or can
work with multiple operating systems. I've tried to google these last
two capabilities and haven't been able to find squat.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Jorgen Grahn]

Post by Adam Sandler
I just wondering what software everyone uses to audit their
machines... to keep track of things like installed programs, versions,
configurations, etc.

An operating system. Specifically, the Debian Linux package manager,
apt/dpkg. Most OSes have something similar.

That doesn't handle system configuration file versioning, so I also
use CVS. Each of my few machines has a CVS repository containing the
interesting parts of /etc.

As I understand it, Windows doesn't do any of that (or at least it's
common procedure to ignore it.)

Post by Adam Sandler
Also curious about if the application you use has an API and/or can
work with multiple operating systems. I've tried to google these last
two capabilities and haven't been able to find squat.

Apt/dpkg uses the Unix API, i.e. it's command-line utilities which you
can use in shell scripts etc. Can't work with multiple OSes though,
since it's OS-specific. And if your OS provides a system, it's
probably not helpful to circumvent it.

/Jorgen

[Adam Sandler]

Post by Jorgen Grahn
As I understand it, Windows doesn't do any of that (or at least it's
common procedure to ignore it.)

No kidding Windows doesn't have a package manager. That was NOT the
question. I asked for what COTS out there people use for the their
configuraiton management.

Post by Jorgen Grahn

Post by Adam Sandler
Also curious about if the application you use has an API and/or can
work with multiple operating systems.  I've tried to google these last
two capabilities and haven't been able to find squat.

Apt/dpkg uses the Unix API, i.e. it's command-line utilities which you
can use in shell scripts etc. Can't work with multiple OSes though,
since it's OS-specific. And if your OS provides a system, it's
probably not helpful to circumvent it.

Not trying to circumvent anything. I'm simply trying to find out what
software people use to help maintain their configuration management.
You must not have read my question closely. I wasn't asking for a
treatise on OSes... rather I just want to know how people audit the
baseline configuration of their machines.

[Jorgen Grahn]

Post by Adam Sandler

Post by Jorgen Grahn
As I understand it, Windows doesn't do any of that (or at least it's
common procedure to ignore it.)

No kidding Windows doesn't have a package manager. That was NOT the
question.

And the part of my answer you quoted above wasn't my full answer.

Post by Adam Sandler
I asked for what COTS out there people use for the their
configuraiton management.

Post by Jorgen Grahn

Post by Adam Sandler
Also curious about if the application you use has an API and/or can
work with multiple operating systems.  I've tried to google these last
two capabilities and haven't been able to find squat.

Apt/dpkg uses the Unix API, i.e. it's command-line utilities which you
can use in shell scripts etc. Can't work with multiple OSes though,
since it's OS-specific. And if your OS provides a system, it's
probably not helpful to circumvent it.

Not trying to circumvent anything. I'm simply trying to find out what
software people use to help maintain their configuration management.
You must not have read my question closely. I wasn't asking for a
treatise on OSes... rather I just want to know how people audit the
baseline configuration of their machines.

And I tried to answer. If you didn't like parts of that answer, that's
your problem.

/Jorgen

[JarrE]

Post by Adam Sandler
I just wondering what software everyone uses to audit their
machines... to keep track of things like installed programs, versions,
configurations, etc.
Also curious about if the application you use has an API and/or can
work with multiple operating systems. I've tried to google these last
two capabilities and haven't been able to find squat.
Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

We (The University of Oslo) use Tivoli Configuration Manager/Tivoli
Management Framwork, which will reach it's EOL in 2013. A dead horse
that's not the easiest one to configure, but up and running does a good
job...

Regards/
JarrE