By Mark Burnett
I really don’t need to worry much about remote infrastructure or branch offices because the networks I manage just aren’t set up that way, mostly because of the difficulty in managing multiple remote networks as one. But today I watched a TechNet webcast called Optimizing Your Remote and Branch Office Infrastructure with Microsoft System Center that made me realize that maybe having isolated networks isn’t the best solution.
The webcast starts off acknowledging the many challenges administrators face when managing remote networks. I think these are exactly the reason I have avoided remote networks altogether.
The webcast goes into detail about how each component of the System Center suite can help administrators manage remote networks. Data protection and backup is obviously a big component here.
The webcast also talked about network access protection and the role that System Center has in security and compliance.
Even virtualization has an important new role in branch offices and remote networks. SoftGrid and Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop both play a big role in this infrastructure.
Virtualization allows for centralized deployment, administration, and support of remote applications.
TIP: Use virtual machines to ease the transition to new application while still allowing access to older versions.
The best part of all TechNet webcasts is the live demos that really give you a real feel for how everything comes together.
I have watched a number of webcasts on System Center now and while I’m normally not the type of person to sit through anything more than a few minutes, these TechNet webcasts will certainly make my transition to System Center go so much smoother.
You can watch this webcast online at Optimizing Your Remote and Branch Office Infrastructure with Microsoft System Center.