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PostPosted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 1:20 am 
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Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:44 am
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I've been using a version of Open-AudIT in a pre-OAv2 version for about a year and a half (OAv1, I guess you'd call it). I am the IT manager with a few staff working under me. I don't think all of them have complete buy-in using OA, but I haven't really pushed it so far. I started using it to "scratch my own itch" as it were because I needed summary reports of machines for upgrade planning, cost allocation between departments, getting some order to our out-of-control database of statically assigned internal IP addresses, having a handy tool to remote control PC's when I only knew the name of the user, etc. However, I haven't really pushed staff to use it, but for unity sake, I need to either push them to use this or come to some agreement on using a competing tool.

There are competing products out there that claim to do some of the same things that OA does. These are:

- HP Insight Manager (which we have free with some of our HP servers)
- Spiceworks
- Desktop Authority from Quest Software (recently acquired by Dell and is a subsidiary)

What sort of pitch can you give me that tells me why I would use OA versus one of these other products? What are the pro's/con's, limitations, gotcha's, etc.?

There are other products out there as well, but they cost a lot of money (Microsoft System Center, Solar Winds, etc.). OA and the ones listed above I can use at no cost (or for a modest support cost, as could be the case with OA if we decide to fully commit to using it).

My network admin uses HP Insight Manager and likes it. I tried using it to get the info I need a few years ago, and didn't like the process I had to go through, but I didn't know as much about inventory tools then as I do now. I might not be giving it a fair shake.

Spiceworks I have only read about on the web; haven't really tried to use it. The pitch sounds good, but the devil is always in the details. I was a little put off by the advertising-based model, but the more I've thought about it, I'm more comfortable with the idea now than I was earlier. I like the community aspect of it; not sure how its inventorying capabilities stack up to OA.

Desktop Authority isn't really meant to be an inventory tool, but it has some data-gathering capabilities. It is really good at automating login scripts, remote control, patch management, etc., and generally putting an easier-to-use face on GPO. Among these features is data-gathering, but that isn't its primary competency.

So how does OA compare? Usually I eschew sales pitches (usually receiving more cold sales calls in a day than I can pay attention to), but this time I'm actually asking for the pitch: bring it on...


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:51 am 
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Helper

Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:02 am
Posts: 67
Location: Washington State, USA
1) It is easy to use.

2) You can use the built in reports, or if you know SQL, or have a good reporting tool the tables are easy to understand so you can make your own reports, and it is free.

3) I also like how you don't need to install anything on your clients. You just setup a scan script on a sever, and it just keeps working.

4) Since it is built on PHP and MySQL you can run it anywhere you want, and on any OS.

5) It is free, and you don't get the adds like Spiceworks.

_________________
Server Info:
OA: v1.0.3
OS: Ubuntu 13.04 on Hyper-V for Website (LAMP)
OS: Windows Server 2008 R2 for Script (Domain Server)
Auditing: 366 Machines (XP/Win7/Ubuntu)
LDAP: Active Directory


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