Spec Ops Software

[featured_spectre]

I had a look at Spec Ops software and it looks like there is some fantastic stuff there which would be great to use, but my question is, has anybody heard of them? has anybody used them? Are they any good?

 

Many thanks

[sonofsanta]

We have Specops Remote Admin (which I think is called GPO Pro or something similar now) and it is bloody marvellous - just very well made, thought out, solidly done software. The UK sales bloke (for there is only one, Alan) is a really friendly bloke as well, I was looking at getting the AppDeploy software they do but budgets ran out, sadly.

 

If I had the cash, I wouldn't hesitate to buy every product they do. And no, sadly I'm not being paid by the word for this post

[carvjo]

We use Specops Deploy - it is really good.. We bought it to do our W7 migration last summer..

 

The OS Deploy just works (uses lots of WDS bits but simplifies things..) - I can right click on a single computer or an entire OU and chose to change these to W7 or re-install OS.. the machines reboot a few times and come back up with all the right apps installed - all correctly names, joined to the domain.. just how it should be!

 

The App deployment uses GPOs - but again simplifies everything and adds quite a few bells and whistles - allowing easy deployment of legacy exe installers..

 

Want to see it running? - I'm in Oxford - pm me..

 

John

[somabc]

I'm not sure how this would help with IT?

 

http://specopsbrand.com/pdf/SPECOPS_CATALOG.pdf

[sonofsanta]

I'm not sure how this would help with IT?

 

http://specopsbrand.com/pdf/SPECOPS_CATALOG.pdf

 

Next time you catch a student unplugging the network cable at logon, through the window, flashbang grenade, cable ties round the wrists...

 

...sorry, what? Don't know what happened there, I drifted off into a day dream. You were saying?

[Mr.Ben]

I also use SpecOps Deploy and Deploy OS, and they are both brilliant - the ability to install packages through GPO after the user has logged in and the ease with which imaging occurs using Deploy OS is great.

 

Dos_Box, can I contribute to the reviews?

 

PM me if you want more details!

[fawkers]

+1 for SpecOps Deploy been using it here for over 2 years now, really good bit of kit.

[Arthur]

SpecOps Log Viewer is really handy if you use MDT/SCCM.

[carvjo]

The free specops GPUpdate tool is useful too.. Remote Gpupdate, WOL and restart / shutdown | Specops Gpupdate

[Mr.Ben]

The free specops GPUpdate tool is useful too.. Remote Gpupdate, WOL and restart / shutdown | Specops Gpupdate

 

+1 for that too.

[featured_spectre]

Anyone got a rough idea on costings?

[carvjo]

Anyone got a rough idea on costings?

 

Like most things - depends on the number of machines you want to use it on - with price breaks on bigger numbers..

 

Ask for a quote and negotiate.. tell them what you have to spend and they may cut you a deal?

[featured_spectre]

Ahh ok. I tried to ring the UK office about 5 times, each time it went to answerphone...not sure whats happening there, but I will try again in the morning

[featured_spectre]

I spoke with Alan this morning, sounds like a decent chap. In negotiations with him now to sort us out

[Simcfc73]

I downloaded the free GPUPDATE utility the other day... very nice piece of kit especially when I am trying to sort out printers deployed via preferences.

 

Anyone got a rough ide of the cost of Deploy?

[featured_spectre]

I work it out to be about £20 per machine, plus server base cost of £150 or there abouts anyways

[Alis_Klar]

The free specops GPUpdate tool is useful too.. Remote Gpupdate, WOL and restart / shutdown | Specops Gpupdate

 

From the site...

#shutdown all client computers 
Get-SpecopsADComputer -group:ClientComputers | Stop-SpecopsComputer

# check what client computers would be shut down
# note that no actions will be taken
Get-SpecopsADComputer -group:ClientComputers | Stop-SpecopsComputer -WhatIf

#shutdown all client computers 
# but get the chance to confirm each action
Get-SpecopsADComputer -group:ClientComputers | Stop-SpecopsComputer -Confirm


#shutdown all client computers, even if they have unsaved work 
Get-SpecopsADComputer -group:ClientComputers | Stop-SpecopsComputer -ForceCloseApplications

#shutdown all client computers, even if they have unsaved work 
$computers = Get-SpecopsADComputer -group:ClientComputers
$computers | Send-SpecopsMessage -Message:'This computer will be shut down in 5 minutes'
# Wait 4 minutes
Start-Sleep -Seconds:240
$computers | Stop-SpecopsComputer -ForceCloseApplications `
               -WarningTime:60 -Message:'1 minute to shut down'

 

Just looked at the shutdown tool is a powershell cmdlet. Do they do a gui version and does this cmdlet require a specops client installed on the target machine?

[sonofsanta]

From the site...

code goes here

 

Just looked at the shutdown tool is a powershell cmdlet. Do they do a gui version and does this cmdlet require a specops client installed on the target machine?

 

We use GPUpdate Pro, as it's now known, to do all our evening shut downs and morning boot ups. Last NM did the scripts but as far as I can tell, you use the GUI as if you were about to shutdown/startup an OU, then instead of executing the command, you save the script it generates into a .ps1 file and then run that with a Scheduled Task.

 

AFAIK there's nothing special installed on the client PCs, from the way the code looks, you just need PowerShell on the server. At most you need PowerShell on the clients as well.