Difference between System Management Server & Active Directory??

Question

can someone explain clearly to me the difference between System Management Server (2003) and Active Directory (win 2003) - i mean managing network resources, users, machines, application deployment, etc.
we need to decide which to deploy in a network with hundreds of client wk stns, and servers

Answer 1

answering this question need more space than what we have here.



but the answer for the terminating question, if your network is windows based and the administrator is fluent with windows services, you should use both. as each of these servers have different services, like AD (Active Directory) give directory services, and SMS (System Management Service) gives you the ability to monitor your computers in the network.



AD gives services like authentication, resource grouping, and managing their resources in the network for predefined users, or define the network usage policy.



SMS, on the otherhand and with cooperation with AD, may trace the OS (Operating System) update history of the windows, monitoring the network investement, inventory tracing, beside many others ability ones may point.



AD is the essential service needed for central managing of a windows based, or any LDAP compliant networks.



SMS is an addin for serious network managers that need to know and monitor the exact state of each workstation or server, i.e. network investement.



hope this works for you.

best regards,

k.zonouzi ahmad

Answer 2

The difference are as follows: 1) The main difference between 2003 and 2008 is Virtualization, management. 2008 has more inbuilt components and updated third party drivers Microsoft introduces new feature with 2k8 that is Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 introduces Hyper-V (V for Virtualization) but only on 64bit versions. More and more companies are seeing this as a way of reducing hardware costs by running several 'virtual' servers on one physical machine. If you like this exciting technology, make sure that you buy an edition of Windows Server 2008 that includes Hyper-V, then launch the Server Manger, add Roles. 2) In Windows Server 2008, Microsoft is introducing new features and technologies, some of which were not available in Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), that will help to reduce the power consumption of server and client operating systems, minimize environmental byproducts, and increase server efficiency.

Answer 3

System Management Server (2003) and Active Directory (win 2003) are needed in a large network....SMS for software management and AD for user and computer management.

Answer 4

h**p://network-admins.blogspot.**m