EMC's Server Configuration Manager (SCM) provides the ability to automatically discover, collect, and store desktop and server configurations of Windows, UNIX, Linux, and VMware machines throughout the network. The tool can be used both as a change management platform, alerting admins when configurations changes have been made that require adjustments; as well as a remediation tool--boasting "one-click" features enabling admins to directly apply configuration changes to individual, groups of, or all managed machines.

The vendor states that the product collects over 80,000 asset, security, and configuration settings from servers and workstations, which are transmitted to the core repository over encrypted communication channels. Such parameters can be examined and acted on manually via a drill-down and value-sorted interface (for example, machines can be ordered and grouped in the interface by their minimum password length setting), or can be used by compliance toolkits; specialized collections of dashboards, reports, and rule-templates to which the settings can be compared towards the goal of assessing or implementing compliance to specific regulations or best practice policies. Among the toolkits listed by the vendor are Microsoft best practices and operational guides; VMware hardening guides; regulations (HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc.); standards (PCI-DSS, NIST); and enterprise-specific (i.e., custom) policies.

Other features of SCM include the ability to assess, deploy, and verify system patches; management of machines via visual network maps; and the availability of specific add-on tools for Active Directory (for the change management of data and objects in Active Directory servers across multiple sites and domains) and Virtualization (SCM for Virtualization).

SCM is expected to be generally available on November 15, 2008. Contact EMC for further information.