BEST TOOLS FOR WINDOWS ADMINISTRATOR

Windows is by far the most attacked operating system in the market. As a result, when it comes to security, Windows system admins need to be on their toes all the time. Here are 10 admin tools that come in handy for the same.

1. Wireshark

This is a free software-based protocol analyser, which is a very useful tool for Windows administrators. Many say that it makes network traffic analysis easier by many degrees.

2. AMANDA

This is a Windows-based tool that stands for Advanced Maryland Automatic Network Disk Archiver. It allows the administrator to create a master backup server, which can support both Windows-powered servers and desktops.

3. MailArchiva

Email archiving is front and center in Exchange 2010, thanks to the increase in compliance regulation enforcement across the industry. But for those who are not yet using Exchange 2010, MailArchiva provides a worthwhile means for bringing compliance to Exchange 2000/2003 and other mail servers, such as Postfix, Sendmail, Qmail, iMail, and Lotus Notes.

4. Exchange 2010 RBAC Manager

Exchange 2010 RBAC Manager is a great tool for admins working with role-based access control and Exchange. RBAC Manager (aka RBAC Editor GUI) helps overcome the lack of a GUI tool to work with the new role-based administration side to Exchange, enabling admins to connect, whether or not you're a PowerShell master. The tool is written in C# and uses PowerShell behind the scenes to allow you to create and manage roles in your Exchange 2010 environment.

5. Core Configurator 2.0 for Server Core

This is a command-line tool for Windows Server 2002 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

6. AutoSPInstaller for SharePoint 2010

This tool makes use of a number of different scripts in order to install SharePoint and implements database names that are untouched in all of this process.

7. OCS Inventory

This tool helps you to locate the devices that are connected to your network and hardware and software that has been installed on your computer. You have to instal the OCS client inventory agent on your systems.

8. UltraDefrag

This is a defragmentation tool for Windows-based computers. It is updated continuously to ensure improvements in the performance.

9. Nmap for Windows

Yes, this used to be a Linux-only platform at one point of time. But just like it was for Linux, Nmap for windows is a very useful and important security resource fr Windows computers.

10. Zenmap

This tool can be used for mapping a topology of devices that have been connected to your network. It works on Nmap and provides a graphical user interface for the comman-line tool.