Planning a Change and Configuration Management Framework

EXAM 70-293 OBJECTIVE 5, 5.4, 6, 6.3, 6.3.1

It is an important part of the network administrator’s job to plan a change and configuration management strategy. A network is not a static entity; it is continuously in need of updates and changes. Exercising proper control over this process will help you to increase the productivity of users within the organization and lower the total cost of operations of the network equipment and systems.

Security is a vital part of maintaining a productive network in today’s business environment. You can use the tools provided by Microsoft with Windows Server 2003 to ensure that when changes are required in your network environment, they are first properly tested and then effectively and efficiently deployed without creating opportunities for attacks on the network, breach of data confidentiality, or unintentional introduction of malicious code and viruses.

In this section, you will learn how to plan a security update infrastructure and how to use two Windows Server 2003 utilities: Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) and Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS).