Well... it's true, many of the *functions* are available in the resource kits, but I believe the execution is far superior in pstools and the features tend to be more advanced.
For example, psexec will execute remote commands without installing anything on the host or remote machine, so there's no post-command footprint on either system. If I remember correctly, the remote-command tools in the resource kit require a client and server piece, with a running service. Or pslist - a remote process viewer - is extremely versatile and can provide a wide range of information. You can watch a complete process list, in a command window, on any machine, with a refresh interval that you set. Or psservice - which provides far more detail and more commands than you can manage with "net ___" commands. Or pskill - I have yet to find a hung process that I can't kill, locally or remotely, with this tool. There is nothing this powerful in the resource kits. Some of the tools have gui-application equivalents in the resource kits. These are useful, but can't be easily scripted, limiting their power. The documentation is pretty clear about when you might expose passwords - ie. as command-line parameters. The tools use your existing priviledges (generally requiring admin level on the remote machine). If you can get someone to test the tools, I think you'll see that they don't diminish security for the host or remote machine. -David -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:jstone@;mochamail.com] Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 10:58 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [SA-list] Command execs I don't see anything in pstools that isn't available in ms resource kits. Am I mistaken? Getting server mgmt freeware past security always poses a problem in the enterprise. J. ---- Original Message ---- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [SA-list] Command execs Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 10:32:09 -0500 >pstools is a free suite of command-line tools for Windows NT/2000 from >SysInternals (formerly NTInternals). > >SysInternals (www.sysinternals.com) has a wide range of free NT/2000 >tools (some work with xp, some just NT, etc.), and the source code is >available >for most of them. > >They also have a licensed-software branch, Winternals >(www.winternals.com), that sells more powerful versions of these >products. > >Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell are the primary techs at >sysinternals/winternals. They've put out NTFSDOS, Fat32 for NT 4, ERD >Commander, and other interesting tools. > >The free tools are big favorites of mine - especially pagedefrag and >contig. I've got contig scheduled to defragment (not optimize) my drive >nightly. I >use contig and psexec in a cmd file to kick off disk defragmentation >on >remote systems. I found that I can do full product uninstalls using >psexec >and batch files. > >It's incredible stuff - I'd recommend it for anyone managing multiple >Windows NT or 2000 boxes. > > >-David > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Mark Seniow [mailto:mseniow@;smsolutions.com] >Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 10:43 PM >To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' >Subject: RE: [SA-list] Command execs > > >Please forgive my ignorance, but my interest has now been peaked. What >is pstools? > >Thanks. > >- Mark >-----Original Message----- >From: Rosiak, John [mailto:john_rosiak@;mcgraw-hill.com] >Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 10:34 PM >To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' >Subject: RE: [SA-list] Command execs > > >Pstools is the right ticket....I am lovin this :-)..... Just the right >complement for a tool like SA thanks for the help ! > >John >-----Original Message----- >From: Stuart Brereton [mailto:Stuart.Brereton@;X-TANT.COM] >Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 5:10 PM >To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' >Subject: RE: [SA-list] Command execs > > >I can vouch for the PSTools. It is extreemly versatile, robust and >very powerful. As Davis said, you MUST test the applications first, we >had a few >problems but were soon ironed out. I would also advise getting all >of the >utils that your going to use one 1 box first, before moving on to >your other >servers > >Stuart Brereton >ntl: Business Managed Network Services >Customer Networks Operations Centre (CNOC) >Network Technician / Network Specialist >E-mail: - [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Office: - +44 (0)1527 494005 >Mobile: - 07990 648 889 >-----Original Message----- >From: Sloane, David [mailto:DSloane@;vfa.com] >Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 9:35 PM >To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' >Subject: RE: [SA-list] Command execs > > >For remote command execution, try psexec - part of PSTools - from >www.sysinternals.com. > >It's extremely powerful when administering systems - you can start a >wide range of processes remotely. Using psexec with batch programs can >do great >things for sysadmin productivity. > >Be careful though, that you test applications first before triggering >them remotely on a wide scale. Some apps behave, others don't. > >-David > >PS - For extra fun, try "psexec \\servername cmd" (and then, again, be >very careful). > >PPS - Did I mention you should use psexec with great care? > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Dirk Bulinckx [mailto:dirk@;woodstone.nu] >Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 3:16 PM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: RE: [SA-list] Command execs > > >You can't execute a command on a remote system like that, the only way >to do that is using remote services that execute the command. > > > > >dirk. > > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:salive-owner@;woodstone.nu]On >Behalf >Of Rosiak, John >Sent: Thu Nov 14 8:50 PM >To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' >Subject: [SA-list] Command execs > > >Hi, >I have my 'dumb' hat on today. I am trying to execute a "bat" file >as part >of an escalation. The log indicates the command was processed, but >it does >not perform the requested functions. Where does the bat file reside >?? >The command line is \\%h\c$\delmail.bat >The log info is: >Thursday, November 14, 2002 2:07:57 PM External check of >:"h:\salivecheck\countfiles.exe" ini="h:\salivecheck\countfiles.ini" >section=mailcheckhot logging=yes >Thursday, November 14, 2002 2:08:02 PM 1110 >Thursday, November 14, 2002 2:08:02 PM DoExternalCheck : returned >value : >1110 >Thursday, November 14, 2002 2:08:02 PM Escalation procedure for >152.159.214.60 >Thursday, November 14, 2002 2:08:02 PM Executed command >(\\152.159.214.60\c$\delmail.bat) >Thursday, November 14, 2002 2:08:02 PM Executing command: >\\152.159.214.60\c$\delmail.bat >Thursday, November 14, 2002 2:08:02 PM Executed external command >(\\152.159.214.60\c$\delmail.bat) >John >609.426.5842 >To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >With the following in the body of the message: > unsubscribe SAlive To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] With the following in the body of the message: unsubscribe SAlive To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] With the following in the body of the message: unsubscribe SAlive
