IT Systems Engineer Tracie Waterfield at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spoke to BDS about her experience of using Directory Manager:
Exchange 2016 defines its own management path
Since Exchange 2013, Microsoft has built in functionality for Exchange to monitor, and in some cases heal, itself. This functionality it calls “Managed Availability”.
The upside of this is that Management packs will no longer be developed for Microsoft Exchange in System Centre operations Manager (SCOM).
Click on the link to find out more:
Blog by Jon Knight, Technical Support Analyst
Updates for Skype for Business Server 2015 will no longer be auto-installed by Microsoft Update
As of June 2016, Cumulative update, you cannot rely on Microsoft (Windows) Update to install updates for your Skype for Business 2015 Server.
Updates are now applied using an update utility, initiated by the administrator called ‘SkypeServerUpdateInstaller.exe’.
This should be downloaded and executed from the following KB link, under the ‘Installation Methods’ heading, and will take care of the process for you, including troublesome database updates that had to be installed separately and manually in previous rollup packs.
For details and download:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/3061064
Blog by Jon Knight, Senior Technical Consultant
Microsoft release new rollup pack for Windows 7
While Windows 7 remains the prominent Operating System in use within the NHS, it was starting to feel somewhat neglected by Microsoft. Since its release in 2009 Microsoft have obviously provided full support and reliably produced any required updates, however, there had been no Service Pack since 2011.
What you need to know about Directory Manager
As NHS IT teams across the country work towards more efficient and effective IT systems, at BDS Solutions we are rolling out our Directory Manager software, supporting IT staff in their visions for a streamlined and cost effective infrastructure, with more than 50 Trusts across the UK now using the software.
Directory Manager helps to streamline workflows and keeps admin time down, as it connects the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and other administrative systems to automatically manage Active Directory, Exchange and other IT software and systems in place.
Did you know?
- Directory Manager gathers data from ESR, recruiting systems or in-house systems, automatically creating and updating Active Directory accounts and Exchange mailboxes based on rules defined by the organisation.
- The software can integrate directly with the ESR Generic Outbound Interface (GOI) providing a seamless daily feed of staff, assignment and organisation information straight to an SQL Server database held in the NHS organisation. As well as being used by Directory Manager, this data is also available for other teams within the organisation who wish to make use of ESR data.
- Directory Manager helps in establishing robust policies for the management of the staff data within Active Directory, ensuring that procedures for updating and expiring accounts are operated effectively. This helps ensure that accounts are accurate, do not have unnecessary permissions and are disabled when employees leave.
- Using Directory Manager provides a connector service to NHSmail, enabling organisations to automatically update the NHSmail directory each day with information relating to new starters. This can be configured as a two-way synchronisation to ensure that updates on NHSmail are captured locally.
- The software offers almost limitless opportunities to define comma-separated value (CSV) and reporting outputs that can be produced and emailed automatically. Uploading email addresses to ESR, creating lists of new users for induction and identification of expired accounts are all examples of outputs that can be generated on a defined schedule.
- Directory Manager facilitates a perpetual audit of Active Directory accounts, allowing alerts to be set up to inform administrators of specific conditions, such accounts that have not been logged in for a long time, accounts that get locked-out regularly or accounts that join specific security groups.
Directory Manager is developed by BDS Solutions, who work with over 120 NHS Trusts and CSU organisations providing infrastructure development and support services. Their technical and support teams provide on-site and remote consultancy spanning all Microsoft, VMware and Citrix infrastructure technologies via their N3-connected offices.
Contact BDS today to find out how Directory Manager could help you.
Exchange computer says NO to Dotnet 4.6.1
Microsoft has recently released .NET Framework 4.6.1 as a recommended update for Windows. What they haven’t released however, is the fact that it isn’t yet supported on the Exchange compatibility matrix.
With the update being so new, if you decide to install it at this stage you could risk breaking your Exchange on premise install. The premature introduction of this software will subsequently require its lengthy and complex removal. We recommend that you take this opportunity to verify your current WSUS approvals and perfect your patch cycle to prevent any future issues.
The .NET Framework 4.6.1 will no doubt be fully supported by Exchange in the near future, however in the interim, BDS would advise against its deployment on any Exchange server.
Unless of course you like a gamble?
When good AV goes bad – agentless scanning and clustering
Agentless anti-virus (AV) scanning at the hypervisor level has been around for some time now, delivering performance, scalability and scan storm prevention for virtual desktops.
The Five Most Common Misconceptions About Email Migration
Email migration is frequently seen as a time consuming, complex and disruptive process. This often results in NHS organisations delaying the migration process, which in turn puts them on the back foot when it comes to IT efficiency and integration.
However, email migration doesn’t have to cause disruption or be an expensive process. Below we have listed the most common misconceptions about email migration.
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Users will need a new login.
Untrue. Email data can be moved independently of the users Active Directory (AD) login to ensure the immediate uptake of the new email identity without disruption.
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Users will need a new email address.
Untrue. Users can maintain a single existing email address throughout a migration. All emails sent to an existing address will arrive in the appropriate migrated mailbox in the new organisation.
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Users will need to manually reconfigure Outlook.
Untrue. A user’s email client can be configured to automatically repoint to a new organisations mailbox server without the need for any expensive or time consuming visits to the user’s desktop.
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Migrations often require lengthy downtime.
Untrue. Organisations can be configured to run in co-existence mode, ensuring both source and target systems remain synchronised until all migrations are complete.
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Migrations require expensive third party software.
Untrue. With a tried and tested extensive Microsoft toolset together with extensive migration experience, at BDS we are able to deliver email migrations without additional expensive third party software or licenses.
At BDS Solutions, we are leading industry experts in the field of Active Directory and Exchange email migration within the NHS. Why not let us help you with your email migration?
Blog by: Jon Knight, Senior Consultant
Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust chooses Directory Manager to streamline workflows
Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has signed a contract to install BDS Solutions’ Directory Manager software, to improve workflows and reduce admin costs.
Directory Manager allows NHS organisations to use the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and other administrative systems to automatically manage Active Directory, Exchange and other systems.
Built and designed by BDS specifically for use in the NHS, the software saves Trusts time and money by simplifying the management of staff data. A recent audit of Trusts already using Directory Manager revealed an average reduction of system administration time by the equivalent of 1.25 full-time administrators per 5,000 accounts managed.
Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has over 4,000 staff within a single domain/forest model in Active Directory. The Trust was seeking ways to improve management of starters and leavers within Active Directory due to the existing time consuming processes.
The Trust had identified the following challenges:
- Utilise ESR data for updating Active Directory accounts, including ESR number
- Control over Active Directory account lifecycle from creation to expiration
- Reduce time spent on user creation and update
- User controlled password reset
- Formal method of de-provisioning accounts using ESR termination dates
- Integrating directory data with additional systems
By choosing to implement Directory Manager, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust will significantly streamline the management of Active Directory and increase directory data quality, which enables enhanced security and information governance.
The software will also allow the Trust to devolve directory administration to non-technical staff, simplifying user management and provide enhanced reporting.
Tony Ashworth from the Trust said: “We approached BDS in the hope that they would be able to provide us with a system that would allow user self-service and help us save time. What we have been presented with is one system that will streamline all of our processes, from IT to HR and finance, we will be able to save significant amounts of time by using our systems more effectively and allowing users to make certain changes to their own accounts. BDS have provided us with a simple way to improve the way we work, so that we can focus on healthcare outcomes for our patients.”
NHS Connected Community Infrastructure model expands in the North West
A collaborative NHS IT infrastructure model is set to expand, taking its user numbers to more than 100,000.
The shared infrastructure service was established in 2002 to support a cluster of entities in the North West of England, including hospitals, mental health and primary care organisations. The Trusts involved wanted their IT systems to work collaboratively, enabling shared access to information and cost effective IT programmes.
The system put in place by BDS Solutions means that all of the member organisations operate a single multi-tenanted instance of Active Directory, spanning organisational and geographical boundaries.
Since its inception, more NHS Trusts have joined the model, enabling health and care professionals to work collaboratively and effectively across Trusts. Each IT team receives around the clock operational support from the BDS service desk to ensure that vital computer systems run smoothly and efficiently and providing clinicians with access to information any time of day or night.
The latest organisation to join the consortium is Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. This approach for IT infrastructure has allowed the new Trust to share in this dynamic model and promote best practice both within and across neighbouring organisations, as well as saving significant administrative time and costs.
The model has adapted with the needs and requirements of each member organisation, offering flexibility and reliability that allows all members and their staff to benefit from the shared infrastructure in a way that suits their organisation. The system has proved cost effective for all involved, and has helped in meeting NHS targets, as well as improving healthcare results.
James Hogan from NHS Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “Joining the shared services has enabled our Trust to work more efficiently. It has allowed us to connect to a wide range of health and care professionals so that we can deliver integrated and personalised health and care. The model also allows us to securely transfer information between organisations where appropriate, helping staff to make better clinical and care decisions, whenever and wherever they need to. The 24-hour support also provides reassurance that our systems, which are integral to the delivery of healthcare, are working efficiently at all times.”
Lee Ballinger from BDS Solutions said: “It’s a great testament to this unique model that it has continued to grow year on year, with more organisations wanting to be a part of it. The NHS Trusts and organisations involved are keen to collaborate with their neighbours to improve care quality and streamline workflows. We are really pleased to support all of the organisations involved to ultimately help provide better patient care.”
To find out more about the connected community infrastructure services, click here.