{"id":7649,"date":"2017-10-07T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2017-10-07T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jumpcloud.com\/blog\/?p=7649"},"modified":"2024-12-19T17:18:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T22:18:46","slug":"managing-systems-jumpcloud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/managing-systems-jumpcloud","title":{"rendered":"Managing Systems with JumpCloud"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

JumpCloud has been making waves in the <\/span>identity and access management<\/span><\/a> (IAM) space since the introduction of <\/span>Directory-as-a-Service\u00ae<\/span><\/a> (DaaS) \u2013 the first fully-fledged directory service delivered from the cloud. DaaS is an incredibly powerful platform with the capability to manage the entirety of an organization\u2019s complex, modern infrastructure with minimal effort.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The foundation of Directory-as-a-Service comes down to two core components: <\/span>user management<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>system management<\/span><\/a>. JumpCloud\u2019s system management capabilities are some of the most widely used functionalities of DaaS, which is what we will discuss in this blog post, but keep in mind that JumpCloud does much more than system management. Authenticating access to on-prem or web applications, wired or WiFi networks, cloud or on-prem file servers (Samba file servers and NAS devices), and more are all within the purview of JumpCloud\u2019s Directory-as-a-Service. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing Systems in the Past<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Historically, most organizations leveraged Microsoft <\/span>Active Directory\u00ae<\/span><\/a> (AD) for their core directory services. Back when it was first released in 1999, AD offered the user management capabilities that IT admins wanted, but went further to provide the device management capabilities for Windows systems as well. Since the office was dominated by PCs at the time, the fact that AD wasn\u2019t highly compatible with Mac or Linux systems wasn\u2019t especially problematic.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Managing<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The bulk of AD\u2019s system management capabilities came in the form of <\/span>Group Policy Objects<\/span><\/a> (GPOs) \u2013 a Microsoft term for various commands and scripts that enforce policies on systems to govern behavior and configure settings. The concept of GPOs was revolutionary at the time, and has remained one of the primary reasons why so many organizations have maintained AD through the years. However, AD comes up short with <\/span>GPOs for Mac and Linux<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of reasons why this is the case. The most prevalent is the simple fact that macOS and Linux are competing operating systems running against Windows. Microsoft has attempted to box their OS competitors out of the enterprise \u2013 but it\u2019s not working. Mac and Linux systems have become more popular in the modern office. So finding the best approach to managing those systems has become a critical challenge and a major cause of dissatisfaction with Active Directory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern System Management Requirements<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Replace<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

IT admins the world over are looking for alternatives to AD for the new cloud-forward IT world. They know that for a modern directory service to be effective, it must be delivered from the cloud so that it is more agile. It must be able to manage access to resources both on-prem and in the cloud. Finally, it must be OS agnostic, offering system management capabilities for <\/span>Windows, Mac, and Linux systems<\/span><\/a>. Directory-as-a-Service checks all of these boxes and more.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing Systems with JumpCloud<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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