Centralised Updates – How can NBConnect help you?

Reducing bandwidth usage with the help of NBConnect

A little while ago, we provided a few tips and tricks to help you reduce your bandwidth. But how does one actually go about getting this right? At NBConnect, it’s our job to assist businesses to make the changes they need to make in order boost overall business efficiency and reduce costs.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at how NBConnect can help you implement the changes you want to make and better manage your network environment.

#1 Centralised updates

Making use of NBConnect’s MSP tool, managing patches is as simple as can be. Microsoft and third-party patches and updates are centrally configured to run across all managed devices in your network. These patches can be approved manually according to patch KB number, selected devices or even automatically approved based on client criteria.

If the automated approval route is selected and any patches that match the requirements are released, they will be installed during the next scheduled patching cycle.

NBConnect delivers a granular approach to the process. Schedules are created on the management system to determine the following:

• A specific time and date to scan all managed devices for missing patches or updates.
  • This allows several scanning sessions to be run prior to the roll out date, ensuring no devices are missed due to inaccessibility.
• A specific date and time to download these patches and get them ready for installation.
  • NBConnect offers another level of bandwidth saving by allowing a central repository on the network to download all outstanding patches once, making them available to all managed devices.
• A specific date and time to roll the patches out to all managed devices.
  • This allows a structured, planned patching roll out confirming that no clients are caught unaware by the patching process.

Once patches are installed, an automated reboot schedule can also be employed to make sure that all devices are as secure as can be.

The patch state of all devices managed by NBConnect will be displayed on a central dashboard and configured to trigger alerts and notification mails if any changes occur. As soon as an alert is triggered, the dashboard state changes making it possible to identify the problem device. NBConnect also makes it quick and easy to determine what part of the patching process has failed.

Once the problem device is located, NBConnect provides detailed service states for speedy troubleshooting and problem resolution. The level of detail provided by the NBConnect toolset makes it simple to determine which patches have failed and why.

Finally, if you want to understand what has happened across your network infrastructure when it comes to patches, reporting is key. NBConnect provides several “out-of-the-box” reports, as well as several customised scheduled reports.

By partnering with NBConnect and centralising your network updates, not only can you drastically reduce your bandwidth usage, but it will also give you peace of mind around network security and device updates.

For more information on how to make use of the NBConnect offering, please contact us via our webpage, Facebook page or call us directly at the office on +27(0) 21 914 2348. And of course – come back next week when we take a closer look at what NBConnect can do for your business. We’ll be looking specifically at how we can help you with limiting cloud data synchronisation.