Having previously been certified for Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions of Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Opalis is extending the capabilities of the Microsoft PowerShell platform to non-Microsoft platforms.
It is understandable if you asked Windows PowerWho?, because that is the newly official name for what was previously code named Monad. Specifically, Windows Powershell describes the new command shell that is Microsoft’s answer to UNIX shell script, which is used by system administrators to automate system monitoring, help desk, virtualization, backup, and other tasks.
Traditionally, Microsoft has required administrators to use graphic tools, which can be easy to use, but not always as efficient or powerful as shell scripts.
Monad is another one of those Microsoft projects that undershot its ambitious goals, which in this case was to introduce an object-oriented command line system script. It didn’t quite get that far, but Microsoft has recently announced release candidate 1.
On the horizon, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) version 3, which is also known as System Center Operations Manager 2007, will be built atop the PowerShell technology, meaning admins will have a choice of GUI or command line script.
As for Opalis, it announced several extensions for Powershell including SnapIns – adapters – for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 (MOM) and BMC Remedy Help Desk. It did not say when these adapters would be available.
