How does Aiden automate WSUS?

Aiden automates software deployment patch management and builds new machines. Aiden’s core value is letting your team go beyond just getting the job done. Packaging and deploying software, patching software, and all the other maintenance work that’s required to keep your systems up-to-date and in compliance with your company standards are very important but that doesn’t mean it needs to take 20% or more of your team’s time month over. Aiden is an application packaging service combined with what we call an intelligent utility. This utility uses AI to emulate IT decision-making and will complement your IT team in the following ways.

1. A full application packaging service – we provide an application packaging service for everything from customizing application installs and updates to industry-specific software, we handle it all.
2. Patching – Part of our service is to ensure all of your software is kept up-to-date and patched so we continuously provide patches and updates for everything you need including automating complex vulnerability remediations that require more than just patches.
3. Desired state configuration – Aiden.exe scans machines then automatically determines what is needed to bring them into their desired state. That means there’s no need for hard-coded scripts or writing queries.
4. Bare-metal builds – Aiden.exe also plugs right into Windows setup so it can build machines fully unattended. This includes drivers, firmware, applications, department, specific loadouts, language packs fonts, encrypting the hard drive, patching, reboots, configuring security tools, Aiden will handle it all. And all without images or task sequences.

Aiden is not a deployment tool. It’s not going to replace SCCM, InTune, BigFix whatever your tool is connecting to your endpoints, and that’s by design. It is important because it allows Aiden to work with your existing infrastructure so there’s no huge rip-and-replace project to switch and get started using Aiden. Aiden just layers on top of whatever you already are using.

It’s also light, portable, and efficient. Aiden works with whatever tool is connecting to your endpoints to deliver content. It’s using the elevated security token that your deployment tool already has. This means Aiden is not persistent and it’s not adding another agent on to all of your devices.

Aiden was built by IT engineer’s for IT engineers. Some of the benefits include reduction in time spent on software deployment and patching, remediating vulnerabilities faster and with higher efficacy, reducing helpdesk tickets, and building machines programmatically.

Loading Aiden into your deployment tool

Aiden can be loaded into any deployment tool as a package, that’s our universal integration medium. For this demonstration, I’m using WSUS a basic and free tool from Microsoft. In the video, you’ll see a bunch of packages like Zoom, iTunes, and Adobe Flash have been loaded in. Instead of deploying all those individually, I selected Aiden automate compliance which will take care of everything all in one. In this scenario I’m approving Aiden for a pilot group.

You can think of Aiden as the ultimate package. It will decide which other packages to install and in which order. Here I’m setting a deadline and have configured Aiden to run every 2 hours. Just like that I’ve automated compliance for the entire pilot group.

WSUS is now going to run Aiden.exe. It can also be copied to the C drive or wherever you prefer. It can run directly from a network share so let’s do that. Normally you would run Aiden in silent mode by telling your deployment tool to use forward slash silent, but for this demo let’s run it and unattended mode so we can actually see what it will do.

Aut0mating compliance using Aiden with WSUS

As soon as you deploy Aiden to run, it compares your plain English corporate standards document which we maintain for you to the state of the computer and builds a plan to bring it into compliance and starts executing the plan immediately. For this computer as you can see that involves patching a few items removing Java and it’s going to upgrade Windows to the new feature release. Aiden will install everything in the correct order including every prerequisite for every task.

The packaging work is just included in our service and is fully customized for you.

Automating bare-metal builds using Aiden with WSUS

Aiden also integrates with Windows setup so this process replaces all images, sequences, and targeting and dependency logic needed to deploy a package from your deployment tool. It’s not an agent and does not install on your computers. It only runs when you tell it to run or as scheduled by you deployment tool.

Automating the reconfiguration of Windows machines

If you ever want to change the role of a computer it’s a simple drop-down menu. Let’s get this ready for someone in marketing. In two seconds, Aiden just made a new plan by reading the same standards document but in the context of the marketing department. If you like the new plan you have a simple button to press it and approve it and go forward. While many things are in compliance or out of compliance with company standards, some things are just optional and Aiden recognizes that so it provides a list of optional items, and with just one click we can add things like Itunes.

We now have a new task sequence all in the correct order and factoring in all dependencies and prerequisites. Everything is designed to be as easy to use as the App Store on your phone.

Keep your corporate policy document in plain English

All of Aiden’s configuration is based on a plain text, plain English company policy file. It’s very easy for you to understand and modify. Part of our managed service is writing changing and maintain his policy file for you. As you’ll see you don’t need to be a scripting expert to read this document and understand what the standards are for all endpoints.

Thanks for watching to learn more about this unique approach to automated endpoint management.

Schedule your live demo today!