Network Engineer

<div>
Hi Seth, &nbsp;so are you saying all 4 of them do everything I need? &nbsp;I don't want to have to buy 4 separate tools for each request needed.
</div>


<div>
you can do an eval and see if it works for you
</div>


<div>
<div class="content wysiwyg-content fr-view">
<p>I'm looking to purchase some service or software that monitors my AD, DCs, DNS, GPO, and file servers for changes. &nbsp;Can anyone recommend something that is good and affordable?</p>
</div>
</div>



I'm looking to purchase some service or software that monitors my AD, DCs, DNS, GPO, and file servers for changes.  Can anyone recommend something that is good and affordable?

Active Directory-GPO monitoring software or service

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical, globally distributed system responsible for associating the name of a computer, service or other resource into an IP address for connecting to the Internet or a private network. Most prominently, it translates domain names to the numerical IP addresses needed for the purpose of computer services and devices worldwide.

Active Directory (AD) is a Microsoft brand for identity-related capabilities. In the on-premises world, Windows Server AD provides a set of identity capabilities and services, and is hugely popular (88% of Fortune 1000 and 95% of enterprises use AD). This topic includes all things Active Directory including DNS, Group Policy, DFS, troubleshooting, ADFS, and all other topics under the Microsoft AD and identity umbrella.

Active Directory

Windows Server 2016 is the successor to Windows Server 2012 R2. Built upon the same core code as Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 brings enhancements in security, servicing, and connectivity. A particular focus on this release was hybrid-cloud scenarios, and has close ties to Azure and other Microsoft cloud initiatives. This does not detract from the many improvements that are available for on-premises-only deployments

Windows Server 2016 comes in Datacenter, Standard, and Essentials editions, and for servicing, has adopted windows 10's cumulative model. The new nano-server install is designed to be remotely managed and is designed to be kept current through continuous feature updates. The full GUI install operates similarly to windows 10's "Long Term Servicing Branch" (LTSB) model with cumulative security updates.

Windows Server 2016 has also shifted from a per-processor-and-CAL licensing model to a per-core-and CAL licensing model. This brings Windows Server's licensing more in line with Microsoft's other products and makes hybrid-cloud license planning easier as well.

Windows Server 2016

Group Policy is a feature of the Microsoft Windows NT family of operating systems (including Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2003+) that controls the working environment of user accounts and computer accounts. Group Policy provides centralized management and configuration of operating systems, applications, and users' settings in an Active Directory environment. A set of Group Policy configurations is called a Group Policy Object (GPO). A version of Group Policy called Local Group Policy (LGPO or LocalGPO) allows Group Policy Object management without Active Directory on standalone computers.

Group Policy

Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system featuring the "universal application architecture" (UAP); apps can be designed to run across multiple devices with nearly identical code, including PCs, tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, Xbox One, Surface Hub and HoloLens. Windows 10 also includes a virtual desktop system, a window and desktop management feature called Task View, the Microsoft Edge web browser, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, voice-based search (Cortana), new security features for enterprise environments, and DirectX 12 and WDDM 2.0 to improve the operating system's graphics capabilities for games.

Windows 10

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure for building, deploying and managing applications and services through datacenters. It provides both platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) services and supports many different programming languages, tools and frameworks, including both Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems. Cloud Services is a PaaS environment and can be used to create scalable applications and services; there are specific software development kits (SDKs) provided by Microsoft for Python, Java, Node.js and .NET. Azure also has file and storage services, data management, analytics and DNS services.