I'm anticipating the boxen are wintel ( Win32, etc. ). Some things I can think of are ...

1. The NT/2K resource kits provide Remote Command Service (rcmd), which is fairly trivial to set-up in bulk. The ActiveState Perl-Win32-Admin mail list has had examples of how to install it on multiple machines given you have rights to the boxen.
2. Perhaps Penguin can be worked as a purer perl solution.
3. Just use the Win32 modules, like Win32::Lanman, Win32::AdminMisc, Win32::Perms, and so on for the basic admin tasks via M$ Networking/NetBIOS ... or for the sadist in all of us, the M$ 'net' commands ...

Seems a little odd that you have to manage so many boxes, yet not install any convenient method to manage them. Yet, never underestimate management's ability to seriously FUBAR any straight forward task. Perhaps if you can elaborate on what you need to do to the boxen ...

HTH
--
idnopheq
Apply yourself to new problems without preparation, develop confidence in your ability to to meet situations as they arrise.

~ Shunryu Suzuki