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Manage Change with the Windows 2000 Platform
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Posted: Wednesday, July 14, 1999
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As organizations rely more heavily on their computer networks,
the amount of critical information about people and processes that is
stored on those networks grows daily. And because
those networked organizations change frequently, it is even more important
that the information they keep on their networks is managed
efficiently, in a way that provides flexibility to users and
yet controls access to vital data. The change
and
configuration management
features that are built into the Windows®
2000 operating system help network administrators manage
day-to-day tasks such as installing, updating, managing, and
repairing users’ data, software, and settings while maintaining a
high level of control over critical data.
IntelliMirrorTM management technologies and Remote OS
Installation are features included in the Windows 2000
operating system. Systems Management Server 2.0 complements
these built-in management features. Together they provide a
base set of change and configuration management features that
help IT administrators manage their Windows 2000 Professional
user communities and data through centrally administered
policy.
The IntelliMirror technologies that are built into Windows 2000
supply the following change-management capabilities:
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User data management. These policy settings define the properties and
the location of a Windows 2000 user’s files, documents, workbooks, and
other information. The user’s data is available from any computer on
the network, both online and offline.
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Software installation and management. These policy settings define how to install,
configure, repair, and remove applications, service packs, and software
upgrades.
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User settings management. These policy settings define both
customizations and any restrictions that should be applied to
the operating system, desktop environment, and applications for
each user. |
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Using a Windows 2000-based server as the remote source, Remote
Operating System (OS) Installation is the network equivalent of
a CD-based installation of Windows 2000 Professional or an
installation of a pre-configured Windows 2000 Professional
desktop image. A Remote OS Installation works in either of the
following ways:
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CD-equivalent installation. This is similar to the process of setting up a
computer directly using the unattended install options available on the
Windows 2000 Professional compact disc; however, in this instance, the
source files reside across the network on available Windows 2000-based
servers rather than on a compact disc.
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Pre-configured desktop image. This type of remote
installation allows a network administrator to clone a standard
corporate desktop configuration, complete with operating system
configurations, desktop customizations, and locally installed
applications. Once configured, the cloned image is stored on
Windows 2000-based servers. On request, the server downloads
these images to new computers. The new computer hardware does
not have to be identical to that of the machine on which the
image was created; the Windows 2000 Professional support for
Plug and Play adjusts for hardware differences. |
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Systems Management Server 2.0 (SMS) complements IntelliMirror
and Remote OS Installation by extending change and
configuration management to the full range of Windows-based
computers. Specifically, SMS adds the following management
functions:
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Planning. Systems
Management Server helps administrators meter application usage and check
for year 2000 compliance. The planning tools in SMS also help
administrators conduct audits and compliance checks, monitor and
restrict application use, and plan operations such as deployments and
upgrades.
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Deployment.
Using SMS, an IT administrator can distribute and
install software in the background to one, ten, or tens of thousands of
computers on a Windows 2000-based network, whether the users are logged
on or not.
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Diagnosis. Systems Management Server provides
a range of advanced remote diagnostic tools to
help administrators manage desktops and servers without having to
conduct on-site visits. These include tools such as remote control and
remote reboot, a network monitor with real time and
post-capture experts to analyze network conditions and performance, and a
tool that can track critical performance information on
the
Windows NT® Server operating system and the
BackOffice® family. |
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To explain how each of these features works, here are a few
typical change-related scenarios that demonstrate how Windows
2000 can help administrators manage their networks.
Moving Around the Network
Susan, the coordinator of the delivery department at the Wide
World Importers corporate headquarters, spends time in several
different buildings on the company’s campus every day. She
visits each of the company’s warehouses to plan upcoming
deliveries, and she updates her department’s delivery schedules
every few hours. Susan rarely logs on to the network from the
same Windows 2000-based computer twice in one day. Instead, she
uses the nearest computer that isn’t being used by someone
else.
Managing the Change: IntelliMirror Technologies
IntelliMirror technologies make Susan’s constant movement
around Wide World Importers’ network possible by providing
access to her data, software, and settings, regardless of where
she is when she logs on to the network.
Susan’s access is consistent and reliable because it is based
on policies that her company’s network administrator sets at
the group level. Each user on a Windows 2000 network belongs to
a group, or several groups, based on the business needs of the
organization and the individual. Susan is a member of three
groups at Wide World Importers: first, the group comprising
Susan and the small team that reports to her; second, the group
comprising the Delivery department at the corporate
headquarters; and third, the group comprising all the full-time
employees at Wide World Importers. Each time Susan logs on to
the network, Windows 2000 recognizes her and gives her access
to the data, software, and settings that she needs because she
is a member of these three groups. Her software loads quickly
because IntelliMirror pulls applications from the
geographically closest server. IntelliMirror technologies
"mirror" Susan’s computing experience regardless of where she
is when she logs on to the company’s network. Not only does
IntelliMirror make Susan’s computing experience easier, but
since her information actually lives on Wide World Importer’s
network rather than on a specific computer, IntelliMirror also
protects the company’s data.
Disaster Recovery
Susan arrived at work to find a disaster in her office. A
broken pipe on the second floor dripped through the ceiling
onto her desk all night, and her computer is flooded beyond
repair. She calls Doug, Wide World Importers’ network
administrator. He has a new, unconfigured desktop computer
delivered to Susan’s office. Susan plugs the computer into the
network, logs on, and goes to a meeting. When she returns to
her office an hour or so later, the Windows 2000 installation
has conducted itself—and her documents, software, and settings
are available to her, too.
Managing the Change: Remote OS Installation, then IntelliMirror
A little bit of preplanning goes a long way. When he conducted
the original Windows 2000 installation on the network, Doug
created a clone image of a standard desktop configuration and
stored it on one of the Windows 2000-based servers on the
company’s network. Because he did this, anytime that he needs
to conduct a Windows 2000 installation, the user logs on to the
network and Remote OS Installation does the rest—it locates the
correct server and then conducts the installation from the
cloned desktop configuration on that server. Once the cloned
configuration installation is complete, IntelliMirror
technologies can do their job. As soon as Susan logs on to her
new computer, she can access her documents and the documents
that are available to all the members of her groups. And since
IntelliMirror installs applications by pulling them from the
geographically closest server, Susan truly has a just-in-time
recovery from the morning’s disaster.
Managing a Large-Scale Software Installation
Doug needs to make sure that everyone in the company who uses
Microsoft Office has the most recent version of the software,
and only that version. Rather than simply "pushing" the
installation onto every Office user’s computer, Doug decides to
first check each Office user’s computer to see what version he
or she has. If the user has the correct version, nothing will
happen. If the user has an incorrect version, Doug sets up SMS
to remove the old version and replace it with the new version
automatically. He instructs SMS to conduct the diagnosis and
deployment overnight.
Managing the Change: Systems Management Server
Doug is using SMS to manage software installation from the top
down; that is, across a set of desktops rather than one by one.
Rather than conducting a just-in-time installation, which would
have installed the software on all users’ computers the next
time they logged on, thereby placing two different versions of
the same software on many users’ computers, Doug decided to use
SMS to conduct a remove-and-add installation. Since he used SMS
to help him diagnose, plan, and carry out the installation, he
spared many people the hassle (and potential problems) of
having to be aware of or participate in the installation
themselves. And because he conducted an installation that first
removed previous versions of the software, he helped to reduce
the compatibility issues that often occur when organizations
involve users in installations or updates.
Change and Configuration Management Features Add Convenience, Reduce TCO, and Increase Data Security
Through its underlying management features that allow network
administrators to manage change over the network, Windows 2000
helps companies, users, and administrators to be flexible
without having to compromise corporate data. The centrally
administered, policy-based nature of the Windows 2000 platform
means that network administrators can do their work without
having to visit individual computers, and that saves time as
well as administrative costs. And since their data and software
are stored and managed centrally, Windows 2000-based
organizations can feel more secure about their vital
information.
Introduction to Windows Management Services
Introduction to Change and Configuration Management
Introduction to IntelliMirror
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Last Updated: Wednesday, January 19, 2000
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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