Contents Overview 1 Determining the Current Environment 2 Determining the Organizational Requirements 9 Group Policy Settings for Computer Management 11 Selecting CCM Options for Computer Management 20 Lab A: Meeting Computer Management Requirements 23 Review 27 Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, places or events is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. 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The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy iii Instructor Notes In this module, students learn how to determine the functional roles of computers in an organization. They also learn how to use Microsoft ® IntelliMirror ® management technologies to apply standard configurations, to control the functionality of workstations, and to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) associated with administering client computers. After completing this module, students will be able to:  Determine the current computer management environment.  Determine organizational requirements for computer management.  Assess common computer management options.  Select the appropriate option to meet the organizational requirements. Materials and Preparation This section provides the materials and preparation tasks that you need to teach this module. Required Materials To teach this module, you need the following materials:  Microsoft PowerPoint ® file 2410a_06.ppt  Module 6, “Designing a Computer Management Strategy”  Trainer Materials compact disc Preparation Tasks To prepare for this module, you should:  Read all of the materials for this module.  Read the technical white papers located on the Trainer Materials compact disc.  Read any relevant information in the Microsoft Windows ® 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP Help files, and in the Windows 2000 or Windows XP Resource Kit.  Be familiar with the principles and practice of Change and Configuration Management (CCM).  Read the instructor notes that precede each module. These contain preparation suggestions for each module.  Read the review questions and be prepared to elaborate on the answers provided in the text.  Complete the lab and be prepared to elaborate on the solutions found there. Presentation: 45 Minutes Lab: 45 Minutes iv Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy Module Strategy Use the following strategy to present this module:  Determining the Current Environment In this section, students determine how client computers are to be used, and by whom, in terms of the job roles of the user base and the configurations of the client computers. Take the following actions: • Acknowledge that there are significant overlaps between determining user settings and computer settings. Therefore, decisions about the settings and the technologies required to support them are mutually dependent. • It is important to determine computer settings that will support users’ evolving needs over time. Encourage students to adopt a flexible approach to computer settings, and to avoid settings that may need to change. • Consider the possibility of layered computer configurations, which can then be adapted to the needs of specific user groups. For example, a standard office computer configuration could be defined, which could then be the basis for an enhanced computer configuration.  Determining the Organizational Requirements In this section, students define the exact computer configurations required by answering a number of questions about the computer configurations, each of which should map to one or more job roles. Take the following actions: • The questions listed are only a starting point for evaluating user settings needs. Ask students if they can think of any other questions. • Emphasize that it is not only the responses to the questions that matter, but also the impact of the responses. The underlying issue for each question is the identification of unnecessary costs incurred by user settings management. These costs determine the potential for savings through CCM technologies.  Group Policy Settings for Computer Management In this section, students determine the most appropriate technologies to meet the CCM requirements for computer management.  Selecting CCM Options for Computer Management In this section, students assess what options are appropriate to specific network configurations. Students consider the similarities between the common configuration needs of the users with the settings provided by standard scenarios. The categories discussed here repeat those in previous sections, and do not need to be explained again. Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy v Lab Strategy Use the following strategy to present this lab. Lab A: Meeting Computer Management Requirements The lab is designed to assist the student in applying the information presented in this module. Students are expected to have:  Experience in editing Group Policy settings.  The knowledge and skills necessary to define and implement a computer management plan. The lab has a scenario in which a company is in the process of analyzing its computer management needs. In this exercise, students determine appropriate computer configurations for a number of job roles. To conduct this lab:  Read the lab carefully, playing close attention to the instructions and to the details of the scenario.  Divide the class into groups of two or more students.  Present the lab and make sure that students understand the instructions and the purpose of the lab.  Explain each of the exercises and highlight any key information.  Take the opportunity to assess each student’s comprehension of the technology features of Group Policy presented in the module.  Allow time to discuss the solutions after the lab is completed. A solution is provided on the Trainer Materials compact disc. Encourage students to look critically at each others’ solutions and to discuss any ideas for improving the designs. Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy 1 Overview  Determining the Current Environment  Determining the Organizational Requirements  Group Policy Settings for Computer Management  Selecting CCM Options for Computer Management ***************************** ILLEGAL FOR NON - TRAINER USE ****************************** In a Microsoft ® Windows ® 2000 deployment, it is not possible to produce one workstation configuration that is suitable for all workstation roles. The level of administrative control that you require and the associated administrative overhead are dependent on the tasks that users must perform on a workstation. In this module, you will learn how to determine the functional roles of computers in an organization. You will also learn how to use Microsoft IntelliMirror ® to apply standard configurations, to control the functionality of these workstations, and to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) associated with administering client computers. After completing this module, you will be able to:  Determine the current computer management environment.  Determine organizational requirements for computer management.  Assess common computer management options.  Select the appropriate options to meet the organizational requirements. Topic Objective To provide an overview of the module topics and objectives. Lead-in In this module, you will learn the principles of evaluating computer management options based on organizational needs and the current and planned environment. 2 Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy    Determining the Current Environment  Classifying User Base by Job Roles  Determining Client Computer Configurations  Incorporating the Organization’s Current Policies ***************************** ILLEGAL FOR NON - TRAINER USE ****************************** Workstations in a corporate network are tools that enable users to complete job- related tasks. With the range of functions that a workstation is expected to provide for the user base, it is not possible to configure all computers in the same way. Classifying User Base by Job Roles To provide users with the workstation environment that they need, you must understand their computer use, which you can do by categorizing users according to their job roles. It is possible to use generic roles as a starting point. However, you will find it most appropriate to classify users based on the actual roles in your organization. Determining Client Computer Configurations To understand the configuration needs of different workstations, analyze the functional roles that these computers fulfill. These roles will vary widely. For example, the level of security needed on a developer’s workstation differs significantly from that on a computer used for public access to the network. By understanding these roles, you can identify generic configurations that can be applied to manage computers on the network. The configurations act as default computer settings. However, they can be modified easily to tailor computer management to your environment, and to accommodate the changing needs of your user base. Topic Objective To explain how to determine the organization’s current computer management environment. Lead-in As designer of the CCM infrastructure, you need information about the computer environment to create a successful computer management strategy. Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy 3 Incorporating the Organization’s Current Policies If you are implementing a Change and Configuration Management (CCM) plan in an existing environment, you must allow for and possibly plan to incorporate any existing computer management policies. These existing policies are system policies in a Microsoft Windows NT ® environment, or Group Policies in an existing Active Directory ™ directory service environment in Windows 2000. One of the most important actions you must take is to determine whether you must retain any existing policies, particularly in the case of supporting older client computers not running Windows 2000, which are not affected by Windows 2000 Group Policies. Even if you are planning an upgrade from Windows NT to Windows 2000 on your servers and your client computers, there is likely to be an interim period, during which you must provide support for both types of policies, such as system policies and Group Policies. Therefore, this upgrade requires careful planning to allow for and support this type of environment. In addition, by using existing settings as a starting point, you can merge your current policy with the new strategy for CCM. This ensures that existing user and administrative needs are met in the new computer management strategy. 4 Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy Classifying User Base by Job Roles  CCM Strategy Should Be:  Flexible  Concise  Appropriate  Example Job Roles:  Call center representatives  Client advisors  Supervisors  Determine Succinct Set of Roles, Covering Majority of User Needs ***************************** ILLEGAL FOR NON - TRAINER USE ****************************** It is recommended that the CCM strategy that you develop be:  Flexible to meet a range of users’ needs.  Concise, thereby reducing the administrative overhead associated with maintaining the workstations.  Appropriate to the needs of the users. Example Job Roles Consider an investor relations team working in a finance company. The team has three job roles: call center representative, client advisor, and supervisor. Each of these job roles has very different computer configuration needs. Call Center Representatives Call center representatives work on desktop computers that are connected directly to the network. Although they tend to sit at the same workstations, they can move around the office during the day and, therefore, need to log on to several computers. They need only a line-of-business application for their job. These users do not generate any data that is saved outside this application. Client Advisors Client advisors are field based. They use portable computers that have infrequent direct connections to the network. Access is normally provided by using Routing and Remote Access Service. They have both a line-of-business application and Microsoft Office 2000 installed for e-mail and client computer reporting purposes. Topic Objective To determine the organization’s requirements for computer management classified by the job roles of the users. Lead-in To understand your users’ needs for computer management, it will help to categorize users by their jobs roles. Delivery Tip Emphasize that these are example roles only, and that students should make their own classifications of users’ job roles. [...]... requirements for a pharmaceutical company These requirements are based on the following scenario Examine this scenario, and then establish the requirements of the organization Scenario You are the administrator in an international pharmaceutical company, Contoso Pharmaceuticals This organization is currently analyzing its desktop management strategy and has asked you to develop standard workstation management. .. of an organization’s users require limited access to a small number of applications Which would be the most appropriate scenario to use as a basis of a configuration to meet their needs? Application Station would be the most appropriate 28 Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy 5 What would be the most appropriate scenario to use as a basis for the system manager’s workstation configuration?... management The purpose is to present examples that you can use as a basis to design your own configurations By mapping organizational requirements to these scenarios and modifying the settings to suit the environment, you can quickly implement a documented and standardized management strategy This strategy will reduce administrative overhead and the TCO associated with computer management The scenarios... Designing a Computer Management Strategy Determining Client Computer Configurations Topic Objective To determine the organization’s requirements for computer management by mapping potential configurations against job roles Lightly Managed //Application Station Lightly Managed Application Station Task Station //Kiosk Task Station Kiosk Multi-User Multi-User Lead-in To determine appropriate computer configurations,... common examples of Group Policy network settings available for computer management Allow configuration of connection sharing Allow configuration of connection sharing Lead-in You must identify the Group Policy settings available for computer management Offline Files – Enabled/Disabled Offline Files – Enabled/Disabled Disable “Make Available Offline” Disable “Make Available Offline” Administratively assigned... that you can define your own specific configurations for each job role Windows 2000 provides several template configurations against which you can compare your own configurations: Lightly Managed Mobile User Multi-User Application Station Task Station Kiosk Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy 7 Map Specified Configurations Against Job Roles The templates contain specific user and computer. . .Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy Supervisors Supervisors in the organization have similar needs to the representatives, but these users normally use just one desktop computer They have a line-ofbusiness application and Office 2000 installed for e-mail and staff reporting purposes Some job roles have similar needs For example, managers and secretaries have similar ways of working... Policy means that it is easy for an administrator to implement policies that can apply to all objects in a domain or a site, or can be applied merely to a small grouping of objects in an organizational unit A security policy may also be established on the local computer However, local computer policies can contain only security settings for the first two security areas (Account Policies and Local Policies)... which a specific user may access a different computer from day to day Alternatively, computers may have additional settings for administrator or supervisor access How do users connect to the network? Computer configurations may vary according to connection type For example, are computers connected directly to the corporate local area network (LAN), or are they accessed over a slower connection such as a. .. highest: Local Security Policy Site Policy Domain Policy Organizational Unit Policy Sub-Organizational Unit Policy Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy 13 System Settings Topic Objective To identify some common examples of Group Policy system settings available for computer management Lead-in You must identify the Group Policy settings available for computer management Don’t display welcome . explained again. Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy v Lab Strategy Use the following strategy to present this lab. Lab A: Meeting Computer. the computer environment to create a successful computer management strategy. Module 6: Designing a Computer Management Strategy 3 Incorporating the Organization’s