Synopses & Reviews
Secure and manage every desktop in your network
If you're managing multiple desktops and users in a Windows enterprisenetwork, this book is for you. Going beyond the fundamentals, Group Policy MVP and desktop management expert Jeremy Moskowitz explores Windows® tools and technologies that will make your IT life easier, including Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), Windows Server Update Services, Windows SteadyState, the Group Policy Preference Extensions, and a host of other tools that manage, diagnose, configure, update, and protect multiple desktops in an Active Directory network.
You'll learn to automate tasks, set and control thousands of settings, manage user profiles, lock down systems, and keep a consistent experience for users as they move from one computer to anotherwhile increasing their efficiency and lowering your cost of maintenance. This must-have reference is packed with the techniques, tips, and best practices you need.
Set up local, roaming, and mandatory profiles for all your Windows clients, and manage those profiles with Group Policy settings
Create a managed desktop using Redirected Folders, Offline Files, and the Synchronization Manager
Use Group Policy Software Installation (GPSI) and the Windows Installer Service to install managed software, and leverage Windows Server® Update Services (WSUS) for OS patch management
Harness SoftGrid Application Virtualization and learn which applications to virtualize and which to avoid
Sequence and deploy applications for online and offline SoftGrid Clients
Secure, protect, and remediate your remote computers and laptops with Network Access Protection (NAP)
Perform a lockdown with Windows SteadyState and Windows Disk Protection
Coverage Includes:
Roaming Profiles for Windows XP and Windows Vista, RedirectingFolders and Using Offline Files, Software Deployment Using Group Policy and SoftGrid Application Virtualization
Master Advanced Security
Configurations: Network Access Protection (NAP), Windows SteadyState (with Windows Disk Protection), Restrict Hardware, MBSA Security Analyzer, and Patch Management with WSUS
Go Beyond Group Policy:
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, SoftGrid Management Console, Advanced Sequencing, Deploying Printers, and Implementing Shadow Copies
Synopsis
Creating the Secure Managed Desktop: Using Group Policy, Softgrid, and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and Other Management Toolsteaches the technologies embedded in Windows platforms, including Windows Server 2008, designed to streamline and centralize the tasks of network desktop management. This book takes administrators beyond the fundamentals, teaching them to
- Maintain policy settings as users move from one computer to another
- Synchronize offline files
- Employ Windows Steady State to lock down a system
- Utilize Application Virtualization with Microsoft Softgrid
- Ensure client and server security with Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA)
- Manage the total cost of ownership
Synopsis
Learn how to secure and manage every desktop in your network with Creating the Secure Managed Desktop: Using Group Policy, SoftGrid, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and Other Management Tools. Understand the tools and technologies you will need to create a more secure network using Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and other Windows platforms and learn how to manage, diagnose, configure, update, and protect multiple desktops in an Active Directory network. Master automating tasks, setting and controlling settings, managing user profiles, and locking down systems from this must-have reference.
About the Author
Jeremy Moskowitz, Group Policy MVP, is the Chief Propeller-Head for Moskowitz, inc., and GPanswers.com. He is a nationally recognized authority on Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, and other Windows management topics. He is one of less than a dozen Microsoft MVPs in Group Policy. He runs GPanswers.com, ranked by Computerworld as a "Top 20 Resource for Microsoft IT Professionals." Jeremy frequently contributes to Microsoft TechNet Magazine, Windows IT Pro magazine, and Redmond magazine. Jeremy is a sought-after speaker at many industry conferences and, in his training workshops, helps thousands of administrators every year do more with Group Policy. Contact Jeremy by visiting GPanswers.com.
Table of Contents
1. Deploying Windows with Style.
2. Profiles: Local, Roaming and Mandatory.
3. Implementing a Managed Desktop, Part 1.
4. The Managed Desktop, Part 2.
5. Application Virtualization and SoftGrid Essentials.
6. SoftGrid: Beyond the Basics.
7. SoftGrid Sequencing Secrets.
8. Client Security with WSUS 3.0 and MBSA.
9. Network Access Protection with Group Policy.
10. Finishing Touches with Group Policy.
11. Lockdown with Steady State.