Understanding Software Deployment With Group Policy

By Author: Mike Jones
Total Articles: 256
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You use the Software Installation and Maintenance feature of IntelliMirror to create a plus benefits managed software environment with the following characteristics:
Users have access to the applications they need to do their jobs, no matter which computer they log on to.
Computers have the required applications, without intervention from a technical support representative.
Applications can be updated, maintained, or removed to meet the needs of the organization.
The Software Installation and Maintenance feature of IntelliMirror works in conjunction with Group Policy and Active Directory directory service, establishing a Group Policy-based software management system. To deploy software by vising Group Policy, an organization must be running Microsoft Windows 2000 Server or later, with Active Directory and Group Policy on the server, and Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional or later on the client computers.
The following tools are provided for software deployment with Group Policy:
Software Installation extension Located in the Group Policy Object ...
... Editor console on the server, this extension is used by administrators to manage software.
Add Or Remove Programs Located in Control Panel on the client machine, this option is used by users to manage software on their own computers.
How would you address Linda's concern that some employees don't understand
drive mappings and others forget to store their data on the server?
This situation is perfectly suited to the use of Folder Redirection. Group Policy offers the ability to redirect many different special folders on a client system to an alternate location. In this case, redirecting users' My Documents folders to a CompTIA A+ certification network share.
How can you address the situation concerning the sensitive data that the editors
work with?
Redirecting the files is an excellent start, since the files will then be stored on the network and backed up regularly. If the editors' documents are deemed more valuable, one thing to consider is using Advanced Redirection. Basic Redirection redirects all users' documents to the same file share, typically storing the documents in a folder below that share. By using Advanced Redirection, it's possible to redirect files to different locations based on the security group membership of the user. You may choose to redirect the editors' documents to a file server that is more secure and/or reliable. You may also ask that the editors use EFS encryption on their documents.
folder redirection An extension within Group Policy that allows you to redirect the following special folders: Application Data, Desktop, My Documents, My Pictures, and Start Menu.
Offline Files A feature that provides users with access to redirected folders even when they are not connected to the network. Offline Files caches files accessed through folder redirection onto the hard drive of the local computer. When a user accesses a file in a redirected folder, the file is accessed and modified locally. When a user has finished working with the comptia network file and has logged off, only then does the file traverse the network for storage on the server.