ZFD3.2 and Win2K 2

[Visitor]

We're finally upgrading the desktop OS's to 2K and I was wondering how most people set up their policies and user accounts. Originally, we thought by using DLUs we could track what user made changes or installed software. Now I'm thinking that having a "generic" user for the local user and have the ZEN policies applied to that. Any thoughts, ideas, or experience with upgrading Win2K to the NW5.1/ZFD3.2 environment?

Thanks

 

[Provogeek]

If there is no domain or AD, I use DLU giving the user Administrator rights to the workstation. This may seem risky, but it solves issues that can come up with distributing applications via NAL. If you don't want to give user administrator rights to the workstation, then you will have to take extra steps in configuring your app deployment.

Then I use Group policies to lock down the workstations settings. Going through these policies would be to long to document in this thread. The first policy you create should be an admin policy to clean out any restrictions you make on a user policy so you don't lock your self out of a workstation. Then start to play with the policies, figure out what one you want to use and what you don't want to use.

Applying policies to a generic local user will not work for you with out a Domain or AD. The policies are applied to the NDS user, not the windows user.

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Provogeek
CNE Network+ Experience

Certified nut case

 

[lerdalt]

I've followed Provogeeks example with out an AD or Domain structure in place. I have had people that do not create the DLU users as local administrators, and then start getting strange messages in login scripts, and problems with install apps. Looking on Novell's cool solutions site, reccommends using at the very least Power User, but would prefer Administrators.

In the areas where there is a Domain, however, we have turned DLU off for those specific users, then created a couple of application objects that basicly run a couple of scripts to join the domains. Not a very clean method, but it has been working.

I understand that with the latest service pack to Zen4, there is another option in the DLU policy to help work with Domain authentication, but have not had a chance to work with it to see exactly how it works.

Can't stress enough on how much work can be put into the group policies. Just when my company thought we had them locked down enough, something would stop working.