Zero administration is something of a misnomer......
"Zero Administration for Windows" is not a pipe-dream about a magical computer that requires no maintenance or support. Rather, it is about using the inherent capabilities of the Windows NT Workstation operating system to create a protected network computing environment for non-expert users. Through the use of simple scripts, you can completely automate the Windows NT installation process and configure the operating system to restrict access to the user interface. By limiting your users to specific applications and denying them access to the controls they don't understand, you can significantly lower your workstations' total cost of ownership. While a certain amount of system maintenance is still required from network support personnel, the administration performed by the computer users can be reduced to zero.
|
"It has been difficult or impossible to find enough detailed, independent information about Microsoft's Zero Administration for Windows (ZAW) to feel comfortable using it in a production environment. So thank you, Craig Zacker, for personally solving this problem for thousands of other Windows administrators.
"Zacker covers these tools inside and out, in almost Proustian detail — which is exactly what you need to make ZAW work. The up-front planning guidance is outstanding. Microsoft's standard AppStation and TaskStation environments aren't too tough, but many users will need a little more freedom than that, which means you'll have loads of dependencies to consider, and Zacker reviews all of them. You'll walk through the actual deployment process, creating accounts, building a reference client, copying a restricted Start Menu to your network share, and automating the installation of ZAK-ified Windows NT workstations, with applications.
"There's valuable information about Microsoft's sysdiff and ScriptIt utilities; techniques for securing the Windows registry and file system, and two full chapters on Windows' hugely powerful, miserably documented System Policies. Detailed appendices bring together information on Microsoft's many relevant system administration utilities, parameters for unattended installs, lists of NT network adapter drivers, ZAK policy template settings, and more.
"'Zero administration' is pushing it, but with this book, you can get a heck of a lot closer than you are right now."
Bill Camarda, Barnes and Noble
|
