Windows Server 2003: Deploying & Managing

Course Overview

IT professionals face the ongoing challenge of improving the delivery of services while reducing Total Cost of Ownership. Microsoft's latest operating systems integrate technologies designed to minimise the time and costs associated with managing your environment.

This course provides the skills needed to deploy and administer clients and servers efficiently within Windows Server 2003 domains.

Audience

This course is valuable for those developing an administrative strategy within a Windows Server 2003 AD environment. Course 595, " Windows Server 2003 ", or equivalent experience is assumed.

Skills Gained

• Install and manage clients and servers within Windows Server 2003 domains
• Administer systems using management consoles and the Remote Desktop client
• Create and enforce workstation and server configurations using Group Policy Objects
• Implement automated software deployment based on computer and user functions
• Prepare computers for disk-cloning deployments using SysPrep
• Configure and utilise the Remote Installation Service (RIS)

Course Outline

Introduction

Overview of management concepts

• Reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• Increasing functionality
• Centralising the administration

Microsoft's management solution

• Improved management applications
• Group Policy Objects
• Automated Windows installation

Management and Support Tools

The Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

• Managing the operating system with built-in consoles
• Creating customised consoles

Exploring alternatives to the MMC

• Working with command line utilities
• Assigning server roles
• Accessing remote machines via the Remote Desktop client

Configuring Windows with Group Policy

Controlling settings

• Modifying common Registry keys
• Assigning logon and start-up scripts
• Centralising data storage
• Enforcing consistent security settings

Building and managing Group Policy Objects (GPOs)

• Defining GPOs with the Group Policy console
• Modifying administrative and security templates
• Documenting and backing up GPOs with the Group Policy Management Console

Deploying Group Policy Objects

• Linking GPOs within the Active Directory
• Combining GPOs with inheritance
• Implementing security and WMI filters
• Overriding user settings based on computer function

Troubleshooting Group Policy

• Improving policy performance
• Enabling verbose policy logging
• Evaluating policy interaction with the Resultant Set of Policy Wizard

Deploying Windows Installer Packages

Windows Installer Service

• Performing GUI and command line installations and repairs
• Managing the installation state of individual features
• Repackaging software and creating Windows Installer packages

Distributing software via Group Policy

• Assigning software to computers
• Publishing for interactive installation
• Enabling just-in-time installation so that software "follows" users
• Customising software installation with modification files

Automating Windows Installation

Scripted installations

• Building answer files using Setup Manager
• Supporting variable parameters with Uniqueness Database Files
• Creating distribution shares that include third-party drivers

Disk imaging

• Preparing systems for imaging using the System Preparation Wizard
• Generating answer files for use with cloning utilities

Remote Installation Service (RIS)

• Installing and managing RIS on the network
• Creating RIS images

Service Packs and hot fixes

• Slipstreaming Service Packs
• Reporting installed hot fixes
• Deploying patches on the network

Windows Server 2003: Deploying & Managing / MW03-DL