Win2K Policy

[Sean Collins]

Hello, all!

Apologies if this has already been asked...

We're planning to migrate all of our NT clients to Win2K Pro while keeping our NT 4.0 server infrastructure (yes, it's a backwards way of doing things, but the USAF won't let us use Win2K server just yet, so we do what THE MAN tells us). One of the things we'd like to implement is group policy for the clients. In this environment, what's the best way of doing this? It seems Win2K group policy is geared towards AD, which we won't be using, and I'm not exactly sure if NT 4.0 system policies will work...any guidance would be appreciated!

Sean Collins
sean.collins@kunsan.af.mil

[Sean Stecker]

Sean,

You can implement Group Policy at the local level. This scenario however is less than desirable if you see any portion of Group Policy changing over time, as you will have to update all the local policies. In a word, make sure that you have a "golden" punch list of things you want to accomplish if you go this route, it is very difficult to update without AD in place.

I don't know about the integration of NT 4 system policies. They are certainly much less flexible. Maybe someone else has had experience in that arena.

How are you deploying your Windows 2000 images? I wrote an article on Sysprep for deploying Windows 2000 that may be of some use. Check it out on my site.

Sean
www.swynk.com/friends/stecker


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Sean Collins at 1/16/01 7:45:48 PM


Hello, all!

Apologies if this has already been asked...

We're planning to migrate all of our NT clients to Win2K Pro while keeping our NT 4.0 server infrastructure (yes, it's a backwards way of doing things, but the USAF won't let us use Win2K server just yet, so we do what THE MAN tells us). One of the things we'd like to implement is group policy for the clients. In this environment, what's the best way of doing this? It seems Win2K group policy is geared towards AD, which we won't be using, and I'm not exactly sure if NT 4.0 system policies will work...any guidance would be appreciated!

Sean Collins
sean.collins@kunsan.af.mil

[Sean Collins]

Thanks for the response, Sean!

Right now, it looks like we'll have to touch every machine on the network, as there are way too many configurations on the domain for us to build images for (thank you, Unca Sam, for going with a different low bidder from year to year). Since that's the case, Group Policy on the local machine is just an extra step. But you're absolutely right; if there is a global change to that policy, updating will not be something pleasant.

Thanks again!
Sean Collins
sean.collins@kunsan.af.mil

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Sean Stecker at 1/16/01 8:20:58 PM

Sean,

You can implement Group Policy at the local level. This scenario however is less than desirable if you see any portion of Group Policy changing over time, as you will have to update all the local policies. In a word, make sure that you have a "golden" punch list of things you want to accomplish if you go this route, it is very difficult to update without AD in place.

I don't know about the integration of NT 4 system policies. They are certainly much less flexible. Maybe someone else has had experience in that arena.

How are you deploying your Windows 2000 images? I wrote an article on Sysprep for deploying Windows 2000 that may be of some use. Check it out on my site.

Sean
www.swynk.com/friends/stecker


------------
Sean Collins at 1/16/01 7:45:48 PM


Hello, all!

Apologies if this has already been asked...

We're planning to migrate all of our NT clients to Win2K Pro while keeping our NT 4.0 server infrastructure (yes, it's a backwards way of doing things, but the USAF won't let us use Win2K server just yet, so we do what THE MAN tells us). One of the things we'd like to implement is group policy for the clients. In this environment, what's the best way of doing this? It seems Win2K group policy is geared towards AD, which we won't be using, and I'm not exactly sure if NT 4.0 system policies will work...any guidance would be appreciated!

Sean Collins
sean.collins@kunsan.af.mil

[Sean Collins]

Oh, yeah...another problem with sysprep is the computer names. Our command has a standard naming convention we must comply with, and the randomly generated names Windows comes up with won't fly...

-Sean


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Sean Stecker at 1/16/01 8:20:58 PM

Sean,

You can implement Group Policy at the local level. This scenario however is less than desirable if you see any portion of Group Policy changing over time, as you will have to update all the local policies. In a word, make sure that you have a "golden" punch list of things you want to accomplish if you go this route, it is very difficult to update without AD in place.

I don't know about the integration of NT 4 system policies. They are certainly much less flexible. Maybe someone else has had experience in that arena.

How are you deploying your Windows 2000 images? I wrote an article on Sysprep for deploying Windows 2000 that may be of some use. Check it out on my site.

Sean
www.swynk.com/friends/stecker


------------
Sean Collins at 1/16/01 7:45:48 PM


Hello, all!

Apologies if this has already been asked...

We're planning to migrate all of our NT clients to Win2K Pro while keeping our NT 4.0 server infrastructure (yes, it's a backwards way of doing things, but the USAF won't let us use Win2K server just yet, so we do what THE MAN tells us). One of the things we'd like to implement is group policy for the clients. In this environment, what's the best way of doing this? It seems Win2K group policy is geared towards AD, which we won't be using, and I'm not exactly sure if NT 4.0 system policies will work...any guidance would be appreciated!

Sean Collins
sean.collins@kunsan.af.mil

[Sean Stecker]

Sean,

In the sysprep image that I outline in my article, the only input needed by the IT staff during setup is computer name. Simply start the boot diskette, a little while later, insert the machine name, done. Check it out.

Sean
www.swynk.com/friends/stecker


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Sean Collins at 1/16/01 11:51:05 PM

Oh, yeah...another problem with sysprep is the computer names. Our command has a standard naming convention we must comply with, and the randomly generated names Windows comes up with won't fly...

-Sean


------------
Sean Stecker at 1/16/01 8:20:58 PM

Sean,

You can implement Group Policy at the local level. This scenario however is less than desirable if you see any portion of Group Policy changing over time, as you will have to update all the local policies. In a word, make sure that you have a "golden" punch list of things you want to accomplish if you go this route, it is very difficult to update without AD in place.

I don't know about the integration of NT 4 system policies. They are certainly much less flexible. Maybe someone else has had experience in that arena.

How are you deploying your Windows 2000 images? I wrote an article on Sysprep for deploying Windows 2000 that may be of some use. Check it out on my site.

Sean
www.swynk.com/friends/stecker


------------
Sean Collins at 1/16/01 7:45:48 PM


Hello, all!

Apologies if this has already been asked...

We're planning to migrate all of our NT clients to Win2K Pro while keeping our NT 4.0 server infrastructure (yes, it's a backwards way of doing things, but the USAF won't let us use Win2K server just yet, so we do what THE MAN tells us). One of the things we'd like to implement is group policy for the clients. In this environment, what's the best way of doing this? It seems Win2K group policy is geared towards AD, which we won't be using, and I'm not exactly sure if NT 4.0 system policies will work...any guidance would be appreciated!

Sean Collins
sean.collins@kunsan.af.mil