Creating the Secure Managed Desktop: Using Group Policy, SoftGrid, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and Other Management Tools

Secure and manage every desktop in your network

If you're managing multiple desktops and users in a Windows enterprise network, this book is for you. Going beyond the fundamentals, Group Policy MVP and desktop management expert Jeremy Moskowitz explores Windows tools and technologies that will make your IT life easier, including Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), Windows Server Update Services, Windows SteadyState, the Group Policy Preference Extensions, and a host of other tools that manage, diagnose, configure, update, and protect multiple desktops in an Active Directory network.

You'll learn to automate tasks, set and control thousands of settings, manage user profiles, lock down systems, and keep a consistent experience for users as they move from one computer to another—while increasing their efficiency and lowering your cost of maintenance. This must-have reference is packed with the techniques, tips, and best practices you need.

• Set up local, roaming, and mandatory profiles for all your Windows clients, and manage those profiles with Group Policy settings
• Create a managed desktop using Redirected Folders, Offline Files, and the Synchronization Manager
• Use Group Policy Software Installation (GPSI) and the Windows Installer Service to install managed software, and leverage Windows Server® Update Services (WSUS) for OS patch management
• Harness SoftGrid Application Virtualization and learn which applications to virtualize and which to avoid
• Sequence and deploy applications for online and offline SoftGrid Clients
• Secure, protect, and remediate your remote computers and laptops with Network Access Protection (NAP)
• Perform a lockdown with Windows SteadyState and Windows Disk Protection

Coverage Includes:

• Roaming Profiles for Windows XP and Windows Vista, RedirectingFolders and Using Offline Files, Software Deployment Using Group Policy and SoftGrid Application Virtualization
• Master Advanced Security
• Configurations: Network Access Protection (NAP), Windows SteadyState (with Windows Disk Protection), Restrict Hardware, MBSA Security Analyzer, and Patch Management with WSUS

Go Beyond Group Policy:

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, SoftGrid Management Console, Advanced Sequencing, Deploying Printers, and Implementing Shadow Copies

About the Author

Jeremy Moskowitz, Group Policy MVP, is the Chief Propeller-Head for Moskowitz, inc., and GPanswers.com. He is a nationally recognized authority on Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, and other Windows management topics. He is one of less than a dozen Microsoft MVPs in Group Policy. He runs GPanswers.com, ranked by Computerworld as a "Top 20 Resource for Microsoft IT Professionals." Jeremy frequently contributes to Microsoft TechNet Magazine, Windows IT Pro magazine, and Redmond magazine. Jeremy is a sought-after speaker at many industry conferences and, in his training workshops, helps thousands of administrators every year do more with Group Policy.