|
Microsoft offers a number of management services and tools to allow
administrators to manage client PCs throughout their life cycle. The majority are
delivered as part of Windows Server 2003 or will be made available as free add-ons, while
a few are part of or subsequent additions to Windows XP Professional (and in some
instances, Windows 2000 Professional). This chart maps PC managerial functions to
Microsoft's technologies and tools (printed in italics) that implement them. The legends
contain more detailed information about the technologies and tools abbreviated in the
chart.
Listed across the horizontal axis of the chart are the five major
elements of a PC that require administration: hardware, operating system, application
software, settings and configuration (such as the individual computer and user Registry
settings), and user data (typically stored in the user’s special My Documents
folder).
Listed down the vertical axis of the chart are the eight major types of
PC managerial activities that administrators must address:
Initial deployment—getting the right version of the OS,
application software, and user settings configuration and data installed on the PC for the
first time.
Patch or update—getting bug and security fixes or new versions
of the OS and application software to the PC.
Configuration management—initializing the user’s or the
organization’s preferences for the settings of the PC, OS, and application software,
and resetting, updating, or enforcing settings as needed.
User roaming—supporting the ability of the user to move to any
PC within an organization, and automatically reproducing the user's configuration and data
on that PC.
Remote control—taking over the operation of the PC for remote
administration or to train the user.
Event monitoring—detecting critical changes and issues that
occur on the PC, such as the failure of a component or unauthorized access.
Inventory—determining the number of PCs, information about
peripheral hardware, and all installed OS and application software.
State management—supporting the movement of user configuration
and data (state) from an existing PC to a new PC.
Legend: Windows Management Services
| Acronym |
Meaning |
Management Usage |
More Information |
| AD |
Active Directory |
Distributed database of objects, such as users, groups, computers, and policies. |
See "Active
Directory Improvements Remove Many Migration Roadblocks". |
| ASR |
Automated System Recovery |
Backs up the system state, system services,
and all disks associated with the OS components. |
See "Making the Call on Windows XP" on page 8
of the May 2001 Update. |
| GP |
Group Policy |
Enables centralized control and maintenance of computer and user settings, and software deployment. |
See "Windows
Server 2003 Reduces Fear of Group Policy". |
| IM |
IntelliMirror |
A combination of management technologies that centrally manage and replicate a user’s PC environment. |
See "Managing PCs
with IntelliMirror". |
| N/A |
Not applicable |
|
|
| RIS |
Remote Installation Service |
A service to simplify the initial installation of the OS and applications. |
See the sidebar "Initial Software Installation". |
| SUS |
Software Update Service |
Manages the distribution of software patches
and updates for an organization. |
See "Software Update Service to Ease Patch Distribution"
on page 3 of the May 2002 Update. |
| TS |
Terminal Services |
Supports (1) remote execution of applications from a centrally managed server, and (2) facilitates the remote administration of PCs. |
See the sidebar "Terminal
Services and Remote Administration". |
| VSS |
Volume Shadow Copy Service |
Facilitates the backup and restore of data. |
See "Windows .NET Server Supports Enterprise Storage"
on page 3 of the Dec. 2002 Update. |
| WIS |
Windows Installer Service |
Installation engine for the setup, repair, and clean removal of applications. |
See "Windows
Application Installation Improves". |
| WMI |
Windows Management Instrumentation |
A standard model for describing the components of a computer system, allowing scripted analysis and configuration./td>
| See the sidebar "New Scripting Attitude". |
Legend: Windows Management Tools
| Acronym |
Meaning |
Management Usage |
More Information |
| ADMT |
Active Directory Migration Tool |
Facilitates the migration from NT 4.0 to Windows Server 2003 AD. |
See the sidebar "User-State Migration". |
| F&STW |
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard |
Facilitates the one-time movement of user’s files and configuration data from an existing to a new PC. |
See the sidebar "User-State Migration". |
| GPMC |
Group Policy Management Console |
Facilitates the setting and management of Group Policy, including RSOP as well as the import, export, backup, and restoration of GPOs. |
See See ">Windows Server 2003 Reduces Fear of Group Policy". |
| RSOP |
Resultant Set of Policy |
Facilitates the planning and monitoring of Group Policy. |
See "Windows
Server 2003 Reduces Fear of Group Policy". |
| TSRDA |
Terminal Services Remote Desktop for
Administration |
Facilitates the remote administration of Windows PCs and servers. |
See the sidebar "Terminal Services and Remote Administration". |
| WinPE |
Windows Preinstallation Environment |
Facilitates the initial installation of the OS on a bare-metal PC. |
See the sidebar "Initial Software Installation". |
| WMIC |
Windows Management Instrumentation Command
Line |
Facilitates the command-line creation and execution of WMI-based scripts. |
See the sidebar "New Scripting Attitude". |
| USMT |
User State Migration Tools |
Facilitates the one-time movement of users’ files and configuration data from an existing to a new PC. |
See the sidebar "User-State Migration". |
 |
|
