OIT's Unity Labs Active Directory Windows Environment

Current Novell Status

• NoApps and MinApps images are available

• Apps image will be available on August 10th, we’ll announce on the Wolfprep list

• Imaging service• Zen Imaging for pre GX760 Dell Optiplex• WDS for GX760• OIT will create an image to support the upcoming GX780

• List of applications is at http://oit.ncsu.edu/unity-lab-environment/fall-2009-applications

AD Deployment Timeline

• OU layout set – July 2• Imaging service• Default image – July 2 

o Drivers for supported hardware – July 2 GX620 GX745 GX755 GX760

o  All supported platforms tested  July 10o  Load testing  -- July 10

• Basic group policies determined --  July 10 • Complete testing of basic group policies -- July 17 • All group policies determined  -- July 24  • Complete testing of all group policies – July 31 • Begin testing of printing – July 20

Timeline (cont'd)

• End testing of printing – August 3rd • Begin testing application delivery  July 17• Complete testing application delivery July 31• All testing completed – August 3rd• Migrate those Unity Labs that make up the pilot evaluation – August 10 

o  Sullivan (29)o  Honors Village (13)o  FYC (21)

• Evaluate pilot rollout complete – September 24• Deploy to remaining Unity Labs – October 8 • Migrate ClassTech classrooms – December 18 

Imaging Solution

• Using campus Centralized WDS service• wds@lists.ncsu.edu• OIT will be providing a base Windows XP SP3 image on the

WDS server with Internet Explorer 8• Office 2007 pre-installed due to GPO deployment issues• Workstation Objects will need to be prestaged in the

appropriate OU using hostname and MAC address • Drivers for the following hardware/VMs:

Dell Optiplex GX620, Optiplex 745, Optiplex 755, Optiplex 760, and Sun VirtualBox

• Use the PXE-all, WDS-Main, or WDS-Centennial DHCP templates

Default Desktop Settings

• No roaming profile• Redirected folders to AFS Home (K:)

o My Documentso IE Favoriteso Firefox Settings

• Local profile not saved after logout• Cannot save to Desktop• All Users Desktop icons for IE, My Documents, My

Computer, Firefox and NCSU Webmail

Application Delivery

• All apps will install post-imaging using Group Policy, except for Office 2007

• Using the WolfTech AD software deployment architecture, you decide which apps get installed for your labs

 http://www.wolftech.ncsu.edu/support/support/Active_Directory/Software_Distribution

OS patching

• Microsoft patches provided through campus centralized WSUS servers

• Target groups set through Group Policy 

http://www.wolftech.ncsu.edu/support/support/Active_Directory/Service_Groups/WSUS/Target_Groups

WolfCopy Accounted Printing

• Uses the WolfPrint Samba based printing• Requires WINS settings, same as Novell environment,

included in PXE-all, WDS-main, and WDS-centennial DHCP templates

• Additional Group Policy security settings needed to override domain defaults

Support

  • help@ncsu.edu• wolftech-ad@lists.ncsu.edu• wds@lists.ncsu.edu

Jabber Chat Room• activedirectory@conference.jabber.eos.ncsu.edu• http://www.itecs.ncsu.edu/systems/site/pages/using-jabb

er

Governance and service groups

  • Active Directory Policy Committee

• Active Directory Technical Committee

• WDS Service Group

• WSUS Service Group

http://www.wolftech.ncsu.edu/support/support/Active_Directory/Service_Groups

Future plans

  • OS upgrade• tentative plan is to upgrade from Windows XP

to Windows 7 for Fall 2010.• User file system change from AFS to CIFS,

currently no timeline is available.• OIT’s plan is for a unified desktop environment

that serves both administrative and academic users.

• Desktop management solution

Questions?