Deploy Software Using Group Policy Management Console

 

Deploy Software Using Group Policy Management Console

 

Group Policy Management Console

Group Policy is a feature of the Microsoft operating systems that controls the working environment of user accounts and computer accounts. Group Policy provides the centralized management and configuration of operating systems, applications, and users' settings in an Active Directory environment. Group Policy is a hierarchical infrastructure that allows an administrator in charge of Microsoft's Active Directory to implement specific configurations for users and computers. Group Policy can also be used to define user, security and networking policies at the machine level.

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Also View: Install Windows Deployment Services (WDS) Role
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Why Group Policy

Group Policy is the feature available in Windows Server Operating System. Group policy is a collection of settings which can be applied on computers and users. With group policy administrator can centrally manage the computers and users. Eases administration using group policy. Group policy is not the great way to install software’s on large scale. There are plenty of other tools are available for mass deployment of software’s in your network such as SCCM etc. We are here going to deploy some basic software’s, such as Google Chrome, Adobe Reader etc. With the help of group policy we can deploy this kind of software’s in our environment efficiently. There are two types of Group Policy consoles. First is Local Group Policy Editor and second is Group Policy Management Console which is known as GPMC in Windows Server Operating System.

Understanding Windows Updates and Automatic Updates

 Understanding Windows Updates and Automatic Updates

Understanding Windows Update and Automatic Update

Windows is a complicated system with many components and files. To keep Windows reliable and secure, you must check whether Microsoft has released any Windows updates, including fixes, patches, service packs, and updated device drivers. If updates are available, you should apply them to your Windows system. By adding fixes and patches, you’ll keep Windows stable and secure. One way to keep Windows up to date is to use the Windows Update program, which scans your system to determine the updates and fixes your system needs. You then have the opportunity to select, download, and install each update.

Install Windows Deployment Services (WDS) Role

Install Windows Deployment Services (WDS)

Windows Deployment Services (WDS) Role

WDS is a server role that is included with Windows Server 2012. Therefore, before you can use WDS, you must install the WDS role and configure the services. Then you need to create and add the images that you want to deploy.

WDS is a standard server role that can be installed using the Server Manager console and

Includes the following two role services:

• Deployment Server: Provides full functionality of WDS. It includes an image repository (including boot images, install images, and other files necessary for remote installation over a network), PXE server for remote computers to boot, and a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server to transfer files over the network. TFTP is similar to FTP, but uses User Datagram Protocol (UDP) instead of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) for less overhead (simpler packets that can be processed faster than TCP packets because UDP does not require the use of acknowledgments). In addition, the Deployment Server includes tools to create and customize images.
• Transport Server: While required by the Deployment Server, the Transport Server role is a subset of WDS functionality, but can also be used for custom solutions. The Transport Server can also use multicasting, which allows one set of packets to be sent to multiple computers simultaneously.

How to Deploy Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Server

DHCP stand for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. What is DHCP or Understanding DHCP is also important thing to know before you deploy DHCP Server.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

DHCP servers operate independently. You must install the service and configure scopes on every computer that will function as a DHCP server. The DHCP Server service is packaged as a role in Windows Server 2012, which you can install by using the Add Roles and Features Wizard, accessible from the Server Manager console.

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Also View: How to Configure Volume Shadow Services (VSS)
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When you install the DHCP Server role on a computer that is a member of an Active Directory Domain Services domain, the DHCP Server is automatically authorized to allocate IP addresses to clients that are members of the same domain. If the server is not a domain member when you install the role, and you join it to a domain later, you must manually authorize the DHCP server in the domain by right-clicking the server node in the DHCP console and, from the shortcut menu, selecting Authorize. After installing the DHCP Server role, you must configure the service by creating a scope before it can serve clients.

Understanding of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. 

DHCP is a service that automatically configures the IP address and other TCP/IP settings on network computers by assigning addresses from a pool (called a scope) and reclaiming them when they are no longer in use.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

Aside from being a time-consuming chore, manually configuring TCP/IP clients can result in typographical errors that cause addressing conflicts that interrupt network communications. DHCP prevents these errors and provides many other advantages, including automatic assignment of new addresses when computers are moved from one subnet to another and automatic reclamation of addresses that are no longer in use.

DHCP COMPONENTS

• A DHCP server application, which responds to client requests for TCP/IP configuration settings
• A DHCP client, which issues requests to servers and applies the TCP/IP configuration settings it receives to the local computer
• A DHCP communications protocol, which defines the formats and sequences of the messages exchanged by DHCP clients and servers

The DHCP standards define three different IP address allocation methods, which are as follows:

• Dynamic allocation The DHCP server assigns an IP address to a client computer from a scope for a specified length of time. Each client must periodically renew the lease to continue using the address. If the client allows the lease to expire, the address is returned to the scope for reassignment to another client.
• Automatic allocation The DHCP server permanently assigns an IP address to a client computer from a scope. Once the DHCP server assigns the address to the client, the only way to change it is to manually reconfigure the computer.
• Manual allocation The DHCP server permanently assigns a specific IP address to a specific computer on the network. In the Windows Server 2012 DHCP server, manually allocated addresses are called reservations.

DHCP communications use eight different types of messages, all of which use the same basic packet format. DHCP traffic is carried within standard UDP/IP datagrams, using port 67 at the server and port 68 at the client.

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Also View: How to Configure Volume Shadow Services (VSS)
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DHCP options

The DHCP options field is a catch-all area designed to carry the various parameters (other than the IP address) used to configure the client system’s TCP/IP stack. Because you can con¬figure a DHCP server to deliver many options to clients, defining separate fields for each one would be impractical.

THE DHCP MESSAGE TYPE OPTION

The DHCP Message Type option identifies the overall function of the DHCP message and is required in all DHCP packets. The DHCP communication protocol defines eight different mes¬sage types, as follows:

• DHCPDISCOVER Used by clients to request configuration parameters from a DHCP server
• DHCPOFFER Used by servers to offer IP addresses to requesting clients
• DHCPREQUEST Used by clients to accept or renew an IP address assignment
• DHCPDECLINE Used by clients to reject an offered IP address
• DHCPACK Used by servers to acknowledge a client’s acceptance of an offered IP address
• DHCPNAK Used by servers to reject a client’s acceptance of an offered IP address
• DHCPRELEASE Used by clients to terminate an IP address lease
• DHCPINFORM Used by clients to obtain additional TCP/IP configuration parameters from a server

BOOTP INFORMATION

These options include many of the basic TCP/IP configuration parameters used by most client systems, such as the following:

• Subnet Mask Specifies which bits of the IP address identify the host system and which bits identify the network where the host system resides
• Router Specifies the IP address of the router (or default gateway) on the local network segment the client should use to transmit to systems on other network segments
• Domain Name Server Specifies the IP addresses of the servers the client will use for DNS name resolution
• Host Name Specifies the DNS host name the client will use
• Domain Name Specifies the name of the DNS domain on which the system will reside

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Check out: How to Deploy Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Server
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DHCP EXTENSIONS

These options are used to provide parameters that govern the DHCP lease negotiation and renewal processes.

• Requested IP Address Used by the client to request a particular IP address from the server
• IP Address Lease Time Specifies the duration of a dynamically allocated IP address lease
• Server Identifier Specifies the IP address of the server involved in a DHCP transaction; used by the client to address unicasts to the server
• Parameter Request List Used by the client to send a list of requested configuration options (identified by their code numbers) to the server
• Message Used to carry an error message from the server to the client in a DHCPNAK message
• Renewal (T1) time value Specifies the time period that must elapse before an IP address lease enters the renewing state
• Rebinding (T2) time value Specifies the time period that must elapse before an IP address lease enters the rebinding state

This is all about Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.

Add Multiple Servers in Windows Server 2012 Server Manager

Add Multiple Servers in Windows Server 2012 Server Manager

Server Manager

Windows server 2012 preceded by Windows server 2008 R2. Windows server 2012 has more enhancements and improvements than Windows server 2008 R2. Although some features also deprecated from latest server operating system such as DCPROMO. So, we are here to look an exciting remote capabilities of Microsoft’s Windows Server 2012 operating system. We are going to cover Add Multiple Servers in Windows Server 2012 Server Manager.

Windows Server 2012 is designed to facilitate remote server management so administrators rarely if ever have to work directly at the server console. This conserves server resources that can better be devoted to applications.

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Also View: How to Configure Volume Shadow Service (VSS)
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Server manager is great tool. With the help of windows server 2012 operating system’s server manager we can do a lot of things. Server manager is primary server administration tool ever since Windows Server 2003. The most important improvement is server manager tool in windows server 2012 is the ability to perform administrative tasks on remote server as well as on local server also.

How to Configure Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)

Volume Shadow Copy Service

Friends today I am going to share a piece of information with you. Information regarding How to Configure Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). Well you might wonder why? Because in recent days somebody (I don't know who is he) come to my office sit on computer for some official work and change my entire very very important project file. This catastrophe happens to me before my presentation day. So I did what I did to create my presentation once again and then I realize I have to do something. Something very important. Then I Configure Volume Shadow Copy Service or VSS and Now I want you to configure this if you have sensitive information because this is really big deal. You could save your valuable data and most important your valuable time. So first of all What is Volume Shadow Copy Service or VSS? Let's look at it....

Volume Shadow Copy Service is a feature of Windows Server operating system that enables you to maintain previous version of files on a server. If you accidentally edit or delete any file (which is configured with VSS) then in this scenario you can access or retrieve your original file.

Volume Shadow Copy Service was first added to Microsoft Windows XP. It can only create temporary snapshots, used for accessing stable on-disk version of files that are opened for editing. This version of Volume Shadow Copy Service is used by NTBackup. But we are here looking Volume Shadow Copy Service of Windows Server 2012.