Chapter 22. Advanced Network Manangement

This section documents peripheral issues that are of great importance to network administrators who want to improve network resource access control, to automate the user environment, and to make their lives a little easier. -

Features and Benefits

Often the difference between a working network environment and a well appreciated one can best be measured by the little things that makes everything work more harmoniously. A key part of every network environment solution is the ability to remotely @@ -13,7 +12,7 @@ network operations.

This chapter presents information on each of these area. They are placed here, and not in other chapters, for ease of reference. -

Remote Server Administration

How do I get 'User Manager' and 'Server Manager'?

Since I don't need to buy an NT4 Server, how do I get the 'User Manager for Domains', @@ -27,30 +26,30 @@ Click here to download the archived file Windows NT 4.0 version of the 'User Manager for Domains' and 'Server Manager' are available from Microsoft via ftp from ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Softlib/MSLFILES/SRVTOOLS.EXE -

Remote Desktop Management

There are a number of possible remote desktop management solutions that range from free through costly. Do not let that put you off. Sometimes the most costly solutions is the most cost effective. In any case, you will need to draw your own conclusions as to which is the best tool in your network environment. -

Remote Management from NoMachines.Com

The following information was posted to the Samba mailing list at Apr 3 23:33:50 GMT 2003. It is presented in slightly edited form (with author details omitted for privacy reasons). The entire answer is reproduced below with some comments removed. -

-> I have a wounderfull linux/samba server running as pdc for a network. -> Now I would like to add remote desktop capabilites so that +

+> I have a wonderful linux/samba server running as PDC for a network.
+> Now I would like to add remote desktop capabilities so that
 > users outside could login to the system and get their desktop up from
 > home or another country..
 >
-> Is there a way to acomplish this? Do I need a windows terminal server?
+> Is there a way to accomplish this? Do I need a windows terminal server?
 > Do I need to configure it so that it is a member of the domain or a
 > BDC,PDC? Are there any hacks for MS Windows XP to enable remote login
 > even if the computer is in a domain?
 >
 > Any ideas/experience would be appreciated :)
-

Answer provided: Check out the new offer from NoMachine, "NX" software: http://www.nomachine.com/.

@@ -62,7 +61,7 @@ is the best tool in your network environment. a new way of compression and caching technologies which makes the thing fast enough to run even over slow modem/ISDN connections.

- I could testdrive their (public) RedHat machine in Italy, over a loaded + I could test drive their (public) RedHat machine in Italy, over a loaded internet connection, with enabled thumbnail previews in KDE konqueror which popped up immediately on "mouse-over". From inside that (remote X) session I started a rdesktop session on another, a Windows XP machine. @@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ is the best tool in your network environment. in Italy) to my Mozilla mailing agent... These guys are certainly doing something right!

- I recommend to testdrive NX to anybody with a only a remote interest + I recommend to test drive NX to anybody with a only a remote interest in remote computing http://www.nomachine.com/testdrive.php.

@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ is the best tool in your network environment.

Now the best thing at the end: all the core compression and caching technologies are released under the GPL and available as source code - to anybody who wants to build on it! These technolgies are working, + to anybody who wants to build on it! These technologies are working, albeit started from the command line only (and very inconvenient to use in order to get a fully running remote X session up and running....)

@@ -120,22 +119,22 @@ is the best tool in your network environment. NoMachine are encouraging and offering help to OSS/Free Software implementations for such a frontend too, even if it means competition to them (they have written to this effect even to the LTSP, KDE and GNOME developer mailing lists) -

Network Logon Script Magic

This section needs work. Volunteer contributions most welcome. Please send your patches or updates to John Terpstra.

There are several opportunities for creating a custom network startup configuration environment. -

No Logon Script

Simple universal Logon Script that applies to all users

Use of a conditional Logon Script that applies per user or per group attirbutes

Use of Samba's Preexec and Postexec functions on access to the NETLOGON share to create +

No Logon Script

Simple universal Logon Script that applies to all users

Use of a conditional Logon Script that applies per user or per group attributes

Use of Samba's Preexec and Postexec functions on access to the NETLOGON share to create a custom Logon Script and then execute it.

User of a tool such as KixStart

The Samba source code tree includes two logon script generation/execution tools. See examples directory genlogon and ntlogon subdirectories.

The following listings are from the genlogon directory. -

This is the genlogon.pl file: -

+
 	#!/usr/bin/perl
 	#
 	# genlogon.pl
@@ -207,18 +206,18 @@ This is the genlogon.pl file:
 
 	# All done! Close the output file.
 	close LOGON;
-

-
+

Those wishing to use more elaborate or capable logon processing system should check out the following sites: -

http://www.craigelachie.org/rhacer/ntlogon

http://www.kixtart.org

http://support.microsoft.com/default.asp?scid=kb;en-us;189105

Adding printers without user intervention

http://www.craigelachie.org/rhacer/ntlogon

http://www.kixtart.org

http://support.microsoft.com/default.asp?scid=kb;en-us;189105

Adding printers without user intervention

Printers may be added automatically during logon script processing through the use of: -

 	rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /?
-

See the documentation in the Microsoft knowledgebase article no: 189105. -

Common Errors

The information provided in this chapter has been reproduced from postings on the samba@samba.org mailing list. No implied endorsement or recommendation is offered. Administrators should conduct their own evaluation of alternatives and are encouraged to draw their own conclusions. -- cgit