Innovative Technology Weblog » Windows

Windows Quota’s based on Group Membership

Benno Zelders — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:20:31 +0000

I noticed that is currently is impossible or at least difficult to apply Disk Quota’s based on Security Groups instead on Folder location / users. In this article I will try to explain a solution for this problem.

To successfully apply quota’s to groups, you need the following things:

Windows 2008 Domain Controllers for Group Policy Preferences
File Server Resource Manager (available on Windows Server 2003 R2 and Server 2008)
A single file server
Security Groups
Vb Scripts
Event triggered tasks

In this situation, there are 3 quota templates defined in the File Server Resource Manager:

Bronze (100 MB), applied to the share \\SERVER1\HOME$\BRONZE
Silver (200 MB), applied to the share \\SERVER1\HOME$\SILVER
Gold (500 MB), applied to the share \\SERVER1\HOME$\GOLD

Ok here we go! This how-to is pretty straight forward, so if I am going to fast plz let me know!

1: Create the required QUOTA templates in FSRM (BRONZE, SILVER, GOLD)

2: Create a HOME$ share on a fileserver (in this example SERVER1)

3: For every QUOTA template, create a separate subfolder with the Quota name (BRONZE, SILVER and GOLD).

4: Apply the QUOTA templates on the in step 3 created folders (BRONZE -> BRONZE. SILVER -> SILVER etc)

5: Create three security Groups (in this example BRONZE, SILVER and GOLD)

6: Create a folder redirection policy for Desktop and Documents and configure it as show in the pictures below:

(pictures only show the BRONZE part, also add the SILVER and GOLD Groups\locations)

(configure redirection based on Security Groups and make sure the “Move the contents of ….. to the new location” is not checked!)

7: Create a VBS for every QUOTA as shown below and place them on a centrally accessible share (\\DOMAINNAME.LOCAL\NETLOGON\SCRIPTS for example):

The script moves the user files to the correct ‘quota’ location. If the user is member of the group “BRONZE”, all the files are moved from the \\SERVER1\HOME$\SILVER and \\SERVER1\HOME$\GOLD share to the BRONZE location.

8: For every QUOTA, create shortcuts using Group Policy Preferences (User Configurarion\Preferences\Windows Settings\Shortcuts) and target them as shown in the third picture (example is for the BRONZE quota, they also have to be created for SILVER and GOLD):

!!IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE IDENTICAL NAMES FOR THE SHORTCUTS!!!

The reason is that the appropriate shortcut is created based on group membership. If the user is added to a different group, the shortcut is overwritten.

Target path is the location of the VBS files. In this example it is \\DOMAINNAME\NETLOGON\SCRIPTS\BRONZE.VBS

As you can see, this shortcut is only updated for users that are member of the BRONZE group. If they are also member of the SILVER / GOLD group, nothing will be changed.

Now the final part (optional, but highly recommended)

Create a event triggered tasks to:

Remove the user from the groups SILVER and GOLD if added to BRONZE
Remove the user from the groups BRONZE and GOLD if added to SILVER
Remove the user from the groups BRONZE and SILVER if added to GOLD

How to do this can be found in the following blogpost http://www.buit.org/2009/07/16/event-based-triggered-tasks/.

Et Voila! Quota’s can be applied to Groups instead of users

Regards,

Benno Zelders

Microsoft launches System Center Mobile Device Manager

Erik Luppes — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:45:32 +0000

Helping to propel large-scale mobile phone deployments by businesses, Microsoft announced at CTIA Wireless 2008 the immediate availability of System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 and plans for a Microsoft Mobile Services Plan (MMSP) to be available from mobile operators worldwide. Together with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1, the software and services provide the best solution for midsize and large businesses to manage and help protect Windows Mobile phones.

“With Microsoft’s mobile solutions, businesses now have the power, control and flexibility over how they deliver information to their employees on the go,” said John O’Rourke, general manager, Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft. “Together with our partners, we’re helping enterprises extend their reach like never before.”

Microsoft saw positive response to early trial programs for Mobile Device Manager. Companies across the financial, manufacturing and professional services industries also requested that mobile operators deliver a core set of software and services to help businesses meet their management needs.

A study conducted by Microsoft with large and midsize organizations showed businesses would like to move beyond their current mobile solutions to offer more sophisticated services. Mobile Device Manager meets their needs by offering the following benefits:

• Features to manage phones with the same ease and flexibility as Windows-based PCs, addressing IT priorities for saving resources and protecting information

• Capability to help protect sensitive business files and e-mails, contacts and other information through file and storage card encryption on the phone should it be lost or stolen

• Ability to access more of the information mobile workers need for staying on top of their jobs via a mobile virtual private network, which provides security-enhanced access to company data and application updates over the air

Mobile Services Plan Enriches End-to-End Experience

Today leading operators AT&T, O2, Orange, TaTa Teleservices Ltd. and Verizon Wireless announced they are in discussions with Microsoft to deliver the Microsoft Mobile Services Plan. MMSP is a set of core software and services that provides a uniform experience across Windows Mobile 6.1 phones, whether working with one or more operators, saving time and resources so companies can focus on other areas of mobility. Beginning later in 2008, operators plan to offer a subscription plan that will bring businesses the following:

• A corporate-grade network and data plan to support enterprise applications and services to help people get work done with the responsiveness they expect from the network and the efficient use of battery power they want on their phones

• A package from mobile operators, including access rights to Mobile Device Manager as well as the advanced mobile management features of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1), Microsoft Services Premier Support and Software Assurance for Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Office Mobile running on Windows Mobile 6.1-based phones.

Fast-Growing Network of Partners Open for Business

Responding to the opportunity created by Mobile Device Manager and complementing the MMSP, a large network of global partners are ready to integrate and deploy into existing systems as well as create custom solutions for businesses. Among the first companies that worked with Microsoft to support early trial programs are AT&T Inc., EDS, Enterprise Mobile, HP, O2, Orange, SAT Corp. and Verizon Wireless.

“Given AT&T’s leadership in the Windows Mobile space, AT&T is excited that Mobile Device Manager is now a reality for our enterprise customers,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Marketing and Operations for AT&T’s wireless unit. “Every day, mobile devices become more ubiquitous throughout the enterprise, and the need to securely manage those devices, data and applications is critical for IT organizations. Through our early adopter trials, our customers are responding positively to AT&T’s deployment and optimization plans for Mobile Device Manager and are eager to adopt the first end-to-end wireless-focused enterprise solution that can maximize their investments in Microsoft technology.”

A wave of Windows Mobile 6.1 phones and operator networks supporting Mobile Device Manager is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2008 from Alltel Wireless, ASUS, AT&T, HP, HTC Corp., i-mate, Intermec Inc., Motorola, O2, Orange, Palm Inc., Pantech, Samsung, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, Sprint, Tata Teleservices Ltd., TELUS, Toshiba and Verizon Wireless.

Read more at the System Center Mobile Device Manager Site :

Also Microsoft has posted a few tools to deploy and troubleshoot System Center Mobile Device Manager :
• MDM Self Service Portal
• MDM Server Tools
• MDM Client Tools
• MDM Best Practices Analyzer Tool

These tools can be found at Technet

For a Demo of System Center Mobile Device Manager please take a look at this video:
Mobile Device Manager Demo

Why Linux will not displace Windows

Wiebe Niehof — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:48:16 +0000

I found this post on ZDNET and it totally convinced me!

===========================

“You are kidding arent you ?

Are you saying that this linux can run on a computer without windows underneath it, at all ? As in, without a boot disk, without any drivers, and without any services ?That sounds preposterous to me.

If it were true (and I doubt it), then companies would be selling computers without a windows. This clearly is not happening, so there must be some error in your calculations. I hope you realise that windows is more than just Office ? Its a whole system that runs the computer from start to finish, and that is a very difficult thing to acheive. A lot of people dont realise this.

Microsoft just spent $9 billion and many years to create Vista, so it does not sound reasonable that some new alternative could just snap into existence overnight like that. It would take billions of dollars and a massive effort to achieve. IBM tried, and spent a huge amount of money developing OS/2 but could never keep up with Windows. Apple tried to create their own system for years, but finally gave up recently and moved to Intel and Microsoft.

Its just not possible that a freeware like the Linux could be extended to the point where it runs the entire computer fron start to finish, without using some of the more critical parts of windows. Not possible.

I think you need to re-examine your assumptions. ”

http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-12355-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=31199&messageID=579806&start=-9530