Although this book is about ZENworks for Desktops, several other ZENworks products are now available from Novell, Inc. Currently Novell offers the following products in the ZENworks family:
• ZENworks for Desktops—A desktop management system that manages many workstation aspects.
• ZENworks for Servers—A system that enables you to manage servers and to distribute files across the network.
• ZENworks for Handhelds—A system that enables you to manage policies, applications, and inventory on PDA devices.
All ZENworks products rely significantly on the directory, specifically Novell Directory Services, to provide a greater manageability level, and greater ease, for each component in the network.
All of the ZENworks products are cross-platform compatible; they can run not only in NetWare environments, but also in Windows, Linux, and Solaris environments (without the need for NetWare). Novell is bundling these products into a suite—expected in 2003—that will continue the trend toward integration of all of the ZENworks management components.
ZENworks for Desktops is a desktop management system that has been developed by Novell, Inc. The ZENworks in ZENworks for Desktops stands for Zero Effort Networks and is named to reflect the lack of effort required for users and the minimum effort necessary for the administrator to manage the desktops in their systems.
The goal of ZENworks for Desktops is to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) for dealing with all the workstations in the network. This is achieved by special attempts to reduce the effort necessary to manage the desktops.
ZENworks for Desktops is segmented into three desktop management and maintenance areas, which are discussed in the following sections. These include Application, Workstation, and Remote Management.
The ZENworks Application Management area for Desktops is designed to easily deploy applications from the network to individual desktops. These applications can be automatically installed on the workstation, cached for later installation, or just have an icon applied to a desktop that references a software executable or installation bundle on a server in the network. All the applications that are deployed to the desktop enable the administrator to control when they are deployed, how they are applied, and who or which desktops get certain applications.
ZENworks for Desktops also enables you to customize the settings for each user by referencing values in Novell Directory Services (NDS) or eDirectory and embedding them in the Registry keys and files for the particular applications. Then, when that application is deployed to the desktop, these values are customized for the particular user. In addition to customization, the ZENworks for Desktops Application Management portion includes the capability to help you equalize the usage on the network through its load-balancing features. ZENworks attempts to make the application always available with its fault-tolerance features.
With the integration of NDS, ZENworks for Desktops Application Management ensures that the applications follow the users to whichever desktop they use in the network, keeping their connection to the network always functioning in a familiar way.
ZENworks for Desktops Application Management has features that enable you to distribute and assign applications to users, thus making the management of application for desktops and your users on the desktop simple and consistent.
ZENworks for Desktops Application Management features are currently provided for the following platforms: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
Workstation Management refers to the capability of the administrator to affect direct changes on the desktop and manage the Registry, Novell clients, desktop images, printers, and even ZAW and ZAK policies (that is, Windows Group Policies) of the Windows operating systems. With the Novell Directory Services advantages, you can make changes to a Configuration object that affects the client, for example, and then apply those changes to all or a portion of the workstations in your entire organization. Due to the inheritance rules of NDS, and the introduction of Workstation objects into the tree, these Configuration objects can be applied to many users and workstations in the tree by associations with objects, groups, or containers.
Microsoft introduced to their Windows environments the products ZAW (Zero-Administration Workstation) and ZAK (Zero-Administration Kit) as a first step in enabling administrators to manage the workstation. These products resulted in Registry settings that could be stored in a .POL file and then accessed by each workstation as it attaches to the server. These Registry settings would then be applied to the workstation, resulting in the interface the administrator wanted for the users.
ZENworks for Desktops has taken the ZAW and ZAK features of Windows to the next level by providing these Registry manipulations (resulting in desktop changes) and placing them into the NDS tree. Rather than having to create a .POL file and deploy it across the network servers, an administrator can administer the same features in NDS. Once the ZAW and ZAK features have been administered into the NDS system, that “policy” can then be applied to any workstation in the system or follow any users as they move from desktop to desktop, regardless of which server they are working on in the tree. Novell, through ZENworks for Desktops, has truly introduced fault-tolerance and manageability to these policies introduced by Microsoft.
ZENworks for Desktops also enables the administrator to create a Configuration object for the Novell client. Then all workstations that are associated with this Configuration object use the configurations specified to manage the client. There was one customer that was told by Novell that in order to fix the problem they needed to change only one line in the NET.CFG file of the client. The customer was not too happy because they had over 10,000 clients of that type and determined that it would take them years with their current staff to make that change. Now, with ZENworks for Desktops, the administrator can make the change in one Client configuration policy object and the change is then forwarded to clients of all associated workstations. The change becomes effective the next time the users log into the system. This one change is made in minutes instead of years.
In addition, the ZENworks for Desktops Workstation Management feature includes a desktop hardware inventory. An inventory sweet spot is stored in the Workstation object. It is associated with the physical workstation device. This inventory can be useful to administrators in understanding the workstation capabilities as they manage and maintain the desktop.
Additionally, ZENworks for Desktops provides a complete hardware and software scanning capability that is stored in a separate database. A link exists between the Workstation objects and the database, allowing you easy access to the scanned information. Reports are also included with ZENworks for Desktops that provide you useful, tabular information of what is stored in the scanned database.
Included with the ZENworks for Desktops Workstation Management features are enhanced versions of the original Workstation Manager 1.0 (WSM) features that include dynamic Windows NT/2000 account management. Enhanced versions of the account management give even greater control to the NT administrator. When these users log into NDS, they have a local account automatically created and customized for the particular user. When they log out, this account can remain or can be removed from the local Windows NT/2000 system.
Through the ZENworks for Desktops Workstation Management features, Novell provides the capability to manage all desktop aspects including access to basic Windows features and to the automatic printer deployment. Like many ZENworks for Desktops features, these capabilities follow users as they move across the organization from one workstation to another, including the printer drivers and printers.
ZENworks for Desktops Workstation Management features are currently provided for the following platforms: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
The ZENworks for Desktops Remote Management feature includes the capability to discover information about the workstation and to perform some remote diagnostics and repairs on that workstation. As mentioned earlier, ZENworks for Desktops introduces into the tree a new object representing the workstation. This Workstation object is associated with the physical desktop and is a repository for information about the specific desktop. The administrator can then use this information in determining how to most effectively maintain and repair that desktop.
In addition to the introduction of the Workstation object, the Remote Management feature of ZENworks for Desktops provides the administrator with the capability of eDirectory Authenticated Remote Control. The eDirectory Authenticated Remote Control feature keeps anyone who does not have rights to control a particular workstation from being able to control the system remotely. This way administrators and users are assured that only authorized personnel can remote control their desktops.
To help in workstation diagnostics and repair, Remote Management of ZENworks includes remote diagnostics, and file transfer capabilities. These also require proper rights in the eDirectory tree in order to perform the tasks.
ZENworks for Desktops Remote Management features are currently provided for the following platforms: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
ZENworks for Desktops continues to mature with new developments in desktop platforms, such as Windows XP, and with collaborating software. ZENworks for Desktops 4 is more user friendly for administrators and users alike.
ZENworks for Desktops 4 has been updated to fully support the Windows XP environment and still supports Windows 98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000.
Note
You can no longer create new policies for Windows 95 workstations or users. Continued support for Windows 95 workstations can be provided by running both ZENworks for Desktop 3.2 and ZENworks for Desktops 4 in the same tree.
ZENworks for Desktops 4 works on a NetWare only, Windows only, or NetWare and Windows mixed server environment. If you need ZENworks for Desktops 4 to work in a pure Windows environment, you need to run NDS for Windows Servers or eDirectory for Windows Servers in order for the NDS directory to be available.
ZENworks for Desktops 4 uses standard Internet protocols and commonly open ports to communicate between desktops and the ZENworks server. This creates exciting new possibilities by allowing you to manage workstations outside your firewall.
It is no longer necessary to have the Novell Client installed on the workstation in order to utilize the Application Management features of ZENworks. ZENworks services—including software distribution and update, shortcuts, HTTP links, and thin client sessions—are now available through Web-based service delivery. All ZENworks for Desktops features are fully available without the client and through this HTTP connection to a Web server.
This policy replaces the traditional printer policies, creating a universal print policy that is highly effective. The new Novell iPrint policy allows you to install the Novell iPrint client to user workstations, giving users the capability to use their Web browsers to install printers on their workstation. Once these printers have been installed, they can be used just as any other printer regardless of the physical location of that printer. For instance, a user in Colorado could print a needed document on a printer located in the California extension of the company.
The ZENworks for Desktops policy takes advantage of the new clientless management features and allows you to configure two agents within the policy. The ZENworks Management Agent allows clients to access the Middle Tier server (Web server with ZENworks servlets) using an IP address from outside the firewall.
The Application Launcher/Explorer is no longer dependent on the Novell Client. This makes for several changes in this area:
• Access to eDirectory can be provided to the user through the ZENworks Management Agent and ZENworks Middle Tier software. It is also possible to use the Application Browser (a Web browser view) instead of or in addition to Application Launcher or Application Explorer to view distributed applications.
• Application Dependencies enables you to establish a list of applications that must be installed before an application can be distributed, thus allowing you to install dependent applications in the order that they are required.
• Application Launcher/Explorer can generate event reports including install, uninstall, launch, and cache in XML format and send the reports via HTTP to a specified target URL.
• Application Launcher/Explorer supports script engines other than the Novell Client script engine, which means that you can specify your own engine when running a distribution script or launch script.
• The Application object for an MSI (Microsoft System Installer) application now enables you to define patches you want applied during the distribution process. You can also specify actions (such as reinstall all files, reinstall old file, and so on) that will occur when a user verifies an MSI application. You can also affect the individual configuration settings within an MSI file through the Application object.
• The Random Refresh feature instructs Application Launcher/Explorer to retrieve its application information from the user's cache directory during startup and then refreshes that information from eDirectory at a later time. This allows you to reduce network traffic during peak times.
• Rogue Processes Management enables you to find and stop application processes not launched by Application Launcher/Explorer. You can administer these processes to not only be tracked, but also terminated.
• In order to accommodate different connections, Application Launcher/Explorer now supports three modes. The local mode is used when Application Launcher/Explorer is connected to eDirectory through a fast connection; for example, a LAN connection. The Remote mode is used when the connection is slow, as in a modem connection. The Disconnect setting is used when the user is not connected to the network and Application Launcher/Explorer access to eDirectory is not possible. All directory information is retrieved from a local cache.
The following features have been added to enhance Application Launcher/Explorer's new remote capabilities:
• Terminal server applications and Web applications that work across slower connections better than standard applications do.
• Checkpoint Restart provides users with a timeframe for how long it will take to download a standard application during distribution and, when remotely connected, enables users to postpone an in-progress download.
• Remote Alternate Application enables you to specify an alternative application to use when a user is in remote mode rather than local mode. For example, when the user is accessing the application while in remote mode, you might want it run through a terminal server.
ZENworks for Desktops 4 introduces the following enhancements to workstation imaging:
• Performance enhancements that enable you to restore images on IDE hard disks much faster.
• Support for USB keyboards, thus enabling you to use USB keyboards in the imaging engine on the workstation.
• The capability to start a multicast session from the imaging server console.
• The capability to store DNS information for a workstation in the policies/image-safe data.
• PXE support, which was previously delivered through another ZENworks product. Using PXE, you can deliver images and applications to your workstations at boot time.
ZENworks for Desktops 4 introduces the following new features for remote workstation management:
• Remote management independent of the Novell client—even across a firewall—through a middle-tier server.
• Support for initiation remote management operations from the user object as well as the Workstation object. This enables you to administrate users from whatever workstation they are logged into.
• Remote management of workstations across a firewall, through a middle-tier server.
• An optional password security feature for remote control. This feature allows you to remote control a workstation with an IP address and a password that is set by the remote user. You no longer are required to have a Workstation object in order to perform remote control.
ZENworks for Desktops 4 introduces the following new features for workstation inventory:
• Support for using a NetWare 6 server as an inventory server.
• Support for using MS SQL Server 2000 as the inventory database engine.
• Support for roll-up of inventory across multiple Novell eDirectory trees.
• Support for roll-up of inventory data across a firewall.
• Additional scanning support allowing you to use user-defined attributes to collect inventory data that is not collected from the workstation by default.
• Additional scanning support that collects the product identification number of any application, including Microsoft applications from workstations.
• Additional scanning support that allows you to scan the full path of applications on workstations.
• Additional status data allowing you to view the scan status of a workstation in the inventory database from a specified time.
• Additional support for ZENworks for Servers 3.
• Support allowing workstation inventory to access the eDirectory through LDAP.
ZENworks for Desktops 4 includes the following Novell products to simplify the use of ZENworks in non-NetWare, non-eDirectory environments:
• eDirectory—A license for eDirectory for Windows 2000 is included in the product, allowing you to fully run ZENworks in a Windows only environment.
• DirXML—A license is also included with ZENworks for Desktops 4. This technology allows you to synchronization users between Active Directory/NT Domains and eDirectory. This allows you to continue to manage your Windows systems in AD or NT and still receive the benefits of ZENworks for Desktops.
• Password Synchronization—This add-on driver to DirXML is also available as part of the ZENworks for Desktop product. It provides you the capability to synchronize passwords between Active Directory/NT Domains and eDirectory. You can now provide single-sign on for your users between their domains and eDirectory.
Significant benefits exist in using the ZENworks for Desktops product in your NetWare and NT/2000 environments. The greatest benefit comes from effectively leveraging existing information that is currently in your directory, and combining this with the new components and tree extensions provided in ZENworks for Desktops. By building these relationships in the directory between users and their desktops, enormous management potential surfaces and is easily available to the administrator. Using the eDirectory tree and its hierarchical nature enables you to manage all the desktops in your tree from one place, or delegate to local administrators and containers in sub-trees.
ZENworks for Desktops also is an easy extension of the current administration system. All the administration requirements for ZENworks for Desktops can be administered via snap-ins that are provided and plugged directly into the ConsoleOne Administration utility. Additionally, ZENworks for Desktops uses the familiar rights associated with your tree to govern how accessible the features are to each user in your system.
The cost of managing the desktops that you have in your network is the single largest cost of having your network at all. Some analysts estimate the desktop maintenance cost to be 78% of all network costs. ZENworks for Desktops helps reduce this cost and specifically makes the administrator's life easier by enabling the administrator to manage most user's desktop needs from the office.
From the office, you can deploy applications to any user in the tree, deliver printers and printer drivers, create Windows NT/2000 workstation accounts, and configure Novell clients on any set, or all desktops across the network. While in the office, you can cite specific policies to be applied to each user's desktop, or desktop groups, that can lock down a system or just customize a background screen. Without leaving the office, you can receive help requests from the user, look at the desktop hardware and operating system information, remotely control and repair the problems, and even re-image the workstation if necessary. Among the greatest costs in maintaining a workstation is that which is involved in traveling from one desktop to the next. With ZENworks for Desktops, that effort is largely minimized.