Mental on Wed, 18 Apr 2001 10:30:18 -0400


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Re: [PLUG] I have an idea


On Wed, Apr 18, 2001 at 09:48:38AM -0400, Michael Leone wrote:
> Well, in my NDS tree I can register workstations. For example, when you log
> into the NDS tree, it registers the workstation you're using. In my case,
> witha combination of user ID, machine name, MAC address, OS and CPU. So I
> have entries like:
> 
> MJL-MIKE_LEONE-0090273eb80b-(WINNT-PENTIUM)
> 

Thats where samba comes in. Its good at that part. 

> which means MJL (my user ID), MIKE_LEONE (my machine name), the MAC address,
> the fact that this machine runs WINNT, and the CPU class (it's actually a
> PIII). This entry can be included in a group (it's in the
> SYSTEMS-WORKSTATIONS groupof workstations). I can see the login history of
> this workstation, and the user IDs that have logged into it. I can see the
> IP address of this station.
> 

Not sure if I'd want the directory to log this or samba. 

> You can also include applications in NDS (such as an install of MS Office,
> for example) - it keeps a copy of all files and registry changes involved in
> the installation of a piece of software.  Using NDS, I can assign these
> applications to be associated with this physical station, so that - when
> that station logs into the NDS tree, it will be checked to see that it has
> all it's assigned apps; if not, the tree pushes the apps down onto the
> workstation (using a free Novell product called ZEN - Zero Effort
> Networking), and can remove them when the use logs out, if desired. Kind of
> like MS's SMS software does. You can also assign apps by user ID, too, so
> that your apps can follow you around as you log into different stations,
> kind of like roaming profiles.
> 

There's a working prototype of roaming ssh-keys I have here... Other apps
could follow. Other stuff like login scripts/profiles/MS stuff can be done
with samba. I dont see where it would be useful to have a roaming excel
program if you log into a *nix box. :)

> Makes configuring new workstations a LOT easier.
> 

Indeed. I've done some of this with PDC's on windows networks. 

> Also, with the full paid version of the ZEN product, you can do remote
> control of workstations, too. As well as inventory - of hardware and
> software installed locally on the machine. All this data is available inside
> the NDS tree itself.
> 

Nice. 

> NDS also (obviously) integrates well with other, NDS-aware apps. We use
> Netware as a RAS (Remote Access Server), and (some of ) the access rights
> for a particular user to be aable to access the RAS modems can be specified
> in NDS. Same for their email, firewall, etc, products. With their Single
> Sign On add-on, you can coordinate Netware, NT and Unix passwords, too.
> 

I have this bit working already. To a very large extent. 

> And of course, you assign rights to volumes, directories and files in NDS,
> too.
> 

Not using NDS, I cant do that. Its all acl's and *nix permissions. 

still, good stuff to know.  And so the feature wish-list begins.... 

--
Mental


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