Introduction

This chapter covers Microsoft s IntelliMirror technology, which enables change and configuration management for Microsoft Windows XP. IntelliMirror is very tightly integrated with Microsoft s Active Directory service and Group Policies, having an understanding of Active Directory and Group Policies prior to beginning this chapter would be extremely helpful. IntelliMirror provides the following features:

• The ability to manage users settings

• The ability to manage user s data

• Remote software installation and maintenance

These key features can cut the cost of ownership significantly for corporations with many PCs to manage. This is all part of Microsoft s ZAW (Zero Administration Workstation) initiative.

Additionally, the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) comes into play in Windows XP. This is more under the covers and doesn t directly affect the operation of IntelliMirror, but it will probably be used by third-party tools and new Microsoft tools to enhance the management of Windows XP.

Group Policies

Group Policy is a core part of Microsoft s IntelliMirror technology. You can use Group Policy to manage all aspects of the client desktop environment for Windows 2000 or Windows XP clients, including Registry settings, software installation, scripts, security settings, and so on. The possibilities of what can be done with Group Policy are almost limitless. With VBScript or Jscript, you can write entire applications...