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Desktop Management Project Update

In July, 2007, Information Technology began the Desktop Management project. In a nutshell, desktop management is the ability to provide centralized management of computers. By joining or "migrating" faculty and staff computers to a central management "domain," we have the ability to provide enhanced security and services that we could not provide previously. We are utilizing Microsoft's Active Directory (AD) and Systems Management Server (SMS) products to provide desktop management to the campus.

In fall, 2007 all IT staff Windows workstations were joined to the domain. Starting this fall, we have begun migrating workstations in the various departments of the Administration and Finance division. To date, computers in the departments of Card Services, Human Resources, University Business Office, Accounts Payable, Procurement and our Sr. Vice President's office have been successfully migrated. We plan to migrate the remaining departments in A&F before moving out into rest of the divisions and colleges. 

Listed below are descriptions of some of the primary benefits of desktop management. Additional information is available here: http://www.jmu.edu/computing/helpdesk/selfhelp/desktopmgmt/desktopmgmt.shtml

Security- One of the most important reasons for implementing a managed environment is security. In today's world, computers are being attacked on every front, and these attacks and risks must be guarded against. Unfortunately, in the past, this task has been delegated to you, the end-user-making sure that the operating system has all the latest patches, that all applications on the computer are up-to-date, keeping tabs on firewalls, antivirus software, etc. By operating in a managed environment, much of the general upkeep of a computer can be provided centrally by professional, dedicated IT staff, and much of it can now be done remotely.

Software Installation and Updates- Many software applications will be available for installation from a central repository, much like "JMU Apps" today. The software in this repository will be the latest recommended versions of the software for JMU's environment.  Users will not need to be Administrators on their computer to install this software, and in many cases the install will already be tailored for JMU's environment. Through software inventory, it will also be possible for IT to target software updates only to computers that have an older version of the software in question, whether or not the user installed the application manually or from the software repository.

Streamlined passwords- In our current environment, you must maintain your e-ID password and local computer passwords separately. When you change their e-ID password, you must also change your local computer password so they match. This creates unnecessary work and sometimes frustration. Bringing computers into JMU's managed environment solves this issue by changing both passwords automatically.

Inventory- Operating in a managed environment will also allow the university to keep a better inventory of the various hardware and applications being used across campus. At a glance, we will be able to see how many computers there are in a certain area, and what applications are installed on them. Hardware inventory can help the university better plan for new computer rollouts by pinpointing older hardware that needs to be retired. Having a good software inventory means that if IT is notified of a major vulnerability in an application, it will be much easier to gauge its impact on the university because we will be able to tell just how widely-used that application is, and IT can plan appropriately.

Remote Assistance- Remote assistance is the ability to view a user's desktop session, only with their explicit permission, from another computer. What this means for the end-user is that they no longer have to wait for a technician to visit their computer if the problem can be solved remotely. This also gives the user the ability to "show" the HelpDesk an issue instead of trying to explain it over the phone.

Centralized Configuration- There are many configuration settings that are recommended by the university to ensure a more secure desktop environment (these settings can be found on JMU's Computing Security web site). There are other configurations required to make sure the computers function efficiently in the JMU computing environment. Instead of forcing the user to ensure that all settings are properly configured, computers can "check-in" with a server to see what settings have been set by the desktop administrators and apply them accordingly. The computers will also periodically check-in to see if there are any settings that have changed that need to be applied. In this way, the user does not have to worry about whether their computer is set up according to the university's guidelines for safe, efficient computing.