Windows Configurations
You can use Desktop Central to complete different tasks
like scanning for patches and inventory. However, to complete tasks like
installing patches, changing the wallpaper of desktops in all the computers
in your network, sending custom messages to users in your network, and
installing software applications you must create configurations and deploy
them to the computers in your network.
The following sections provide information required
to configure various Windows-application settings, security settings,
display settings, and firewall settings for Windows users and computers:
- Defining
user configurations: This section provides information about various
user-based configurations that you can deploy using Desktop Central and
the steps to define them.
- Defining
computer configurations: This section provides information about various
computer-based configurations that you can deploy using Desktop Central
and the steps to define them.
- Configuring
collections: This section provides information about defining a collection
of configurations and steps required to deploy them simultaneously to
several users or computers.
- Defining
targets: This section provides information about defining targets
to which you want to deploy configurations or collections.
- Configuring
execution settings: This section provides information about configuring
execution settings while defining a configuration. Desktop Central enables
you to automate the redeployment process through the Execution Settings
option.
- Managing
configurations and collections: This section provides information
about managing defined configurations. It gives you information about
the following:
- Various
configuration statuses displayed on the Desktop Central server
- Modifying
configurations or collections
- Viewing
the status of the defined configurations or collections
- Suspending
deployment
- Resuming
suspended deployments
- Viewing
configuration reports: This section provides information about viewing
a detailed report about configurations that you define and deploy using
Desktop Central. You can also view the status of each configuration in
this report.
- Viewing
system-uptime reports: This section provides the details of uptime
and downtime of computers during a specific period.
Defining Configurations
Configurations can be defined for computers or users.
You can define a configuration from scratch or use predefined configuration
templates. You can also create a group of configurations and deploy them
as a collection.
Defining configurations is a four-step process. It comprises
the following steps:
- Enter a name and description
for the configuration
- Define the configuration.
This includes setting the following:
- Package
settings
- Deployment
settings
- Define a target
- Configure execution settings
After you define a configuration, you must apply it to specific computers
in your network.
Applying Configurations
When you deploy a configuration using Desktop Central,
the configuration settings along with the required files will be stored
in the Desktop Central server. Desktop Central agents, which are installed
in the client computers in your network, will contact the Desktop Central
server to collect this information and apply the configurations to specific
client computers. The agents will contact the server during the following
intervals to collect the required information:
- User-specific
configurations: When a user logs on and every 90 minutes thereafter till
the user logs out of the domain
- Computer-specific
configurations: When a computer is started and every 90 minutes thereafter
till the system is shut down
Re-applying Failed Configurations
When you deploy a configuration to client computers,
the deployment could fail in a few computers due to various reasons. In
such cases, you can re-deploy the configuration. Desktop Central enables
you to automate the redeployment process through the Execution Settings
option. This option enables you to do the following:
- Specify
whether you want the agent to try to apply this configuration in the computers
in which the deployment of the configuration failed
- Choose
the number of times you want the agent to try deploying a configuration.
You can also specify how many times, out of the number of times that you
have specified, you want the configuration to be deployed when:
- Users
log on
- Computers
complete the 90-minute refresh cycle
Based on the specified input, configurations will be
re-deployed on the computers on which the deployment failed till either
of the following takes place:
- Deployment
is successful
- Maximum
retry count is reached
You can change the retry
count using the Change Retry Count
button. However, this button is not visible in the summary of suspended
configurations. For more information, see Defining
Execution Settings
Reverting Configurations
Desktop Central does not take backup of the settings
that you make when you create configurations. Therefore, it is very important
that you remember the settings you have made. In most cases, you cannot
revert the configuration. However, you can modify the settings that you
had made earlier and re-deploy the configuration.
Examples
You can modify configurations and re-deploy
them in the following scenarios:
- Assume
that you have deployed a configuration to install a software application.
You can revert and change it to enable uninstallation of the software
application. You must modify the configuration by changing the following:
- Operation
type from Install to Uninstall
- Type
of package
The package must have an uninstall string.
- When
you want to revert a configuration related to a security policy, you can
modify the policy and change the settings as required. For example, assume
that you have created a configuration to disable the option to change
the wallpaper on the desktop of a computer. You can modify the configuration
and change the policy to enable the option to change the wall paper, before
re-deploying the policy.
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