--- Forwarded Message from Laura Atkinson <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 14:59:23 -0400
>From: Laura Atkinson <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #7522 Windows updates and disk image management.
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>References:  <[log in to unmask]>

We use the built-in tools of Windows to restrict any changes to the
machines. We use mandatory profiles on a server and set the machines
locally to not propagate changes to the profile. We are using BigFix
throughout Arts and Sciences to apply patches, so I don't have to do those
manually. I rebuild the master image and reimage all the machines every
couple of months or so, and I add the newest patches at that time. It works
well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Laura Atkinson
Technical Coordinator for Foreign Language Computing
Duke University
[log in to unmask]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

--On Tuesday, May 18, 2004 2:19 PM -0400 LLTI-Editor
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> --- Forwarded Message from David Kanig <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
>> Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 12:12:57 -0400
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> From: David Kanig <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Windows updates and disk image management.
>
> We've been using DeepFreeze on our lab machines so that changes users
> make occur only in a shadow file, and on restart the machines go back
> to an inviolate, constant image.  Under the protection of DeepFreeze,
> we've been forgoing updates both to Windows and virus definitions.
> However, between DeepFreeze refreshes our machines are vulnerable to
> temporary infections, making them vectors for the spread of worms,
> and risking automatic filtration from our network by IT scanners.
>
> We want to be free of the labor of having to perform many Windows
> updates.  We can't automate middle-of-the-night updates because on
> restart by DeepFreeze in an unfrozen state, our machines require
> authentication through Novell before anything can be launched.
>
> More importantly, we want our machine configurations to be stable and
> predictable through the academic year.  In the past, one or more
> Windows updates has caused a third-party program to fail,
> interrupting course work.
>
> How do you manage the conflicting goals of keeping disk images stable
> and responding to the deluge of Windows updates?
> --
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> David Kanig
> Manager, Technical Services
> Language Resource Center
> Box 1935
> Brown University
> Providence, RI 02912
>
> (401) 863-7090