What tools do you use and recommend for automating administration tasks for Windows-based computers?
Examples of such tasks include:
- Installing/upgrading software
- Standarizing application settings
- Remove blacklisted applications
A standardized disk image will be used to initially roll out a fully patched and configured Windows installation, so I'm looking specifically for tools and resources that will aid in administering the machines after they are deployed.
I know that some of this can be allowed or prevented using group policies deployed via Active Directory, and that many Microsoft products can be updated and managed through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).
What do you use for other tasks? AutoIT scripting? PowerShell? Another scripting language? A 3rd party application? Or, is there a better approach to this ongoing task?
Best Answer
We use Group Policy for almost everything these days, and we use a single Windows disk image that we deploy to all of our computers. We also have System Center Configuration Manager installed (the newest version of SMS).
Our image contains all of the commonly-used apps in our facility, but we use Group Policy to expose only the apps that the particular user or group of users need to see. This keeps the Start menu and desktop tidy.
SCCM allows one to install and patch software. This can also be done through Group Policy.
For automation tasks, we use PowerShell heavily. It's well worth the effort you'll put into learning it.
We don't allow users to install apps, so we don't need to remove blacklisted applications much, but if we did it could be done through SCCM as well.
This is a pretty general question. Is there anything in particular you need to know more about?