Often there are to-do items that become repetitive tasks in the administration of a network infrastructure. In some environments these tasks seem to take place so infrequently that we find ourselves accepting and repeating the task over and over again from memory. The documentation of the task seems so insignificant that during times of turnover the information about the procedure is temporarily lost – if the process was documented at all.
At other times the overwhelming list of issues and projects that need attention prevents proper documentation and implementation of procedures. The type of environment is a breeding ground for mistakes and improper configuration which leads to continuing issues that can result in additional man hours to resolve. These misconfigurations not only impact the already taxed Administrator, but it can be very frustrating to the end user as well.
In both scenarios we find ourselves wondering if there is an easier way. The answer often is “Yes.” A proactive approach to automation can not only ensure the completion of some redundant tasks, but also prevent the possibility of human error. Let’s take a look at some simple automation concepts and products that are currently available and are often underutilized.
Login Scripts
Login Scripts are often used for mapping network drives for users. These scripts control what network drives are to be added and or removed for specific user, or even a group of users. This script is configured within Active Directory Users and Computers on the infrastructures Domain Controller. The benefit of using this function is consistency of user setup, and ease of management of network mapped shares on end user profiles.
Group Policy
Group Policy is a function created by Microsoft that gives an Administrator the ability to control and manage their network environment. There are configurable policies and rules that control everything from how a workstation or server would respond to a specific user, to what a standard user profile would look like across the domain. Domain wide changes to profiles that would normally require hours to complete can easily be done by modifying a policy that would replicate to all users within the domain within minutes. An example of a favorite policy used by Domain Administrators would be the “Folder Redirect” policy. This policy takes a user’s “My Documents” folder and redirects it to their network drive on a server. The benefit is that the network drive usually has some type of backup solution in place.
Startup Scripts
Startup scripts are used to issue commands when a user logs onto their profile on a workstations or server. These commands can range from simple executions for program behavior, to complicated diagnostic queries. The Startup Script gives the Administrator the ability to be certain a command is issued to a group of users without having to logon individually and executing them manually. Although there are several ways to run a Startup Script, the best practice would be to configure it through Group Policy Manager within Active Directory Users and Computers.
Scheduled Tasks
Scheduled Tasks is a function found within most Microsoft products. It allows an Administrator or a third party program to execute a command at a specified time, or date. This ability can be used for diagnostics, but is mostly used for third party execution of programs such as backup utilities.
Third Party Automation
Most third party enterprise applications have some type of rule configuration or policy manager for the client workstations. Sometimes it is not enough settle for the default configuration for every environment, instead some customization is needed.
These are just a few examples of how automation can be used to safeguard your environment and ensure that repetitious tasks are consistently and efficiently completed.
