Planning Group Policy Software Deployment - Report Example

? Planning Group Policy Software Deployment [Pick the Installation and Maintenance is an important part of Information Technology functions for architectural and system maintenance. Since installations are approved under administration privileges, advanced software installations bring along the capacity of utilizing extra abilities. The framework of development abridges and governs the software for modifying existing packages (Sun, Sekar, Liang, Venkatakrishnan, 2009). Software Installation can be used in combination with operating systems which is a convenient option for end user (Chien, 2005). And as the systems advance, so do their working limits. 1. Efficient Installation of Software Using Each Phase of System Development Life Cycle A software installation for the security of Intellectual property is an uphill task in lieu of the complexities associated with the installation phase. System administrators are normally expected to be literate about the software and know what they are doing and thus most often no restrictions are imposed even by the most protected systems during software installs. To perform new software installations for several hundred users at a Californian firm as a junior network administrator, the problems and ambiguities faced during the installation phase cannot be over looked as they can stream in to extra costs. The threats imposed by the installation can be governed if certain strategies are employed at execution phase which includes assurance of no interference between the processing of un trusted/new software and existing packages, restriction on the execution of new/un trusted software’s access to the operations other than that of the sand box and new/ un trusted software should be easily uninstall able if the need persists (Sun, Sekar, Liang, Venkatakrishnan, 2009 (Bender RBT Inc., 2003) (Eric Chien, 2005) (Ke Min Gu, 2009) (Russ Johnson, 2000) (Abbas Rajabifard, Ali Monsourian and Ian Williamson, 2004)). For the efficient installation of software at controlled costs and keeping in view the above requirements of maintaining a control on installation phase, System Development Life cycle (SDLC) has to be incorporated. It finally is a solution introduced by software engineering that has been evolved from the understanding of improvement needed in the development process of creating system. It basically is an abstract model that describes the stages involved in project management as it paves the methodology right from the beginning of suitability operations to the overhauling of complete performance. It is based upon the objectives of ensuring the delivery of high quality systems, strong management and control systems for projects and capitalizes on the system staff for productivity and efficient yield (Bender RBT Inc., 2003). It comes with guidance and instructions for how to install it, staying in line with its objectives of system security. It offers a very user friendly installation that can be of great help for the junior network administrator as it has the ability to support many different kinds and scopes of systems and projects, providing support to the incorporation of technical activities, providing support and coordination for all of the management activities and being user friendly and highly useable. In general, System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) has seven phases. As a Californian firm Administrator, I can incorporate them for the safe and low cost working of my systems. 1. Conceptual Planning: It is the first step to guarantee end state solutions for user’s requirements. It assesses the expected cost and risks, project feasibility, needs for the enhancement of the system and different project planning advances s are discussed. Two major parties designated during this phase of SDLC are System Support Agent (SSA) and System Development Agent (SDA) which are updated through the system’s cycle. 2. Planning and Requirements Definitions: After the Californian firm’s Information Technology administrator has assessed the feasibility of the project with full definition and the suitable resources have been allocated using SDLC, this phase starts. This phase has two parts, Part A and Part B. Part A involves accumulating, describing and ascertaining operational assistance and training and development necessities. Part B deals with the development of preliminary management cycle planning that includes Configuration Management plan (CM), training management, project management and other supports and operations. 3. Design: Since operational and functional support and training requirements have been defined in the above phase, they are escalated and projected into detailed designs in this phase. This stage takes into account the decision making required to tackle the functional and operational requirements of the operating system for efficient protection of the intellectual property rights. It is generated as a high class direct for the projection and design of initial systems focusing on the operational and functional features and parameters of the system. It further is finally stretched to the expansion of the design for the development of technical system in detail. 4. Development & Testing: At this phase, the system administrator has the option to either acquire or himself develop a suitable system based upon in detailed projection and escalation of project design and its requirements. The system is counter checked for maintenance and quality assurance through a series of activities that include series of unit, coordination and integration, performance assurance and acceptability test. These measures are developed for the secure working and assurance of the system’s working as per expected by the Californian firm’s information technology administrator. All the required documentation, tests, communication systems and procedures are integrated and coordinated. The efficient working of this phase would require high level interest from the firm’s administrator to test the system and maintain the privacy required to satisfy the above 100 customers. 5. Implementation: By now, the administrator can have his Intellectual Property Protection Software installed. This enhanced system gets introduced to the end users in the secure environment, the old data gets converted into new secure data and the business processes of the Californian firm can be evaluated. The main roles of this phase are planning future sustainability of the project and resolve any existing problems located in the system during installation. 6. Operations & Maintenance: After the above phase sets out the required checks for the system later than it has been successfully installed, it now becomes operational. This phase would ensure that the administrator of Californian firm gets to meet the needs he had defined earlier for this system to efficiently perform the specifications. The functioning of other software and hardware is ascertained and checked for quality maintenance and efficient working of system functioning. It equally focuses on user training and introduction of new any features incorporated on need base. An ongoing problem solving activity is in progress to cater to the needs of the above 100 users for immediate problem solving. 7. Disposition: This is the final stage of the System Development Life Cycle. When the system finally reaches this phase it signifies that the system has been finally planned for shutdown or is no longer required for functioning. It is followed by a systematic termination of the system that ascertains that all the important data and information is saved for future activation and access. The system is disposed off or discarded as per the rules and regulations decided/ agreed upon earlier. 2. SDLC and the Associated Group Policy Group Policies have been developed by Microsoft family as a security activity for the operating systems. These are designed to provide security to a full system (Bender RBT Inc., 2003). GPO gets activated to the hardware that it is copied on. If it is intended to be applied to multiple systems, Group Policy has to rely on Active Directory for distribution (MinGu, 2009). These policies help to define the problems for the development of software via focusing on the operations performed. GPO (Group Policy Object) typically contains the group policy settings. 1. Conceptual Planning: As an Information Technology administrator at Californian firm I first need to see and select some group policies that would suitable to go with the cost and feasibility assessments carried out. It can actually help reduce the total cost of ownership. 2. Planning and Requirements Definitions: Now it needs to be ascertained and validated that the software installed is making dynamic use of Active Directory and the destinations must be using Windows server 2008, Windows XP and Windows Vista 3. Design: At this phase, the major GPO tasks are carried on. The application scope of group policy is defined, policy settings are determined which can be applied to all the users, depending upon the roles and functioning of the computer systems and their users categories are defined and finally desktop configurations are made depending upon the requirements of the users and computer systems. As defined will b of e the design plan, that bright chances are for the successful deployment of Group Policy deployment. 4. Development & Testing: Now this phase requires professional testing of the GPO in attest environment before finally forwarding it to the production environment. It requires deployment through creating configurations for standard desktop, putting the scope of applications for GPO under filtration, defaulting the inheritance of Group Policy by specifying suitable exceptions, Group Policy’s administrative delegation and finally using Group Policy modeling for evaluation of Policy setting and further using Group Policy results to evaluate the results. 5. Implementation: After the Group policy implementation has been tested in the test environment prior to deploying it’s functioning in production environment. During this stage the GPO is transferred to the production environment making the use of GPMC. 6. Operations & Maintenance: At this phase the working of Group Policy is ascertained to be accurate and as per expected. Initially only a few policies are deployed to validate the effective working of Group Policy infrastructure. 7. Disposition: At this phase, preparations are made for the maintenance of group policy through establishment of control procedures for coordinated working with troubleshooting GPOs, making the use of GPMC. 2. Group Policy Management Tool 2.1 Group Policy Management Tool There basically are three tools used by group policy administrators, 1. Microsoft Group Policy Management Consol (GPMC). 2. Group Policy Object Editor 3. Resultant Set of policy (RSOP) The tool devisable for to immediately install the software for 35 users is Microsoft Group policy Consol (GPMC). It is ideally suitable for large enterprises like this Californian Firm. It makes it easier to manage group policy by listing a view of domains, GPO’s, organizational units and sites across the organizational unit (OU). It’s a scriptable Microsoft consol snap-in since it can help manage the entire Californian enterprise through providing a single administrative tool for managing the group policy (MinGu, 2009). Californian firm would have to upload windows 8, windows server 2012 and Windows Server 2008 R2 for effective use age of this tool. 2.2 System up Gradation to the Latest Version To upgrade the system application for incorporation of Microsoft Group Policy Consol (GPC), following steps need to be considered: First of all open the group policy software Installation. Go to the details panel. Over there Right Click on the Windows Installer up grader. Now, look for the PROPERTIES and click it. Next, Click the UPGRADES. Click button add to list and add the desired packages with the new upgrade package. Now, see the ADD UPGRADE PACKAGE, there comes the CHOSE THE PACKAGE FROM. Choose one of the following: Either select CURRENT GROUO POLICY OBJECT Or Click BROWSE and then select a GROUP POLICY OBJECT that needs to be upgraded. Look into the packages under PACKAGES TO CONTROL, since it consists of all of the packages that are published, assigned or listed along with the selected group policy object. Now again click on the package that you think requires to be changed and perform one of the following actions: Either replaces the existing application with a totally new and different application. To do this, first click on UNINSTALL THE EXISTING PACKAGE and then click on INSTALL THE UPGRADE PACKAGE. Or if the latest version of the existing package has to be installed with the retention of same user packages, simply select PACKAGE UPGRADE OVER THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE. To carry on with the above instructions, it must be ascertained that the member conducting this task has logged in as the member of the Domain Security Group or the Group Policy Owner’s Creator security Group. The upgrade package the Californian firm chooses to use must also have been assigned or published earlier. Another most important aspect to be considered is that the list of packages under the packages, depending upon the Group Policy Object should have zero or more entries. 3. Disaster Recovery Plan for Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Disaster recovery plans are made to discover and restore systems to regular operations through recovery of data that can get lost in accidents such as fire or any unexpected technical problems. When systems are planned, like the development of System development Life Cycle above, they should be technically drafted out to incorporate backup and restore plan which is in line with the particular needs of the business and its surroundings environment (Rajabifard, Mansorian, Williamson, 2004). The disaster recovery plans normally are fed with the information that how long it would take for the data to get recovered plus the final shape of the recovery data that the users would get (Johnson, 2000). At times, disaster recovery plans also take into account the amount of data loss that a user can survive with. A disaster recovery plan consists of the following six steps: 1. A strategic plan to purchase the desired hardware. 2. A detailed communication plan. 3. A list of the professionals in case of the occurrence of the disaster. 4. Methodology and instructions to be followed for contacting and working with the professionals listed when the disaster occurs. 5. Information about the owner/ creator of the disaster maintenance plan. 6. There has to be a checklist of the tasks to be carried out for each recovery shot (Rajabifard, Mansorian, Williamson, 2004). 3.1 Management of Backup Media It includes, Managing and following a plan for storing and recycling backup files. A detailed scheduling of overwriting activity for the backup media. Decision making about what type of backups should be used. For instance, either centralized or decentralized that can be used for distribution in a multi-server environment. Following the must to use bits of media. Strategic planning for drafting of the procedure that can help to minimize the loss incurred through recovery of backup set of data or backup media, which, for instance can be a loss of monitoring tape. Finally, considering the most important factor that is the recovery time, an analysis is made for the decision to store back up files. 3.2 Ensuring Disaster Readiness The backup and recovery measures should be methodically checked prior to the occurrence of real failure. They should be tested effectively since testing ascertains that the required backups are potent enough to recover the lost data. Maintain backups of transaction logs for minimum data loss. Records of network libraries should be maintained along with the security mode. Making effective use of the server schedule the steps that would be needed to recover the disaster. Try to coincide the steps to suit the local server’s environment and further check the steps. If some work is done for maintaining and assessing a base functionality for the minimum possible competence. 3.4 Reduction of Disaster Errors Data Definition language Triggers This can be done to make certain changes to the database scheme. These statements start with CREATE, ALTER and DROP. Its scope could either be a database or an entire server. Event Notifications These get functioning as a reply to big range of SQL-DDL statements and SQL events. These can at a time be functioned against a number of events in SQL. SQL Server Agent These are scheduled administrated tasks made for Windows service, commonly referred to as jobs. SQL server agents can perform tasks as a series of some particular event. SQL Trace It provides SQL system possessed methodologies to make traces on the end user’s selected occasion of classes in the selected database server engine. (Johnson, 2000). References Abbas Rajabifard, Ali Monsourian and Ian Williamson. (2004). Developing Spatial Infrastructure to Facilitate Disaster Management . Bender RBT Inc. (2003). System Development Cycle: Objectives & Requirements. Eric Chien. (2005). Techniques of Adware and Spyware. Ke Min Gu. (2009). Rersearch Applicatiob for Automatic Group Policy Controlled Architecture in VPN. (pp. 1306- 1309). Control and Decision Conference. Russ Johnson. (2000). GIS Technology for Disaster and Emergency Management. Weiqing Sun, Zhenkai Liang. (2009). Expanding Malware Defence by Securing Software Installaions. Read More