Server-Based Setup: The Issues

The Server-based Setup program is available only on the Windows 95 compact disc in the ADMIN\NETTOOLS\NETSETUP directory. Server-based Setup is not provided on the Windows 95 floppy distribution disks.

Important

Server-based Setup can be run only from a computer running Windows 95.

You cannot run Server-based Setup from Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, or MS-DOS.

Typically, shared installations are used where there might be users who need to access various computers for tasks such as point-of-sale data entry. Shared installations are also typically used on enterprise networks with many thousands of similar computers.

The most important consideration in deciding how to run Windows 95 in the corporate environment is the current configuration for workstations running Windows 3.x. If the largest portion of workstations currently run shared Windows, then the upgrade process is straightforward if you continue to use a shared configuration. If you decide to change a workstation to run Windows 95 from the local hard disk, applications must be reinstalled and desktop settings reconfigured in addition to installing the new operating system.

The basic benefits of installing Windows 95 on the local hard disk of a computer include the following:

• Performance is superior
• Less network traffic is generated
• The system can start and continue running if the server is not available
• The user has more freedom to customize the system, if system policies don't restrict this

The benefits of a shared installation include the following:

• Little or no hard disk space is required on the local computer
• Updating drivers for multiple computers is easier
• The workstation is more secure and operation is safer for novice users, because network logon is required and access to system files is limited (although you can use system policies to enforce the same restrictions for local installations)

Although an entirely shared configuration makes it easy to maintain the system, a shared configuration also means more network traffic and requires larger servers.

The following sections provide some guidelines and summary information for planning the installation process for computers that will run a shared copy of Windows 95. This information supplements that planning and implementation information presented in Chapter 1, "Deployment Planning Guide."