IT Administrator

As an IT administrator, Windows 2000 provides you with centralized control over all of the clients in an organization. An administrator will also be able to use applications written specifically to take advantage of the new technologies of Windows 2000. These applications will be easier to deploy, more manageable, and more reliable. As a result, you will be able to provide better service. The following Windows 2000 features are examples of new Windows 2000 Server technologies that can allow you to work more effectively.

IntelliMirror and Active Directory   These features let you use Group Policy to configure clients to meet the varying needs of particular user groups. For example, you can make sure that everyone in the finance department has the spreadsheet, word processing, and presentation applications they need. Likewise, you can assign sales-tracking software to the sales team. And, you can set policies that let users see their preferred arrangements from any computer on the network. To reduce Help desk costs, you can secure users' computers so they cannot change their computer configurations.

Remote Install Technologies   Remote Install (RI) technologies allow you use Group Policy to perform an automated clean installation of the Windows 2000 Professional operating system onto a client. You can use this technology (the RIPrep tool is available on the Windows 2000 Server operating system CD) to install the Windows 2000 Professional operating system from one central location. You can combine RI with Microsoft® IntelliMirror technologies to image a complete system. If you also use roaming profiles, this combination of features can assist greatly in the disaster recovery process.

Windows 2000 Logo Application Certification Program   The Windows 2000 Logo program is a Microsoft specification that helps developers build applications that take advantage of Active Directory, Windows Installer software, and other features of Windows 2000 that make applications easier to manage on a company-wide basis. Using the information in this specification, you can develop applications that use Windows 2000 features to reduce your TCO and that run well with other applications in use in your organization. For more information about the Windows 2000 Logo Application specification, see the MSDN Online link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/Windows 2000/reskit/webresources.

Terminal Services and Mobile Devices   These features let you manage services from anywhere on the network. For example, if you receive a call about a network bandwidth issue while you are visiting a branch office, you can use a wireless handheld computer to access the network's centralized management tools, diagnose the issue, and work to resolve it.

© 1985-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.