My view on NLM

[Dos_Box]

It's nice and has some useful features. Should you be able to get it to install that is. It does not really provide many features that were missing to begin with, the bulk user creation is nice, but if you already have a nice AD network up and running it proberbly is not worth the effort of wiping a server and installing. The preconfigured GPOs' seem quite lacking in security, and I was shocked to see the amount of options not configured by default.
If you are setting a network up from scratch I would say it is worth the effort as it does everything you need to create and deploy computers and users quickly and with the minimum of fuss.
No wonder they were only intending to give it to resellers.

[ajbritton]

Yep, I'd go along with that. I was initially excited at the prospect of a Microsoft add-on, even a semi-official one, to take on RM, Viglen et al. My hopes where fairly quickly dashed though.

As Dos_Box says, providing LNM through partners seems logical. It is not simple enough for a totally non-technical user to set up a network (can't image anything that woud be come to that) and it's not clever enough to do all the things that the average EduGeek level user would want. It does, however, provide some quite easy to use User/Group/Software management facilities which would probably be suitable for a Primary school. It could also be of use to an LEA who manage a group of small schools.

If you are into automation and RIS, though, it's worth having a look at some of the scripts that Microsoft have used in the product. For instance, in the RIS build which is created, a script is added to CMDLINES.TXT (iirc) which moves the computer into the correct OU on first boot. I might well 'borrow' that idea for my own builds. The scripts which configure the server are similarly enlightening on what can be done from the command line.

So in summary; close...ish but definitely no cigar.

[ajbritton]

P.S.

Has anyone tested the enable/disable Internet for the computer lab feature?

[ajbritton]

(sorry to keep adding posts! My TV based browser won't let me edit existing posts!)

LNM might also be useful as a demonstration of the various technologies that it uses. Admins who do not currently use RIS, GP etc. Could quickly install LNM (on a space or virtual PC) and then play with a working system that allows RIS builds, software installation, roaming profiles (yeeha!) etc.

[linuxgirlie]

Bah, I'm sure they stole half their ideas from us hehe

[buzzard]

After spending a bit of time of getting it all up and working, I found myself dissapointed, with the restrictive nature of the product. You can't use Sharepoint, etc etc. I suppose that is the problem with someone elses automated product... it was made and designed to a specification. now unless your specification meets theirs I would look to doing it yourself. If you are no good with GP, then import theirs through GPMC, this then gives you a basis on which to work.

Overall I wouldn't use this, even though it has the nice web admin panel, some might say it's ideal for my job, looking after 30ish units over Lancashire, but it just doesn't tick all the boxes!

[Gatt]

I'm considering having a play with this over the summer - as its looking like i'll need to tear down my servers anyway - and if i can get a working ISO image!

Though i've just had a quote for updating our licences and looks like our server licences will be R2 - so not sure how this will interact with LNM

[Norphy]

Just because you have R2 licences, it doesn't mean that you have to install the R2 components. All R2 is is Win2003 SP1 with an additional disk with some extra bits on.

[Gatt]

ah right didnt realise it was extra components - thats good then.