Managing Workgroup Machines Better

[jamwatn]

Afternoon,

 

I would just like some thoughts on Workgroup machines in schools and ways of making them more manageable.

 

I have a few schools with multiple WG computers that are set up the way they are, just for taking home. I'm wondering if there is a way of making them much more domain-esque.

 

The problems I have are managed credentials and if staff change their domain P/W, then they of course, lose their connection to shares or printers. It would also be nice to be able to manage updates and other features. I guess what I am describing is a domain machine!

 

I was thinking I could put them on the domain in a special area in the A.D that gives them policies to Cache their roaming profile so they can go home? However machines have redirected folders.

 

Has anyone come up with any clever ideas?

 

Thanks!

[angrycomputingteacher]

I don't know if I am correct but I believe the Pro/Enterprise versions of Windows have offline folders that can be configured. I would look into that.

[jamwatn]

They do, but my worry with Offline Files was time needed to sync and teachers in a hurry or not doing something they should have. I can just see this feature not working the way it should work.

I might have to give it a go in practice if I get the time.

[NokiX]

We use offline files here for app data and the staff desktop although some users also have some of the staff drives mapped so they can access data while at home without needing a network connection. It works pretty well and as long as you don't need to sync a huge amount of data and the user only needs to have the laptop on for a few minutes with them logged in for it to update everything.

 

The only problem is that if staff don't let the offline files sync they may end up seeing very old data on the mapped drives that has long since been deleted which can be a bit confusing.

[angrycomputingteacher]

Could you not use some sort of VPN that connects up to your school server and gets the data. mapped drives etc.