What's New in ZENworks for Desktops 4?ZENworks for Desktops continues to mature with new developments in desktop platforms, such as Windows XP, and with collaborating software. ZENworks for Desktops 4 is more user friendly for administrators and users alike. ZENworks for Desktops 4 has been updated to fully support the Windows XP environment and still supports Windows 98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000. NOTE You can no longer create new policies for Windows 95 workstations or users. Continued support for Windows 95 workstations can be provided by running both ZENworks for Desktop 3.2 and ZENworks for Desktops 4 in the same tree.
ZENworks for Desktops 4 works on a NetWare only, Windows only, or NetWare and Windows mixed server environment. If you need ZENworks for Desktops 4 to work in a pure Windows environment, you need to run NDS for Windows Servers or eDirectory for Windows Servers in order for the NDS directory to be available. ZENworks Clientless Workstation ManagementZENworks for Desktops 4 uses standard Internet protocols and commonly open ports to communicate between desktops and the ZENworks server. This creates exciting new possibilities by allowing you to manage workstations outside your firewall. It is no longer necessary to have the Novell Client installed on the workstation in order to utilize the Application Management features of ZENworks. ZENworks services including software distribution and update, shortcuts, HTTP links, and thin client sessions are now available through Web-based service delivery. All ZENworks for Desktops features are fully available without the client and through this HTTP connection to a Web server. Policies and Workstation Management Novell iPrint PolicyThis policy replaces the traditional printer policies, creating a universal print policy that is highly effective. The new Novell iPrint policy allows you to install the Novell iPrint client to user workstations, giving users the capability to use their Web browsers to install printers on their workstation. Once these printers have been installed, they can be used just as any other printer regardless of the physical location of that printer. For instance, a user in Colorado could print a needed document on a printer located in the California extension of the company. ZENworks for Desktops PolicyThe ZENworks for Desktops policy takes advantage of the new clientless management features and allows you to configure two agents within the policy. The ZENworks Management Agent allows clients to access the Middle Tier server (Web server with ZENworks servlets) using an IP address from outside the firewall. Policies No Longer Supported by ZENworks for Desktops 4The Client Configuration, RAS Configuration, and Restrict Login policies have been replaced by the ZENworks for Desktops Policy. The traditional printer policies have been replaced by the Novell iPrint policy. Application ManagementThe Application Launcher/Explorer is no longer dependent on the Novell Client. This makes for several changes in this area: Access to eDirectory can be provided to the user through the ZENworks Management Agent and ZENworks Middle Tier software. It is also possible to use the Application Browser (a Web browser view) instead of or in addition to Application Launcher or Application Explorer to view distributed applications. Application Dependencies enables you to establish a list of applications that must be installed before an application can be distributed, thus allowing you to install dependent applications in the order that they are required. Application Launcher/Explorer can generate event reports including install, uninstall, launch, and cache in XML format and send the reports via HTTP to a specified target URL. Application Launcher/Explorer supports script engines other than the Novell Client script engine, which means that you can specify your own engine when running a distribution script or launch script. The Application object for an MSI (Microsoft System Installer) application now enables you to define patches you want applied during the distribution process. You can also specify actions (such as reinstall all files, reinstall old file, and so on) that will occur when a user verifies an MSI application. You can also affect the individual configuration settings within an MSI file through the Application object. The Random Refresh feature instructs Application Launcher/Explorer to retrieve its application information from the user's cache directory during startup and then refreshes that information from eDirectory at a later time. This allows you to reduce network traffic during peak times. Rogue Processes Management enables you to find and stop application processes not launched by Application Launcher/Explorer. You can administer these processes to not only be tracked, but also terminated. In order to accommodate different connections, Application Launcher/Explorer now supports three modes. The local mode is used when Application Launcher/Explorer is connected to eDirectory through a fast connection; for example, a LAN connection. The Remote mode is used when the connection is slow, as in a modem connection. The Disconnect setting is used when the user is not connected to the network and Application Launcher/Explorer access to eDirectory is not possible. All directory information is retrieved from a local cache.
The following features have been added to enhance Application Launcher/Explorer's new remote capabilities: Terminal server applications and Web applications that work across slower connections better than standard applications do. Checkpoint Restart provides users with a timeframe for how long it will take to download a standard application during distribution and, when remotely connected, enables users to postpone an in-progress download. Remote Alternate Application enables you to specify an alternative application to use when a user is in remote mode rather than local mode. For example, when the user is accessing the application while in remote mode, you might want it run through a terminal server.
Workstation ImagingZENworks for Desktops 4 introduces the following enhancements to workstation imaging: Performance enhancements that enable you to restore images on IDE hard disks much faster. Support for USB keyboards, thus enabling you to use USB keyboards in the imaging engine on the workstation. The capability to start a multicast session from the imaging server console. The capability to store DNS information for a workstation in the policies/image-safe data. PXE support, which was previously delivered through another ZENworks product. Using PXE, you can deliver images and applications to your workstations at boot time.
Workstation Remote ManagementZENworks for Desktops 4 introduces the following new features for remote workstation management: Remote management independent of the Novell client even across a firewall through a middle-tier server. Support for initiation remote management operations from the user object as well as the Workstation object. This enables you to administrate users from whatever workstation they are logged into. Remote management of workstations across a firewall, through a middle-tier server. An optional password security feature for remote control. This feature allows you to remote control a workstation with an IP address and a password that is set by the remote user. You no longer are required to have a Workstation object in order to perform remote control.
Workstation InventoryZENworks for Desktops 4 introduces the following new features for workstation inventory: Support for using a NetWare 6 server as an inventory server. Support for using MS SQL Server 2000 as the inventory database engine. Support for roll-up of inventory across multiple Novell eDirectory trees. Support for roll-up of inventory data across a firewall. Additional scanning support allowing you to use user-defined attributes to collect inventory data that is not collected from the workstation by default. Additional scanning support that collects the product identification number of any application, including Microsoft applications from workstations. Additional scanning support that allows you to scan the full path of applications on workstations. Additional status data allowing you to view the scan status of a workstation in the inventory database from a specified time. Additional support for ZENworks for Servers 3. Support allowing workstation inventory to access the eDirectory through LDAP.
Additional Novell ProductsZENworks for Desktops 4 includes the following Novell products to simplify the use of ZENworks in non-NetWare, non-eDirectory environments: eDirectory A license for eDirectory for Windows 2000 is included in the product, allowing you to fully run ZENworks in a Windows only environment. DirXML A license is also included with ZENworks for Desktops 4. This technology allows you to synchronization users between Active Directory/NT Domains and eDirectory. This allows you to continue to manage your Windows systems in AD or NT and still receive the benefits of ZENworks for Desktops. Password Synchronization This add-on driver to DirXML is also available as part of the ZENworks for Desktop product. It provides you the capability to synchronize passwords between Active Directory/NT Domains and eDirectory. You can now provide single-sign on for your users between their domains and eDirectory.
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