Dave said:
What is the easiest way to create roaming profiles on a client-server
based network?
Here's my standard boilerplate (and note that you must use a domain):
1. Set up a share on the server you wish to hold the profiles. For example -
d:\profiles, shared as profiles$ to make it hidden from browsing.
2. Make sure the share permissions on profiles$ indicate everyone=full
control. Set the NTFS security to administrators, system, and users=full
control.
3. In the users' ADUC properties, specify \\server\profiles%\%username% in
the profiles field
4. Have each user log into the domain once from their usual workstation
(where their existing profile lives) and log out. The profile is now
roaming.
Notes:
* Make sure users understand that they should never log into multiple
computers at the same time when they have roaming profiles (unless you make
the profiles mandatory by renaming ntuser.dat to ntuser.man so they can't
change them). Explain that the last one out wins, when it comes to
uploading the final, changed copy of the profile.
* Keep your profiles TINY. Redirect My Documents
to a subfolder of each user's home directory on the server - either via
group policy (folder redirection) or manually (not advisable). If you aren't
going to also redirect the desktop using policies, tell people not to store
any files on the desktop or or you will beat them with a stick. Big
profile=slow login/logout, and possible profile corruption.
* Note that user profiles are not compatible between different OS versions,
even between W2k/XP. Keep all your computers. Keep your workstations as
identical as possible - meaning, OS version is the same, SP level is the
same, app load is (as much as possible) the same.
* Do not let people store any data locally - all data belongs on the server.
