How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?
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We have a handful of workstations running windows but they are set up as "standalone" systems with local users, not connected to domain or anything, except a file server (running samba). Everything else in the network is linux/bsd.
What is the best way to administrate a small windows environment like this?
I'd like to do what makes sense but avoid Microsoft lock-in in general.
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Everytime I want to do something, I would make it a powershell script and save it.
With remote powershell enabled on all workstations, it should be fairly effortless to maintain.
Some individual tasks might take more time than it seems worth at first to figure out how to script it, but int he long run it will be the best solution.
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@JaredBusch said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
Everytime I want to do something, I would make it a powershell script and save it.
With remote powershell enabled on all workstations, it should be fairly effortless to maintain.
Some individual tasks might take more time than it seems worth at first to figure out how to script it, but int he long run it will be the best solution.
So you're saying I should keep the workstations as they are, but administer them as a group by using remote powershell?
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@Pete-S said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@JaredBusch said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
Everytime I want to do something, I would make it a powershell script and save it.
With remote powershell enabled on all workstations, it should be fairly effortless to maintain.
Some individual tasks might take more time than it seems worth at first to figure out how to script it, but int he long run it will be the best solution.
So you're saying I should keep the workstations as they are, but administer them as a group by using remote powershell?
Yes. For example, somewhere on here, I have a Poweshell script posted that let's you install printers.
Edit: Here is that post
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@Pete-S said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
but they are set up as "standalone" systems with local users
AKA "Snowflakes"
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@JaredBusch said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
Everytime I want to do something, I would make it a powershell script and save it.
And document in something like a wiki!
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@Pete-S said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
Everything else in the network is linux/bsd.
Using anything like Salt, Ansible, Chef, Puppet for those? Those will work for the Windows boxes just the same.
How are you admining the non-Windows machines in this environment?
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@scottalanmiller said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@Pete-S said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
Everything else in the network is linux/bsd.
Using anything like Salt, Ansible, Chef, Puppet for those? Those will work for the Windows boxes just the same.
How are you admining the non-Windows machines in this environment?
Just scripts for now but Ansible is in the works.
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@Pete-S said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@scottalanmiller said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@Pete-S said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
Everything else in the network is linux/bsd.
Using anything like Salt, Ansible, Chef, Puppet for those? Those will work for the Windows boxes just the same.
How are you admining the non-Windows machines in this environment?
Just scripts for now but Ansible is in the works.
Then I would probably make Windows via Ansible just another part of that plan.
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I would use chocolatey and script updates/tasks into powershell script then use Windows task system to run that script every day. Use powershell remoting for anything else you don't want scripted
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@Pete-S
SaltStack, search it here or under my name alot of topics.
Why SS, best support for Windows.
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@jmoore said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
I would use chocolatey and script updates/tasks into powershell script then use Windows task system to run that script every day. Use powershell remoting for anything else you don't want scripted
And both Ansible and SaltStack have chocolatey modules too.
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@JaredBusch said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@Pete-S said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@JaredBusch said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
Everytime I want to do something, I would make it a powershell script and save it.
With remote powershell enabled on all workstations, it should be fairly effortless to maintain.
Some individual tasks might take more time than it seems worth at first to figure out how to script it, but int he long run it will be the best solution.
So you're saying I should keep the workstations as they are, but administer them as a group by using remote powershell?
Yes. For example, somewhere on here, I have a Poweshell script posted that let's you install printers.
Edit: Here is that post
Post not found.
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@DustinB3403 said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@JaredBusch said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@Pete-S said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
@JaredBusch said in How to adminstrate a handful of Windows workstations?:
Everytime I want to do something, I would make it a powershell script and save it.
With remote powershell enabled on all workstations, it should be fairly effortless to maintain.
Some individual tasks might take more time than it seems worth at first to figure out how to script it, but int he long run it will be the best solution.
So you're saying I should keep the workstations as they are, but administer them as a group by using remote powershell?
Yes. For example, somewhere on here, I have a Poweshell script posted that let's you install printers.
Edit: Here is that post
Post not found.
fixed
