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Planning for effective implementation

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Planning for effective implementation

When you make decisions about customization, you should be aware of how your decisions affect Connection Manager implementation methods. When developing plans for a service profile, consider implementation impacts on:

  • The number of service profiles to be developed.

  • The distribution methods to be used.

  • Streamlining installation with additional components.

  • Integrating your Connection Manager service profile with an Internet Explorer installation package.

  • The size of the service profile.

  • Phone book support to be implemented.

  • Maintenance and update requirements for the service profile, including all files included in the profile.

  • The operating systems and processors of the client computers for which you want to create service profiles.

The following sections discuss how customizing your service profile can affect how it is implemented. For additional information on setting up multiple profiles and how each service profile is set up and maintained, see Setting up your service profiles.

How many service profiles do you need?

You can create additional service profiles to support specialized needs of specific groups or personnel. For example, if you support multiple geographic locations, you might want to create separate profiles for the specific locations, incorporating a unique local phone book in each. Or, you might want to create separate profiles for each operating system supported by your service.

If a user installs more than one service profile, each profile is installed in a separate folder. All profiles share the same copy of Connection Manager software.

To provide support for another language, you must run the Connection Manager Administration Kit (CMAK) wizard on a computer with an international version of a Microsoft operating system that uses the appropriate language.

Note

  • You must build profiles on a server operating system that is designed for the same processor set as the client computers on which users will install the profile. For example, if you want to build a profile for users running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, you must build that profile on a server that is running an x64-based version of Windows Server 2003.

What distribution methods are appropriate?

You can distribute your service profile by compact disc or downloadable file (over a private network or the Internet). You should consider the size of your customized profile, including all files that you add to it, when you determine which distribution method to use. Remember that download time can significantly affect users, especially those running modems at relatively slow speeds.

If you are using the Internet Explorer Administration Kit 5.5 (IEAK 5.5) to distribute Internet Explorer 5.5 to your users, you can simplify installation for them by including a Connection Manager profile in an Internet Explorer installation package. Files included in the Internet Explorer installation package should not be duplicated in the Connection Manager profile.

What is the size of your service profile?

It is important that the size of your service profile be compatible with your distribution method. Consider the features you want and how you plan to distribute the profile: by compact disc or download.

For example, if you distribute by download, consider how the download time affects users. In some cases, you might decide to use or offer users an alternate distribution method. The CMAK wizard does not support profiles that span multiple disks and does not prompt you if the profile does not fit on one disk.

A service profile that includes Connection Manager uses about 800 kilobytes (KB) of disk space. A profile without Connection Manager can use as little about 200 KB. The total size of your service profile depends on your customization options, such as the method you use to provide phone books, whether you include custom actions or other optional programs, and which graphics you incorporate.

Note

  • If disk space allows, include Connection Manager in the service profile to ensure that your users always have the latest version.

How can you streamline installation for your users?

You can simplify installation and updates for your users by incorporating programs and files that can be automatically installed and configured as part of the Connection Manager installation package. You can tailor these features to the individual needs of specific user groups to control the size of the service profile that you distribute and to promote the effective use of your service. For example, if you support a corporate account with marketing and accounting departments, you might provide separate profiles for each department, so that you could provide the marketing department with a phone book covering the entire sales area, and you could provide the accounting department with a phone book containing only the numbers of the local access points.

How can you integrate your service profile with an Internet Explorer installation package?

Some of your planning decisions will depend on whether you are integrating Connection Manager and your custom service profile with an Internet Explorer installation package or other implementation package. You should determine your delivery method before creating a service profile, to determine any impacts of integration.

For example, if you decide to integrate your Connection Manager service profile with an installation package created with the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK), you might want to coordinate the graphics included in your profile with those you include in the installation package.

Also, if you decide to deliver your Connection Manager service profile with an Internet Explorer installation package, you must create the Connection Manager service profile first. Unlike the IEAK 5 wizard, which had a button to call CMAK directly, the IEAK 5.5 wizard has no direct link to CMAK.

After building your service profile, check the information in Phase Four: Preparing for Integration, Delivery, and Installation to determine additional customization that may be needed to integrate your service profile with other packages.

What phone book support is required?

You can provide a single phone number for user connection, or you can provide additional support for roaming access by providing a phone book of access numbers. Using Connection Point Services, you can provide phone book support with automatic updates, but you need to create the initial phone books and decide how the phone book support is to be implemented before running the CMAK wizard. For more information, see Connection Point Services and Connection Manager.

What is required to maintain and use existing service profiles?

You can incorporate many types of files in a service profile. You can edit or merge other profiles, include program files to support custom actions and monitored applications, and provide user documentation to customize Connection Manager appropriately for your users.

In order to maintain these service profiles so that you always use the appropriate version of an incorporated file, you should understand how the CMAK wizard incorporates and uses such files. For information about how files and folders for your profile are set up, see Setting up your service profiles.

When you edit a service profile that contains a merged service profile, the CMAK wizard attempts to use the latest version of the merged profile. If the CMAK wizard cannot find the merged profile in the appropriate \Program Files\CMAK\Profiles\ServiceProfileFileName folder, it defaults to the current version of the merged profile that was originally stored with the profile being edited.

Plan your profiles, especially those with incorporated files, so that the information and elements are easily maintained and updated as needed.