Using Configuration Manager 2007 to Extend Software Update Compliance Across
Networks
Technical Case Study
Published: June 2008
Microsoft Information Technology (Microsoft IT) uses Microsoft® System Center
Configuration Manager 2007 and Windows Server® 2008 Network Access
Protection (NAP) to enforce software update compliance for client computers in the
corporate network. Configuration Manager ensures that computers connecting to the
network meet the Microsoft IT software update policy requirements for system health.
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Situation
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Solution
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Benefits
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Products & Technologies
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The prevalence of Internet-originated malware threats made safeguarding the Microsoft
corporate network a challenge. Microsoft IT wanted a solution that helped protect
the network perimeter while granting access only to computers with required software
updates.
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Microsoft IT enforces compliance with required software updates by using Configuration
Manager 2007 with NAP.
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- Configuration Manager 2007 provides an integrated interface to manage software
updates and enforce their deployment via NAP.
- Client computers are regularly checked for required software updates.
- Computers can be automatically updated with required software updates anytime
they are connected to the network.
- Computers that do not have the required software updates can be quarantined
in a restricted network.
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- Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Vista
- Network Access Protection
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Situation
For enterprise IT departments, providing users and computers with access to network
resources while securing network assets can be a challenge. Authenticated users
must have access from inside and outside the network. The security policy must support
multiple access methods, such as virtual private networks (VPNs), Wi-Fi, and Ethernet.
To complicate these security considerations, the increasing number of Internet-borne
malicious software (malware) programs that exploit computer vulnerabilities before
a user can install software updates has forced IT departments to find ways to mitigate
risks and help protect network assets.
When a worker takes a mobile computer out of the security of a firewall-protected
corporate network and connects it directly to the Internet, he or she is potentially
exposing that computer to malware. When the computer reconnects to the corporate
network, it may spread malware inside the organization. For businesses that rely
upon computer networking services, this scenario can threaten the core assets and
the daily operations of their network.
For Microsoft IT specifically, giving employees access to its internal network from
anywhere is essential to continued business agility. However, because many of the
computers that connect to the Microsoft corporate network are mobile and often also
connect directly to the Internet without the protective benefit of the corporate
network firewall, Microsoft IT needed a robust, comprehensive network security solution
that interoperates with the existing heterogeneous environment, in which multi-vendor
software, hardware, and mixed-network infrastructures already exist.
Solution
Microsoft IT wanted to further restrict corporate network access to only those computers
equipped with the latest software updates. To ensure compliance, Microsoft IT developed
a series of system health policies. These policies mandated the installation of
the latest important software updates, in addition to the use of dedicated security
technologies such as firewalls and anti-malware tools. Furthermore, after the system
health policies were developed, they needed to be enforced as a prerequisite for
access to the network.
To enforce compliance with these policies, Microsoft IT decided to implement NAP,
a service proved in Windows Server 2008 (and one that is supported in Windows
Vista® and Windows® XP Service Pack 3), to regulate which computers
can gain unrestricted access to network resources. NAP provides a framework for
identifying the system health policies that devices must meet before accessing corporate
network resources. NAP can quarantine non-compliant computers within a customizable,
limited-access, restricted network.
Microsoft IT helps protect its network by employing network-access-enforcement technologies
such as Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) and VPN for remote access users. By linking
the use of these existing technologies with the new policy-enforcement features
of NAP, Microsoft IT can effectively block all network connection attempts from
non-compliant computers. Because NAP enforcement policies can be differentiated
based on the network access technology used, Microsoft IT can specify different
levels of quarantine, placing greater restrictions on external users who attempt
to connect through VPN than those who attempt to connect through an Ethernet port
from behind the corporate network firewall within a Microsoft business facility.
Note: NAP also works with other network access technologies such as 802.1X
for wireless connections, Terminal Services Gateway, and Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP). Because Microsoft IT already required the use of IPsec for access
to its corporate network, it chose to link NAP enforcement to only IPsec and VPN.
To make sure that all connecting computers have the latest software updates, Microsoft
IT uses System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with NAP. Microsoft IT was
already using Configuration Manager, the successor to Microsoft Systems Management
Server 2003, to inventory computer hardware and software and to push required
software updates and other distributions throughout the network. By using Configuration
Manager to validate a user's compliance with the software update policy for NAP
and as the distribution source for software updates, the user is blocked from gaining
access to network resources until his or her device becomes compliant with health
policies.
How It Works
When a computer that the Configuration Manager–NAP solution identifies as non-compliant
attempts to access the network, quarantine in NAP denies that computer access to
corporate network resources specified by Microsoft IT. Configuration Manager then
provides remediation services by managing the installation of the missing software
updates as required by policy. After the missing updates are installed, NAP releases
the computer from quarantine and restores full network access. The Configuration
Manager plug-in within the NAP framework includes the following components:
- Configuration Manager System Health Agent (SHA) This component
runs on the client computer and serves two purposes: to generate a Statement of
Health (SoH) that indicates the status of the client computer relative to the software
update system health policy; and to apply missing software updates to a computer
that is found to be non-compliant with the system health policy.
- Configuration Manager System Health Validator (SHV) This
component runs on the Network Policy Server (NPS) to evaluate the client computer's
SoH and determine whether it is compliant with the latest system health policy,
which changes whenever Microsoft IT releases a new software update and configures
its enforcement in NAP.
The enforcement mechanism of NAP with the software update mechanism of Configuration
Manager ensures that computers are constantly updated with the latest required software
updates. NAP-enabled client computers will be less vulnerable to malware, more stable
due to operating system improvements and updates, and less likely overall to suffer
technical problems related to unresolved software problems.
Figure 1 illustrates the architecture and the sequence of events run by computers
configured to use the Configuration Manager–NAP solution when attempting to connect
to the Microsoft corporate network.
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Figure 1. Components of the Configuration Manager–NAP solution infrastructure
The sequence of events that the Configuration Manager–NAP solution perform in the
Microsoft IT pilot is as follows:
- The Configuration Manager Site server downloads all the latest software updates
from the Internet–based Microsoft Update service.
- The Configuration Manager Site server deploys the updates to the Configuration Manager
Distribution Point server. It also publishes the list of new Microsoft IT–specified,
NAP-required software updates to the Master State Store in Active Directory®
Domain Services (AD DS).
- The Configuration Manager SHV that is running in the NPS polls AD DS and retrieves
the list of the latest NAP-required software updates.
- An NAP-enabled client computer requests network access. The request triggers a network
state change on the client computer, which prompts that computer to generate and
send an SoH for each SHA that is installed to either the Health Registration Authority
(HRA) server (used by internal, IPsec clients) or the VPN server (used by remote
access clients). One of these servers then passes the SoHs along to the NPS server.
The NPS server—which performs the same client authentication service for Windows
Server 2008 as Internet Authentication Server (IAS) and Remote Authentication
Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) servers did for Windows Server 2003—maintains
the system health policies referenced by NAP. If the client computer that is requesting
network access was granted access within the past five days (the validity period
that Microsoft IT set for its SoHs), it cached its previous SoH after the SoH was
confirmed as valid. Unless a critical situation develops that forces Microsoft IT
to discard all cached SoHs, the NPS server grants the client computer unrestricted
network access based on the cached, valid SoH.
However, if the NPS server determines that one or more of the client SoHs do not
match those of the SHVs that it has on record, have expired, or are missing for
a required SHV, the NPS server considers the client unhealthy. The NPS server then
sends a client out-of-compliance Statement of Health Response (SoHR) back to the
originating HRA server or VPN server, which forwards that SoHR to the originating
SHA on the client computer. At that time, the computer is quarantined in a restricted
network for remediation instead of receiving full access to the network.
- If the non-compliance issue was based on the SoHR from the Configuration Manager
SHV, the Configuration Manager SHA on the client computer downloads the latest system
health policy from the Configuration Manager Management Point server. A local scan
of the client computer then runs to identify all of the missing software updates
according to the system health policy.
Note: Managing non-compliance to policies in other SHVs is handled by the
corresponding local SHAs after NAP places the computer in quarantine. This document
does not cover the specific sequence of events for remediating issues unrelated
to Configuration Manager SHV and SHA. For more information about how NAP works with
other SHVs and SHAs, see the Network Access Protection page on Microsoft TechNet
at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/network/bb545879.aspx.
- The client computer retrieves required software updates from the Configuration Manager
Distribution Point server after comparing the scan results to the current system
health policy, and then installs them.
- The client computer creates a new SoH for each SHA and sends them again to the NPS
server by means of the HRA or VPN server (depending upon connection type) for validation.
If the NPS server confirms that the new SoHs are compliant with the system health
policies by the corresponding SHVs on the NPS server, the NPS server sends a policy-compliant
SoHR to the originating HRA server or VPN server. The originating server in turn
grants the client computer full access to the network.
Planning
In planning for deployment, Microsoft IT first developed the system health policies
for computers and identified all must-have security policies for granting network
access. These policies included the installation of all mandated software updates,
the use of a software firewall, the installation of anti-malware software, the use
of a real-time virus-scanning tool, and the installation of other key software applications
as required by a particular group or department.
Microsoft IT considered all of the software updates available from Microsoft Update
and determined which ones were critical for the protection of the network and all
connected computers. Because Microsoft Update offers a reliable publication schedule
of when software updates will be made available, Microsoft IT decided to review
the software updates in each release cycle and enable the necessary updates in NAP
by adding them to the software update policies.
Deployment
Microsoft IT assembled the infrastructure needed for deployment of the Configuration
Manager–NAP solution. This included identifying the server roles required, the number
of servers per role, and whether the servers would span the domains that compose
the Microsoft corporate network. Microsoft IT performed the following tasks to accommodate
the solution rollout:
- Set up the standard Windows NAP infrastructure:
- Identified which type of network access technologies to protect.
- Deployed NPS servers for defining network access and restriction policies.
- Deployed quarantine enforcement servers, including VPN servers to authenticate remote
access users, and HRA servers to obtain certificates from the existing Microsoft
IT certification authority (CA) for compliant IPsec computers.
- Identified a pool of remediation resource servers for resolving issues of non-compliant
computers.
- Set up the Configuration Manager software update infrastructure and enabled its
integration with NAP:
- Designed a Configuration Manager hierarchy for NAP on the existing Configuration
Manager infrastructure.
- Deployed SHV services for Configuration Manager, Windows, and antivirus on the NPS
servers for validating client-computer-generated SoHs for policy compliance.
- Identified the Active Directory Directory Services forest to be used as the Master
State Store to maintain the client computer's health state references.
- Extended the AD DS schema to include specific extensions for Configuration
Manager and to ensure that a System Management container was present.
- Configured existing Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) servers as Software Update
Points in Configuration Manager.
- Populated defined distribution point servers with NAP-enabled software update contents
retrieved from the Microsoft Update service on the Internet.
- Used the existing Fall Back Status Point to enable client deployment, assignment
monitoring, and reporting.
- Applied a Group Policy setting that targeted the desktop computer domain or organizational
unit (OU) to maintain the current client assignment in existing Configuration Manager
sites.
- Enabled the Configuration Manager–NAP component agent at the Configuration Manager
Site server level. This enabled clients to participate in NAP.
- Deployed the Configuration Manager client by means of WSUS.
- Conducted other tasks needed to complete the solution rollout:
- Developed a custom Windows NAP reporting schema.
- Developed a custom Configuration Manager reporting schema.
- Used Configuration Manager to deploy other SHAs onto participating client computers.
- Planned and implemented a test and pilot phase for the Configuration Manager–NAP
solution.
Note: This technical case study does not cover specific technical deployment
issues or processes. For more detailed technical information on the specific architectural
requirements and processes for a NAP deployment, see the documentation on the Network
Access Protection page on Microsoft TechNet at
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/network/bb545879.aspx.
In addition to operating the corporate IT infrastructure, Microsoft IT works with
the various product development groups by verifying beta versions of Microsoft software
products in real-world pre-production and production environments. Microsoft IT
uses multiple mechanisms for deployment of software updates, including Microsoft
Update, WSUS, and Configuration Manager (which builds on top of WSUS). It was important
during the pilot that participating client computers pointed to the correct WSUS
server associated with Configuration Manager, and not a WSUS server associated with
one of the other software deployment mechanisms. If Microsoft IT configured participating
client computers to access any WSUS server on the network, the client computers
might not be able to get the required software updates that would enable them to
move from the restricted network to full network access. To enforce the association
of the Configuration Manager WSUS server to participating client computers, Microsoft
IT used Group Policy.
Running the Pilot
Microsoft IT verified its design of the initial Configuration Manager–NAP solution
design in a pre-production environment to ensure that the pilot deployment of quarantine
policy enforcement would not adversely affect computers in the enterprise production
environment. After verification, Microsoft IT began the phased pilot rollout by
initially configuring the existing Configuration Manager client agent on selected
users' NAP-enabled computers to begin supporting the NAP pilot running in reporting
mode.
Note: There are three enforcement modes available with NAP, all of which
work with Configuration Manager: reporting, deferred enforcement, and full enforcement.
In reporting mode, non-compliant computers are not put into quarantine. All non-compliance
issues are recorded for reporting purposes only. In deferred enforcement mode, computers
are notified when they are identified as being out of compliance, but restriction
of network access due to non-compliance does not start until after the deadline
date for mandatory installation of the update has passed. Full enforcement mode
places the non-compliant computers immediately into quarantine until they are compliant.
NAP enables different enforcement modes to be specified according to network connection
type and per collection group.
Due to dependencies on early beta versions of both Windows Server 2008 and
Configuration Manager 2007, the pilot was limited in scope and has been ongoing
for more than two years. As key server components became available with newer releases
of beta software, Microsoft IT regularly updated the Configuration Manager–NAP pilot
on both the client and server sides. Another reason for the long pilot period was
the necessity of thoroughly discovering and handling exceptions to NAP policies.
For example, some engineering verification environments, and specific Microsoft
IT verification staff needed to be excluded from NAP enforcement. Microsoft identified
exceptions to policy compliance and made a determination on how to resolve the issue
in each case. Microsoft IT carefully implemented the NAP enforcement mechanisms
to make sure that exceptions were properly identified without causing a work stoppage
issue for those users included in the needed policy exceptions.
As server-side software dependences stabilized, Microsoft IT began deploying NAP
in reporting mode to all domain-joined, NAP-capable computers throughout the company.
In addition, a subset of pilot participants recently transitioned from NAP reporting
mode to NAP full enforcement mode. Microsoft IT chose to switch over an entire domain
for this stricter pilot, affecting nearly 20,000 NAP-capable computers. Now that
the development of the Windows Server 2008 and Configuration Manager 2007
is complete, the full enforcement pilot will soon begin expanding one by one to
other corporate managed domains, and computers in those domains will be required
to comply with all system health policies before network access is granted.
During the pilot, the only network limitations applied to non-compliant internal
computers that were using IPsec and that were placed in the restricted network was
to block connections between computers running Windows Vista, such as access to
local file shares and Remote Desktop connections. Non-compliant computers attempting
to connect through VPN were placed in a more restricted network that only allowed
them to access the software update remediation servers, where they had to address
and resolve the compliance issues before full network access was granted.
Note: Microsoft IT specifically configured the levels of restriction in the
NAP pilot quarantine function. The options included: non-enforcement; basic network
limitations, such as limiting computer connections between end users; restricting
resource levels and access to file servers; blocking access to critical, line-of-business
applications and Microsoft Exchange Server; and complete network isolation.
After completing the pilot, Microsoft IT plans to expand the use of the Configuration
Manager –NAP solution in full enforcement mode so that non-compliant computers in
the corporate-managed domains that are not known exceptions will be denied access
to the Microsoft corporate network until they successfully remediate their respective
blocking issues.
Other Compliance Policy Checks Used by Microsoft IT
Microsoft IT explored other SHA/SHV plug-ins for NAP as part of the overall solution
for system health policy enforcement, including SHA/SHVs for Windows and for the
Microsoft IT antivirus solution. In addition to software update health policies,
Microsoft IT performs such compliance checks as:
- Verifying the installation of the Configuration Manager client (SHA).
- Verifying the presence and running state of the Security Center service.
- Verifying the presence and running state of Windows Firewall.
- Verifying the installation of the antivirus application.
- Verifying the status of the antivirus real-time monitor.
- Verifying that the antivirus signature file is up-to-date.
- Verifying the consistency of the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) repository.
Customized Remediation Tool
Whereas Configuration Manager can usually automatically remediate non-compliance
issues associated with its own SHA or SHV, this is not the case when the Configuration
Manager SHA is missing. When the Configuration Manager SHV does not receive a Configuration
Manager SoH, this indicates the absence of Configuration Manager SHA. NAP treats
the client computer as non-compliant and places it into quarantine. Normally, an
SHA is responsible for automatic remediation, but it cannot automatically-remediate
its non-existence. In this circumstance, a generic NAP installation enables IT staff
to define a custom-built Web page that users are referred to when they are quarantined
in the restricted network. This Web page enables the quarantined user to navigate
to various manual remediation tools that they might use to resolve compliance issues
that could not be automatically remediated.
To expedite and simplify the process for its customers, Microsoft IT created a customized
remediation tool by using the simple software development tools in the Microsoft
Visual Studio® 2008 development system. The custom tool takes into account
the specific policies required by Microsoft IT that NAP cannot automatically remediate,
such as missing SHAs on the client computer. Its simple user interface enables users
to understand the reason for being quarantined and remediates any unresolved issues
from the NAP compliance checks.
The Microsoft IT custom automatic remediation tool attempts to resolve issues by
using custom scripts. After an issue is resolved, the tool automatically closes,
the remediated SHA issues a new SoH, and NAP performs the SoH validation process
again. If the new SoH is valid, NAP restores unrestricted network access. If any
of the compliance checks continue to fail, the computer may be blocked from accessing
the network or quarantined to a restricted network until the computer can be brought
into a compliant state. The custom tool also sends logs of each instance when the
tool has run to a central Microsoft SQL Server® database, which provides Microsoft
IT staff with remediation analysis data.
The custom remediation tool can handle non-compliance issues such as:
- No Configuration Manager client is installed.
- No antivirus application is installed.
Continuous Policy Checks
In addition to validating SoHs when connecting to the network, the Configuration
Manager client runs hourly software update policy checks against the Management
Point server while client computers are connected to the network. Anytime that new
software updates are found, they are installed according to the Configuration Manager
software update policy. This effort reduces the incidence of temporary quarantine
restrictions during logons because the computers will have already been updated.
This effort also ensures that high-priority updates are deployed enterprise wide
as fast as possible. Wi-Fi enabled computers, such as laptops and Tablet PCs, can
be automatically updated in the background as the user carries the device between
meetings (if the device is not in sleep mode). Furthermore, Microsoft IT may not
deem some available software updates as top-priority installations, but instead
configure them to be installed at any time by a set future date. These updates will
be downloaded and installed in the background while the user works, which also minimizes
logon delays due to quarantine.
Benefits
With the use of the Configuration Manager–NAP solution to keep corporate network–connected
computers updated with the latest software updates, the Microsoft corporate network
will be safer from an unintentional introduction of malware after the solution is
rolled out to the entire company. Pilot users are already receiving the benefits
of this protection. All Microsoft client computers that access the network will
be better secured with required system software updates and system health settings,
thereby minimizing system vulnerabilities—especially on mobile computers—both inside
and outside the corporate network firewall. Upon full deployment of this solution,
the deployment of critical zero-day updates will be fast and thorough throughout
the enterprise, reducing the internal support overhead costs to Microsoft IT of
identifying and containing malware outbreaks and cleaning up compromised computers.
Microsoft IT found another benefit of using Configuration Manager with NAP. By using
Configuration Manager, Microsoft IT was able to apply granular control over the
enforcement mechanism of NAP. This control enabled Microsoft to achieve customized
compliance with the software update policy by all connecting NAP-capable computers,
as well as target business-appropriate policies to specific forests and domain computers
within Microsoft.
Configuration Manager can apply software updates based on applicability. For example,
users of the 2007 Microsoft Office system will not receive security updates for
Microsoft Office 2003 if the product is not installed. However, if NAP is configured
to use the Windows SHA that is built into Windows Vista and Windows XP SP 3,
NAP will enforce all required updates within a specified Microsoft Update category
to be installed to all NAP-capable computers. By employing the Configuration Manager
SHA to refine and filter the rules that NAP uses for enforcement, Microsoft IT can
now select specific updates to enable for NAP enforcement based on more granular
software update policies.
Computers can be grouped for update targeting based on a wide variety of Configuration
Manager collections, such as membership in a security group, domain, or other collection
definitions. For example, Configuration Manager can target specific groups of computers
for updates by computer type, operating system version, or particular hardware and
software inventory attributes. (Microsoft IT targeted NAP-capable computers in one
specific domain for its pilot).
By using Configuration Manager, Microsoft IT can specify the unique enforcement
date for each NAP-enabled software update, ranging from immediately to a date in
the future, based upon the priority of the update. As long as the enforcement date
is not immediate, the end user can install the software update package at any time
prior to the deadline. Users who do not immediately install updates that have extended
deadlines will continue to have full network access. But when the enforcement date
arrives, users who have not installed the update have their network access restricted,
and installation of the required software update occurs automatically.
With the Configuration Manager–NAP solution in place as a pilot deployment in the
Microsoft network infrastructure, Microsoft IT can enforce compliance with relevant
software update health policies before the affected computer can access the resources
on the corporate network. Additional NAP framework plug-ins can also be used to
expand the types of health policies that are used to control access to network resources.
For example, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 provide a built-in Windows
SHA/SHV plug-in that can enforce health policies for firewall usage and other common
security configuration settings.
Lastly, thanks to the ability of Configuration Manager to work with NAP to enforce
installation of software updates, Microsoft IT will gain a much higher level of
confidence knowing that it will meet its goals of keeping client computers up-to-date.
After running a pilot of 20,000 users, the percentage of compliance for policy-required,
installed software updates was extremely high. More than 99 percent of the solution
participants had all current software updates installed anytime they used NAP to
access the network.
Key Takeaways and Best Practices
Microsoft IT rolled out the Configuration Manager–NAP solution for enforcing software
updates through system health policy in a very complex environment that consists
of multiple forests and domains. Because of its experience with the Configuration
Manager–NAP solution pilot, Microsoft IT learned several lessons and developed some
best practices:
- Deploy the Configuration Manager–NAP infrastructure in a pre-production
environment first An organization should thoroughly test and
verify its server and client configuration settings. It should not keep everyone
participating in the pilot permanently quarantined on the restricted network.
- Rank customer effect When planning for the pilot and eventual
rollout of NAP, an organization should rank its internal groups according to which
have the highest rate of business-critical contact with customers. Then, the organization
can initially deploy the Configuration Manager–NAP solution to the internal groups
that have the least critical, direct effect upon customers. This will minimize any
potential problems with quarantine configuration.
- Identify quarantine-accessible resources and create remediation list The
remediation list should consist of the server Internet Protocol (IP) address of
customized resource services such as Management Points, Software Update Points,
internal IT, and other corporate Web sites. The organization may also choose to
enable access to application servers such as Exchange servers. It should consider
any connectivity protocols that it may normally use. Microsoft IT normally requires
IPsec authentication for access to any of its network resources, but it disabled
IPsec for its restricted network. However, if the organization follows that example,
it should note that its remediation servers are not authenticating the users who
connect to them, so there must be no business-sensitive data or proprietary software
available on those servers.
- Use Group Policy There are specific Configuration Manager
Group Policy settings available that enable deployment of the Configuration Manager
client by WSUS and assign the client to the proper Configuration Manager site. These
settings are a dramatic improvement over what previously existed in Systems Management
Server. The administrative burden of maintaining complex scripts used for client
deployment and site assignment, which ran every time a user logged on to his or
her computer, has been eliminated. Group Policy now manages this process. The use
of Group Policy greatly simplified the deployment of the Configuration Manager–NAP
software update solution for Microsoft IT. Additional best practices for using Group
Policy include:
- Use Group Policy to ensure that computers using the Configuration Manager–NAP solution
point to the correct WSUS server. This ensures the availability of the software
updates required by the Configuration Manager SHA for remediation. If the Configuration
Manager SHA itself is missing, this specific WSUS server also enables the Configuration
Manager client to be installed in remediation. Ensuring the use of a properly configured
WSUS server enables successful remediation of client computers.
- After the Configuration Manager–NAP solution is in place, continue using Group Policy
to ensure the application and maintenance of necessary configuration settings. Other
environments that may be run on the network may inadvertently change the settings
for the specified WSUS server accessed by the client computer. Keeping in place
the Group Policy setting that specifies the approved Configuration Manager WSUS
server ensures that everything works as expected in remediation when quarantine
is enforced.
- Minimize potential client quarantine problems An organization
should choose one of two routes for deploying the solution to client computers:
- Upon installation, set Configuration Manager in NAP to run initially in reporting
mode. This enables administrators to use NAP reporting data to track the status
of the Configuration Manager solution deployment to clients. This also helps to
identify NAP configuration issues and needed exceptions to the health policy so
that users who otherwise would go into quarantine can still work productively.
- Choose to disable NAP under Configuration Manager for a particular site during the
installation of the Configuration Manager clients until the Configuration Manager
SHV is installed and is working with AD DS. After the organization installs
and configures the SHVs on the same Windows Server 2008–based servers that
are running NPS, it should be sure to have the SHVs publish to and query from AD DS
before the NAP agent is enabled. Otherwise, client computers remain in quarantine
until the SHVs are installed on the NPS server, the site publishes clients' health
state references, and the NPS server validates the clients' health.
- Verify the distribution process for required software updates Before
linking the Configuration Manager distribution process for software updates to the
NAP enforcement mechanism, an organization should be sure that the existing software
update distribution process works reliably. It should confirm that communication
links between the Configuration Manager client and the Management Point and Distribution
Point servers work well. Technical resources spent on troubleshooting an inconsistent
or problematic software update remediation process could negate the benefits of
implementing such a solution. Before the organization uses Configuration Manager
to configure any particular software update to be NAP enforced, it should first
deploy the software update package distribution points and configure the package
to be targeted to client computers. Otherwise, the client computers will go into
quarantine to get the update but will never exit because the software update is
not available for installation.
- Use a single forest deployment for storing health state references in the domain
identified as the Master State Store The organization will
benefit from simplified, centralized administration of the Configuration Manager
hierarchy, policy management, restriction network management, and SoH validation.
Advantages of the single-forest Master State Store model include easier management
of multiple domains, meeting developers' and programmers' requirements, and centralized
management for software updates and NAP policies.
- Put the NPS servers and Configuration Manager Site servers in the same forest This
simplifies administration of the enterprise-wide NAP service. Alternatively, an
organization can configure the Configuration Manager Web site to publish the clients'
health state reference to an identified forest where that domain's clients are joined.
Conclusion
Today's world of pervasive malware on the Internet is a threat to all connected
computers. Highly connected, mobile business computers can unknowingly carry those
threats into corporate networks. To protect the assets of its enterprise network,
it was no longer sufficient for Microsoft IT to merely depend on perimeter security
by regulating network access to authenticated user accounts. Microsoft IT needed
more granular control over network access and health policy enforcement. The basic
tool to provide this functionality for comprehensive network security is the NAP
framework, which is built into both Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista.
However, NAP needed to be linked to specific plug-ins that allowed it to run compliance
checks against defined policies.
Microsoft IT used NAP enforcement with Configuration Manager 2007 as the solution
for keeping client computers updated for security-enhanced network access. By using
Configuration Manager to control NAP enforcement for required software updates,
Microsoft IT defined customized software update policies that covered updates that
are mandatory for network access. Custom installation deadlines can be applied to
these updates, depending on the critical nature of the updates. After it is connected,
Configuration Manager continuously monitors and applies new updates as policies
are updated, thereby ensuring that resolving vulnerabilities to zero-day exploits
is fast and efficient.
The use of Configuration Manager with NAP provided Microsoft IT with the solution
to better manage client computer health status, reduce vulnerability to malware
infections that might be brought inside the corporate network, and offer its users
a computing experience that is significantly less affected by out-of-date software.
For More Information
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