Deploying the Browser

Using the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 5, you can easily customize, deploy, and manage your Internet Explorer packages. The IEAK includes the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, the IEAK Profile Manager, which enable you to build and maintain custom packages of Internet Explorer 5 that are tailored to meet the needs of your users. You can easily specify user setup options and control most browser and component features.

The following sections describe new and enhanced features that streamline the process of deploying Internet Explorer 5.

Internet Explorer Customization Wizard

The Internet Explorer Customization wizard has been enhanced to provide a simpler, more organized interface for creating custom packages of Internet Explorer 5. Using the new Feature Selection screen in Stage 1 of the wizard, you can select the features that you want to customize. All other feature pages will not be shown, so you can more quickly customize only the features you want. For example, if you want to customize only the Favorites, you can select this option, and you will see only the required wizard pages and the wizard pages necessary for customizing Favorites.

The following illustration shows the Feature Selection screen.

Browser Setup Options

The Internet Explorer Customization wizard includes the following new and enhanced options for setting up the browser:

• Single-disk branding - For systems that already have Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 (or later) or Internet Explorer 5 installed, you can select single-disk branding as the distribution method. This option creates a single floppy disk that brands the system with custom text and logo information but does not install the browser.

• Media production - You can use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard to produce custom packages for Web download, CD-ROM, floppy disk, and network installations, all at the same time.

• Preinstalled components - Custom components can be installed before the browser is installed on users' computers. This is particularly useful for utilities that prepare the computers for the browser installation. For example, a registry-cleaning utility could be run first to ensure that no browser registry keys have been deleted.

• Controlled user interaction - You can select the most appropriate level of user involvement for each Internet Explorer installation:

  • Interactive installation, which allows users to customize components during installation.

  • Hands-free installation, which shows only error messages and progress dialog boxes. The user does not have the option of customizing components.

  • Completely silent installation, which involves no interaction and is completely hidden from users.

• Improved Web deployment - You can configure Web installations to choose from up to 10 download sites. If a connection problem occurs, Web installations can switch between sites and resume an interrupted download. Windows Update Setup for Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools can also detect whether a compatible version of an Internet Explorer component is already available on a user's computer. If the component already exists, it is not downloaded again.

• Versioning - The Internet Explorer Customization wizard automatically assigns a version number to every custom package of Internet Explorer. You can use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard to configure your custom packages to prevent overwriting newer browser versions. The wizard also assigns a version number to each component of Internet Explorer 5, so that an individual component can be updated.

• Automatic install - Using the automatic install feature, you can include components with your custom packages that won't be installed until the user requires them. For example, if Internet Explorer 5 detects that the user needs to use Microsoft Virtual Machine to perform a task, the browser automatically locates the distribution point and installs the component. This feature helps you reduce the size of your installation package by deploying only the components that your users require.

• Automatic digital signing - Internet Explorer 5 packages can be digitally signed for distribution. A digital signature guarantees that your custom package hasn't been changed by an unknown source.

• Update notification page - You can use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard to customize the update notification page, which automatically notifies your users when a new version of the browser is available. At a specified interval, the Internet Explorer home, or start, page is replaced temporarily by an update notification page when the user starts the browser. You can customize this page to include information specific to your organization, such as company news or Web links.

For more information about browser options, see Chapter 15 , "Running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard," or review the IEAK Help files.

System Policies and Restrictions

You can use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard or IEAK Profile Manager to do the following:

• Implement new and enhanced settings both by computer and by user and, if you are a corporate administrator, control computer and user privileges.

• Standardize browser settings for your user communities.

You can also configure advanced settings for components such as Microsoft Outlook® Express.

You have the option to lock down certain features and functions. When features are locked down, they either don't appear, or they appear dimmed on the user's desktop. For more information about system policies and restrictions, see Appendix E , "Setting System Policies and Restrictions."

The following illustration shows the System Policies and Restrictions screen.

Connection Manager Administration Kit

When you create custom packages of Internet Explorer, you can use the Connection Manager Administration Kit (CMAK) to guide you through the process of customizing and configuring the Microsoft Connection Manager dialer. You can create a customized dialer to provide users with a quick and easy way to connect to the Internet or intranet.

You can use the CMAK to include custom icons, tailored help files, and special animated graphics to control the appearance of your Connection Manager dialer. The CMAK creates a self-extracting executable (.exe) file that installs the customized dialer on your users' computers. When users click the custom icon to connect to the Internet, the custom-dialer dialog box appears. For more information about the CMAK, see Chapter 14 , "Customizing Connection Management and Settings."

Internet Connection Wizard

If you are an Internet service provider (ISP), you can specify that your customers use the Internet Connection wizard (ICW) to sign up and configure their computers for Internet services. You can also customize the connection and server sign-up options for your customers and create server-based solutions that exchange information with the ICW screens.

The IEAK Toolkit includes sample code for building an ICW sign-up server on different platforms. For more information about using the ICW for server-based sign-up, see Chapter 20 , "Implementing the Sign-up Process."

Security Options

Internet Explorer 5 includes the following enhancements to browser security:

• Secure transmission protocols - Internet Explorer provides enhanced support for the following secure transmission protocols for client and server authentication:

  • Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 2.0 (server authentication only) and SSL 3.0

  • Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0

  • Private Communications Technology (PCT) 1.0

• Fortezza support - Microsoft provides a Fortezza cryptographic service provider (CSP) plug-in for Internet Explorer 5 that supports Fortezza security technology. Users with Fortezza Crypto Cards can install the Fortezza CSP plug-in to ensure secure Internet Explorer communications based on Fortezza security standards (determined by the National Security Agency for the United States Department of Defense).

• Certificate revocation - Internet Explorer 5 adds support for certificate revocation, which verifies that an issuing certification authority has not revoked a certificate. This feature checks for revocation when certificate extensions are present. If the URL for the revocation information is unresponsive, Internet Explorer cancels the connection.

• Content Advisor - Internet Explorer 5 includes the following enhancements to the Content Advisor, which improve your ability to control the content that your users can view on the Intranet and intranet:

  • Support for PICS rules - The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) rules provide an architecture in which content providers can help you configure acceptable PICS settings. Users can only view content that surpasses the agreed-upon PICS criteria.

  • List of approved and disapproved sites - You can now create your own list of Web sites that are approved and disapproved. This capability restricts the content users can view, regardless of whether the Web sites are rated by using PICS or other ratings systems.

  The following illustration shows the Content Advisor.
  

For more information about these security options, see Chapter 6 , "Digital Certificates," and Chapter 8 , "Content Ratings and User Privacy."

Integration with the Office 2000 Custom Installation Wizard

The Internet Explorer Customization wizard is part of the Microsoft Office 2000 Custom Installation wizard (CIW), which enables you to customize and deploy Internet Explorer and Office 2000 simultaneously. The CIW determines whether the IEAK is installed, makes the necessary changes in the registry, and then starts the Internet Explorer Customization wizard. This greatly enhances and simplifies the process of deploying and managing both productivity and Web client tools. For more information about the CIW and deploying Office 2000, see the Microsoft Office 2000 Resource Kit.

Support for Multiple Languages

Internet Explorer 5 can be deployed in more than 26 languages, and you can easily switch between languages after installation. The following language and performance features make it easier to view international content:

• Unicode support - Internet Explorer 5 provides improved Unicode support when you view international content. A set of conversion functions translates all current Internet character sets to Unicode. Applications can be based entirely on Unicode, freeing them from dependencies on particular Internet character sets.

• AutoDetect language feature - Internet Explorer 5 automatically detects the languages and code pages in which data is written. In addition, Internet Explorer determines the percentage of data that is in the detected language and the relative confidence that it has in the accuracy of the language and code-page labeling. If the language is not labeled at all or is mislabeled in the HTML code, Internet Explorer still renders it correctly.

• Easy language switching - With Internet Explorer 5, you can change the language of the user interface after the browser is installed just by downloading the appropriate language pack.

Support for Multiple Platforms

You can deploy Internet Explorer 5 on Microsoft Windows 16-bit, Windows-32 bit, and UNIX platforms. If your organization uses several different platforms, you can deploy and maintain a separate version of Internet Explorer 5 for each platform.

Internet Explorer 5 provides a single, standards-based set of technologies for Web authoring, browsing, communication, and collaboration for all supported platforms. The HTML rendering engine for Internet Explorer on Windows and UNIX platforms was derived from the same code base, so you can be sure that content developed for one platform renders the same on all platforms.

Internet Explorer 5 has also been optimized to support each individual platform. You can take advantage of platform-specific functionality, as well as integration with platform-specific applications. For more information about supported platforms, see Chapter 4 , "Working with Different Platforms."

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