Service Management
The Service Management object is a multi-threaded component that provides an interface to manage the Administrative Service, the replication process and the Update Service. Service Management is available exclusively to a Super User/Group. Non-Super Users/Groups do not have the ability to open the Service Management object.
Since the topology of each network is different it may be advantageous to execute Desktop Authority from locations other than your domain controllers. Server Manager implements a distributed management technology that allows you to delegate control of server configurations. One or more servers are assigned the responsibility of hosting the DA Administrative and Update services as well as acting as a replication partner for the published Desktop Authority configuration files.
Service Management grid
The Service Management grid details the status of each server utilized by Desktop Authority, including the status of the Administrative and Update Services and the replication status of configuration files. Using this grid, the status of service(s) and replication can be monitored for all servers at a quick glance. You can start, stop, configure, install and remove the Administrative and/or the Update Service on one or more servers from this single location. Replication is also be managed from this simple grid. One or more servers can be defined as a target for replication.
Figure 37: Service Management grid
Columns
Server
This is the server name. It is specified as Domain/Server Name.
Site
This column denotes the defined site name of the associated server. Workstation requests are directed to servers within the same site if possible. Using the Site helps to provide more efficient processing.
Replicate
User/Computer Management replication status
These two columns show the last time the User and/or Computer Management files were replicated. Information about Replication and its different status's is shown below.
Administrative/Update Service
These columns display the status of the service, whether it is started, stopped, installed or not installed. Click the respective toolbar button to configure each service.
Update Service connection status
This column provides the ability to view the Update Service log files.
Update Service type
This column displays how the Update service is being used on its respective server.
A server configured as a Distribution server is one that will receive MSI's. from a Distribution/Download server in order to deliver requested files to client computers.
A Distribution/Download server is one that will download MSI's. from the Internet and then deliver them to client computers.
User/Computer Management location
This column designates the replication folders. The folders will differ for User Management and Computer Management.
Download server
For a server that is configured as a Distribution server, this column displays the name of the preferred download server to get the MSI's from.
Service management toolbar
Add
All domain controllers should be listed in the Server Manager grid. If there are any missing from the list, click Add to update the list.
After choosing to add a server, traverse through the resource tree to locate the server to be added to Server Manager. Click 
Discover
Click Discover to force Server Manager to examine the network for existing domain controllers. Depending on the number of domain controllers and their geographic diversity over WAN links, this may take some time. Click Add to manually add a domain controller that is not automatically discovered.
Delete
Select one or more servers and click Remove. This is useful if a domain controller is removed from the network.
Replicate
Select one or more servers and click Replicate. This will publish the necessary files to selected servers.
Properties
Click Properties to configure one or more servers. Here you will be able to set the User/Computer replication target for the server. You will also be able to change the status of the Administrative service and the Update service.
Administrative Service
Clicking this button will drop down a list of actions that can be performed with respect to the Administrative service. This includes Start, Stop, Remove, Edit properties, Install or Restart the service. These actions will be performed on all of the selected servers. Selected servers are highlighted in a yellow color.
Update Service
Clicking this button will drop down a list of actions that can be performed with respect to the Update service. This includes Start, Stop, Remove, Edit properties, Install or Restart the service and Edit LAN settings as well as View Connection Status. These actions will be performed on all of the selected servers. Selected servers are highlighted in a yellow color.
More Operations
Select the More operations button provides access to the Test signature and View replication log action items.
Signatures validate the integrity of Desktop Authority definition and configuration files. Test signature is used to verify the various file signatures. It will first verify that the Signatures Public Key (stored in %Program Files%\Quest\Desktop Authority\Desktop Authority Manager\slsrvmgr.ske file) is the same on each server that has the DA Administrative Service installed. The signature is stored in the registry of each server as a hidden value.
Next, the signatures of the files in the NETLOGON share are check. This includes the .SLP, .SLD and .SL files. Following this, the Computer Management file signatures are tested. These files are found in the \SYSVOL\<domain name>\Policies\Desktop Authority\Device Policy Master folder.
Select View replication log to view the steps taken during the replication process.
Import servers from slsrvmgr.ini allows the Server Manger configuration from a backup on another server or a previous version to be imported into the current Server Manager. This serves as a way to automatically populate a large list of servers without having to do so manually.
Refresh
Click Refresh to update the status of each server in the server manager grid. Each server is inspected for services as well as the Desktop Authority configuration file. The grid is updated with the current status of each.
Managing servers
Servers can be added to or removed from the grid using the Add, Discover and Remove buttons.
To modify one or more servers in the grid, right-click on a single server or multi-select several servers and right-click to access a popup menu with common tasks to perform as shown below. The popup menu contains several actions that are also available on the Service Management toolbar.
Multi-select servers in the Server Manager grid by using the Shift or Ctrl key in combination with a mouse click. To select multiple elements, hold down the CTRL key while clicking the individual servers to select. Consecutive servers in the grid can be selected by clicking the first server to select and then, while holding down the SHIFT key, clicking the last server to select. To select the entire list of servers select the checkbox to the left of the Server column header. This box will be empty if no servers are selected and will be filled with a square if some servers are selected. A server's selected status may be changed by clicking on it.
Select Refresh service status to update the status of the services for each selected server in the server manager grid. Each selected server is inspected for services as well as the Desktop Authority configuration file. The grid is updated with the current status of each.
Managing services
The Administrative Service and Update Service menu items allow for the services to be managed. The same options are also available by right-clicking on the server and choosing the service menu item.
The service columns are color coded to show its current status.
Service status codes legend
Replication
Desktop Authority uses replication to provide a method of publishing Desktop Authority configurations to domain controllers. Desktop Authority does this with its own replication process from within the Server Manager. Server Manager sets the configuration of the replication process on the Server Properties tab within the Service Management dialog. Desktop Authority’s replication can be used to replace Windows Directory Replication services or work in conjunction with it. Of course, if Desktop Authority is your only logon script, there is typically no need to add the overhead of Windows' replication process to your domain controllers. Each time changes are made to your configuration using the Desktop Authority Manager, you will save the changes, replicate and then exit. By default, only the changed files will be replicated.
Clicking the Replicate button marks the target folder on a server as a location that will host Desktop Authority’s configuration files when publishing. Normally the target path for replication is the NETLOGON share of your domain controllers but this can be changed in the Server Properties dialog. This is the path that Desktop Authority is executed from during logon. When you check the target box, Server Manager verifies that the target path exists; if not the directory will be automatically created.
It is recommended that only 1 domain controller be selected as a replication target. Desktop Authority will publish the necessary files to this DC. NTFRS will take care of replicating the changes to all other domain controllers. If more than 1 DC is chosen, it is possible that the replication by Desktop Authority and the NTFRS replication will collide resulting in morphed folders and other possible problems. Choosing 1 domain controller also allows for easier troubleshooting. Do not choose more than 1 server in order to speed up the replication process. If the process must be expedited, allow it to replicate to a single server and then force the NTFRS replication to occur within Active Directory. Choosing multiple replication targets will cause a warning message to be displayed upon replication.
Figure 38: Replication target warning dialog
This message will be displayed at the start of the replication process, if multiple domain controllers are selected as replication targets, for the user initiating the replication process. Click the Do not show this warning again to disable the message box from appearing again for the user and machine. This setting is saved in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry hive, so disabling the warning message on one computer will not disable it for all computers.
Select No to change the replication targets to a single one.
Select Yes to confirm that you wish to continue with the selection of multiple replication targets. This may cause folder-name conflicts during NTFRS replication.
Select Do not show this warning again to disable the message from appearing during subsequent replications for a given user.
When you install Desktop Authority, a default source distribution system is created. The Domain Controller that you installed the program to (otherwise known as the Operations Master) holds the Desktop Authority Manager program files and acts as the source (or master) location for your script files.
The Replication Status column in the Server Manager grid is updated continually and shows when, or if, each server was last replicated to. The target path is first verified for existence and then queried to determine the date and time the Desktop Authority files were last updated.
Server Manager uses intuitive colored icons to represent the status of replication in the User Management Replication Status and the Computer Management Replication Status columns on each server.
When replication is complete, the replication status dialog will show a successful status for each target. A replication log is also available to view by clicking on the View replication log button. The replication process may be canceled during the process by clicking the Cancel button. Click the Close button to complete the replication process.
Figure 39: Replication status dialog
Replication status legend
Figure 40: Replication target folder outdated warning
A more detailed list of files can be displayed by clicking on the More Info link in the warning message.