KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q164131: Policy "Path for Manual Update" Support for %LogonServer%

Article: Q164131
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetworkkbbuglist kbfixlist
Last Modified: 10-AUG-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SYMPTOMS
========

The "Path for Manual Update" for loading policies from a named server location
does not support the %LogonServer% environment variable.

CAUSE
=====

This functionality was not designed into the base release of Windows NT 4.0.

MORE INFORMATION
================

In a large multiple master domain model, you would ideally use the Automatic
policy update mode. However, in a large environment, the Policy file may become
large, and associated performance problems may ensue. Decentralizing the
policies would overcome the performance issue, but would be unmanageable in a
large environment.

Switching to Manual policy update mode allows you to create policies specific to
each resource domain. This works around the potential performance problems but
introduces a single point of failure, because the Path for Manual Update must be
a hard-coded UNC name to a single specific server location.

Adding support for %LogonServer% in the Path for Manual Update is a better
solution, as it removes the single point of failure (assuming the network has
more than one logon server), and allows policy processing to be distributed
among the logon servers.

RESOLUTION
==========

Either accept the single point of failure that choosing Manual policy update
mode for policies entails in the base release, or upgrade to the latest service
pack, which enables %LogonServer% to be used within the specified Path for
Manual Update.

STATUS
======

This feature is included in the latest Microsoft Windows NT version 4.00 U.S.
Service Pack. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the
following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

  S E R V P A C K


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbnetwork kbbuglist kbfixlist
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : winnt:4.0
Issue type        : kbbug

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.