centralized control/adm/ and security: on a virtuell pc for mac?

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s4serendipity@gmail.com - 02 Nov 2007 14:30 GMT

I am a mac user (designer) in a large pc-based institution about to
employ new pc's for everybody and a new centralized administration of
these. I want to continue to use mac platform and am arguing that
switching to mac with a virtuell pc will solve multiple problems
including connecting me to the file server, using calender and network
printer.
My IT boss is concerned about 1) being able to completely control my
virtuel pc in the same way as the other pc's, including being able to
steer program installment, updates, and 2) security issues between the
two platforms (not having complete control over the mac part of my
machine, creating a weak spot in their security setup).

Can anyone help me with answers and/or documentation about these two
issues?

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Michael Vilain - 02 Nov 2007 21:55 GMT

> I am a mac user (designer) in a large pc-based institution about to
> employ new pc's for everybody and a new centralized administration of
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Can anyone help me with answers and/or documentation about these two
> issues?

Well, your boss won't be able to control your VPC instance like the
others. And VPC instances of XP are just as susceptible to virus,
spyware, and adware infections as real PCs. So, that puts YOU in the
position of being the IT support for your system. Both your IT manager
and your boss may have a problem with that and I can sympathize.

There's nothing worse than giving a non-admin root access to their
machine in a production environment. This is why I call all developers
"evil". They sometimes don't know what they don't know and that's a
problem. When they've deleted /libc.so ("I was just doing a little
cleanup.") and now nothing works--no booting, no shell, nothing.

Most times, I can get away with that user being "on their own" so long
as their access doesn't extend beyond the machine they're managing.

If your boss is up for you managing your own XP environment on VPC
albeit with the written guidelines of the IT department, is that worth
it to both of you? Some of this may be office power politics and some
of it "control" issues (essentially the same thing).

If it were me in the IT boss' spot, I'd banish VPC from your machine and
give you a company-blessed PC. If your boss allows a Macintosh on the
company network and has the political clout to allow it, great.
Otherwise, get ready to switch to a PC.

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DeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee...

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William Smith - 02 Nov 2007 22:31 GMT

Macs are important for folks in the design community, so I understand
your dilemma.

I don't recommend VirtualPC for anything other than web browsing. I've
always found it to be slow and clunky and just enough to barely get by.
I'd go with a cheap Windows machine sitting alongside a Mac with a KVM
switch before using VPC.

If you can get an Intel Mac then I highly recommend using Parallels. The
experience is great. Then I would encourage you to ask your IT folks to
build your image and maintain control themselves. No Mac user has a need
to self-maintain his own virtual Windows machine outside of an
organization's prescribed build. Join it to the Widows domain, install
centrally managed antivirus software, install SMS, etc. Your IT folks
may need a little coaxing to do this but then they retain control.

Signature

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

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s4serendipity@gmail.com - 14 Nov 2007 08:59 GMT

On 2 Nov, 22:31, William Smith <meckli...@REM0VETH1S.comcast.net>
wrote:

> s4serendip...@gmail.com wrote:
> > I am a mac user (designer) in a large pc-based institution about to
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
> Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
> Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

But what about security issues? My boss is concerned that although
they have control over the pc part of my machine, there might be
security leaks because my Mac (which they don't have control over) and
and the Pc are on the same machine. Thus, me being a weak spot in
their security set-up... ?

s

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William Smith - 15 Nov 2007 04:26 GMT

> But what about security issues? My boss is concerned that although
> they have control over the pc part of my machine, there might be
> security leaks because my Mac (which they don't have control over) and
> and the Pc are on the same machine. Thus, me being a weak spot in
> their security set-up... ?

Unfortunately, nothing I can tell you to tell your IT folks will
alleviate their concern if they don't study and learn it themselves.

Windows in Parallels is 100% Windows, not a 99% Windows port running on
top of a Mac OS. Parallels (nor any virtual technology) does not give
you any back doors that would allow you to gain administrative access if
your Windows system is locked down.

I would assume they have obviously never explored virtual technologies,
which also allow Windows to run on Windows. It's the same thing with
Windows running on a Mac. Keep in mind you're virtualizing hardware, not
software.

Hope this helps!

Signature

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

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Mac G - 03 Nov 2007 23:17 GMT

In your situation I definitely wouldn't use VPC/WindowsANY, it's just a
bit sluggish and has a number of limitations.
I suggest you get an Intel Mac and use Parallels or VMware Fusion for
running your Windows in a virtual memory space on your MacOS X system.

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Mac Forum / Applications / Virtual PC / November 2007

centralized control/adm/ and security: on a virtuell pc for mac?