[gptalk] Re: always wait for network at computer startup or logon

Daniel,

I've got a very specific opinion here (I do not like to 'have' my opinion 
because I'd like my system to boot faster, but...)

In our 150,000+ PC environment, we specifically have turned that policy setting 
on (Enabled). It allows our devices to get certain GPO changes faster and more 
consistently. It also allows us to know that 'emergency' scripts directly hit 
targeted devices, the first time (and 'every' time), as they boot up. If you've 
ever been in an emergency situation, you 'know' that management wants to know 
the status of your emergency deployments and fixes every hour on the hour (and 
maybe even more often). Many times we have to use a Computer Startup script and 
without the 'Wait for the Network" setting, it typically requires a second 
reboot to deliver the patch.

Yes, you could tell mgmt:

        "It'll take a couple of days to fix the 'xxxxx' issue (something
        running in the wild within your company) plus all the repair work
        to fix the problems. You see, we chose to shave a "few extra
        seconds" off the boot up time with this 'setting' and it'll take
        an extra full day (or reboot cycle) to get the devices patched.
        Yes, I know the factory is down...yes I know that costs us
        (X,000's - XXX,000's of dollars a day), but folks really wanted a
        few extra 'seconds' when booting every morning or when going to
        meetings in conference rooms."

Instead, you could tell them:

        "All booting devices will be patched the moment they boot up 'today',
        the factory will have minimal downtime, and that there should be
        minimal cleanup work to do".

Also, if you have any users with Roaming Profiles, their systems go into 
different behaviors (after the first time logging in) that essentially 
're-enables' the 'wait for the network' behavior as they attempt to check 
against the user's profile server...and, of course, need the network ready to 
go.

Lastly, the behaviors between client systems with no changes required versus 
those that need to wait for the network (roaming profiles or those processing 
GPO updates...like software deployments or new Computer Startup scripts) can 
make your Help Center's "End User Support Scripts" more complex and increase 
'lost workstation hours' trying to support differences between the various 
systems. [These develop as instructions to resolve: "Sir/Madam: Please reboot 
your device now and you should be fixed. What? It didn't work, hmmm... well, 
let me elevate this to the next support level" ... and perhaps all that was 
needed was an additional reboot...but then, who really knows?]

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

Also, do not trust the 'visible' screen for what is happening. It can only list 
the things that the OS developer's told it to display...and in non-verbose 
mode, that's not much. If you were to switch the user login status display to 
verbose mode, you'd see much more (both at logon and at logoff). Much better is 
to know that logs such as UserEnv.log in verbose mode will show you nearly 
everything significant going on in the bootup/logon process. While the 
'visible' display may be stuck at the message showing that 'security settings' 
are being applied, you'll discover that they started and completed in moments 
and that the developers just didn't update the 'visible' display. In fact, what 
I usually find is that the system is launching many different services and 
executables in the background... and "that's" what's going on. More detail on 
these kinds of activities can be captured using utilities like Sysinternals' 
(now Microsoft's) "Process Monitor" set to "Enable Boot Logging".

Good Luck,

Jerry


-----Original Message-----
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Smith, Brad
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 8:00 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: always wait for network at computer startup or logon

Daniel,

We run 18,000 users and have just gone through a project to enable this.
We have also seen the gains you quoted, with little or no side effects.
I advise you to test against your environment fully (if you haven't
already) but suggest you won't hit many problems if your environment is
fairly generic MS.  In addition, it might be an idea to run Autoruns on
the machines that are reporting the slowest start times.  MS have just
released a new version, the link for it is below.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

Hope this helps,

Brad

-----Original Message-----
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of rpo
Sent: 11 September 2008 06:23
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] always wait for network at computer startup or logon

hi all,

in trying to reduce startup/logon times. i'm reviewing a policy that has
"always wait for network at computer startup or logon" set to enabled.
in my testing ou, i've disabled it and startup times have decreased by
around a min. apparently the default setting is disabled, but i'd like
to hear about people's opinions on this setting? should it be on or off.

additionally, in regards to the startup slowness, i notice there seems
to be a long wait at "applying computer settings". what exactly occurs
here? i've used policy reporter and it shows that during machine policy
refresh, establishing the link speed and determining it is a fast link
takes less than a second, there is then a 20-30 sec delay in the log
before anything else starts happening, can anyone shed some light on
this?

thanks,

daniel.
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