Right/best way to name network computers & user accounts?

[paperfist]

We have a 10+ computer network running Server 2003. Most of the computers are named by department, but the user accounts that connect to the domain are named after user's real names.

That would seem fine for email and it's not a huge issue. However, they change personal frequently and the previous techs never changed user account names so you end up with a computer that has had 5-6 different users with the original persons name still in place. I guess it must have been pretty bad as they just ended up sharing one big folder on the server for people to dump their files into which is obviously not so secure.

Anyway, I'm in the process of upgrading their old machines and rolling out Win7 on them and was wondering if there was a better way of naming user accounts or is it just better to rename them as employees change?

Thanks!

 

[yinan]

User accounts should be named after the user following a standard format:
Aka: John Smith would be something like jsmith@domain.local.

 

[imagoon]

Every time a new user comes in use a standard like:
John X Smith:
jsmith@domain
jxsmith@domain
johnsmith@domain
johnxsmith@domain

IE pick one and stick with it. You should never "change" the accounts names. Just create a new one. It is typically more work to change the account from one person to another than to just do "new user."

When someone is termed, disable the old account. Make them get a new one.

 

[xSauronx]

Every time a new user comes in use a standard like:
John X Smith:
jsmith@domain
jxsmith@domain
johnsmith@domain
johnxsmith@domain

IE pick one and stick with it. You should never "change" the accounts names. Just create a new one. It is typically more work to change the account from one person to another than to just do "new user."

When someone is termed, disable the old account. Make them get a new one.

the hospital i work at changes user accounts regularly. with several thousand employees and a few getting married here and there i very regularly here about them changing an account name, followed by 3 or 4 days of troubleshooting because they *always* screw something up when a name gets changed.

as an intern, i get more or less ignored, so i stopped asking why they continued to do it that way, or at the very least why they dont have a strict process to be followed every time to make sure it works without causing a huge headache.

/also, they name workstations after city names. 7000 workstations...the welsh names are interesting
//and semi-useless

 

[paperfist]

Every time a new user comes in use a standard like:
John X Smith:
jsmith@domain
jxsmith@domain
johnsmith@domain
johnxsmith@domain

IE pick one and stick with it. You should never "change" the accounts names. Just create a new one. It is typically more work to change the account from one person to another than to just do "new user."

When someone is termed, disable the old account. Make them get a new one.

Ok, thanks. So the old IT had part of it right with the naming conventions for the user accounts. They just stuck with the original user name for accounts instead of changing it.

Disabling the old accounts will let me keep their data on hand without letting the new users have access too it, great idea

 

[ahurtt]

You are supposed to name the network hosts after Lord of the Rings or Star Wars characters. Pick names of characters who's roles resemble the job of the host in question as much as possible.

 

[paperfist]

You are supposed to name the network hosts after Lord of the Rings or Star Wars characters. Pick names of characters who's roles resemble the job of the host in question as much as possible.

Hmm I'll have to read up on Sith lords then, the whole office is full of them!

 

[imagoon]

the hospital i work at changes user accounts regularly. with several thousand employees and a few getting married here and there i very regularly here about them changing an account name, followed by 3 or 4 days of troubleshooting because they *always* screw something up when a name gets changed.

as an intern, i get more or less ignored, so i stopped asking why they continued to do it that way, or at the very least why they dont have a strict process to be followed every time to make sure it works without causing a huge headache.

/also, they name workstations after city names. 7000 workstations...the welsh names are interesting
//and semi-useless

Well user name changes is one thing. I normally change the user id and the displayed name and leave the rest.

 

[paperfist]

Add on question:

For the local admin account on each of the computers I assume it's okay to make all the accounts the same since they are always called 'Administrator' anyway?

So if I setup an admin account called AdminMike or something it's not going to be a problem if all 11 computers are the same?

After writing that it seems like a silly question. I just don't want to run into a headache after I setup 11 computers and find out there was a reason you shouldn't do that

 

[imagoon]

Add on question:

For the local admin account on each of the computers I assume it's okay to make all the accounts the same since they are always called 'Administrator' anyway?

So if I setup an admin account called AdminMike or something it's not going to be a problem if all 11 computers are the same?

After writing that it seems like a silly question. I just don't want to run into a headache after I setup 11 computers and find out there was a reason you shouldn't do that

I personally use AD to push out the local admin passwords. It lets me change them network wide periodically. You can also use AD to add "adminmike" to all the machines if you wanted.

 

[paperfist]

I personally use AD to push out the local admin passwords. It lets me change them network wide periodically. You can also use AD to add "adminmike" to all the machines if you wanted.

Damn I have a lot to learn, I didn't even know you could push them out from the server! Hopefully the 3 books I just got in on Server 2003 will get me up to speed.

Thanks again for the help imagoon

 

[imagoon]

Damn I have a lot to learn, I didn't even know you could push them out from the server! Hopefully the 3 books I just got in on Server 2003 will get me up to speed.

Thanks again for the help imagoon

Look up something called "Group Policy Extensions for Windows XP and 2003. You need a Vista or 7 machine to manage them on a 2k3 server.