Chapter 4 Migration

The Desktop Manager contains a number of changes and new features to simplify the management of configuration settings. If you want to migrate a Java Desktop System Configuration Manager 1.1 installation to a Sun Desktop Manager 1.0 installation, you need to migrate your system piece by piece. For example, migrate the server component first, followed by the client component (the Configuration Agent). If you want, you can continue to use the Java Desktop System Configuration Manager 1.1 Configuration Agent with the Desktop Manager but without any of the Desktop Manager features, such as delegated administration or the file-based profile repository.

Object Model and Terminology

The underlying object model for the Desktop Manager has been simplified, but remains compatible with Java Desktop System Configuration Manager. The Desktop Manager manages configuration settings, which are collected and stored within profiles. You can assign profiles to hosts and groups of a domain hierarchy, to users and groups of an organizational hierarchy. You can also assign more than one profile to a single element. Profiles that are assigned to higher level elements of a hierarchy are inherited by their children.

Profile Management

Profile groups that you created in Java Desktop System Configuration Manager 1.1 appear as "profiles" in the Desktop Manager You can only assign settings to an element after you create a corresponding profile. Configuration settings that you assigned to entities in Java Desktop System Configuration Manager automatically appear as profiles with the label "Settings for ...." in the Desktop Manager

Profile Format

When you use the Configuration Wizard in the Desktop Manager to configure an LDAP server, the wizard also detects existing Java Desktop System Configuration Manager 1.1 profiles, and offers to migrate the profiles to the new format. This migration is optional and only improves the read performance of the Desktop Manager agents. If you still need to support Configuration Manager 1.1 agents, do not migrate the profiles. You can still view and edit these profiles without losing compatibility.

Delegated Administration

With the Java Desktop System Configuration Manager 1.1, you can only store profiles under the root of the organization and domain hierarchy in the LDAP server. With the Desktop Manager, you can store profiles in different locations in the organization and domain hierarchy. This delegated administration feature is especially useful if different administrators are responsible for the configuration of different branches of the organization or domain hierarchy, which should not affect each other.

When you migrate to the Desktop Manager, existing Configuration Manager 1.1 profiles on the LDAP server remain under the root of the organization and domain hierarchy. If you want, you can move these with the Copy/Move Wizard or in the advanced options settings of the profile to a new location on the LDAP server. However, when you move and existing profile to a new location, the profile is no long compatible with the Java Desktop System Configuration Manager 1.1. In other words, only use the delegated administration feature if you have completely migrated your Configuration Manager 1.1 agents to the Desktop Manager.