1. An Overview of the Preference Model
The Managed Preference model was first included in Macintosh Manager version 1.3 to allow greater control and management of user preferences.
Note: Some system-specific preferences are not affected by the Managed Preference model.
Preference Storage
When a user logs in to Macintosh Manager, preferences specific to that user are accessed and used by the client computer. Mac OS 9 clients differ from Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients in where these preferences are stored while a user is logged in.
Important: This document does not discuss how preferences are handled when "Startup Disk" is selected as the location where documents are stored for a workgroup in the Workgroups: Options pane of the Macintosh Manager admin application. For more information on this behavior, please see technical document 106932, "Macintosh Manager: Managed Preference Behavior When Group Documents Volume is the Startup Disk".
When logged in to Macintosh Manager
Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients automatically copy user-specific preferences from the server to the local workstation when a user logs in. These preferences are accessed locally during the Macintosh Manager session. When the user logs out, the preferences may or may not be copied back to the server, depending on the configuration.
By default, Mac OS 9 clients access the preferences files on the server over the network during the Macintosh Manager session.
When logged out of Macintosh Manager
By default, both Mac OS 9 clients and Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients store user preferences on the server when a user is not logged in.
Preference Model Components
The Preference Model allows you to group preferences into three special categories: Initial Preferences, Forced Preferences, and Preserved Preferences. The first two categories work with Mac OS 9 client computers, and all three categories can be used with Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients.
The Macintosh Manager Server extension automatically creates a folder called Managed Preferences on the server the first time any user whose preferences will be stored on the server logs in. By default, this Managed Preference folder is created in the Macintosh Manager shared folder on the server. Inside this folder are the three folders needed for the new preference model to function: Forced Preferences, Initial Preferences, and Preserved Preferences.
Figure 1 Managed Preferences folder
2. Initial Preferences
The Initial Preferences folder allows a user to receive preconfigured preferences the first time she opens an application that uses those preferences. The Initial Preferences folder only gives the user any specific preference file once. If a user already has the preference file in her own preference folder, Macintosh Manager will not replace her copy of the preference file with the copy in the Initial Preferences folder. This process is repeated each time a user logs in, so you can place additional preference files in the Initial Preferences folder later if you install additional software. When a user opens the new software for the first time, a copy of the preference files for the new software will be placed in her Preferences folder.
There are also some preference files and folders that get created when a user logs in for the first time, whether or not the Preference Model is active. These items include, but are not limited to:
These files and folders are created during the client startup process before the Preference Model runs. Files and folders in the Initial Preferences folder matching any of these items are therefore not copied. Note: Aliases and invisible files placed in the Initial Preferences folder will not work, and should not be used.
Usage Example
The following is an example of how the Initial Preferences can be used to provide all users with preconfigured bookmarks and preferences for Internet Explorer the first time they log in.
Setup
Implementation
Mac OS 9 client
Mac OS 8.6 and earlier client
Figure 2 Initial Preferences logic process
3. Forced Preferences
The Forced Preferences folder forces a user to receive the same preference file or folder of files every time he logs in on any Macintosh Manager client computer. The items in the Forced Preferences folder will replace items with the same names in the Preferences folder the user will be using regardless of whether he has newer or older items. For Mac OS 9 clients, the items in the Forced preferences are copied to the user-specific Preferences folder in the Users folder in the Macintosh Manager folder on the server. For Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients, Macintosh Manager copies the file only to the Preferences folder in the System Folder of the client computer. It does not copy them to the user-specific Preferences folder on the server.
Note: Aliases and invisible files placed in the Forced Preferences folder will not work, and should not be used.
Usage Example
The following is an example of how the Forced Preferences can be used to provide all users with preconfigured bookmarks and preferences for Internet Explorer every time they log in.
Setup
Implementation
Mac OS 9 client
Mac OS 8.6 or earlier client
Figure 3 Forced Preferences logic process
4. Preserved Preferences
The Preserved Preferences folder allows an administrator to set the preferences that are copied between the server and Mac OS 8.6 or earlier clients during login and logout. Important: This portion of the preference model is only applicable to Mac OS 8.6 or earlier client computers. The Preserved Preference portion of the preference model behaves differently than the Initial Preferences and Forced Preferences in that the files and folders you put in the Preserved Preferences folder are never actually copied. Macintosh Manager scans the files and folders in the Preserved Preferences folder, and builds a list containing the names of all the items inside. Macintosh Manager then uses this list to determine which preferences need to be copied back and forth from the server to the client computer during login and logout instead of copying the entire contents of the Preferences folder. You can use the Preserved Preferences folder to decrease login and logout time by limiting the amount of preferences that are copied.
Note: Aliases and invisible files placed in the Preserved Preferences folder will not work, and should not be used.
There are some preferences that are always copied, whether or not they exist in the Preserved Preferences folder and some that are never copied, even if they exist in the Preserved Preferences folder:
When a user logs in on a Mac OS 8.6 or earlier client computer, Macintosh Manager builds a list of the names of the files and folders inside the Preserved Preferences folder. Macintosh Manager adds the names of the items in the 'Always Copied' list, creating a combined list. Macintosh Manager compares the combined list against the items in the user-specific Preferences folder on the server. Macintosh Manager then copies all the files and folders whose names exist on the combined list from the user-specific Preferences folder on the server to the local system's Preferences folder. Any files or folders that are already in the local Preferences folder that have the same name as those listed in the combined list are deleted. If an item on the list does not exist in either location, the item is skipped.
Note: Any item that has the same name as an item in the Forced Preferences folder is removed from the list, and is not copied.
Figure 4 Preserved Preferences logic process
When the user logs out, the same process runs to determine which preferences are copied from the local system's Preferences folder back to the user's server based Preferences folder. All items matching those on the combined list are then deleted from the Preferences folder on the client computer. Note: A user who then logs in using a System Access workgroup may not be able to use some applications, because the preferences for the applications do not exist in the Preferences folder.
5. Administration of the Managed Preference Model
Creation of the Managed Preferences folder
The Managed Preferences folder, and the three folders within it are created automatically by Macintosh Manager the first time any member of a workgroup logs in. Note: The folder is created in the same folder as the Users folder at the workgroup document sharepoint. This sharepoint is designated in the Options sub tab under the Workgroups tab in the Macintosh Manager administration application. The default location is the Macintosh Manager folder on the server.
Activation of the Managed Preference Model
The Managed Preferences model is made active when any item is placed in one of the three folders in the Managed Preferences folder. "Copy only Internet preferences or administrator defined preferences" must be selected under the Security tab which is under the Global tab in the Macintosh Manager administration application for the Preserved Preferences portion of the Managed Preferences model to function.
Using Multiple Managed Preferences Folders
Each workgroup uses the Managed Preferences folder on the workgroup documents volume for that workgroup. Different workgroups can use different sets of Managed Preferences only if they use different workgroup document locations. Conversely, in order to use the same Managed Preferences folder for workgroups with different workgroup documents locations, the Managed Preferences folder must be copied to each workgroup documents location.
The Managed Preference model was first included in Macintosh Manager version 1.3 to allow greater control and management of user preferences.
Note: Some system-specific preferences are not affected by the Managed Preference model.
Preference Storage
When a user logs in to Macintosh Manager, preferences specific to that user are accessed and used by the client computer. Mac OS 9 clients differ from Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients in where these preferences are stored while a user is logged in.
Important: This document does not discuss how preferences are handled when "Startup Disk" is selected as the location where documents are stored for a workgroup in the Workgroups: Options pane of the Macintosh Manager admin application. For more information on this behavior, please see technical document 106932, "Macintosh Manager: Managed Preference Behavior When Group Documents Volume is the Startup Disk".
When logged in to Macintosh Manager
Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients automatically copy user-specific preferences from the server to the local workstation when a user logs in. These preferences are accessed locally during the Macintosh Manager session. When the user logs out, the preferences may or may not be copied back to the server, depending on the configuration.
By default, Mac OS 9 clients access the preferences files on the server over the network during the Macintosh Manager session.
When logged out of Macintosh Manager
By default, both Mac OS 9 clients and Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients store user preferences on the server when a user is not logged in.
Preference Model Components
The Preference Model allows you to group preferences into three special categories: Initial Preferences, Forced Preferences, and Preserved Preferences. The first two categories work with Mac OS 9 client computers, and all three categories can be used with Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients.
The Macintosh Manager Server extension automatically creates a folder called Managed Preferences on the server the first time any user whose preferences will be stored on the server logs in. By default, this Managed Preference folder is created in the Macintosh Manager shared folder on the server. Inside this folder are the three folders needed for the new preference model to function: Forced Preferences, Initial Preferences, and Preserved Preferences.
Figure 1 Managed Preferences folder
2. Initial Preferences
The Initial Preferences folder allows a user to receive preconfigured preferences the first time she opens an application that uses those preferences. The Initial Preferences folder only gives the user any specific preference file once. If a user already has the preference file in her own preference folder, Macintosh Manager will not replace her copy of the preference file with the copy in the Initial Preferences folder. This process is repeated each time a user logs in, so you can place additional preference files in the Initial Preferences folder later if you install additional software. When a user opens the new software for the first time, a copy of the preference files for the new software will be placed in her Preferences folder.
There are also some preference files and folders that get created when a user logs in for the first time, whether or not the Preference Model is active. These items include, but are not limited to:
- Apple Menu Options Prefs
- Internet Preferences
- Keyboard Preferences
- Keychains (a folder)
- Mac OS Preferences
- TSM Preferences
- Location Manager Prefs (a folder)
- AppSwitcher Preferences
- User Prefs
These files and folders are created during the client startup process before the Preference Model runs. Files and folders in the Initial Preferences folder matching any of these items are therefore not copied. Note: Aliases and invisible files placed in the Initial Preferences folder will not work, and should not be used.
Usage Example
The following is an example of how the Initial Preferences can be used to provide all users with preconfigured bookmarks and preferences for Internet Explorer the first time they log in.
Setup
- 1. On your administration computer, set up bookmarks and preferences in Internet Explorer that you want all your users to have the first time they log in to Macintosh Manager.
2. Copy the entire Explorer folder from the Preferences folder in the System Folder of your administration computer to the Initial Preferences folder on the Macintosh Manager server.
Implementation
Mac OS 9 client
- 1. A Macintosh Manager user logs in to a client computer.
2. The Macintosh Manager server scans the Initial Preferences folder and detects a folder named Explorer.
3. The Macintosh Manager server scans for a folder named Explorer in the user-specific Preferences folder in the Users folder on the document storage sharepoint for the user's workgroup.
4. If Macintosh Manager does not detect a folder named Explorer there, Macintosh Manager copies the Explorer folder and the files and folders within it to that location.
5. If Macintosh Manager detects a folder named Explorer, neither the Explorer folder nor any of the files inside it is copied.
Mac OS 8.6 and earlier client
- 1. A Macintosh Manager user logs in to a client computer.
2. The Macintosh Manager server scans the Initial Preferences folder and detects a folder named Explorer.
3. The Macintosh Manager server scans for a folder named Explorer in the user-specific Preferences folder in the Users folder on the document storage sharepoint for the user's workgroup.
4. The Macintosh Manager server also scans for a folder named Explorer in the Preferences folder in the System Folder on the client computer.
5. If Macintosh Manager does not detect a folder named Explorer in either or both of the locations, it copies the Explorer folder in the Initial Preferences folder to either or both locations where an Explorer folder is not already present.
Note: If an Explorer folder already exists in one location, but not the other, the Explorer folder in Initial Preferences is only copied to the location where an Explorer folder does not already exist. This can lead to an inconsistent user experience from one client computer to another.
Figure 2 Initial Preferences logic process
3. Forced Preferences
The Forced Preferences folder forces a user to receive the same preference file or folder of files every time he logs in on any Macintosh Manager client computer. The items in the Forced Preferences folder will replace items with the same names in the Preferences folder the user will be using regardless of whether he has newer or older items. For Mac OS 9 clients, the items in the Forced preferences are copied to the user-specific Preferences folder in the Users folder in the Macintosh Manager folder on the server. For Mac OS 8.6 and earlier clients, Macintosh Manager copies the file only to the Preferences folder in the System Folder of the client computer. It does not copy them to the user-specific Preferences folder on the server.
Note: Aliases and invisible files placed in the Forced Preferences folder will not work, and should not be used.
Usage Example
The following is an example of how the Forced Preferences can be used to provide all users with preconfigured bookmarks and preferences for Internet Explorer every time they log in.
Setup
- 1. On your administration computer, set up bookmarks and preferences in Internet Explorer that you want all your users to have every time they log in to Macintosh Manager.
2. Copy the entire Explorer folder from the Preferences folder in the System Folder of your administration computer to the Forced Preferences folder on the Macintosh Manager server.
Implementation
Mac OS 9 client
- 1. A Macintosh Manager user logs in to a client computer.
2. The Macintosh Manager server scans the Forced Preferences folder and detects a folder named Explorer.
3. The Macintosh Manager server scans for a folder named Explorer in the user-specific Preferences folder in the Users folder on the document storage sharepoint for the user's workgroup.
4. If Macintosh Manager does not detect a folder named Explorer there, Macintosh Manager copies the Explorer folder from the Forced Preferences folder on the server to that location. If Macintosh Manager detects an Explorer folder there, Macintosh Manager updates the existing folder, replaces older files with newer files that have the same names, and adding any files that you've put in the Forced Preferences folder since the last time the client logged in. If there are files or folders in the user's Preferences folder with unique names that don't match files in the Forced Preferences folder, Macintosh Manager does nothing to them. If you have concerns about these files accumulating and consuming disk space, check the user's Preferences folder as often as you think necessary to prevent this.
Mac OS 8.6 or earlier client
- 1. A Macintosh Manager user logs in to a client computer.
2. The Macintosh Manager server scans the Forced Preferences folder and detects a folder named Explorer.
3. The Macintosh Manager server scans for a folder named Explorer in the Preferences folder in the System Folder on the client computer.
4. If Macintosh Manager does not detect a folder named Explorer there, Macintosh Manager copies the Explorer folder from the Forced Preferences folder on the server to that location.
5. If Macintosh Manager detects an Explorer folder there, Macintosh Manager updates the existing folder, replaces older files with newer files that have the same names, and adding any files that you've put in the Forced Preferences folder since the last time the client logged in. If there are files or folders in the user's Preferences folder with unique names that don't match files in the Forced Preferences folder, Macintosh Manager does nothing to them. If you have concerns about these files accumulating and consuming disk space, check the user's Preferences folder as often as you think necessary to prevent this.
Figure 3 Forced Preferences logic process
4. Preserved Preferences
The Preserved Preferences folder allows an administrator to set the preferences that are copied between the server and Mac OS 8.6 or earlier clients during login and logout. Important: This portion of the preference model is only applicable to Mac OS 8.6 or earlier client computers. The Preserved Preference portion of the preference model behaves differently than the Initial Preferences and Forced Preferences in that the files and folders you put in the Preserved Preferences folder are never actually copied. Macintosh Manager scans the files and folders in the Preserved Preferences folder, and builds a list containing the names of all the items inside. Macintosh Manager then uses this list to determine which preferences need to be copied back and forth from the server to the client computer during login and logout instead of copying the entire contents of the Preferences folder. You can use the Preserved Preferences folder to decrease login and logout time by limiting the amount of preferences that are copied.
Note: Aliases and invisible files placed in the Preserved Preferences folder will not work, and should not be used.
There are some preferences that are always copied, whether or not they exist in the Preserved Preferences folder and some that are never copied, even if they exist in the Preserved Preferences folder:
| Always Copied Preferences | Never Copied Preferences |
| Appearance Preferences | Energy Saver Preferences |
| Control Strip Preferences | AppleTalk Preferences |
| Date & Time Preferences | ColorSyncTM Profiles |
| Finder Preferences | Desktop Picture Prefs |
| Mac OS Preferences | Extensions Manager Preferences |
| Panels Preferences | Client Prefs |
| User Prefs | TCP/IP Preferences |
| Multi-User Items | |
| Multi-User Prefs | |
| Remote Access | |
| Open Transport Preferences | |
| Users & Groups Data File | |
| Network Assistant Preferences |
When a user logs in on a Mac OS 8.6 or earlier client computer, Macintosh Manager builds a list of the names of the files and folders inside the Preserved Preferences folder. Macintosh Manager adds the names of the items in the 'Always Copied' list, creating a combined list. Macintosh Manager compares the combined list against the items in the user-specific Preferences folder on the server. Macintosh Manager then copies all the files and folders whose names exist on the combined list from the user-specific Preferences folder on the server to the local system's Preferences folder. Any files or folders that are already in the local Preferences folder that have the same name as those listed in the combined list are deleted. If an item on the list does not exist in either location, the item is skipped.
Note: Any item that has the same name as an item in the Forced Preferences folder is removed from the list, and is not copied.
Figure 4 Preserved Preferences logic process
When the user logs out, the same process runs to determine which preferences are copied from the local system's Preferences folder back to the user's server based Preferences folder. All items matching those on the combined list are then deleted from the Preferences folder on the client computer. Note: A user who then logs in using a System Access workgroup may not be able to use some applications, because the preferences for the applications do not exist in the Preferences folder.
5. Administration of the Managed Preference Model
Creation of the Managed Preferences folder
The Managed Preferences folder, and the three folders within it are created automatically by Macintosh Manager the first time any member of a workgroup logs in. Note: The folder is created in the same folder as the Users folder at the workgroup document sharepoint. This sharepoint is designated in the Options sub tab under the Workgroups tab in the Macintosh Manager administration application. The default location is the Macintosh Manager folder on the server.
Activation of the Managed Preference Model
The Managed Preferences model is made active when any item is placed in one of the three folders in the Managed Preferences folder. "Copy only Internet preferences or administrator defined preferences" must be selected under the Security tab which is under the Global tab in the Macintosh Manager administration application for the Preserved Preferences portion of the Managed Preferences model to function.
Using Multiple Managed Preferences Folders
Each workgroup uses the Managed Preferences folder on the workgroup documents volume for that workgroup. Different workgroups can use different sets of Managed Preferences only if they use different workgroup document locations. Conversely, in order to use the same Managed Preferences folder for workgroups with different workgroup documents locations, the Managed Preferences folder must be copied to each workgroup documents location.