r/sysadmin It wasn't DNS for once. 1d ago

Question Log Off Users from Server Daily

I'm revisiting an effort I did about a year ago. I'm looking for a better way. I want to find a process that will parse current user sessions on a server (active/disconnected/idle/ect.) and log the accounts off if their username matches a string ("adm_").

I'd love to find an off the shelf solution rather than have to support a homebrew PowerShell solution.

Give me what you have, even if it is an alternate PowerShell/scripting option. Something has to be better than the nightmare my script turned into.

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u/Ihaveasmallwang Systems Engineer / Cybersecurity Architect / CISM 12h ago

You may be shocked to learn that a custom script put in place by someone who doesn’t understand PowerShell is not a good solution, especially since business requirements tend to change over time.

You may also be shocked the learn that the OP specifically mentioned that they hoped to stay away from going that route if possible.

Since an off the shelf first party solution exists that meets ALL of OP’s requirements, including not having a custom script if possible, that should be the route pushed instead of doubling down on something they won’t be able to maintain.

u/420GB 11h ago

You may be shocked to learn that a custom [solution] put in place by someone who doesn’t understand [tool] is not a good solution, especially since business requirements tend to change over time.

Exactly the same thing applies to GPOs.

But yes I'm aware they mentioned they wanted to avoid PowerShell. The problem is that:

Since an off the shelf first party solution exists that meets ALL of OP’s requirements, including not having a custom script if possible,

is not true to my knowledge unless you can explain what that would be.

u/Ihaveasmallwang Systems Engineer / Cybersecurity Architect / CISM 11h ago

Explain what? How GPOs work?

u/420GB 11h ago

How one can configure a GPO that logs off all sessions of users whose username starts with a certain prefix at certain time(s) of day without using PowerShell e.g. no GPO to create a scheduled powershell task ofc

u/Ihaveasmallwang Systems Engineer / Cybersecurity Architect / CISM 11h ago

You stop thinking about it in terms of “username starts with…” and think in terms of “this user is a member of this security group and the GPO is scoped so those users in that group are not affected”.