Workstation Configuration
In the networked workplace, a workstation is a client computer which is located on a LAN (Local Area Network ) or WAN (Wide Area Network). Workstations on a network may be used to run a variety of applications and are usually connected together through a server from which they access data and resources which they share with each other depending on their configuration and what they are allowed to have access to on the network. In the office they are a key component of the networked environment even though at certain times they share their important functions with other devices.

In the Windows NT domain environment, workstations are assigned to and configured for particular domains. Each user of a workstation then assigned a unique account identified by a user name and secured by a password, smart card or certificate.  Workstations in a particular domain may all be in close proximity to each other or they may be in different geographical locations but as long as they are on the same domain, they will have access to certain resources which others on that domain do except they are limited by virtue of permissions assigned to them or their users by an IT administrator overseeing the network.

Workstations can be configured by an administrator who also assigns user names to employees who use these workstations to log on to various domains . Workstation users may be classified and given permissions to access resources or not.  Workstations users can also be classified into groups where users of a particular group are allowed to perform certain actions or have access to certain data and resources.

In a bank for example, an Administrator may decide to create a group known as “Managers” for upper-level management personnel and assign a user or a workstation as part of this group. This user or machine may then have access to a substantial amount of information concerning the bank. Another group created by the Administrator called “Accounts” may include the accounting personnel of the bank which only have access to certain financial records or resources and are not permitted to access resources which are not in their group or which they do not have permission to access.

Workstation configuration and administration involves many factors and variants but basically the idea is a networked environment which is compartmentalized and where only those who need to have access to certain resources do and can easily collaborate with each others. Resources may also be assigned permissions as to who can access them and what level of access the said users have, whether read only which just permits the users  to view the resource or write access which permits the users to modify properties.