This week’s discussion focuses on using Group Policy Objects (GPO) to manage obj

Question

This week’s discussion focuses on using Group Policy Objects (GPO) to manage objects in a domain. Each GPO is divided into two main sections, user configuration and computer configuration. This allows an administrator to control settings based on user accounts or computers in an OU. There are three types of GPOs: local GPOs (all workstations have one), domain GPOs and starter GPOs. In this discussion forum we will focus on using GPOs to manage and secure user and computer objects. Please respond to all of the following prompts after completing this week’s reading assignments:

Cindy deployed several policies to users and computers in the Sales OU. None of the changes are enforced on objects in the Sales OU. How would you help Cindy troubleshoot the issue?

Describe two policies that are most important to you.

Why did you select these policies?

Explain the steps to find these settings in a GPO.

Explanation / Answer

Group Policy to manage configurations for groups of computers and users, including options for registry-based policy settings, security settings, software deployment, scripts, folder redirection, and preferences. Group Policy preferences, new in Windows Server 2008, are more than 20 Group Policy extensions that expand the range of configurable policy settings within a Group Policy object (GPO). In contrast to Group Policy settings, preferences are not enforced. Users can change preferences after initial deployment. For information about Group Policy Preferences, see Group Policy Preferences Overview.

Using Group Policy, you can significantly reduce an organization’s total cost of ownership. Various factors, such as the large number of policy settings available, the interaction between multiple policies, and inheritance options, can make Group Policy design complex. By carefully planning, designing, testing, and deploying a solution based on your organization’s business requirements, you can provide the standardized functionality, security, and management control that your organization needs.

Group Policy enables Active Directory–based change and configuration management of user and computer settings on computers running Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP. In addition to using Group Policy to define configurations for groups of users and computers, you can also use Group Policy to help manage server computers, by configuring many server-specific operational and security settings.

The Group Policy settings you create are contained in a GPO. To create and edit a GPO, use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). By using the GPMC to link a GPO to selected Active Directory sites, domains, and organizational units (OUs), you apply the policy settings in the GPO to the users and computers in those Active Directory objects. An OU is the lowest-level Active Directory container to which you can assign Group Policy settings.

To guide your Group Policy design decisions, you need a clear understanding of your organization’s business needs, service level agreements, and requirements for security, network, and IT. By analyzing your current environment and users’ requirements, defining the business objectives you want to meet by using Group Policy, and following these guidelines for designing a Group Policy infrastructure, you can establish the approach that best supports your organization’s needs.

The process for implementing a Group Policy solution entails planning, designing, deploying, and maintaining the solution.

When you plan your Group Policy design, make sure that you design the OU structure to ease Group Policy manageability and to comply with service-level agreements. Establish good operational procedures for working with GPOs. Make sure that you understand Group Policy interoperability issues, and determine whether you plan to use Group Policy for software deployment.

During the design phase:

A well-planned design will help ensure a successful Group Policy deployment.

The deployment phase begins with staging in a test environment. This process includes:

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