Active Directory Group Policy
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Transcript Active Directory Group Policy
Active Directory Group Policy
Group Policy Overview
Successor to NT policies
Much more flexible
Only applies to 2000 workstations
Use old style policies for NT
Used to manage desktop environment
Integrated into Active Directory
What Can Group Policy Manage?
Administrative Templates — registry-based settings
Security settings
Software installation
Scripts
Login, logout, startup, shutdown
Folder redirection
Remote Installation Services
Internet Explorer maintenance
Registry-based Settings
Control over desktop, control panel access, Start Menu and
Taskbar, some Windows components, and more…
Generally three settings — Not configured, Enabled, Disabled
Implemented via Administrative Templates
Text file with .adm extension
Extensible
Can create your own
Some programs ship with their own (Office)
Security Policy Settings
Account Policies — password, account, Kerberos
Local Policies — auditing, user rights, security options
Event Log — e.g. maximum size
Restricted Group — group membership
System Services — security and startup settings
Registry — registry key security
File System — file system security
Public Key Policies — encryped data, certificate authorities
IP Security Policies — IP security
Software Installation
Use to install software
Use to upgrade software
Three methods
Assign applications to users
Assign applications to computers
Publish applications to users
Available
to users, but not installed unless requested
Script Settings
Assign scripts (login, logout etc.)
Set processing order
Folder Redirection
Redirect special folders
Start Menu, Desktop
My Pictures, My Documents, Application Data
Choices
No redirection
Direct to same location
Different locations based on security groups
Parts of Group Policy Objects
Each GPO has two sections
Computer Configuration
User Configuration
Each part may be disabled
Properties of GPO/General
Recommended — if a section is unused, disable it
E.g. On GPO to configure user desktop, disable
Computer Configuration section
Creating Group Policy Objects
AD Users and Computers
Properties of Domain/OU
Creates new GPO linked to that domain/OU
AD Sites and Services
To create site GPO
Also via MMC Group Policy Snap-in
To create a GPO not linked to a site, domain or OU
How are Group Policy Objects Applied
GPOs may be linked to AD containers
Sites, Domains and Organizational Units (OUs)
Apply to users and computers within container
Objects in child OUs inherit GPO settings from parent OUs,
domain and site unless explicitly blocked
No
inheritance across domain boundaries
One GPO may be linked to multiple containers
Multiple GPOs may be linked to a container
GPOs are not linked to groups
Modifying GPO Inheritance
Block Inheritance
If enabled on a container, objects in container do not
receive any GPO settings from parent containers
No Override
If enabled on a GPO link, inheritance of GPO settings
cannot be stopped via block inheritance
NB Applied to link, not the GPO itself
Filtering Group Policy Settings
GPO settings applied to all objects in container
Filter using security groups
Change default GPO permissions
Need
Read and Apply GP ACEs to be able to apply a GPO
Need Read and Write GP ACEs to be able to read and
modify a GPO
Deleting and Disabling Group Policy
Objects
Disabling a GPO
Disable Computer or User sections
Disable both to disable GPO entirely
Also disable using Options button in AD Users and
Computers/Container Properties
Deleting a GPO
AD Users and Computers
Will be offered two options
Remove the link from the list — deletes link but not GPO
Remove the link and delete the GPO permanently — deletes GPO
Disabling and Inheriting:— What do the
Properties Belong to?
Properties of a given GPO
Disable Computer Configuration Settings
Disable User Configuration Settings
Properties of a given container
Block policy inheritance
Properties of a given link
No override
Disabled: the GPO is not applied to this container
Storage of Group Policy Objects
Group Policy Container (GPC)
Active Directory object storing version, status etc.
View by enabling Advanced Features in AD Users and Computers,
then System/Policies
Named by GUID
Group Policy Template (GPT)
Sysvol\Policies folder
Contains all GP) settings
Named by GUID
GPC and GPT replicated separately
Policies only apply if both GPC and GPT are in sync
Storage of Group Policy Settings
Stored in client registry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (Computer settings)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER (User settings)
Special registry keys used
\Software\Policies (preferred)
\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
Removed when GPO no longer applies
Order of GPO Application
Order of application is Site, Domain OU (SDOU)
Multiple OUs — order of application is according to
domain hierarchy (start at top of tree and work down)
Multiple GPOs for same OU — processed in reverse
order of list of GPOs shown for that OU
I.e. GPO at top of list takes precedence
Order can be changed
When are GP Settings Applied?
Computer settings
On boot
According to periodic refresh cycle
User settings
On user logon
According to periodic refresh cycle
If computer and user settings conflict, computer
settings take precedence
Refreshing Group Policy
Default refresh intervals
2000 professional and member servers — very 90
minutes with randomized 30 minutes offset
Domain controllers — every five minutes
Changed by altering administrative template settings
for user or computers
Exception — software installation and folder
redirection policies only applied on boot or user
logon, not periodically
Conflicts
Where settings for GPO of parent container conflict
with those for GPO of child, child container settings
win
Where settings from different GPOs linked to same
container conflict, settings of GPO highest in list are
win
Use Up/Down to change position
Exception — where computer and user settings
conflict, computer settings win
Except IP Security and User Rights settings
Managing Group Policy Objects
Creating or editing GPOs controlled by PDC emulator by
default
Minimise conflicts
To change
Group Policy mmc snap-in/View/DC Options
Or use Group Policy
Recommended that this is left unchanged
NB By default, only Domain Admins, Enterprise Admins,
Group Policy Creator Owners and System account can create
and edit GPOs
Loopback Processing
Computer settings part of GPO linked to OU apply
only to computers within OU
Similarly, user settings apply only to users within OU
Therefore, normally, user in OU A logging on to
computer in OU B gets combination of user settings
from OU A GPOs and computer settings from OU B
GPOs (and any inherited etc.)
Loopback Processing cont.
May want to apply same user settings to any user
logging on to a given workstation, regardless of user
OU
E.g. classroom, public area workstations
Loopback processing does this
Merge mode applies normal GPOs for user as well (but
those from computer take precedence)
Replace mode does not apply normal GPOs for user
Local Group Policy
Computers also have a single Local Group Policy Object
(LGPO)
Only supports Security Settings, Administrative Templates
and Scripts
Processed before AD GPOs
Block inheritance does not stop its application
Generally unused in an AD setup
Most useful for configuring standalone computers
Delegation
It is possible to delegate responsibility for the
following tasks
Managing links
Creating GPOs
Editing GPOs
DomainExceptions for Domain
Controllers
Some settings only from GPOs linked to domain
Domain controllers share same account database so some settings
must be the same
Not applied to Domain Controllers OU because DCs may be moved
out of this OU
NB Can change these settings in other GPOs but will have no
effect on domain policy
Will affect local logons (i.e. non-domain) if they apply to
workstations or member servers
Exceptions for Domain Controllers cont.
Domain-wide settings
All account policies (Computer Configuration/Windows
Settings/Security Settings)
I.e. Password, Account lockout and Kerberos policies)
Some settings from Computer Configuration/Windows
Settings/Local Policies/Security Options
Automatically log off users when logon time expires
Rename administrator account
Rename guest account
Common Desktop Management
Scenarios
Package containing GPOs developed for six different
scenarios that can be loaded into AD
Includes white paper describing scenarios
Excel spreadsheet documenting all GPO settings
Scenarios are for the following
Lightly Managed Desktop (e.g. power user)
Mobile User
Multi-User Desktop
AppStation (Highly Managed Desktop) (e.g. admin user)
TaskStation (e.g. single task)
Kiosk (e.g. public workstation)
Common Desktop Management
Scenarios
NB Loading GPOs into AD does not mean they take
immediate effect
Not linked to any container
Use as starting points
Use Excel spreadsheet to document GPO changes
Common Desktop Management
Scenarios
White paper
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?
url=/TechNet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/deploy/grp
polsc.asp
All files
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/zipdocs/group
polscen.exe
OU Design Issues
Deep OU structure
Easier to apply GPOs without filtering
More likely to require inheritance modifications
Flat OU structure
More likely to need filtering
Easier to troubleshoot (less inheritance issues)
Number of GPOs Required
Few comprehensive GPOs
Less to manage
Shorter logon times
Many narrowly focussed GPOs
More to manage
Likely to need to more filtering
Increased logon times
In theory, up to 20 GPOs applying to a user should not have
major impact on logon times
Recommendations
Disable unused parts of GPO (computer, user
settings)
Limit use of inheritance blocking, no override,
loopback processing and filtering
Simplifies troubleshooting
Limit total number of GPOs that apply to a user or
computer
Improves logon times
Recommendations cont.
Limit the number of admins who can edit GPOs
Test thoroughly before applying to users/computers
Document settings
Use spreadsheets from Common Desktop Management
Scenarios package
References
Windows 2000 Group Policy
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/docs/grouppol
wp.doc
Loopback Processing of Group Policy
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q231/2/
87.ASP
How to Use Group Policy Objects to Deploy SP1 for
Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q260/3/
01.ASP
References
Group Policy Application Rules for Domain
Controllers
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q259/5/
76.ASP
Domain Security Policy in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q221/9/
30.ASP
Configuring Account Policies in Active Directory
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q255/5/
50.ASP
Diagnosing Problems
Resource kit
Gpotool.exe
Gpresult.exe
FAZAM 2000
Help to see end results of applying a number of GPOs
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existi
ng/fazam2000-o.asp
Reduced functionality version
http://www.fullarmor.com/solutions/group/
Full, commercial version