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Using user roles for managing users

Updated: August 21, 2008

Applies To: Windows SBS 2008

Windows SBS 2008 provides user account templates, called User Roles, which enable you to standardize common user properties such as group memberships, disk space and e-mail quotas, Windows SharePoint Services site group memberships, organizational unit placement, remote access permissions, and company address information for new user accounts.

Creating a user account that is based on a user role reduces the need to manually enter account properties. When you create a new user account, you enter the unique information (such as the user name and e-mail alias and password), and then the new account inherits the common properties from the user role you apply.

Windows Small Business Server user roles

Access to resources in Windows SBS 2008 is granted by using group memberships. Each of the user roles in Windows SBS 2008 grants different levels of resource access, making it easy to create multiple user accounts quickly. Although the user role settings are based on the needs of a typical small business, the user roles can be modified to fit your needs. You can also create custom user roles.

The three user roles that are available by default in Windows SBS 2008 are as follows:

Standard User   User accounts based on this user role have access to shared folders, printers and faxes, e-mail, the Remote Web Workplace, Windows SharePoint Services, and the Internet.

Standard User with Administration Tools   User accounts based on this user role have all the permissions of the Standard User. In addition, these accounts can view the Administration Links from the Remote Web Workplace and the Desktop Gadget Links. After clicking one of these links, the user must enter network administrator credentials to access server Administration links.

Network Administrator   User accounts based on this user role have unrestricted system access.