Choosing Which Version of AGPM to Install

If you are using computers that are running Windows Server® 2008 R2 or Windows® 7 to manage Group Policy objects (GPOs), you must use AGPM 4.0. AGPM 3.0 and AGPM 2.5 cannot be installed on computers that are running those operating systems.

If you are using computers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista® with Service Pack 1 (SP1) to manage GPOs, you can use either AGPM 4.0 or AGPM 3.0. AGPM 2.5 cannot be installed on computers that are running those operating systems.

If you are using computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 in addition to computers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista with SP1, you must use AGPM 4.0. However, there are limitations to functionality in a mixed environment of newer and older operating systems, as indicated in Table 1:

Table 1: Mixed environment support with AGPM 4.0

If you are using computers that are running a 32-bit version of Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista with no service packs installed to manage GPOs, you must use AGPM 2.5. AGPM 4.0 and AGPM 3.0 cannot be installed on computers that are running those operating systems.

If your environment includes computers that are running other versions of Windows, you can still use AGPM to manage Group Policy for those computers. All versions of AGPM enable you to manage Group Policy for any computer able to receive GPOs. This includes computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows 2000 Professional.

Note

You should install AGPM Server on a member server or domain controller with the most recent version of the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) available to you and supported by AGPM. AGPM uses the GPMC to back up and restore GPOs, and newer versions of the GPMC provide additional policy settings not available in earlier versions. If the version of the GPMC on your AGPM Server is older than the version on the computers that administrators use to manage Group Policy, the AGPM Server will be unable to store those policy settings not available in the older version of the GPMC. For information about which policy settings are available with which operating systems, see the Group Policy Settings Reference (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=157345).

Table 2 summarizes how AGPM functions when used in different operating systems.

Important
If your environment includes computers that are running Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista with SP1 in addition to computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7, see Table 1 for clarification about supported combinations and limitations when you are managing policy settings from computers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista with SP1.

Table 2: AGPM functionality with different operating systems

1 If it is installed on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista with SP1, AGPM 4.0 cannot manage policy settings introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7. For more information, see Table 1.

2 AGPM 3.0 cannot manage policy settings introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7.

3 AGPM 2.5 cannot manage policy settings introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Vista with SP1.

AGPM is available as part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) for Software Assurance. For information about how to obtain licenses for MDOP, see How to Buy.

• If you are an MDOP customer, you can download MDOP through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Site (MVLS).
  
  
• If you are not an MDOP customer and want to evaluate MDOP, you can download MDOP software from MSDN or download MDOP software from TechNet in accordance with your MSDN or TechNet subscription.
  
  

Additional considerations