Implementing Common Desktop Management Scenarios with Group Policy Management Console Abstract
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Group Policy is a rich and flexible technology providing the capability to efficiently manage a large number of computer and user accounts through a centralized, “one-to-many” model. With this flexibility comes the potential for complexity. For example, Group Policy in Windows Server 2003 exposes almost 1,000 configurable settings. This can initially appear a daunting task – how does the administrator assess the relative importance of these settings, and what features enabled by Group Policy might be considered when deploying a solution?
This Common Desktop Scenarios white paper provides a structured, tested, and consistent set of pre-packaged GPOs and associated documentation, with the goal of lowering the “barrier of entry” for those assessing Group Policy.
The scenarios described in this white paper provide a good starting point from which you can begin evaluating and understanding Group Policy. By implementing these scenarios in a test environment, you should be able to:
Quickly understand the scope of Group Policy and consider how to use a wide number of settings.
List some of the important solutions enabled by Group Policy.
Gain familiarity with some of the new functionality introduced with GPMC, particularly the backup/import of GPOs and Group Policy reports.
Reach conclusions about how to implement Group Policy in your production environment.
For more information about this topic, see Implementing Common Desktop Management Scenarios with the Group Policy Management Console.