Group Policy Preferences, Templates, and Scripting

Level 300

• New Group Policy Features

• Group Policy Preferences

• Administrative Templates

• Managing Group Policy Through Scripting

What Will We Cover?

• Reviewing New Group Policy Features

• Using Group Policy Preferences

• Exploring the New Template Format

• Scripting Group Policy

Agenda

New Features of Group Policy

New Policy Management Settings

Starter Group Policy Objects (GPOs)

Network Location Awareness

Comments for GPOs and Policy Settings

Group Policy Enhancements

Group Policy ServiceComplete isolation from Winlogon

Events and LoggingNo longer relies on trace logging found in userenv.log

Multiple Local GPOsExtends managing shared computing on a single computer

Finding Specific Administrative Template Policy Settings

New options for searching and filtering Administrative Template policy settings

demonstrationReviewing Group Policy Features

Explore New Group Policy Management Settings

Review Starter Group Policy ObjectsConfigure Multiple Local Group Policy

Objects

• Reviewing New Group Policy Features

• Using Group Policy Preferences

• Exploring the New Template Format

• Scripting Group Policy

Agenda

Group Policy Preferences

Improves IT Productivity

Reduces Need for Logon Scripts

Limits Configuration Errors

Enhances End-User Satisfaction

Minimizes Image Maintenance

Reduces Overall Image Count

Group Policy Preference SettingsCreate

Create dynamic drive mapping to network share

ReplaceDelete and recreate mapped drive

UpdateModify settings of an existing mapped drive

DeleteDelete mapped drive or mapped drives

Preferences vs. Policy SettingsGroup Policy Preferences Group Policy Settings

Enforcement • Preferences are not enforced.• User interface is not disabled.• Can be refreshed or applied once.

• Settings are enforced.• User interface is disabled.• Settings are refreshed.

Flexibility • Easily create preference items for registry settings and files.

• Import individual registry settings or entire registry branches.

• Adding requires application support and creating administrative templates.

• Cannot create policy settings to manage files or folders.

Local Policy • Not available in local Group Policy. • Available in local Group Policy.

Awareness • Supports non-Group Policy–aware applications.

• Requires Group Policy–aware applications.

Storage • Original settings are overwritten.• Removing the preference item does not restore the original setting.

• Original settings are not changed.• Stored in registry policy branches.• Removing setting restores original settings.

Targeting and Filtering

• Targeting is granular, with a user interface for each type of targeting item.

• Supports targeting at the individual preference item level.

• Filtering is based on Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and requires writing WMI queries.

• Supports filtering at a GPO level.

User Interface • Provides a familiar, easy-to-use interface for configuring most settings.

• Provides an alternative user interface for most policy settings.

demonstrationUsing Group Policy Preferences

Explore Group Policy PreferencesConfigure Group Policy Settings and

PreferencesLog In and Review Group Policy

Preferences and Settings

• Reviewing New Group Policy Features

• Using Group Policy Preferences

• Exploring the New Template Format

• Scripting Group Policy

Agenda

ADMX Administrative Template Files

XML-Based Policy Definition Files

Central Store of ADMX Files

Manage Both ADMX and ADM Files

Convert ADM Files to ADMX Format

Multilanguage Support

demonstrationExploring the ADMX Template Format

Explore ADMX Administrative Template Files

Configure the Central StoreExplore ADMX Filter Options

• Reviewing New Group Policy Features

• Using Group Policy Preferences

• Exploring the New Template Format

• Scripting Group Policy

Agenda

Scripting and the GPMC

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=109520

Scripts for Managing Group Policy

Make Cscript.exe default scripting host

Lib_CommonGPMCFunctions.js should be in same location as scripts

Import and Export GPOs

Copy and Paste GPOs

Back Up and Restore GPOs

Search for Existing GPOs

Group Policy Modeling

Group Policy Results

Support for Migration Tables

Reporting Capabilities

GPMC Interfaces

• IGPMGPO Interface– CopyTo

– GenerateReport

• IGPMRSOP Interface– CreateQueryResults

– GenerateReporthttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa814147(VS.85).aspx

demonstrationScripting Group Policy

Review GPMC Sample ScriptsRun GPMC Scripts

• There are many exciting new Group

Policy features in Windows Server 2008

• Take advantage of Group Policy

Preferences

• Almost all the functionality of GPMC can

be scripted

Session Summary

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Where to Find More Information

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Supporting Publications

Course ID Title

6436A Designing a Windows Server 2008 Active

Directory Infrastructure and Services

For more training information

www.microsoft.com/technet/srv-302

Training Resources

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• What Are MCP Certifications?

Validation in performing critical IT functions

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WW recognition of skills gained via experience

More effective deployments with reduced costs

• What Certifications Are There for IT Pros?

MCTS, MCITP

www.microsoft.com/certification

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