Implement Group Policy Settings

Introduction

The Implement Group Policy Settings module provides you with the instruction and server hardware to develop your hands on skills in the defined topics. This module includes the following exercises:

• Deploy Programs with Group Policy Software Installation
• Enable Folder Redirection
• Create Logon Script
• Working with Group Policy Administrative Templates
• Configure Property Filters for Administrative Templates

Exam Objectives

The following exam objectives are covered in this lab:

• Configure software installation
• Implement folder direction
• Assign user logon scripts
• Manage administrative templates
• Import administrative templates
• Enable filters for administrative templates

Exercise 1 - Deploy Programs with Group Policy Software Installation

Group Policy Software Installation (GPSI) provides a basic infrastructure for deploying applications in a corporate network. Although lacking in advanced features such as reporting, inventory and application caching, small organizations can take advantage of GPSI to streamline the rollout of applications in a departmental sized local area network.

Using GPSI, an application can be linked to Computer configuration. With this setup, the application is installed on the computer and appears to any user who signs-in to that device. Similarly, an application can be linked to User configuration. With this setup, the application is installed based on the user identity.

Exercise 2 - Enable Folder Redirection

Group Policy Objects (GPO) supports the folder redirection feature to help administrators create an automatic backup of user data files that network users save on their workstations. When folder redirection is enabled, files saved in Documents or other enabled folders are transparently redirected to the network share without user intervention. When users open a file saved in redirected folder, the connection is forwarded to the network share configured by folder redirection GPO.

Exercise 3 - Create Logon Script

Log on scripts are executable files with extensions such as .bat, .cmd, .js and .vbs that will automatically set up the user working environment upon sign-on to the domain network. The script typically creates a connection to a shared folder, customize the user desktop, start an application and among other things configured using Group Policy.

Exercise 4 - Working with Group Policy Administrative Templates

Group Policy use Administrative template to populate policy settings for user and computers. This allows system administrators to manage registry-based policy settings. When creating Group Policy for a computer or user in a domain, Windows Server pulls in a default set of administrative templates found in the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions folder. The administrative templates *.admx contain registry-based settings that set the environment either for user or computer group policy. The administrative template language .*adml files indicate the locale used for the user or computer group policy.

Exercise 5 - Configure Property Filters for Administrative Templates

Group Policy Objects contain a massive collection of computer and user policy settings that can become challenge to an administrator when trying to create a controlled network and user environment in an Active Directory domain.

When creating a Group Policy either linked to a computer or user, the Group Policy Management Editor will display all policy settings. Group Policy Management Console provides the capability to change the criteria for displaying Administrative Template policy settings.