Active Directory Group Policy and settings

The capabilities of Windows allow you to effectively manage computer networks. This may concern aspects of controlling user access to certain resources, as well as ensuring the security of data exchange. Among the most convenient and functional tools for solving such problems is the use of group policies. In Windows, there is a special software environment for managing them - Active Directory. What is its specificity? How do I configure Active Directory?

What is Group Policy?

The term "group policy" is understood to mean the set of rules by which the user environment is configured in Windows. Its main feature is the ability to configure various parameters on different PCs simultaneously, according to common standards and principles.

It is fixed on a specific domain. The principle of applying Group Policy is hierarchical. The primary vertical implementation channel provided by Windows is the Active Directory directory. Groups of particular computers or users are managed based on algorithms adopted at the level of corporate policy in the field of security and control of access to the PC.

Within the Active Directory environment, two primary policies are created, namely the Default Domain Policy, which relates directly to the domain, and the Default Domain Controller's Policy, which is responsible for the corresponding controller type.

Active Directory Features

Group policies Active Directory is ranked among the most convenient options for setting up PCs and user environments on computer networks running Windows. By leveraging this tool, a company can effectively control the network, maintain infrastructure performance, and improve the security of corporate information.

The peculiarity of Active Directory is, as we noted above, the hierarchical structure of the corresponding software environment. Its main elements are objects. In turn, they can be classified into different categories. Among the basic resources are resources (such as printers and other office equipment), software services (for example, electronic messaging interfaces), as well as company employee accounts and computer identification data. The Active Directory software environment can provide system administrators with information about certain objects, manage them, and set criteria related to access to them.

Objects that are the main components of group policies can contain additional elements. These can be, for example, security groups. The object is characterized by a number of unique characteristics - a name, a set of attributes (for example, the types of data that it includes). It can be noted that the properties of the attributes in question are fixed in the schemes that determine the specifics of particular objects.

Criteria for Implementing Group Policy

In order for a company to be able to take advantage of all the benefits that Active Directory Group Policy gives, the infrastructure of its own computer network must meet a number of criteria. Among the basic:

• The network must function on the basis of Active Directory services (their presence is necessary at least on the main server);
• PCs that are in the network structure and for which user environments will be monitored must work under one domain, and employees, in turn, use the identity data associated with it;
• System administrators must have all the necessary authority to implement the principles of Group Policy in the corporate network.

Let's now look at how Group Policy is managed and configured.

Group Policy Management Tools and their settings

In Windows, you can use the appropriate console to solve the problem in question. How do I start it? You need to click on "Start", then go to the "All Programs" menu, select "Administration", after - "Group Policy Management".

Setting up Active Directory is done by editing Group Policy settings that are directly related to its objects. They, in turn, can be controlled directly using the console in question. Consider the most significant from the point of view of the practice of working with Group Policy interfaces of this software component.

You can see Active Directory objects in the main console window. Examples of these are: Accounting Security (responsible for security), as well as the key policy objects noted above regarding the domain and its controller. You can notice that Default Domain Policy is set by default and includes parameters that are relevant for all PCs and users within a particular domain. In turn, the Default Domain Controller Policy has a direct relationship only to the controllers.

Manage settings

Consider how you can configure Active Directory in practice. In order to make any adjustments to the relevant parameters, you need to use a specialized editor. To do this, you right-click on the "Group Policy Management" option, and then select "Edit". After that you can set the required parameters. It is noteworthy that the corresponding Active Directory program implemented in Windows interfaces stores the settings automatically. That is, after the user puts the necessary parameters, they immediately fixed in the system.

Key parameters

Which sections of the console interface contain the key parameters that affect Active Directory group policies? Among them - the folder Computer Configuration, as well as the User Configuration. The first contains parameters that are relevant for all PCs connected to the corporate network.

It does not matter which employees use Active Directory. Authorization under a specific login is secondary in this case. Typically, the Computer Configuration interface captures security settings. In the User Configuration folder, the parameters that are applied, in turn, to specific employees are determined. It does not matter which computer they are going to work on.

Consider the other key parameters that a system administrator can use to manage Active Directory. For example, in the Policies folder there are settings that are generally responsible for Group Policy. In the Preferences folder, the settings relating to the preferred computer settings are captured. They can affect a variety of components of the operating system - the registry, files, folders. This area of settings, by the way, can be used not only as a tool for setting up Group Policy, but also for managing other types of Windows functions.

Administrative Templates

Among the most noteworthy components that includes the Active Directory service, you need to mention administrative templates. What are they? These are Group Policy settings that are fixed in specific registry keys. Their distinguishing feature is that they can not be changed by a user who has standard rights. However, if certain Windows programs that are related to the functions of group policies detect them in the registry, then the instructions laid down in them are performed first.

Nuances of editing policy settings

What are the most important nuances that characterize the procedure, such as setting up Active Directory group policies? Specialists recommend paying special attention to the essence of specific parameters in terms of their activation or, conversely, disconnection. In some cases, the fact that a policy does not function does not necessarily mean that the relevant processes are also deactivated, and vice versa. All the necessary information about certain policy parameters is usually recorded in the accompanying text message. A number of parameters have additional options. Their specificity, as a rule, is also explained in the certificates.

Detailed study of the relevant data is the main condition for the administrator not to make an accidental mistake. Active Directory is a software environment with a large number of elements responsible for key security and network stability parameters. The specialist responsible for working with it must demonstrate the necessary level of competence in the management of group policies.

Working with policy objects: creating elements

Let's move from theory to practical nuances concerning working with group policies. So, among the most common tasks of system administrators is the creation of the corresponding type of objects. Consider how this happens.

In order to create a Group Policy object, you must open the management console, which we mentioned above. The system administrator, working with the corresponding type of elements, can use the methodology of creating and linking them simultaneously or applying a consistent approach. In the environment of specialists in working with computer networks, the first scenario is quite common. Let's consider its features.

In order to perform the simultaneous creation and linking of the corresponding object, it is necessary to perform the following basic actions.

First, open the console, right-click on the domain, then select the item that reflects the desire to create the object, and link it.

Secondly, you need to describe the corresponding object by entering the desired text into the "Name" form located in the "New Object" window.

In principle, this is all that needs to be done. However, you may need to adjust the settings of the object. This is also done using the console tools.

Editing items

So, in order to change the settings of the object, you need to perform the following actions.

First, click on the corresponding object - so that to the right, in the console interface window, the elements of this type are displayed. Another option is to select a domain, after which the objects will be similarly available for viewing.

Secondly, on the right side of the console interface, right-click on the policy object that you want to edit, and select the "Edit" option. After that, the corresponding element opens in the editor, which is included in the structure of the console.

Third, using the appropriate interface, you can make the necessary changes to Active Directory group policies. Changes, as we noted above, are fixed automatically.

Let's consider another scenario, in which the creation and binding of an object are carried out at different stages. It may also be necessary to carry out this procedure if, for some reason, the initial relationship between the relevant parameters has been broken.

In order to link an object to a particular domain, you must perform the following actions.

First, you need to right-click on the domain with which you want to bind the object, and select the appropriate item.

Secondly, you need to click on the corresponding element that is displayed in the "Object Selection" window, and then confirm the implementation of the binding.

Also, if necessary, you can untie the object from the corresponding domain. To do this, proceed as follows.

First, you need to click in the management console interface on the domain that is already associated with the object.

Secondly, you need to right-click on the corresponding object, and then select the "Delete" option.

Third, in the window, with the help of the elements of which you manage the policies, you need to confirm the action.

Restore items

In some cases, you may need a special procedure for working with Group Policy objects - recovery. Active Directory - a software environment in which a large number of processes occur, and there may be situations in which objects are deleted for some reason. However, there is always a chance of restoring their previous versions from the backups that exist in the system.

The tools necessary to solve the corresponding problem are also present in the console, which we are now exploring. With their help, you can restore both one and several objects of the appropriate type at the expense of backup copies, located in a special folder.

The sequence of user actions during the solution of this task can look like this.

First, you need to click on the "Group Policy Objects" folder in the main interface of the console. After that, the corresponding elements will be displayed on the screen.

Secondly, you need to right-click on the "Group Policy Objects" folder, and then select the option "Manage backups."

Thirdly, you need to select the place where the backup copy of the corresponding settings resides, using a special list available in the dialog box of the interface. You can also use the Browse button, and then manually select the folder that contains the files you need.

After carrying out the corresponding operations, it is necessary to pay attention to the list of "Backup copies". There, the items available for recovery will be displayed. You must select the ones you want. After that, click on the button that will start the recovery process. Perhaps, several versions of the object will be available. In this case, it will be useful to use a special flag, which allows you to display only the most recent backups of Group Policy objects on the interface screen.

Next, you need to check how successfully the operation was performed (the necessary information will be displayed in the dialog box), then click on the "OK" button. This is how Active Directory is restored to the remote objects of the corresponding corporate network management system.