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By definition, Microsoft Windows Small Business Server groups are Active Directory directory service or local computer objects that can contain users, contacts, computers, or other groups. In practice, though, a group is usually a collection of user accounts. The point of groups is to simplify administration by allowing the network administrator to assign rights and permissions to groups rather than individual users.
Windows Small Business Server allows two group types: security and distribution. Almost all groups are security groups because they’re the only groups through which permissions can be assigned. Each security group is also assigned a group scope, which defines how permissions are assigned to the group’s members. Programs that can search Active Directory can use security groups for nonsecurity purposes, such as sending e-mail to a group of users. Distribution groups are not security-enabled and can be used only with e-mail applications to send e-mail to sets of users.
User rights are assigned to security groups to establish what members of the group can or cannot do. Some rights are automatically assigned to some groups—for example, a user who is a member of the Print Operators group has the ability to administer the printers in the domain.
Tip | Permissions and user rights are different. Permissions determine what resources members of a group can access. User rights determine what members of a group can or cannot do. See the Under the Hood sidebar “Rights and Permissions” later in this chapter for additional information. |
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