Chapter 21. Windows Server 2003 Group Policies

In This Chapter

• Leveraging Group Policies

• General Best Practices for Group Policy Deployment

• Understanding GP Inheritance and Application Order

• Understanding the Effects of Slow Links on Group Policy

• Using Tools to Make Things Go Faster

• Linking Group Policies

• Automating Software Installations

• Enhancing Manageability with Group Policy Management Console

• Using Resultant Set of Policies in GPMC

• Understanding Windows Management Instrumentation

• Maximizing Security with Group Policy

• Getting the Most Out of Folder Redirection

• Other Useful Tools for Managing Group Policies

• Using Administrative Templates

• Modifying Administrative Templates

• Working with Group Policy Objects

• Working Within the Group Policy Snap-in Namespace

Policies, historically known as "system policies," have existed in Windows products for many server versions. However, with Windows Server 2000 and now Windows Server 2003, group policies have become an integral part of the operating system. Group policies are used to deliver a standard set of security, controls, rules, and options to a user. In addition, they can be used to configure everything from login scripts and folder redirection to disabling Active Desktop and preventing users from installing software on their workstations.