Windows Server 2008 Group Policy

You Will Learn How To

Centrally manage workstations and servers with Group Policy Objects (GPOs)
Lock down user desktops and control computer configurations
Leverage techniques to target GPOs to specific clients
Create highly reliable and robust software deployment strategies
Enhance security with improved GPO features
Troubleshoot failures and optimize GPO performance

Course Benefits

Maintaining highly reliable and secure Windows environments in a cost-effective manner is a challenge for many organizations. Group Policies provide the ability to centrally manage your workstation and server configurations while streamlining administrative tasks and reducing IT costs. This course provides the knowledge and skills you need to create and manage effective Group Policies.

Who Should Attend

IT professionals who want to manage and administer Group Policies in a Windows Server 2008 Active Directory environment. A working knowledge of Windows Server 2003 AD or Course 960, "Windows Server 2008 Comprehensive Introduction," is assumed.

Hands-On Training

Extensive hands-on exercises provide practical experience managing a Windows Server 2008, Vista and Windows 7 environment through Group Policies. Exercises include:

Establishing a central store and utilizing starter GPOs
Applying computer and user configuration settings
Generating reports for diagnostic purposes
Writing WQL queries
Implementing robust software delivery mechanisms
Configuring core security settings
Converting role-based XML data into policy settings
Identifying and resolving failures
Utilizing preferences to manipulate objects

Course 963 Content

Harnessing the Power of Group Policies

Introducing Group Policy Objects (GPOs)

Advantages of centralized administration
Investigating new features and functionality
Contrasting user and computer-based settings

Controlling computer configurations

Assigning software packages
Enforcing workstation security
Standardizing computer settings

Managing user environments

Deploying software packages
Customizing user configurations
Locking down user desktops with administrative templates

The Building Blocks of Group Policies

Leveraging administrative templates

Analyzing ADMX/ADML file structure
Implementing pre-designed templates and starter GPOs
Adding custom templates to extend functionality

Storing and containerizing GPOs

Leveraging the central store
Maintaining availability through replication

Refreshing user and computer configurations

Regulating refresh intervals
Working with policy object versions
Invoking a policy refresh manually

Controlling the Deployment of GPOs

Exploiting Scopes of Management (SOM)

Local
Sites
Domains
Organizational Units
Combining settings through inheritance
Resolving conflicts between GPO settings
Generating a Resultant Set of Policies (RSoP) report

Limiting GPO application to specific entities

Disabling GPOs for diagnostics
Exploiting security filters
Enforcing settings with No Override
Merging or replacing user settings with loopback processing

Writing effective WMI filters

Enumerating Win32 management classes
Creating WMI Query Language (WQL) queries
Designing regular expressions for improved filtering

Deploying Software Packages with GPOs

Constructing a strategic deployment plan

Interpreting package file structure
Obtaining and creating package files

Modifying software deployment options

Assigning and publishing software
Upgrading managed applications
Customizing installations with transform files

Ensuring the reliability of GPO-deployed software

Providing self-healing applications with the Windows Installer Service (WIS)
Leveraging DFS to enhance performance and reliability

Centralizing Security Management

Exposing security settings

Bitlocker
Network Access Protection
Security Center
Controlling group membership with Restricted Groups

Centrally managing security mechanisms

Securing network communications
Reducing operating system vulnerabilities

Leveraging the Security Configuration Wizard

Transforming a role-based analysis into a GPO
Importing settings into the Active Directory

Tuning and Troubleshooting GPOs

Optimizing GPO performance

Expediting Group Policy application
Detecting and handling slow links

Troubleshooting failures and unexpected results

Isolating failures with Event Logs
Predicting results through GPO modeling

Performing backup and recovery

Contingency planning through backups
Recovering Group Policy Objects after failures

Extending GPO Administration

Automating GPO management

Driving Management Console objects with PowerShell
Exploiting ADSI with scripting technologies

Leveraging advanced tools

Augmenting the management toolset
Translating legacy ADM files

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Windows Server 2008 Group Policy Management: Hands-On