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Mastering Windows Group Policy
Mastering Windows Group Policy

Mastering Windows Group Policy: Control and secure your Active Directory environment with Group Policy

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Mastering Windows Group Policy

Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)

The Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) is without a doubt the primary and most common interface that Active Directory (AD) administrators use to work with anything and everything related to Group Policy. In this chapter, we will explore the functionality inside the GPMC and get a feel for working within this console.

The GPMC is installed by default on all of your Domain Controller (DC) servers, but in a security-conscious environment it is common practice to limit access and logins to DCs, so we are also going to take a look at some other options for using the GPMC that don't involve the need to touch one of the DCs.

The following topics will be covered in this chapter:

  • Technical requirements
  • Launching the console locally
  • Accessing Group Policy remotely
  • Exploring the GPMC

Technical requirements

If you have access to a DC server in your environment, then you already have the toolset needed to work with the GPMC. All DCs have the GPMC installed by default, and this chapter will show you the ways to open it.

We will also cover options for launching the GPMC on a Windows 10 workstation. There are no special requirements for this machine, except that you will want it to be joined to your domain so that it can communicate with the DC. If Windows 10 is not available to you, it is possible to introduce the same level of functionality by using Windows 8 or even Windows 7, but we won't cover those operating systems specifically because, as you will learn, there are advantages to always using the latest and greatest operating system whenever working within the GPMC, to ensure you have all of the newest functionality.

...

Launching the console locally

The most straightforward approach to opening the GPMC is to launch it right from an Active Directory DC server. If you happen to be logged into a DC anyway, or are even sitting at the console, there are numerous different ways to open this tool. The one that you choose to employ regularly is completely your preference, but knowing various ways to accomplish the same task is always helpful in the Microsoft Windows world, so let's take a minute and cover the different ways that you could go about launching the GPMC from a DC.

Server Manager – the most common way

You have probably noticed (and perhaps been annoyed by it) that when you log into most Windows Server operating systems, there...

Accessing Group Policy remotely

It may not always be the case that you have access to launch the GPMC locally from a DC server, so it is important to cover the bases on other ways that you can tap into these settings. In fact, as you will soon read, this section may change your entire outlook on how you interact with Group Policy, or, indeed, perhaps your outlook on how you administer your servers in general.

Installing the GPMC on another server

At first glance, this heading might not make any sense. If all of my Group Policy data is stored on the DCs, and the GPMC gets installed by default on my DCs, why would I need to worry about installing the GPMC somewhere else? Won't I just log into a DC and launch the GPMC? Easy...

Exploring the GPMC

You now have the knowledge to be able to open the GPMC in about a hundred different ways, and from all kinds of different places. If you've been following along with your own server or test lab, I am sure you have already spent some time poking around inside the console to take a look at what screens and options are available, but we are going to take a look together as well. Throughout the rest of this book, we will be making continual use of the GPMC, so the majority of learning about this console will be through direct experience. Even so, we can't wrap up a chapter about the GPMC without actually looking inside the GPMC, so let's do that together now.

The GPMC is made up of two primary window panes. The left side is an organizational tree where you will find the different layers of Active Directory administration—Forests, Domains, Sites...

Summary

The GPMC is absolutely the primary tool that Active Directory administrators use to work with Group Policy settings. This console is critically important to your role as a Windows Server administrator. In addition to giving you a glance into the console where we will be spending so much time over the course of this book, I hope this chapter prompts you to start thinking outside the box about other server management duties in the future. Using the RSAT package on a regular workstation can completely change your server security stance.

Join me as we dive next into the meat and potatoes of Group Policy—the common tasks that you will be required to handle on a daily basis.

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Description

This book begins with a discussion of the core material any administrator needs to know in order to start working with Group Policy. Moving on, we will also walk through the process of building a lab environment to start testing Group Policy today. Next we will explore the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and start using the powerful features available for us within that interface. Once you are well versed with using GPMC, you will learn to perform and manage the traditional core tasks inside Group Policy. Included in the book are many examples and walk-throughs of the different filtering options available for the application of Group Policy settings, as this is the real power that Group Policy holds within your network. You will also learn how you can use Group Policy to secure your Active Directory environment, and also understand how Group Policy preferences are different than policies, with the help of real-world examples. Finally we will spend some time on maintenance and troubleshooting common Group Policy-related issues so that you, as a directory administrator, will understand the diagnosing process for policy settings. By the end of the book, you will be able to jump right in and use Group Policy to its full potential.

What you will learn

  • Become familiar with the Group Policy Management Console
  • Create, link, and filter new policies
  • Secure your users and devices using Group Policy
  • Maintain and troubleshoot Group Policy
  • Administer Group Policy via PowerShell
  • Control your Active Directory environment efficiently with Group Policy settings

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Nov 30, 2018
Length: 408 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781789347395
Vendor :
Microsoft
Languages :

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Product Details

Publication date : Nov 30, 2018
Length: 408 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781789347395
Vendor :
Microsoft
Languages :

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Table of Contents

11 Chapters
Group Policy - The Basics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Daily Tasks in Group Policy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Advanced Filtering of Group Policy Objects Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Deploying Policy Settings Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Group Policy Preferences Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Group Policy as a Security Mechanism Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Group Policy Maintenance Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Group Policy Troubleshooting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
PowerShell for Group Policy Administration Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

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ALG Michigan Feb 10, 2022
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Very easy to follow and pretty detailed highly recommend
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Vincent Neal Jun 24, 2019
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Great information
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Anthony D. Clayton Oct 16, 2022
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Jordan wtf, the format of this book is broken af in Kindle? The Mastering Active Directory, and the Mastering Active Directory Security are formatted fine. But on Web browser, phone app, desktop app this particular book is broken af. Ca mon.. I'm gonna read it fully though, so I can get it out of the way.
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AAH Oct 11, 2020
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Jordan Krause is my favorite technical author, as he writes extremely well, with a great sense of humor. Although a 30+ year veteran in IT, I come away from his books with valuable insights and knowledge, plus it is nice to get affirmation of some things I've been doing correctly all along. I would also highly recommend his book on Server 2019 if that is in your future.
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Alicia Frank Jan 15, 2020
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Well written. Very happy
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