Group Policy

Group Policy

Group Policy and the Active Directory services infrastructure in Windows Server 2003 enable IT administrators to automate one-to-many management of users and computers—simplifying administrative tasks and reducing IT costs. With the debut of Group Policy Management Console (GPMC), policy-based management is even easier. Administrators can efficiently implement security settings, enforce IT policies, and distribute software consistently across a given site, domain, or range of organizational units.

Group Policy is an infrastructure that allows you to implement specific configurations for users and computers. Group Policy settings are contained in Group Policy objects (GPOs), which are linked to the following Active Directory directory service containers: sites, domains, or organizational units (OUs). The settings within GPOs are then evaluated by the affected targets, using the hierarchical nature of Active Directory. Consequently, Group Policy is one of the top reasons to deploy Active Directory because it allows you to manage user and computer objects.
Group Policy is one of a group of management technologies, collectively known as IntelliMirror management technologies, which provide users with consistent access to their applications, application settings, roaming user profiles, and user data, from any managed computer—even when they are disconnected from the network. IntelliMirror is implemented through a set of Microsoft Windows features, including Active Directory, Group Policy, Software Installation, Windows Installer, Folder Redirection, Offline Folders, and Roaming User Profiles.

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