Group Policy Management Console
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Hope this post finds you in good health and spirit.
Group Policy Management Console
The Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) provides a one-stop solution for all Group Policy operations that an administrator must manage. This MMC snap-in gives full Group Policy information and lets you to examine all of the settings within a Group Policy Object (GPO).
Several of the GPMC’s operations may also be programmed. The GPMC allows you to see, configure, and analyse GPO settings to see how they will effect target systems and users.
Here is a partial list of what administrators can do with the GPMC:
- GPO creation, modification, deletion, reporting, and application control.
- Searching for Group Policies across the forest and domain (s).
- Examine/control the status of GPOs.
- GPO connecting and unlinking.
- Conducting GPO backup, restore, and import.
- GPO modelling sessions are being carried out in order to better understand the implications of GPOs..
- Permissions can be set and delegated.
The following are some of the features of the GPMC that make it such a useful tool.
- Simple user interface with drag-and-drop functionality.
- GPO backup, restore, import, and copy functionalities.
- Interfaces that can be programmed are included..
- Full-scriptable function execution.
- Manages WMI filtering, which aids in the selective application of GPOs.
How to install Group Policy Management Console tools
The GPMC may be installed via the Server management. Here’s how it’s done with Windows Server 2016:
- Open the Server Manager Dashboard. You can do this by pressing Windows + R keys to open the Run tool, and then typing servermanager and pressing the Enter button.
- In the Dashboard section, click on Add Roles and Features.
- In the installation wizard window that pops up, under Installation Type select Role-based or feature-based installation. Then, click Next.
- Under Server Selection, select the Select a server from the server pool option. Then, click Next.
- Click Next under Server Roles.
- Under Features, select Group Policy Management. Click Next.If prompted to install any supporting roles, accept the default selection.
- Under Confirmation, click Install.
Once the installation is complete, you may access the GPMC via Server Manager’s Tools area.
Opening the GPMC
You can also use one of the following techniques to access the GPMC:
- Go to Start → Run. Type gpmc.msc and click OK.
- Go to Start → Type gpmc.msc in the search bar and hit ENTER.
- Go to Start –> Administrative Tools –> Group Policy Management.
Before we get started with the GPMC and working with GPOs, let’s define what a GPO is.
What is a GPO?
In Active Directory, Group Policy Objects are used to hold Group Policies (GPOs). GPOs, like any other Active Directory item, may be established and connected to a Site, domain, or OU where the policy settings must be implemented. As a result, GPOs are used to administer and configure group policies. You may read this article to learn more about GPOs and GPO administration.
How Are Group Policy Objects Processed?
The order in which GPOs are processed affects what settings are applied to the computer and user. The order that GPOs are processed is known as LSDOU, which stands for local, site, domain, and organizational unit. The local computer policy is the first to be processed, followed by the site level to domain AD policies, then finally into organization units. If there happen to be conflicting policies in LSDOU, the last applied policies win out.
The Benefits of Group Policy for Data Security
The benefits of Group Policy are not limited solely to security, there are a number of other advantages that are worth mentioning.
- Password Policy: Many organizations are operating with relaxed password policies, with many users often having passwords set to never expire. Passwords that aren’t regularly rotated, are too simple or use common passphrases are at risk of being hacked through brute force. GPOs can be used to establish password length, complexity and other requirements.
- Systems Management: GPOs can be used to simplify tasks that are at best mundane and at worst critically time-consuming. You can save yourself hours and hours of time configuring the environment of new users and computers joining your domain by using GPOs to apply a standardized, universal one.
- Health Checking: GPOs can be used to deploy software updates and system patches to ensure your environment is healthy and up to date against the latest security threats.
Creating an unlinked GPO
Right-click Group Policy Objects in the domain where the GPO is to be created in the GPMC and choose New. Give it a catchy name.
Choose OK.
Editing a GPO
- In the GPMC, open the Group Policy Objects node.
- Right-click the appropriate GPO, and click Edit.
Deleting a GPO
- In the GPMC, open the Group Policy Objects node.
- Right-click the appropriate GPO, and click Delete.
- Click OK to confirm.
Note that it is best practice not to edit/delete the Default Domain Controllers Policy or the Default Domain Policy.
Disabling a GPO link
- In the GPMC, locate the GPO link which is to be disabled.
- Right click the GPO link and click Link Enabled. A check mark indicates that the link is enabled and the absence of it indicates that the link is disabled.
Managing GPO Backups
- In the GPMC, expand the Group Policy Objects node that contains the GPO that has to be backed up. Right-click the GPO, and then click Back Up.
- To back up all GPOs in the domain, right-click the Group Policy Objects node, and then click Back Up All.
- In the Back Up Group Policy Object dialog box, specify the path to the folder where the backed-up versions of the GPOs will reside. Click Back Up.
- Finally, click OK.
So, that’s all in this blog. I will meet you soon with next stuff .Have a nice day !!!
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