Unit 9 Assignment 1 GPO Planning Scenario

To Junior IT Admin:
You can use Windows Server 2008 Group Policy to manage configurations for groups of computers and users, including options for registry-based policy settings, security settings, software deployment, scripts, folder redirection, and preferences. Group Policy preferences new in Windows Server 2008, are more than 20 Group Policy extensions that expand the range of configurable policy settings within a Group Policy Object (GPO). In contrast to Group Policy settings preferences are not enforced. Users can change preferences after initial deployment for information about Group Policy Preferences.
By using Group Policy, you can significantly reduce an organization’s total cost of ownership. Various factors such as the large number of policy settings available, the interaction between multiple policies, and inheritance options can make Group Policy design complex. By carefully planning, designing, testing, and deploying a solution based on your organization’s business requirements, you can provide the standardized functionality, security, and management control that your organization needs.
Overviewing Group Policy; it enables Active Directory–based change and configuration management of user and computer settings on computers running Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP. In addition to using Group Policy to define configurations for groups of users and computers, you can also use Group Policy to help manage server computers, by configuring many server specific operational and security settings.
Group Policy settings you create are contained in a GPO. To create and edit a GPO, use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). By using the GPMC to link a GPO to selected Active Directory sites, domains, and organizational units (OUs), you apply the policy settings in the GPO to the users and computers in those Active Directory objects. An OU is the lowest-level Active Directory container to which you can assign Group Policy settings.
To guide your Group Policy design decisions, you need a clear understanding of your organization’s business needs, service level agreements, and requirements for security, network, and IT. By analyzing your current environment and users’ requirements, defining the business objectives you want to meet by using Group Policy, and following these guidelines for designing a Group Policy infrastructure, you can establish the approach that best supports your organization’s needs.

Regards,
IT Admin