What are group policies?
Group policies specify how programs, network resources, and the operating system work for users and computers in an organization. They are collections of user and computer configuration settings that are applied on the users and computers (not on groups). For better administration of group policies in the Windows environment, the group policy objects (GPOs) are used.
What is GPO?
Group policy object (GPO) is a collection of group policy settings. It can be created using a Windows utility known as the Group Policy snap-in. GPO affects the user and computer accounts located in sites, domains, and organizational units (OUs). The Windows 2000/2003 operating systems support two types of GPOs, local and non-local (Active Directory-based) GPOs.
What is Local GPOs/policy?
Local GPOs are used to control policies on a local server running Windows 2000/2003 Server. On each Windows server, a local GPO is stored. The local GPO affects only the computer on which it is stored. By default, only Security Settings nodes are configured. The rest of the settings are either disabled or not enabled. The local GPO is stored in the %systemroot%SYSTEM32GROUPPOLICY folder.
What is Non-local Policy?
Non-local GPOs are used to control policies on an Active Directory-based network. A Windows server needs to be configured as a domain controller on the network to use a non-local GPO. The non-local GPOs must be linked to a site, domain, or organizational unit (OU) to apply group policies to the user or computer objects. The non-local GPOs are stored in %systemroot%SYSVOLPOLICIESADM, where is the GPO’s globally unique identifier. Two non-local GPOs are created by default when the Active Directory is installed:
1. Default Domain Policy: This GPO is linked to the domain and it affects all users and computers in the domain.
2. Default Domain Controllers Policy: This GPO is linked to the Domain Controllers OU and it affects all domain controllers placed in this OU.
Multiple GPOs
GPO Apply order
When multiple group policy objects are assigned, the group policies are applied in the following order:
• The local group policy object is applied first
• Then, the group policy objects linked to sites are applied
If multiple GPOs exist for a site, they are applied in the order specified by an administrator
• GPOs linked to the domains are applied in the specified order
• Finally, GPOs linked to OUs are applied
The OU group policy objects are set from the largest to the smallest organizational unit, i.e., first the parent OU and then the child OU.
By default, a policy applied later overwrites a policy that was applied earlier. Hence, the settings in a child OU can override the settings in the parent OU
Group policy settings are cumulative if they are compatible with each other. In case they conflict with each other, the GPO processed later takes precedence.
What is No Override? Block Policy Inheritance?
The following are the exceptions with regard to the above-mentioned settings:
No Override:
Any GPO can be set to No Override. If the No Override configuration is set to a GPO, no policy configured in the GPO can be overridden. If more than one GPO has been set to No Override, then the one that is the highest in the Active Directory hierarchy takes precedence
Block Policy Inheritance:
The Block Policy Inheritance option can be applied to the site, domain, or OU. It deflects all group policy settings that reach the site, domain, or OU from the object higher in the hierarchy. However, the GPOs configured with the No Override option are always applied
What is Loopback policy?
Is group policy from Parent Domain cab be inherited to child Domain?
Group Policy Inheritance
The group policies are inherited from parent to child within a domain. They are not inherited from parent domain to child domain
Following are the rules regarding group policy inheritance:
A policy setting is configured (Enabled or Disabled) for a parent OU, and the same policy setting is not configured for its child OUs. The child OUs inherit the parent’s policy
A policy setting is configured (Enabled or Disabled) for a parent OU, and the same policy setting is configured for its child OUs. The child OUs settings override the settings inherited from the parent’s OU
If any policy is not configured, no inheritance takes place
Compatible policy settings configured at the parent and child OUs are accumulated
Incompatible policy settings from the parent OU are not inherited
Group policies specify how programs, network resources, and the operating system work for users and computers in an organization. They are collections of user and computer configuration settings that are applied on the users and computers (not on groups). For better administration of group policies in the Windows environment, the group policy objects (GPOs) are used.
What is GPO?
Group policy object (GPO) is a collection of group policy settings. It can be created using a Windows utility known as the Group Policy snap-in. GPO affects the user and computer accounts located in sites, domains, and organizational units (OUs). The Windows 2000/2003 operating systems support two types of GPOs, local and non-local (Active Directory-based) GPOs.
What is Local GPOs/policy?
Local GPOs are used to control policies on a local server running Windows 2000/2003 Server. On each Windows server, a local GPO is stored. The local GPO affects only the computer on which it is stored. By default, only Security Settings nodes are configured. The rest of the settings are either disabled or not enabled. The local GPO is stored in the %systemroot%SYSTEM32GROUPPOLICY folder.
What is Non-local Policy?
Non-local GPOs are used to control policies on an Active Directory-based network. A Windows server needs to be configured as a domain controller on the network to use a non-local GPO. The non-local GPOs must be linked to a site, domain, or organizational unit (OU) to apply group policies to the user or computer objects. The non-local GPOs are stored in %systemroot%SYSVOLPOLICIESADM, where is the GPO’s globally unique identifier. Two non-local GPOs are created by default when the Active Directory is installed:
1. Default Domain Policy: This GPO is linked to the domain and it affects all users and computers in the domain.
2. Default Domain Controllers Policy: This GPO is linked to the Domain Controllers OU and it affects all domain controllers placed in this OU.
Multiple GPOs
GPO Apply order
When multiple group policy objects are assigned, the group policies are applied in the following order:
• The local group policy object is applied first
• Then, the group policy objects linked to sites are applied
If multiple GPOs exist for a site, they are applied in the order specified by an administrator
• GPOs linked to the domains are applied in the specified order
• Finally, GPOs linked to OUs are applied
The OU group policy objects are set from the largest to the smallest organizational unit, i.e., first the parent OU and then the child OU.
By default, a policy applied later overwrites a policy that was applied earlier. Hence, the settings in a child OU can override the settings in the parent OU
Group policy settings are cumulative if they are compatible with each other. In case they conflict with each other, the GPO processed later takes precedence.
What is No Override? Block Policy Inheritance?
The following are the exceptions with regard to the above-mentioned settings:
No Override:
Any GPO can be set to No Override. If the No Override configuration is set to a GPO, no policy configured in the GPO can be overridden. If more than one GPO has been set to No Override, then the one that is the highest in the Active Directory hierarchy takes precedence
Block Policy Inheritance:
The Block Policy Inheritance option can be applied to the site, domain, or OU. It deflects all group policy settings that reach the site, domain, or OU from the object higher in the hierarchy. However, the GPOs configured with the No Override option are always applied
What is Loopback policy?
Is group policy from Parent Domain cab be inherited to child Domain?
Group Policy Inheritance
The group policies are inherited from parent to child within a domain. They are not inherited from parent domain to child domain
Following are the rules regarding group policy inheritance:
A policy setting is configured (Enabled or Disabled) for a parent OU, and the same policy setting is not configured for its child OUs. The child OUs inherit the parent’s policy
A policy setting is configured (Enabled or Disabled) for a parent OU, and the same policy setting is configured for its child OUs. The child OUs settings override the settings inherited from the parent’s OU
If any policy is not configured, no inheritance takes place
Compatible policy settings configured at the parent and child OUs are accumulated
Incompatible policy settings from the parent OU are not inherited
What is security filtering? Filtering Scope of GPOs
Although GPOs are linked to the site, domain, or OUs, and they cannot be linked to the security groups directly, applying permissions to the GPO can filter its scope. The policies in a non-local GPO apply only to users who have the Read and Apply Group Policy permissions set to Allow
By specifying appropriate permissions to the security groups, the administrators can filter a GPO’s scope for the computers and users
What Tools used to edit the Group policy?
GPMC and GPedit
How to check applied policy details from Client or server?
RSOP.msc (only works windows 2003 and above)
GPRESULT /v
What is .adm file?
Administrative Template are required because Microsoft did not include all Registry settings in the default Group Policy, if you want to add more customized setting to existing policy then .ADM file can be created and imported to get the necessary setting
