Active Administrator 8.6.2 - User Guide

Group Policy

Quest® Active Administrator® provides unparalleled functionality in the area of Group Policy object management. Many familiar functions can be performed through the intuitive interface. Administrators can create, delete, and rename Group Policy objects, and add and remove links. Administrators also can copy a Group Policy object from one domain to another and explore the exact location on the network where the object is stored.

Topics 

•	Using the Group Policy landing page

•	Managing Group Policy objects

•	Managing GPOs by container

•	Searching for GPO settings

•	Managing GPO history

•	Using the GPO repository

•	Modeling GPO changes

•	Managing GPO backups

•	Troubleshooting

•	Purging GPO history

Using the Group Policy landing page

Using the Group Policy landing page

The landing page displays the active tiles for each feature in the section. The active tiles automatically update every 30 minutes, but you can use the icons to refresh the tiles at any time. You also can pause and resume the refresh of data. To customize the active tile refresh, see Setting general user options.

To use the Group Policy landing page

1	Click Group Policy.

2	To access the features in this section, you can either click an active tile or choose from the tree.

▪	Group Policy Objects (See Managing Group Policy objects.)

▪	GPO by Container (See Managing GPOs by container.)

▪	GPO History (See Managing GPO history.)

▪	GPO Repository (See Using the GPO repository.)

▪	GPO Modeling (See Modeling GPO changes.)

▪	GPO Backups (See Managing GPO backups.)

▪	Troubleshooting (See Troubleshooting.)

▪	Purge GPO history (See Purging GPO history.)

▪	GPO Settings Search (See Searching for GPO settings.)

Managing Group Policy objects

Managing Group Policy objects

The Group Policy Objects page displays all the group policies for a selected domain controller. You can create new Group Policy objects or edit existing Group Policy objects. You can view details about the Group Policy object, manage links, and generate reports.

Topics 

•	Creating a new Group Policy object

•	Copying Group Policy objects

•	Copying Group Policy objects between domains

•	Comparing Group Policy objects

•	Reporting on Group Policy objects

•	Managing links

To manage Group Policy object

1	Select Group Policy | Group Policy Objects.

2	Select a domain controller, if necessary.

NOTE: Use the icons to manage the selected managed domain controller. See Managing domain controllers.

3	Select a Group Policy to view details, security group filters, and Group Policy links.

You can sort the list of group policies alphabetically in ascending or descending order by clicking the Group Policies heading. You also can filter the list by typing in the Filter Group Policies box.

4	Use the tool bar to manage Group Policy objects. You also can right-click a GPO and select an option from the shortcut menu.

 

Table 75. Group policy objects tool bar

Option	Description
Refresh	Refresh the display.
Add	Create a new Group Policy object. See Creating a new Group Policy object.
Edit	Modify the selected Group Policy. NOTE: If you modify a GPO online and it is in use, changes you make may not be applied to the object using that GPO. To control the GPO change process, edit the GPO offline. Select the Group Policy, and select More | Add to Repository. See Using the GPO repository.
Properties	Open the properties for the selected Group Policy.
Delete	Delete a selected Group Policy.
More | Copy GPO	Copy a selected GPO. See Copying Group Policy objects.
More | Paste GPO	Paste a copied GPO. See Copying Group Policy objects.
More | Copy GPOs to Domain	Copy a selected GPO to a different domain. See Copying Group Policy objects between domains.
More | Add to Repository	Add the selected Group Policy to the repository. See Using the GPO repository.
More | Backup GPO	Back up the selected Group Policy. See Backing up Group Policy objects.
More | Rename GPO	Rename the selected Group Policy.
More | Compare	Compare two or more group policies to examine the differences. See Comparing Group Policy objects.
More | Explore	Locate a Group Policy object in Windows® Explorer.
Reports	Generate reports on selected group policies. See Reporting on Group Policy objects.
Links	Add, remove, and refresh Group Policy links. See Managing links.
Security Filters | Modify Security Filters	Modify the security for the selected Group Policy.
Security Filters | Account Properties	Modify the properties for the selected account in the Security Group Filters area.

Creating a new Group Policy object

Creating a new Group Policy object

To create a new Group Policy object

1	Select Group Policy | Group Policy Objects.

2	Select a domain controller.

3	Click Add.

4	Type a name for the GPO.

NOTE: By default, the Group Policy Management Editor opens when you click OK. If you choose to clear the check box, you can edit the Group Policy at a later time by clicking Edit.

5	Click OK. The Group Policy Management Editor opens where you can add the Group Policy object settings.