Chat now with support

Get Live Help
Complete Registration

Sign In

Request Pricing

Contact Sales

GPOADmin 5.16 - User Guide

Table of Contents

Introducing Quest GPOADmin

GPOADmin features

Client/server architecture Multiforest support Group Policy Management Console extension Version control Change approval process Role-based delegation Notification system GPO ACL editor Reporting options Customized views Offline GPO testing Custom workflow actions

Configuring GPOADmin

Configuring the Version Control server Setting permissions on AD LDS Setting permissions when using SQL as the configuration store Port requirements Editing the Version Control server properties Editing the Version Control server configuration store Replacing the Version Control server configuration settings Migrating from AD/AD LDS to a SQL configuration store Changing the Service Account Root container assignment Restricting GPO management for specific domains Configuring role-based delegation

Creating roles Editing roles Delegating roles

Restricting access to objects Adding notifications for users Selecting events on which to be notified Restricting inheritance on notifications Creating email templates Working with Protected Settings policies

Rights and role for Protected Settings for GPOs Create a Protected Settings policy Protecting policy settings based on extensions Generating Protected Settings policies reports Using Protected Settings policies Checking a GPO against a Protected Settings policies and blocked extensions Validating a GPO against a Protected Settings policies and blocked extensions before a check-in

Connecting to the Version Control system

Working with multiple connections Version Control data in the directory

Navigating the GPOADmin console Search folders

Creating custom search folders

Accessing the GPMC extension Configuring user preferences Working with the live environment

Registering objects Registered status Removing registered objects Viewing the live environment

Working with controlled objects (version control root)

Creating a custom container hierarchy Selecting security, levels of approval, and notification options Viewing the differences between objects Copying/pasting objects Proposing the creation of controlled objects

Creating Group Policy Objects (GPOs) Creating starter GPOs Creating WMI filters Creating scripts Creating Desired State Configuration (DSC) PowerShell scripts

Merging GPOs Restoring an object to a previous version Restoring links to a previous version Managing your links with search and replace Linking GPOs to multiple Scopes of Management Managing compliance issues automatically with remediation rules Validating GPOs Managing GPO revisions with lineage Setting when users can modify objects Working with registered objects

Creating labels Cloaking a GPO Locking a GPO Establishing Management for an Object Viewing history Deleting version history Clearing account names in version history Viewing and editing object properties Creating a report

Working with available objects

Enabling/disabling workflow Checking out objects Requesting the deletion of an object Unregistering GPOs and removing history Requesting approval

Working with checked out objects

Undoing a check out Checking in controlled objects

Working with objects pending approval and deployment

Withdrawing an approval request Enhanced workflow approval Changing the approval workflow Withdrawing approval Approving and rejecting edits Deploying objects (scheduling and associated items)

Checking compliance Editing objects

Removing persistent registry settings

Editing Intune Configuration Profiles Editing WMI filters Editing scripts Linking GPOs

Synchronizing GPOs

Enabling synchronization Working with GPO synchronizations Generating Synchronized GPO report

Exporting and importing

Export objects Exporting GPO registry settings as a Desired State Configuration resource file Import objects

Creating Reports

Available reports

Controlled object reports

Settings Report Difference Report Group Policy Comparison Report History Report Group Policy Object Settings Search Report User Activity Report Role Assignment Report All Actions Report Compliance Report Change Auditor Report Change Auditor Working Copies Report Deployment Report Protected Settings Assignment Report Creating Controlled Object Reports

Diagnostic and troubleshooting reports

Group Policy Object Consistency Report Software Installation Package Report Linked/Unlinked Report Linked/Unlinked SOMs Report Inactive Policy Settings Report Group Policy Object Security Report Policy Analysis Report GPO Synchronization Report Group Policy Results Group Policy Results Difference Report Group Policy Modeling Report Creating Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Reports

Live, working copy, latest version, and differences reports

Creating live, working copy, latest version, and differences reports

Historical Settings Reports

Creating historical settings reports

Exporting registry settings Working with report folders

Managing report folders

Appendix: Windows PowerShell Commands

Introduction GPOADmin scripts Available commands

GPOADmin PowerShell provider extensions

Using the GPOADmin PowerShell commands (Examples)

Loading the GPOADmin modules Extracting help for GPOADmin commands Managing objects

Get information on all GPOs Get information for all managed objects Get unregistered objects Register an object Check out an object Check in an object Undo the check out of an object Request approval for changes Withdraw an approval request Approve changes Reject changes Withdraw approval on an object Deploy an object Deploy an object at a future time and date Check for pending deployments Cancel pending deployment

Gathering object and GPOADmin information

Identify which objects are checked out Identify which objects are checked out to me What are the properties of an object What objects are available What objects are checked out

Utility commands

Gather GPOADmin license information Install a GPOADmin license Get logging options Set logging options Get notifications Set notifications on objects

Administrative commands

Approval workflow information Set the approval workflow Identify user accounts Identify user roles Modify a role Add a role Get an object's security Set an object's security Overwrite a GPOs security filter

Protected Settings commands

Gather Protected Settings information Enable and disable Protected Settings Get a list of Protected Settings Add Protected Settings

Appendix: GPOADmin Event Log

What is the GPOADmin event log? Interpreting the GPOADmin event log

Example GPOADmin events

Appendix: GPOADmin Backup and Recovery Procedures

GPOADmin Backup Requirements Restoring GPOADmin

Appendix: Customizing your workflow

What is a custom workflow action? Working with custom workflow actions in the Version Control system Working with the custom workflow actions xml file

Actions Predefined Tags Conditions Example of a complete pre-action

Troubleshooting custom workflow actions

Appendix: GPOADmin Silent Installation Commands

Installing GPOADmin with msiexec.exe

All components (Complete GPOADmin installation) Client and components

Server and client Client only Client and PowerShell provider (Client Only button on Installation dialog) PowerShell provider only

Watcher Service

Watcher Service on localhost Watcher Service on another computer Watcher Service and GPMC Extension on another computer Watcher Service and Client only on another computer Watcher Service, Client, and GPMC Extension on another computer

GPMC Extension on a localhost GPMC Extension on another computer

Appendix: Configuring Gmail for Notifications

Using Gmail for Workflow Approvals Creating a Gmail Credentials File

Appendix: Registering GPOADmin for Office 365 Exchange Online Appendix: GPOADmin with SQL Replication About Us

Group Policy Management Console extension

You can work in the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to perform many GPO-related tasks. GPOADmin comes with two interfaces — the GPOADmin Console, and the GPMC Extension. The console provides full functionality, and is intended for administrators responsible for a wide variety of tasks. The GPMC Extension is a convenient tool for users who are already comfortable with the GPMC, or for GPO administrators who do not need the advanced features of the GPOADmin Console.

The following tasks can be performed using the GPMC Extension:

•

•

Register and unregister GPOs

•

•

Cloak and uncloak

•

Lock and unlock

•

View and edit properties

•

View the history

•

View the differences between versions

•

Roll back a GPO to a previous version

•

Check in and out

•

•

Request approval

•

Approve or reject changes

•

•

Generate Working Copy, Latest Version and Differences reports

For more information, see Using GPOADmin and Accessing the GPMC extension .

Version control

GPOs, scripts, DSC scripts, WMI filters, configuration profiles, and Scopes of Management (domains, sites, and OUs) links can be stored and backed up in a secure Active Directory, AD LDS, network share, or SQL repository. Objects that are stored within the Version Control system are labeled with a version number. You can view all changes made to the controlled object through the object history and through numerous reports.

For detailed information, see Registering objects , Proposing the creation of controlled objects and Controlled object reports .

Change approval process

All changes made within the Version Control system are not rolled out into the online Active Directory environment until assigned users approve and deploy them.

You can enforce a multi-approval process at the container and object level so that all changes made to the live production environment are approved by all approvers. Ensuring the approval process uses the combined agreement of multiple approvers rather than just one provides better security.

Deploying changes within the system is a critical process that affects the live environment. To minimize the impact of disruption, perform this when the impact to users is minimal as the changes to the GPO might alter the behavior of particular systems.

To avoid any issues, you can schedule the deployment of the changes for a specific date and time that best suits your needs.

For detailed information, see Approving and rejecting edits and Deploying objects (scheduling and associated items) .

Role-based delegation

GPOADmin users can create and define roles that consist of a set of roles to perform actions on the Version Control system. These roles can delegate users-specific access to resources within the system. GPOADmin includes predefined built-in roles (Moderator, System Administrator, and User), and granular roles users can define through a custom role. For a list of roles, see Configuring role-based delegation.

For more information, see Configuring the Version Control server and Configuring role-based delegation .

Table 1. Custom s

Users with this can...

Version Controlled Objects

•

Block Inheritance for SoM links

•

•

Compliance Action

•

•

Delegate Security

•

•

Delete links outside of workflow

•

•

•

•

Enable and Disable Workflow

•

•

•

•

•

Modify Approval Workflow

•

Modify Keywords

•

Modify Managed By

•

Modify System-Provided Security Right

•

Modify Security Filter

•

•

•

Run Contextual Reports

•

•

Set Remediation Rules

•

•

•

•

Version Control Containers

•

Create Subcontainers

•

Delegate Container Security

•

Delete Container

•

Rename Container

Protected Settings

•

Block Protected Settings Inheritance

•

Export Group Policy Objects as Protected Settings Policies

•

Modify Protected Settings

•

Modify Protected Settings Assignments

•

Modify Protected Settings Exclusions

Related Documents

The document was helpful.

Select Rating

I easily found the information I needed.

Select Rating

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Feedback Terms of Use Privacy Cookie Preference Center