Windows Server 2008: What's New / What's Changed Part #5 of 12: Chapter 4 - Group Policy
This snippet from Chapter 4 of my new book Windows Server 2008: What's New / What's Changed is brought to you by SAPIEN Press. Get your copy at http://www.sapienpress.com/Windows_Server_08.asp.
Starter GPOs
One feature that's completely new to Server 2008 is the concept of Starter GPOs. When I'm out consulting with other organizations and see that no Group Policies are in use anywhere in the domain, often the biggest reason is that administrators, "just don't know where to start."
With Starter GPOs, Microsoft provides the administrator that starting point for some of the common functions typically desired by administrators. To use them, the Starter GPOs folder must first be created in the domain. Do this by opening a Server 2008 GPMC and click on the Starter GPOs node. A button will appear with the text stating The Starter GPOs folder does not currently exist in this domain. Click on the button below to create this folder.
More after the fold...
Click on the button and you'll be able to add in new Starter GPO cabinet (CAB) files into the folder. These CAB files include a set of recommended Group Policy templates and settings for configuring and locking down your workstations and servers. Microsoft also intends to ship scenario-based templates for specific environment types.
What's particularly exciting about Starter GPOs is the ability to create and share them as CAB files. Anyone can create custom templates as Starter GPOs and use the interface to encapsulate them into CAB files for sharing. This means that after you spend the hours coding just the right template for controlling settings for your favorite piece of software, that template can be easily shared with others.
(Want to read all the posts in this series? Click here.)
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