"I sometimes feel like a used car salesman when I start espousing the virtues of Group Policy, but I really can't help it; it's such a useful and complex tool that there seems to be very little that you can't do with it. (Okay, making au gratin potatoes might be a bit beyond its reach, but give the Redmond developers some time and I'm sure they'll figure it out.) Although it may sound overzealous of me to say, Group Policy might be one of the most useful tools that you can use as an Active Directory administrator. Group Policy integrates directly into Active Directory and allows you to manage and configure your servers and workstations from one single point. You can use Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to control almost every aspect of your computing environment, from creating a consistent desktop configuration, to securing your systems, to deploying and managing software across anything from a home office to a large enterprise."

--Laura E. Hunter

Learn all about deploying Group Policy in Active Directory in this series of book excerpts from Chapter 4, 'Deploying Group Policy,' from "Active Directory Field Guide," written by Laura E. Hunter, courtesy of APress.

Introduction

This chapter covers some of the more useful features of Group Policy, including how to use the Group Policy Management Console, implementing Software Restriction Policies, and backing up, restoring and migrating GPOs. It also features some advanced tips and tricks for more experienced users.

Chapter 4 excerpts: 'Deploying Group Policy'

Group Policy Management Console

Who gets what? Deploying Group Policy

Controlling the desktop

Securing Client Operating Systems

Configuring software deployment

Using advanced techniques