Configuring Computer and User Settings

Group policies allow you to specify a variety of configuration options and apply those settings to specific groups of computers and users through Active Directory. In a standard Windows environment, these configuration options control many aspects of computer operation and the user experience, including the user’s desktop environment, operations performed during startup and shutdown, local security enforcement, user- and computer-based settings in the local Windows registry, and software installation and maintenance services.

The configuration options available and the settings you make for those options are defined in a Group Policy Object (GPO) linked to an Active Directory object. Each Group Policy Object can consist of configuration information that applies to computers, configuration information that applies to users, or sections of policy specifically devoted to each.

Every Group Policy Object includes a default set of Administrative Templates and Software and Windows Settings that are created automatically as part of the Group Policy Object. Delinea provides additional templates to manage the Linux, UNIX, and Mac OS X computers. See Adding Delinea Policies from XML Files to learn how to add the Delinea templates to a group policy object.

There are two default Group Policy Objects available when you install or promote a server to be a Windows domain controller:

• Default Domain Controllers Policy
• Default Domain Policy

Your organization may have additional Group Policy Objects customized to suit your environment.