This Global Knowledge Enhanced course - currently the only offering in the market devoted to Group Policy training - teaches you how to reduce costs and increase efficiencies in your network.

Discover how to consolidate the administration of an enterprise IT infrastructure with Group Policy. In this course, you will learn to control and manage computer systems and domain users running Windows Server 2003, Server 2008, XP, and Vista. You will learn to create Group Policies, implement administrative and security templates, and determine best practices when deploying software packages. Walk away with the experience and tools needed to optimize your enterprise systems and networks.

What You'll Learn

Design and deploy security policies for all your Windows 2008/2008 servers, workstations, member servers, XP, and Vista clients
Delegate Administrative Control of Group Policies
Back up and restore Group Policy Objects (GPOs) through Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)
Easily roll out selected software updates and operating system patches from your network environment
Tips for troubleshooting Group Policy

Course Outline

1. Introduction to Group Policy

Group Policy and Active Directory
Review of Active Directory
Overview of Group Policy

2. Group Policy Management Tools

Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)
Installing the GPMC
Advanced GPMC Features
Migration Tables
Integration of RSoP Functionality
WMI Filters

3. Designing a Group Policy Infrastructure

Implementing Group Policy
Planning Your Group Policy Design
Designing Your Group Policy Solution
Deploying Your Group Policy
Managing Your Group Policy Solution

4. Troubleshooting Group Policy

Group Policy Infrastructure
Group Policy Deployment Order
Group Policy Troubleshooting Tools

5. Deploying Legacy Security Templates

Security Architecture
The SECEDIT Database
Hardening Computer Accounts

6. Implementing Security Using Group Policy

Getting Started with Security Configuration
Domain Security
Controlling Services with Group Policy
Enforcing an Audit Policy
Restricting Security Group Membership
Using Scripts

7. Configuring the Desktop Environment

Scripts for Clients
Desktop, Start Menu, and Taskbar Control
Control Panel Control
Windows Components
User Profiles
Folder Redirection
Printer Management and Pruning
Computer Network Settings

8. Assigning and Publishing Software Packages

MSI Packages
Group Policy as a Software Deployment Method
Software Deployment
Setting Up Distribution Points
Systems Management Server

9. Software Restriction Policies

What is a Software Restriction Policy?
How to Create a Software Restriction Policy
Additional Rules to Identify Software
What Makes an Effective Software Restriction Policy

10. Creating and Deploying Legacy Administrative Templates

Overview of ADM Templates
Standard ADM Templates
Registry Structure Used by ADM Templates
ADM Template Syntax
Custom ADM Templates

11. New Group Policy Features for Windows Vista and Server 2008

Group Policy in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008
Group Policy Editor Enhancements
Changes to Group Policy Processing
New GPO Settings

12. Managing Group Policy

Overview of Group Policy Preferences
Comparing Preferences and Policy Settings
Configuring Preference Settings
Group Policy Preferences: Advanced Configuration

Labs

Lab 1: Introduction to Group Policy

Examining Hardware Components
Exploring and Configuring the Host Operating System
Installing Lab Files and Starting Virtual Machines
Starting the Virtual Machines
Preparing the Active Directory Schema for Vista and Server 2008 Support

Lab 2: Group Policy Management Tools

Renaming and Joining Client Machines to the Domain
Installing the OS Specific GP Controls on Clients
Installing and Displaying RSAT on Vista
Server 2008 Group Policy Management Console Features
Using Command-Line and Graphical Interfaces to Back Up and Restore Group Policy Objects

Lab 3: Designing a Group Policy Infrastructure

Exploring and Configuring Delegation Using the GPMC
Installing and Configuring the AGPM

Lab 4: Troubleshooting Group Policy

Analyzing Users Using Group Policy Modeling
Analyzing Users Using Group Policy Results
Running Gpresult.exe to Analyze the Group Policy Assignments
Checking Version Number Using Scripts
Utilizing Tools to Locate the PDC Emulator
Following GPO Processing Event in the Event Viewer Console

Lab 5: Deploying Legacy Security Templates

Using the Security Configuration and Analysis Console
Creating Custom Templates with the Security Template Console
Enforcing a Custom Template Using the Secedit.exe Command-Line Tool

Lab 6: Implementing Security Using Group Policy

Installing the Microsoft GPOAccelerator
Installing the Prescriptive Recommendations for Vista and XP Clients
Deploying the Security Configuration Wizard to Create, Edit, Apply, and Roll Back a Security Policy
Configuring Enterprise Auditing through Group Policy Deployment

Lab 7: Configuring the Desktop Environment

Creating a Wireless Network Policy for Windows Vista Clients
Creating and Assigning a GPO to Prevent the Installation of Removable Devices
Sharing and Securing a Folder for the Gk.local User's Redirection
Redirecting the Documents Folder for the hq.local Users
Creating and Assigning a GPO to Encrypt Offline Files
Writing and Deploying a Visual Basic Script for Log on

Lab 8: Assigning and Publishing Software Packages

Preparing for Distribution
Creating a Custom Software Package
Deploying a Third-Party Package

Lab 9: Software Restriction Policies

Software Restriction Policies and the Path Rule
Software Restriction Policies and the Hash Rule

Lab 10: Creating and Deploying Legacy ADM Templates

Building an ADM Template

Lab 11: New Group Policy Features for Windows Vista and Server 2008

Installing the ADMX Migrator
Migrating an .ADM to .ADMX/.ADML Format
Creating the ADMX Central Store and Populating the Files
Deploying the Policy Filtering on the Group Policy Console
Creating and Deploying a Starter Group Policy Console
Creating and Deploying Multiple Local Group Policy Objects

Lab 12: Managing Group Policy Preferences

Updating Clients to Support Group Policy Preferences
Creating and Deploying Group Policy Preferences
Migrating an .ADM to .ADMX/.ADML Format
Deploying Item-Level Targeting through Group Policy Preferences
Testing the Group Policy Preferences Assignments

Classroom Dates and Locations

Date	Location Details
Mar 2 - 5, 2010	Chicago (Schaumburg), IL	Register
Mar 9 - 12, 2010	Raleigh, NC	Register
Mar 16 - 19, 2010	Atlanta, GA	Register
Mar 23 - 26, 2010	Morristown, NJ	Register
Mar 30 - Apr 2, 2010	Dallas, TX	Register
Apr 6 - 9, 2010	New York, NY	Register
Apr 20 - 23, 2010	Washington, DC	Register
Apr 27 - 30, 2010	San Jose, CA	Register
May 4 - 7, 2010	Chicago (Schaumburg), IL	Register
May 11 - 14, 2010	Houston, TX	Register
Jun 1 - 4, 2010	Raleigh, NC	Register
Jun 15 - 18, 2010	San Jose, CA	Register
Jun 22 - 25, 2010	Dallas, TX	Register
Jun 29 - Jul 2, 2010	Washington, DC	Register
Jul 6 - 9, 2010	Atlanta, GA	Register
Jul 13 - 16, 2010	New York, NY	Register
Jul 20 - 23, 2010	Morristown, NJ	Register
Jul 27 - 30, 2010	Chicago (Schaumburg), IL	Register
Sep 7 - 10, 2010	Washington, DC	Register
Sep 7 - 10, 2010	San Jose, CA	Register
Sep 14 - 17, 2010	Raleigh, NC	Register
Sep 21 - 24, 2010	Dallas, TX	Register
Sep 28 - Oct 1, 2010	Chicago (Schaumburg), IL	Register