Creating New Groups

Hopefully before you start creating groups, you’ve spent some time planning how you’re going to implement them and followed the strategy of AGDLP. After you’ve finished planning, you’re ready to begin creating them. With the exception of local groups, all other groups can be created and managed using the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.

To create a group, right click an OU, point to New, and select Group. The New Object - Group window appears.

Under the Group name field, type in a descriptive name for the group. Notice again that the pre-Windows 2000 group name is automatically generated. The Group Scope section let’s you choose the type of group you want to create. Remember if the Universal option is unavailable, you need to raise domain mode to either Windows 2000 native mode or Windows Server 2003. The Group Type section allows you to configure the group as a security or distribution group. Once you’ve made all your selections, click OK and you’ll have a new group.

Keep in mind that groups can also be created and managed from the command line using the DSADD GROUP and DSMOD GROUP commands.

The following steps outline the exact process for creating a new group in Windows Server 2003 using Active Directory Users and Computers.

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and click Active Directory Users and Computers.
2. Expand your domain listed in the right pane of the snap-in, right click the organizational unit in which you want to create the group, point to New and click Group.
3. From the New Object - Group window type in the group name. The pre-Windows 2000 name is automatically generated.
4. Select the Group scope and Group type.
5. Click OK.

Like user accounts, group accounts can be configured using their properties sheet. The Property tabs available are described below.

• General: Change the group name, description, and email address of the group. From here you can also change the scope of the group and the group type.
• Members: Allows you to create the member list for the group.
• Member Of: Use this tab to add the group to another group, keeping in mind of course the limitations and rules associated with group nesting. The Member of field lists the universal groups and groups within the local domain that it is a member of.