Importance Of Windows Server 2003 Group Policies Part I

Change control and distributed security are two issues that affect not only large organizations but also small ones. In some respects, they can be even more important in a small organization than in a larger one. If you allow a key employee to change settings at will, the result could be a toasted system when it’s needed most. In a larger organization, the chances are better that you have a backup system on hand or an administrator readily available to save the day. In a small organization, it’s likely that neither is the case.

Group policies in Windows Server 2003 facilitate and provide a means for managing both change control and distributed security. They enable you, as a system administrator, to enforce restrictions that can prevent system changes and the resulting chaos that could follow.

Change control and security
Before you start learning about group policies, you first need to understand why they are important and what they provide your organization. As mentioned, group policies target two primary, intertwined issues: change control and security. Change control refers to the ability to control changes to the operating system — whether major or minor — that can have an impact on system stability, functionality, and security. For example, group policies enable you to extend change control over the following:

• Hardware configuration
• Client environment configuration (desktop settings and working environment, logon settings, and so on)
• Operating system options (optional applications and features)
• Applications
• Security settings and policies
• Connectivity and access to network resources

All of these items hold consequences for both workstations and servers — change control is not an issue just for servers. In fact, properly maintained and secured severs can be less susceptible to change given that they are often secured behind locked doors. Because they are not isolated from the network, however, servers are just as vulnerable through the network.