Group Policy Basics
Learn how to use Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to enforce security policies and configure settings across a Windows Server domain.
Group Policy Basics in Windows Server 2022
Group Policy Objects (GPOs) allow administrators to manage configuration and security settings across thousands of computers in a domain simultaneously. Instead of configuring each machine individually, you link a GPO to an Organizational Unit (OU), and all users and computers within that OU receive the settings.
Creating and Linking a GPO
You can manage Group Policies using the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) or PowerShell. However, note that while PowerShell is great for managing the GPO container and linking, the actual configuration of specific policies is still largely done via the GPMC GUI.
Editing a GPO
To actually configure the settings inside the GPO, the Group Policy Management Editor must be used.
Viewing Group Policy Status
You can query existing GPOs and view reports on their settings.