Windows .NET Server Reduces Fear of Group Policy

Companies looking to reduce the cost of maintaining large numbers of computers should evaluate Windows .NET Server 2003’s improvements to Group Policy, a feature for centrally maintaining standard computer configurations. Administrators have been reluctant to use Group Policy because it requires Active Directory, and it is difficult to understand and troubleshoot. Windows .NET Server 2003 addresses some of these fears by making Group Policy simpler to understand and easier to debug. However, few applications use Group Policy for their configuration and management, so Group Policy remains primarily a solution for Windows configuration, rather than a total computer management solution.

Architecturally, Group Policy has not changed significantly; the main improvements in Windows .NET Server make it easier to interpret the process of how policy is applied to users and computers for planning and monitoring, and increase the granularity of control for administrators setting policy. Microsoft will also provide a single, centralized tool to manage Group Policy, the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC), which it promises will be available shortly after the general availability of Windows .NET Server in 2003.