System and method for implementing group policy

Abstract

A method and system for implementing policy by accumulating policies for a policy recipient from policy objects associated with a hierarchically organized structure of containers, such as directory containers (sites, domains and organizational units) that includes the policy recipient. Based on administrator input, policy settings for the policy recipient may be accumulated into a specific order by inheriting policy from higher containers, which may enforce their policy settings over those of lower containers. Policy that is not enforced may be blocked at a container. The result is an accumulated set of group policy objects that are ordered by relative strength to resolve any policy conflicts. Policy may be applied to a policy recipient by calling extensions, such as an extension that layers the policy settings into the registry or an extension that uses policy information from the objects according to the ordering thereof. Linking of group policy objects to one or more containers (e.g., sites, domains and organizational units) is provided, as is exception management. The effects of group policy may be filtered based on users' or computers' membership in security groups.

Description

[0001] The present application is a continuation of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 254,155, filed Sep. 24, 2002, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 268,455, filed Mar. 16, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,932, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 134,805 entitled “System and Method for Implementing Group Policy,” filed on Aug. 14, 1998, now abandoned; all of the related applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates generally to computer systems and networks, and more particularly to an improved method and system for implementing policy for users and computers. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Lost productivity at employees' computer desktops is a major cost for corporations, often resulting from user errors such as modifying system configuration files in ways that render the computer unworkable. Productivity is also lost when a compu...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Lost productivity at employees' computer desktops is a major cost for corporations, often resulting from user errors such as modifying system configuration files in ways that render the computer unworkable.

Productivity is also lost when a computer desktop is too complex, such as when the desktop has too many non-essential applications and features thereon.

At the same time, much of the expense of administering distributed personal computer networks is spent at the desktop, performing tasks such as fixing the settings that the user has incorrectly or inadvertently modified.

However, there are a number of drawbacks present with existing policy systems.

One such drawback is that the policies are essentially static, whereby a user can change the settings and simply avoid the policy.

It is cost prohibitive to have an administrator or the like go from machine to machine to check the settings on a regular basis.

However such mandatory profiles are too inflexible, in that essentially all settings made by an individual user are lost whenever the user logs off.

For example, with mandatory profiles, customizations to a desktop, such as window placement, adding words to a user's spell checker and the like, which most enterprises would consider permissible and even desirable because they tend to increase an employee's efficiency, are lost when the user logs off.

Another significant drawback results from relying on a security group membership to determine the settings, particularly in that one group (the first group found for a user) determines that user's settings.

Present policy-determination systems, such as those basing policy on the domain plus membership in a security group, essentially follow a flat model, which does not fit well with a typical enterprise having a hierarchical organizational structure.

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