Use Group Policy to manage the network in Windows Vista

Group Policy was introduced in Windows 2000 Server and it is a component that brings significant benefits to administrators. Group Policy is upgraded and extended in Windows Server 2003, but there is not much improvement for the actual settings that Group Policy should have to manage network connectivity.

This problem has been changed in Windows Vista. With Windows Vista, administrators can use familiar tools to manage everything from LAN settings to network security models, wireless connectivity and quality of service. All of this can be done through the familiar Group Policy administration tool like the Group Policy Management Console. This article will look at some of Group Policy's new capabilities in Windows Vista - and some cases associated with Longhorn Server - to manage network communications and capabilities.

Access points

One of the most desirable new elements in Group Policy is:

Wired LAN settings : You can through Group Policy to configure standard 802.1x wired connections.

Security mode : Wireless clients, with various security and operational capabilities in other security methods, can connect all to an access point configured with a service identifier. Single (SSID) - reduce administrative burden and keep connection simple.

Scalability and development : New Group Policy supports specific attributes, such as other types of Extensible Authentication Protocol, meaning that heterogeneous hardware types will quickly be available. Unified security configuration.

Control on allowed SSID lists : Through Group Policy, you can, as an administrator, set up a list of wireless access points (more specifically, SSIDs) for Vista clients to access. Access or list the list of client SSIDs that are denied connections.

Quality of Service (QoS)

Support for QoS in Windows Vista and Longhorn Server has been improved and these two operating systems are intended to work better together at any time to ensure stable bandwidth for applications. legal use, while minimizing the impact of unrelated applications and traffic - but needing multiple bands.

QoS has been supported by a number of network hardware devices such as switches and routers. When Longhorn Server and Windows Vista are used together, they will allow administrators to use Group Policy to set realistic thresholds and policies to increase, prioritize or manage traffic levels based on the application being sent. , source or destination IP addresses, protocols used or UDP or TCP / IP source and destination ports.

Network access protection

What is network access protection (NAP)? Viruses and malware are sometimes blocked by the protection of workstation level deployments, but to be more careful than the most reliable and easiest way to prevent the explosion of these malicious components is to prevent malware immediately. since they first accessed the network - so the threat cannot spread.

In Longhorn Server (and Windows Vista) Microsoft has created a platform whereby computers are checked against a base set for administrators through Group Policy. If your computer cannot have standards and is satisfied with that facility, the computer can be quarantined, protected when accessing the network until the user fixes this computer.

NAP may not perform well in some key functions such as safety policy validity, rules and access restrictions. The validity is that the computer tries to connect to the network that is being tested and based on some safety standard set by an administrator.

Mandatory policies can be set up to manage faulty computers, valid processes can be automatically upgraded or fixed through Systems Management Server or some other management software.

Access restrictions can be a technique that is enforced for NAP, which can also be set up via Group Policy. In operation mode, computers that validate validation are placed into a restricted access area on the network, typically blocking all limited traffic and network access for secure servers that have The tools needed to fix the machine have failed.

Windows Firewall with advanced security

Windows Firewall with advanced security allows you to manage anytime with Group Policy. In addition, its useful features are retained, so you have more practical and manageable rules that define clear security needs such as authentication and encryption. easy way.

Settings can be configured on each AD computer or basic user group. Profile support is also improved on each computer. There is currently a profile when a computer connects to the domain, a profile for private network connections and a profile for a public network connection as a wireless access point. Policies can be imported and exported with ease, implementing firewall configuration management of many solid and simple computers.