Using Active Directory Group Policy Objects on Microsoft Windows Server

This section applies to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 or later.

The Active Directory Group Policy allows you to remotely set the configuration for a group of computers or users.

The ActivClient Administrative Template files are installed with the Configuration Management component during ActivClient setup. They are then copied to the standard C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\ folder.

The files are also provided on the ActivClient distribution, in the Admin\Configuration folder.

You can define the values of the ActivClient policies with the Active Directory Group Policy Editor. You can then push the values to all ActivClient users in the domain.

The following ActivClient Administrative Template files are provided:

HIDGlobal.admx (and HIDGlobal.adml) that configures the root node under Administrative template under which all HIDGlobal settings are configured.
HIDGlobal.ActivClient.admx (and HIDGlobal.ActivClient.adml) that contains all settings related to ActivClient. This node is defined under HIDGlobal.
HIDGlobal.Logging.admx (and HIDGlobal.Logging.adml) that contains general logging settings defined as true policies. This node is defined under HIDGlobal.
HIDGlobal.AdvancedDiagnostics.admx (and HIDGlobal.AdvancedDiagnostics.adml) that contains settings related to the Advanced Diagnostics tool. This node is defined under HIDGlobal.

The policy deployed using the Active Directory Group Policy Object (GPO) overwrites the values configured locally.

You can also customize the setup to install the modified policy settings at installation. For further information, see Customizing the ActivID ActivClient Setup.

Setting a GPO with default permissions causes the application to deploy for every user or computer within the domain.

To deploy ActivClient policies you must first load ActivClient policies as a new Administrative Template. Then you need to make sure that only specified users receive the application.

Note:

You must have domain administration access rights to deploy the Group Policy.
The ActivClient Administrative template defines only ActivClient policies. It does not provide configuration values.
You can define custom configuration values with the Active Directory Group Policy Editor.
The Active Directory Group Policy Editor is an administrative tool of the Microsoft Windows Server.

Add the ActivClient Administrative Template and Create the Group Policy

If you did not install the ActivClient Configuration Management component on the machine, you must copy the template files from the distribution:

Locate the ActivClient .admx template files in the \Admin\Configuration folder on your ActivClient distribution and copy them to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.

· Locate the ActivClient .adml template files in the \Admin\Configuration\EN-US folder on your ActivClient distribution and copy them to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US.

From the Start menu, go to Administrative Tools, and then select Group Policy Management.
In the console tree, right-click the domain or Organizational Unit that you want to configure, then select Create a GPO in this domain....

Create a Group Policy Object (GPO) called, for example, ActivClient, and click OK.

Configure the Policy Settings

To modify the policy settings, right-click on the group policy you just created and select Edit.

The Group Policy Management Editor opens.

In the console tree, go to Computer Configuration, Policies, and then Administrative Templates: Policy definitions.

Expand the HID Global directory to display the available ActivClient settings.

Double-click on a policy setting (for example, Static logon banner) to display the properties.

For settings that do not require a specific value (such as timeouts), you can set the status with the following options:

Code	Level of Protection
Not Configured	When the status is Not Configured and you click Apply, the setting is disabled and any previous values are cleared from the policy. New values are required when the setting is Enabled.
Enabled	When the status is Enabled and you click Apply, the values you enter are stored in the policy. If the default value is used, the policy is empty.
Disabled	When the status is Disabled and you click Apply, the setting is disabled. Any values remain in the policy and are used when the setting is Enabled.

Code

Level of Protection

Not Configured

When the status is Not Configured and you click Apply, the setting is disabled and any previous values are cleared from the policy.

New values are required when the setting is Enabled.

Enabled

When the status is Enabled and you click Apply, the values you enter are stored in the policy.

If the default value is used, the policy is empty.

Disabled

When the status is Disabled and you click Apply, the setting is disabled. Any values remain in the policy and are used when the setting is Enabled.

Note: The Enabled behavior is the opposite of the default behavior (that is, Not Configured).

To apply the policy to specific users or group of users, return to the Group Policy Management console and double-click your group policy (in this example, ActivClient).

In the Security Filtering section, add the users and/or groups to which you want to apply this policy.

Customizing ActivClient Using the Microsoft Windows Local Computer Policy Editor

If your workstations are not managed centrally, you can customize ActivClient policies via the Windows Local Computer Policy editor.