This study guide is provided as part of the Windows Server 2012 "Early Experts" Challenge and steps through the resources that I personally used when preparing for the following exam objectives on Exam 70-410, Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012:

• Create and Manage Group Policy
• Create and Manage Group Policy Objects ( GPOs )
• Configure Security Policies
• Configure Application Restriction Policies
• Configure Windows Firewall

What is the Windows Server 2012 "Early Experts" Challenge?

The Windows Server 2012 "Early Experts" Challenge is a FREE online peer study group that is leveraging a set of study resources, such as this study guide, to prepare for the MCSA on Windows Server 2012 certification exams as an IT Pro community.  This study guide and the "Early Experts" Challenge are intended as post-training resources for IT Pros with significant prior experience in previous versions of Windows Server and/or IT Pros that have completed formal training on Windows Server 2012 and are preparing for certification.  Formal instructor-led training on these exam objectives is available from local Microsoft Learning partners that are delivering the following Microsoft Official Course:

• 20410A: Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 (5 Days)

Completion of this study guide satisfies one portion of the "Early Experts" Explorer Quest study requirements.  Learn more about the "Early Experts" Challenge peer study group and join us online at: http://earlyexperts.net.

Study: What’s New in Group Policy in Windows Server 2012

Review these study materials to learn about the new and updated capabilities of Group Policy in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8.

• What’s New in Group Policy in Windows Server 2012
• Group Policy Setting Reference for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
• Group Policy Cmdlets in Windows PowerShell 3.0

Watch: Getting the Most Out of the Power of Group Policy

Study: Planning and Deploying Group Policy

Review these targeted study materials for each exam objective and task to evaluate your exam preparedness and learn the skills needed in this area of the exam.  Note that these study materials are consistent between Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012.  If you have already mastered these topics in Windows Server 2008 R2, feel free to skip to the next section of study materials.

• Planning and Deploying Group Policy
• Deploying and Managing OS and Application Settings with Group Policy Preferences
• Planning and Deploying AppLocker via Active Directory Group Policy
• Step-by-Step Guide: Deploying Windows Firewall via Active Directory Group Policy

Do It: Using the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)

Follow these steps to practice step-by-step tasks in the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) for defining and managing Active Directory Group Policies:

NOTE: These steps require that you have previously completed the lab exercises associated with Installing Active Directory Domain Services in the “Early Experts” Installer Quest.

• Install the Group Policy Management feature
1. Launch Server Manager by clicking on the left-most button on Taskbar located at the bottom of the Desktop
2. From the global (top) navigation area in the Server Manager console window, select Manage –> Add Roles and Features
3. In the Add Roles and Features Wizard, click the Next button on the Before You Begin page.
4. On the Select Installation Type page, select the Role-based or feature-based installation radio button and click the Next button.
5. On the Select Destination Server page, select your local server and click the Next button.
6. On the Select Server Roles page, click the Next button.
7. On the Select Features page, select the Group Policy Management checkbox and click the Next button.
8. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, click the Install button.
    
• Launch the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)
1. From the global (top) navigation area in the Server Manager console window, select Tools –> Group Policy Management
    
• Define and Manage Group Policies using the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)
1. Step through each of the common administrative tasks for defining and managing Group Policy in the GPMC by leveraging the Group Policy Management How-To document.

Watch: Best Practices for Designing Group Policy for Performance and Security

Study: Group Policy Troubleshooting and Tools

Review these study materials to learn about the tools and procedures for troubleshooting Group Policy in Windows Server 2012.

• Group Policy Analysis and Troubleshooting
• Group Policy Update Utility (GPUPDATE)
• Group Policy Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) Utility (GPRESULT)
• Group Policy Domain Fixup Utility (GPFIXUP)

Watch: Group Policy Reporting and Analysis with Windows PowerShell

Watch: Total Desktop Lockdown with Active Directory Group Policy

Do It: Apply Active Directory Group Policy

Using the steps outlined in the linked documents below, apply Active Directory Group Policies to centrally configure settings for computers in your domain.

NOTE: These steps require that you have previously completed the lab exercises associated with Installing Active Directory Domain Services in the “Early Experts” Installer Quest.

• Configuring Firewall Port Requirements for Group Policy
   
• Configure an Internet Explorer 10 Item via Group Policy
   
• Select at least 3 new Group Policy Settings from the Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 and apply these settings as part of a new Group Policy Object named Windows 8 Policy by using these steps:
   
1. Create and Link the new Windows 8 Policy Group Policy Object to your domain
    
2. Edit the Windows 8 Policy to including the settings you’ve selected
    
3. Create an Active Directory security group named Windows 8 Computers and Filter the new Windows 8 Policy to this group only.
    
4. Simulate a Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) using Group Policy Modeling.  Review the Details tab of the resulting report.
    
5. Export all Group Policy Objects to a CSV text file by launching PowerShell 3.0 as Administrator and running the following command line:
    
   Get-GPO -All | Export-Csv -Path C:\GPOReport.csv
    
6. Open C:\GPOReport.csv with Notepad and review the results.

What's Next?

After you've completing this study guide, complete the other study guides in the Windows Server 2012 "Early Experts" Explorer Quest to receive your personalized "Early Experts – Explorer" completion certification, suitable for framing and sharing online!

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HTH,

Keith