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Chapter 6: Group Policy and IntelliMirror

machines. Additionally, I would avoid automatically deploying service packs on your

domain controllers. These machines are sensitive beasts that hold the keys to your

Active Directory—manually install service packs on these machines one by one and

test them to make sure there are no ill effects.

It also makes sense in environments where you have multiple file serv-

ers to use Dfs as a method to store software installation points. Not

only do you get fault tolerance through the use of Dfs, but also you

can change the location of software installation points through Dfs

without needing to change the configuration of the GPO.

Dfs is covered in detail in Chapter 3.

IntelliMirror: Folder Redirection

You can use the folder redirection functionality of GP to change the target location of

many folders within a particular user’s Windows interface. For example, you can

specify custom locations for the Application Data, Desktop, My Documents (includ-

ing the My Pictures subfolder), and Start Menu folders. Using folder redirection cir-

cumvents the nasty problem of roaming profiles: severe network traffic hikes caused

by copying large My Documents and Desktop folders to workstations around the

network when users log on. You also can back up the share where the folders are

redirected using a normal network backup procedure, automatically protecting the

contents.

To access the folder redirection functionality, launch the Group Policy Object Editor

for a particular GPO and navigate through User Configuration, Windows Settings,

and Folder Redirection. In the righthand pane you’ll see the four folders you can

redirect. Right-click each folder to bring up the Properties window. Figure 6-35

shows this screen.

On the Target tab, you can choose the type of redirection for this policy. For this

example, choose the basic method, which simply redirects all users’ folders to the

same location. Next, enter the target folder at the bottom of the screen under Root

Path, and select the option to create a new folder for each user underneath the root

path. Then, move to the Settings tab, and choose the following settings.

Grant the user exclusive rights to My Documents

If this setting is enabled, the user to whom the folder belongs and the local com-

puter have administrative and exclusive rights to the folder, to the exclusion of

all other objects. If this setting is disabled, the current permissions on the folder

are kept.

Move the contents of My Documents to the new location

If this setting is enabled, everything in the current My Documents folder will be

moved to the new, redirected location. If this option is disabled, nothing will be

moved and the new My Documents folder will be empty.

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Policy removal

You can adjust the Windows default setting, which is to leave the folder in the

redirected location if the redirection policy itself is removed. You also can

choose to move the folder back to its initial location.

My Pictures preferences

The default action for the My Pictures

subfolder is to follow the My Documents folder to wherever it resides.

Redirecting folders based on group membership

If you want to redirect some profile folders to different locations based on the differ-

ent groups to which a user belongs, you can use the Advanced method of redirection

inside the redirect policy properties page, on the Target tab. When you select

Advanced from the drop-down setting box indicating the type of redirection, click

the Add button. The Specify Group and Location box will appear, as shown in

Figure 6-36.

Figure 6-35. The folder redirection interface