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WMI filtering using GPMC Updated: January 21, 2005 Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2 WMI filtering Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) filters allow you to dynamically determine the scope of Group Policy objects (GPOs) based on attributes of the target computer. When a GPO that is linked to a WMI filter is applied on the target computer, the filter is evaluated on the target computer. If the WMI filter evaluates to false, the GPO is not applied (except if the client computer is running Windows 2000, in which case the filter is ignored and the GPO is always applied). If the WMI filter evaluates to true, the GPO is applied. WMI makes data about a target computer available for administrative use. Such data can include hardware and software inventory, settings, and configuration information. For example, WMI exposes hardware configuration data such as CPU, memory, disk space, and manufactur...

A  hive  is a logical group of keys, subkeys, and values in the registry that has a set of supporting files containing backups of its data. Each time a new user logs on to a computer, a new hive is created for that user with a separate file for the user profile. This is called the  user profile hive . A user's hive contains specific registry information pertaining to the user's application settings, desktop, environment, network connections, and printers. User profile hives are located under the  HKEY_USERS  key. Registry files have the following two formats: standard and latest. The standard format is the only format supported by Windows 2000. It is also supported by later versions of Windows for backward compatibility. The latest format is supported starting with Windows XP. On versions of Windows that support the latest format, the following hives still use the standard format:  HKEY_CURRENT_USER ,  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM , HKEY_LO...

Replication Sequence  

The protocols that are used by Active Directory replication are described in the following table. RPC and SMTP are the replication transport protocols. LDAP is a directory access protocol, and IP is a network wire protocol. Active Directory Access and Replication Protocols   Protocol Description LDAP The primary directory access protocol for Active Directory. Windows Server 2003 family, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server family, and Windows 2000 Professional clients, as well as Windows 98, Windows 95, and Windows NT 4.0 clients that have the Active Directory client components installed, use LDAP v3 to connect to Active Directory. IP Routable protocol that is responsible for the addressing, routing, and fragmenting of packets by the sending node. IP is required for Active Directory replication. Replication RPC The Directory Replication Service (Drsuapi) RPC protocol, used in the enabling of administration and monitor...

Adding Mail Exchange Servers MX records identify mail exchange servers for the domain. These servers are responsible for processing or forwarding mail within the domain. When you create an MX record, you must specify a preference number for the mail server. A preference number is a value from 0 to 65,535 that denotes the mail server's priority within the domain. The mail server with the lowest preference number has the highest priority and is the first to receive mail. If mail delivery fails, the mail server with the next lowest preference number is tried. You create a MX record by doing the following: In the DNS console, expand the Forward Lookup Zones folder for the server you want to work with. Right-click the domain you want to update, and then from the pop-up menu, choose New Mail Exchanger. This opens the dialog box shown in Figure 19-10. You can now create a record for the mail server by filling in these fields: Host Or Domain Enter the optional host name. Mail Server Ente...

The global catalog is a distributed data repository that contains a searchable, partial representation of every object in every domain in a multidomain Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) forest. The global catalog is stored on domain controllers that have been designated as global catalog servers and is distributed through multimaster replication. Searches that are directed to the global catalog are faster because they do not involve referrals to different domain controllers. Note In Windows Server® 2003 and Microsoft Windows® 2000 Server, the directory service is named Active Directory. In Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008, the directory service is named Active Directory Domain Services. The rest of this topic refers to AD DS, but the information is also applicable to Active Directory. In addition to configuration and schema directory partition replicas, every domain controller in a forest stores a full, writable replica of a single domain directory partition...

Overview Active Directory is backed up as part of system state, a collection of system components that depend on each other. You must back up and restore system state components together. Components that comprise the system state on a domain controller include: System Start-up Files (boot files). These are the files required for Windows 2000 Server to start. System registry. Class registration database of Component Services. The Component Object Model (COM) is a binary standard for writing component software in a distributed systems environment. SYSVOL. The system volume provides a default Active Directory location for files that must be shared for common access throughout a domain. The SYSVOL folder on a domain controller contains: NETLOGON shared folders. These usually host user logon scripts and Group Policy objects (GPOs) for non-Windows 2000based network clients. User logon scripts for Windows 2000 Professionalbased clients and clients that are running Windows 95, Windo...