What are the new features and benefits of NetIQ Group Policy Administrator (GPA) version 6.0? (NETIQKB71367)

What are the new features and benefits of NetIQ Group Policy Administrator (GPA) version 6.0?

Why Install This Version?

NetIQ Group Policy Administrator (GPA) is an enterprise-wide, Group Policy change control solution that helps you quickly take advantage of the powerful features Group Policy technology offers. Much more than just a replacement for other tools, GPA helps you easily implement Group Policy technology and easily manage GPOs. This release of GPA offers the following improvements:

Managing ADMX and ADML Files

Sorting on Columns under the Delegation Tab of the GP Repository or the GP Explorer

GPA Uses the Group Policy Management Console Reporting Structure and Data

Setting Block Inheritance Option for Organizational Units

Changing the Link Order for a Group Policy Object

Performing Analysis of Resultant Set of Policies on Block Inheritance and Link Order Settings

New Title for the RSoP Analysis Report

New Title for the Auditing and Diagnostic Report

The Group Policy Results Report Displays Information in a New Format

Simulating WMI filters When Performing an RSoP Analysis

Displaying GPA Reports in Other Languages

Installing a Separate Database on the GPA Console Computer Not Required

Running the GPA Console on Either Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008

Supported Microsoft SQL Server Versions

Installing GPA Components in a Clustered Environment

Support for 64-Bit Platforms

GPA Does Not Connect to Read-Only Domain Controllers

Managing ADMX and ADML Files

GPA allows you to manage ADMX and ADML files in the GP Repository using GPA Console computers running Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1. You can perform the following operations on the GP Repository using the GPA Console:

Add ADMX files

Remove ADMX files

Synchronize ADMX files from the central store

Approve ADMX files

Unapprove ADMX files

Export ADMX files to the central store

To manage ADMX and ADML files, you need to be assigned the necessary roles and permissions. For more information about the necessary roles and permissions, see the Group Policy Administrator User Guide.

 

Sorting on Columns under the Delegation Tab of the GP Repository or the GP Explorer

When you select a GPO in either the GP Repository or the GP Explorer, GPA allows you to sort on the Name, Allowed Permissions, and Inherited columns under the Delegation tab.

 

GPA Uses the Group Policy Management Console Reporting Structure and Data

GPA uses the underlying Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) reporting structure and data to generate the different reports.

 

Setting Block Inheritance Option for Organizational Units

GPA allows you to set the block inheritance option for organizational units (OUs) in the GP Repository using the GPA Console. GPA does not allow you to set the block inheritance option on domains or sites in the GP Repository.

Note GPA also provides a tool to synchronize the block inheritance settings in the GP Repository to match the block inheritance settings in Active Directory. For more information about this tool, see the Group Policy Administrator User Guide.

 

Changing the Link Order for a Group Policy Object

GPA allows you to change the link order of a Group Policy Object (GPO) in the GP Repository using the GPA Console. After you change the link order of GPOs in the GP Repository and export these GPOs to Active Directory, the link order of these exported GPOs in the GP Repository overrides the link order of GPOs in Active Directory. For more information about the export scenarios, see the Group Policy Administrator User Guide.

Note GPA also provides a tool to synchronize the GPO link order in the GP Repository to match the GPO link order in Active Directory. For more information about this tool, see the Group Policy Administrator User Guide.

 

Performing Analysis of Resultant Set of Policies on Block Inheritance and Link Order Settings

If you use the What if the GP Repository version of the GPO is exported to Active Directory? scenario, GPA allows you to perform the Resultant Set of Policies (RSoP) analysis on the block inheritance settings of OUs to which the GP Repository version of GPOs are linked and link order settings of GPOs in OUs or domains.

Notes The RSoP analysis does not consider block inheritance and link order settings of GPOs linked to OUs in trusted and child domains. You can perform an RSoP analysis on the link order settings of site-level GPOs by including the What if this computer is moved to another site? scenario as part of the RSoP analysis.

 

New Title for the RSoP Analysis Report

The RSoP analysis report now displays Group Policy Modeling as the title.

 

New Title for the Diagnostic Report

The Diagnostic report now displays Group Policy Results as the title.

 

The Group Policy Results Report Displays Information in a New Format

The Group Policy Results report displays information in a format that matches the corresponding GPMC report. The information available in the Hierarchy Diagnostics section of the Diagnostic report is now available separately under the Computer Configuration Summary and User Configuration Summary sections of the Group Policy Results report.

 

Simulating WMI filters When Performing an RSoP Analysis

GPA allows you to simulate inclusion of WMI filters when you perform an RSoP analysis.

Note You cannot simulate WMI filters for the What if the GP Repository version of the GPO is exported to Active Directory? scenario when performing an RSoP analysis.

 

Displaying GPA Reports in Other Languages

GPA allows you to display GPA reports in other languages, such as German, Japanese, and Spanish.

 

Installing a Separate Database on the GPA Console Computer Not Required

You no longer have to install a separate database on the GPA Console computer.

 

Running the GPA Console on Either Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008

You can now install and use the GPA Console on a computer running either Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008.

Note Ensure you only run the Autorun or Setup.exe file on a computer running either Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Do not run the GPA.msi file available in the Intel folder of the GPA product installation kit on a computer running either Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008.

 

Supported Microsoft SQL Server Versions

You can now install default or named instances of the following Microsoft SQL Server Versions on the GP Repository computer:

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard or Enterprise Edition

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2

Note GPA no longer supports Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

 

Installing GPA Components in a Clustered Environment

You can install the GP Repository on a cluster server and the GPA Console on cluster nodes.

Note Currently, you cannot install the GPA Server on a cluster server.

 

Support for 64-Bit Platforms

In addition to 32-bit platforms, GPA now supports 64-bit platforms, ensuring you can run GPA in any Windows environment.

Note You cannot install the GPA Console on Itanium-based 64-bit platforms.

 

GPA Does Not Connect to Read-Only Domain Controllers

GPA does not allow you to connect to read-only domain controllers. You can only connect to domain controllers that are writable.

Formerly known as NETIQKB71367