70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing
a Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Environment
Chapter 4:
Implementing and
Managing Group and
Computer Accounts
Objectives
• Understand the purpose of using group accounts to
simplify administration
• Create group objects using both graphical and
command-line tools
• Manage security groups and distribution groups
• Explain the purpose of the built-in groups created
when Active Directory is installed
• Create and manage computer accounts
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Introduction to Group
Accounts
• A group is a container object
• Used to organize collections of users, computers,
contacts, other groups
• Used to simplify administration
• Similar to Organizational Units except
• OUs are not security principals, groups are
• OUs can only contain objects from their parent domain,
groups can contain objects from within forest
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Group Types
• Security groups
• Defined by Security Identifier (SID)
• Can be assigned permissions for resources
• In discretionary access control lists (DACLs)
• Can be assigned rights to perform different tasks
• Can also be used as e-mail entities
• Distribution groups
• Primarily used as e-mail entities
• Do not have associated SID
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Group Scopes
• Scope refers to logical boundary of permissions to
specific resources
• Both Security and Distribution Groups have
scopes
• Three scopes
• Objects possible within each scope dependent on
configured functional level of a domain
• Scope types are global, domain local, and universal
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Group Scopes (continued)
• Three domain functional levels:
• Windows 2000 mixed: default configuration, supports a
combination of Windows NT Server 4.0, 2000 Server,
and Server 2003 domain controllers
• Windows 2000 native: supports a combination of
Windows 2000 Server and Server 2003 domain
controllers
• Windows Server 2003: supports Windows Server 2003
domain controllers only
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Global Groups
• Organize groups of users, computers, groups
within the same domain
• Usually represents a geographic location or job
function group
• Types of objects in group related to configured
functional level of the domain
• Depends on the types of domain controllers in
environment
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Domain Local Groups
• Created on domain controllers
• Can be assigned rights and permissions to any
resource within the same domain
• Can contain groups from other domains
• Specific objects allowed in group related to
configured functional level of the domain
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Universal Groups
• Typically created to aggregate users or groups in
different domains
• Stored on domain controllers configured as global
catalog servers
• Can be assigned rights and permissions for any
resource within a forest
• Can only be created at the Windows 2000 native
or Windows Server 2003 domain functional level
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Universal Groups (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Creating Group Objects
• Group objects are stored in Active Directory
database
• Variety of tools can be used can be used for
creation and management
• Active Directory Users and Computers
• Command-line utilities
• DSADD, DSMOD, DSQUERY, etc.
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Active Directory Users and
Computers
• Primary tool
• To create group accounts
• Can also be used to configure properties of group
accounts
• Groups can be created in any built-in containers,
at root of the domain object, or in custom OU
objects
• Possible group scopes determined by the
functional level the domain is configured to
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Active Directory Users and
Computers (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-1: Creating and
Adding Members to Global
Groups
• Objective: Use Active Directory Users and
Computers to create global groups
• Start  Administrative Tools  Active Directory
Users and Computers  Users container  New
 Group
• Follow directions to create several global groups
and add user accounts to the groups
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-1 (continued)
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-2: Creating and
Adding Members to Domain
Local Groups
• Objective: Use Active Directory Users and
Computers to create domain local groups
• Active Directory  Users  New  Group
• Follow directions to create new Domain Local
groups and add global groups to them
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
16
Activity 4-3: Changing the
Functional Level of a Domain and
Creating and Adding Members to
Universal Groups
• Objective: Change the functional level of a
domain to Windows Server 2003 and use Active
Directory Users and Computers to create universal
groups
• Open your domain object in Active Directory
Users and Computers
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-3 (continued)
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-3 (continued)
• Follow directions to raise the functional level of
your domain to Windows Server 2003
• Continue the exercise to create a new universal
group
• Continue the exercise to add existing groups to the
new group
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-3 (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Converting Group Types
• May need to change a security group to a
distribution group or vice versa
• Type of group can only be changed if domain
functional level is Windows 2000 native or above
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-4: Converting Group
Types
• Objective: Use Active Directory Users and
Computers to change group types
• Follow directions to create a new global group
with distribution type
• Verify type of new group
• Continue exercise to change type to security and
to verify the change
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-4 (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-4 (continued)
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Converting Group Scopes
• Scope of a group can be changed
• Domain functional level must be at least Windows
2000 native
• Supported changes
•
•
•
•
Global to universal
Domain local to universal
Universal to global
Universal to domain local
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-5: Converting Group
Scopes
• Objective: Use Active Directory Users and
Computers to change group scopes
• Follow directions to create a new global group
• Add a member group
• Note restrictions and warnings that follow from
group scope structure as described in exercise
• Change the scope of the group to universal
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Command Line Utilities
• An alternative to Active Directory Users and
Computers
• Some administrators have a preference for commandline utilities
• Command-line utilities are more flexible for group
management and creation in some situations
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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DSADD
• Introduced in Windows Server 2003
• Used to create new user and group accounts
• Syntax is
• dsadd group distinguished-name switches
• Switches include: -secgrp, -scope, -memberof,
-members
• More help is available for switches and options at
Windows Server 2003 Help and Support Center or
at command-line
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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DSADD (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-6: Creating Groups
Using DSADD
• Objective: Use the DSADD GROUP command to
add groups of different types and scopes
• Follow directions to execute dsadd group
command to create a new global group
• Verify group creation with Active Directory Users
and Computers
• Create a domain local group with members using
dsadd group and verify that group was properly
created
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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DSMOD
• Also introduced in Windows Server 2003
• Allows various object types to be modified from
the command line
• Syntax is
• dsmod group distinguished-name switches
• Switches include: -desc, -rmmbr, -addmbr
• More help is available for switches and options at
Windows Server 2003 Help and Support Center or
command-line
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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DSMOD (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-7: Modifying Groups
Using DSMOD
• Objective: Use the DSMOD GROUP command to
modify group accounts
• Follow directions to execute dsmod group
command to add a description to an existing group
• Verify modification with Active Directory Users
and Computers
• Modify group by adding and removing members
and verify changes
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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DSQUERY
• Also introduced in Windows Server 2003
• Used to query various object types from the
command line, returns values
• Syntax for groups is
• dsquery group query
• Supports wildcard character (*)
• Output can be piped as input to other commandline tools
• More help is available for switches and options at
Windows Server 2003 Help and Support Center or
command-line
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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DSMOVE
• Used to move or rename various object types from
the command line
• Syntax for groups is
• dsmove group distinguished-name switches
• Switches include: -newparent, -newname
• Can only be used for groups within a single
domain
• More help is available for switches and options at
Windows Server 2003 Help and Support Center or
at the command-line
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
35
DSRM
• Used to delete various object types from the
command line
• Syntax for groups is
• dsrm group distinguished-name switches
• Switches include: -noprompt
• More help is available for switches and options at
Windows Server 2003 Help and Support Center or
command-line
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
36
Managing Security Groups
•
Strategy for managing security groups uses
acronym A G U DL P:
1. Create user Accounts (A) and organize them
within Global groups (G)
2. Optional: Create Universal groups (U) and place
global groups from any domain in universal
groups
3. Create Domain Local groups (DL) and add global
and universal groups
4. Assign Permissions (P) to the domain local groups
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
37
Determining Group
Membership
• Important task for administrators is to ensure that
users are members of correct groups
• One method is via Member Of tab in the
properties of a user account
• Only shows first level of groups (not groups of groups)
• Second method is to use DSGET
• Returns values to a query
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Determining Group
Membership (continued)
• Syntax is
• dsget group distinguished-name switches
• Switches include: -members, -memberof
• Can also be used as dsget user to get membership
information about a specific user
• Output can be saved to a file:
• dsget group distinguished-name switches >> filename
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Built-In Groups
• When Windows Server 2003 Active Directory is
installed
• Built-in groups are created automatically
• Rights are pre-assigned
• Stored in Builtin container and Users container
• Use built-in groups where possible
• Eases implementation of security rights
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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The Builtin Container
• Contains a number of domain local group
accounts
• Allocated different user rights based on common
administrative or network-related tasks
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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The Builtin Container (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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The Users Container
• Contains a number of domain local and global
group accounts
• Some groups only found in the root domain of an
Active Directory forest rather than in individual
domains
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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The Users Container (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Creating and Managing
Computer Accounts
• Computer accounts needed on Windows NT 4.0,
2000, XP, Server 2003
• Can be created during installation or added
manually later
• Creation and management tools
• Active Directory Users and Computers
• System applet in Control Panel
• Command-line utilities
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-8: Creating and
Managing Computer Accounts
• Objective: Use Active Directory Users and
Computers to create and manage computer
accounts
• Follow directions to create a new computer
account from Active Directory Users and
Computers
• Configure and review the account as directed
70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Activity 4-8 (continued)
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Resetting Computer Accounts
• Secure channel
• Used by computers that are domain members to
communicate with domain controller
• Uses password that is changed every 30 days
• Automatically synchronized between domain controller
and workstation
• Occasional synchronization issues arise
• Administrator must reset computer account
• Using Active Directory Users and Computers or
Netdom.exe command from Windows Support Tools
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Summary
• Group accounts reduce administrative effort by
enabling assignment of common rights and
permissions to multiple users simultaneously
• Two group security types:
• Security groups
• Distribution groups
• Three types of scoping possible for groups
• Global groups
• Domain local groups
• Universal groups
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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Summary (continued)
• Group and computer accounts can be created and
managed
• From Active Directory Users and Computers
• From command-line utilities
• Builtin and User groups and containers are
automatically created at installation with specific
pre-assigned rights and permissions
• Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and Server 2003
require computer accounts in Active Directory
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Windows Server 2003 Environment
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