Active Directory Group Policy and Local Group Policy serve similar functions in managing the configuration and security settings of computers and users, but they differ significantly in scope, application, and management capabilities.
Active Directory Group Policy
Active Directory Group Policy is designed for centralized management within an Active Directory environment, which typically involves multiple computers and users within a network domain. Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in AD can be linked to various AD containers such as sites, domains, and Organizational Units (OUs). This allows administrators to enforce consistent policies across large numbers of machines and user accounts. These policies are automatically applied whenever users log in or computers start up, ensuring compliance with organizational standards.
AD Group Policy supports a wide range of settings, including security policies, software installation, script execution, and more. Additionally, it provides tools like the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) for comprehensive policy creation, editing, linking, and troubleshooting.
Local Group Policy
Local Group Policy, on the other hand, is intended for managing settings on individual computers, without the need for an Active Directory infrastructure. It applies to all users of a single machine or can be configured for specific user accounts on that machine. Local Group Policy is accessed via the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and is useful for standalone computers or small networks where centralized management via AD is not feasible or necessary.
While Local Group Policy offers many of the same settings as AD Group Policy, it lacks the advanced features and scalability provided by AD. For example, local policies cannot be linked to multiple computers or users across a network, nor can they be centrally managed or easily audited across multiple devices.
Key Differences
Scope and Application
AD Group Policy: Applies to multiple users and computers across an entire domain or specific OUs, enabling centralized and consistent policy enforcement.
Local Group Policy: Applies to individual computers or specific users on a single machine, suitable for standalone systems or small-scale environments.
Management
AD Group Policy: Managed using tools like GPMC, which offer comprehensive features for creating, linking, and troubleshooting GPOs across the network. Changes made to AD Group Policy are propagated to all relevant machines within the domain.
Local Group Policy: Managed via the Local Group Policy Editor on each machine. Changes are local to that machine and do not propagate to other devices.
Flexibility and Control
AD Group Policy: Offers advanced targeting and filtering options, such as WMI filters and security group filtering, allowing for precise control over who gets which policies. Supports a broad range of settings and is integral to maintaining enterprise security and configuration standards.
Local Group Policy: Provides basic policy management capabilities without the advanced targeting features of AD Group Policy. It is suitable for situations where centralized control is not required.
In summary, while both Active Directory Group Policy and Local Group Policy are tools for managing system and user settings, AD Group Policy is designed for centralized, scalable management across large networks, whereas Local Group Policy is intended for managing settings on individual, standalone machines.