The Scenario
A 50-user SA professional services firm runs Windows Active Directory but has no formal Group Policy strategy. Every new GPO is created ad hoc and applied at the domain root. The IT manager wants a redesign so policies are scoped, layered, and auditable.
The Brief
Design a Group Policy strategy: an OU structure, a GPO inheritance plan, and the specific policies to apply at each layer. Cover security, application configuration, and user experience.
Deliverables
- An OU structure diagram or text representation showing how users and computers are organised by department, role, and location
- A GPO matrix listing each GPO, the OU it links to, the settings it enforces, and the rationale
- A short security baseline section covering at least: password policy, account lockout, screen lock, USB device restrictions, and PowerShell logging
- A change management note describing how new GPOs get reviewed, tested, and rolled out without breaking production
Submission Guidance
Stacking GPOs at the domain root is the lazy way; layered GPOs scoped to OUs are the professional way. Use loopback processing only when you can articulate why.
Submit Your Work
Your submission is graded against the rubric on the right. If you pass, you get a public Badge URL you can share on LinkedIn. There is no draft save, so work offline first and paste your finished response here.