vgptool
The vgptool command-line utility provides the same functionality as winlogon.exe. vgptool collects policy information by querying Active Directory for the SYSVOL path of GPOs, based on the location of the Unix host object in Active Directory. Once it collects the policy information, vgptool follows the same rules and standards of Group Policy application as Microsoft Group Policy, including enforced links, block inheritance, non-tattooing of policy settings, enabled or disabled links, link order, ACL filtering, and enabled/disabled GPOs. Safeguard Authentication Services also supports loopback policy processing.
Like gpupdate.exe, vgptool invokes client-side extension plug-ins to apply policy settings. You can register new client-side extensions with vgptool Refer to the vgptool man page for details. vgptool runs only when invoked from the Unix command line or when it is run by the Safeguard Authentication Services service as part of a policy refresh event.
Client-side extensions
Group Policy processes the policy settings information in GPOs by delegating to client-side extensions (CSEs). The
/opt/quest/lib/cse_mod directory stores the client-side extensions to the Group Policy framework. Several default CSEs come ready to process GPOs immediately after installing Group Policy. Group Policy provides the following CSEs:
- Licensing Extension
Provides support for licensing policies.
- Safeguard Authentication Services Configuration Extension
Provides support for the Safeguard Authentication Services-related policies.
- Microsoft Security Extension
Provides support for some Windows security settings.
- Macintosh Settings Extension
Provides support for macOS management settings.
- Sudo Extension
Provides support for sudo policy option.
- Dynamic File Copy Extension
Provides support for dynamic file copy.
- Unix Settings Extension
Provides support for the Unix file and script policies.
- SSH Extension
Provides support for OpenSSH.
- Samba Extension
Provides support for Samba.
- One Identity Defender Extension
Provides support for One Identity Defender policies.
- One Identity Privilege Manager for Unix
Provides support for One Identity Privilege Manager for Unix policies.
- Administrative Templates Extension
Provides support for Administrative Templates.
- Group Policy Extension
Provides support for the Group Policy-related policies.
Administrative templates on Unix
In Windows-only environments, administrators extend Group Policy through Administrative Templates. Administrative Templates provide policy description information as well as information used to build a graphical user interface to manage those policies. Group Policy stores this information in human-readable text-file format with an ADM extension.
Once you load the Administrative Templates into the Group Policy Object Editor (GPOE), the GPOE namespace is extended with new Unix-specific nodes.
On Unix, ADM policies are supported using Perl scripts that translate Windowsregistry.pol files into Unix configuration file settings. Group Policy refers to the translator scripts as xlators.
You can write custom xlator scripts in any language.
Apply mode
Some policies support the concept of an Apply mode. The Apply mode affects the way settings defined by policy are combined with local settings. There are two possible Apply modes:
- Replace
Settings defined in policy replace all local settings or configuration files.
- Merge
Settings defined by policy are merged with settings defined locally. For any conflicting settings the policy settings take precedence. Merge is the default for most policies that support Apply mode.
Configured policies that support Apply mode display the mode in the Apply Mode column in the Group Policy Object Editor.
