JSI Tip 7253. How do I install and use RSoP in Windows Server 2003?

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RSoP provides security templates to create and assignsecurity settings for one or more computers. A security template is a filerepresentation of a security setting configuration. You can apply this securitytemplate to a local computer or you can import it to a Group Policy object(GPO) in Active Directory. When you import a security template to a GPO, GroupPolicy processes the security template and makes the corresponding changes tothe members of that GPO (the member can be either users or computers). RSoPverifies those changes. RSoP polls the computer and the resultant policy thatis displayed indicates a misapplied or overwritten policy setting and thepolicy setting's precedence. You can use this information to fix a securitybreach.

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RSoP reports the scope of a GPO according to security groupmembership. RSoP uses Group Policy filtering to complete this task.

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RSoP processes and displays the resulting policy for anycomputer or user. Administrators can use individual security settings to definea security policy in Active Directory that contains specific security settingsfor nearly all security areas. Security settings in a local GPO can alsoestablish a security policy on a local computer. If a conflict between securitysettings occur, security settings that are defined in Active Directory alwaysoverride any security settings that are defined locally.