Support Mechanisms for Improved Group Policy Management User Interface

Abstract

Provided are support mechanisms for a user interface mechanism that performs group policy management. The support mechanisms include a context menu map that provides a consistent and efficient way to generate interactive context menus for nodes using only straightforward declarations. The declarations are processed to invoke code with corresponding parameters that in turn generates a data structure corresponding to a context menu that is to be displayed. The data structure is processed into another data structure, from which data is extracted to meet the requirements of a hosting management application. An intermediary communications object is provided to separate the user interface into multiple components which each exchange data. A progress dialog is also provided to update the user as to the progress of lengthy operations performed on various managed objects, and to drive those operations. Refresh logic replicates changes made at one location in the user interface to other nodes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon to be executed by a processor for performing operations comprising:
 receiving a request to manage security settings of a group policy data construct;   generating a permissions table based on security information associated with the group policy data construct; and   accessing the permissions table to respond to the request.   
     
     
         2 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the group policy data construct comprises a group policy object comprising at least one of:
 a collection of files,   an object, or   an attribute located in a network.   
     
     
         3 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 2  further comprising viewing, managing, and searching, from a single unified view, across one or more sites to copy and import data to the group policy object. 
     
     
         4 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise saving security settings to the group policy object based on the permissions table. 
     
     
         5 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the group policy data construct comprises one or more scopes of management objects comprising a site, a domain, or an organizational unit in a directory. 
     
     
         6 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 4 , wherein one or more policy settings of the site, the domain, and the organizational unit in an Active Directory are combined and applied to a group policy object recipient. 
     
     
         7 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the group policy data construct comprises a filter. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a request to manage security settings of a group policy data construct;   generating, by a processor, a permissions table based on security information associated with the group policy data construct; and   accessing the permissions table to respond to the request.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the group policy data construct comprises a group policy object. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the group policy object is presented in a treeview area of an interface. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising saving security settings to the group policy object based on the permissions table. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9  further comprising providing a custom context menu of items related to the group policy object. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the group policy data construct comprises a scope of management object. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the group policy data construct comprises a filter. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a memory   one or more processors coupled to the memory;   a group policy management module operable on the one or more processors, the group policy management module configured to:
 receive a request to manage security settings of a group policy data construct; 
 generate a permissions table based on security information associated with the group policy data construct; 
 save security settings to the group policy object based on the permissions table; and 
 access the permissions table to respond to the request. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising one or more interfaces to manage the group policy data construct. 
     
     
         17 . The system of claim of  15 , wherein the group policy management module is further configured to provide, from a unified view, the ability to view, manage, and search across one or more sites and to copy and import data to the group policy construct. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the group policy management module is a snap-in to another module. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the group policy data construct comprises a group policy object. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the group policy data construct comprises one or more scopes of management objects comprising a site, a domain, or an organizational unit in a directory.