US6950818B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for implementing group policy
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 2002-09-24
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Granted: 2005-09-27
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Expires: 2022-09-24
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for implementing policy by accumulating policies for a policy recipient from policy objects associated with a hierarchically organized structure of containers, such as directory containers (sites, domains and organizational units) that includes the policy recipient. Based on administrator input, policy settings for the policy recipient may be accumulated into a specific order by inheriting policy from higher containers, which may enforce their policy settings over those of lower containers. Policy that is not enforced may be blocked at a container. The result is an accumulated set of group policy objects that are ordered by relative strength to resolve any policy conflicts. Policy may be applied to a policy recipient by calling extensions, such as an extension that layers the policy settings into the registry or an extension that uses policy information from the objects according to the ordering thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael W. Dennis
- 👤 Michele L. Freed
- 👤 Daniel Plastina
- 👤 Eric R. Flo
- 👤 David E. Kays, Jr.
- 👤 Robert E. Corrington
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 11:08
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L63/00; H04L63/10; H04L63/102; G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/10; G06F21/60; G06F21/604; G06F21/62; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; H04L63/104; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99939; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99942; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945; Y10S707/99951; Y10S707/99952; Y10S707/99953
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A computer-implemented method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, each policy object associated with a directory container in a set of directory containers arranged in a hierarchy; accumulating the policy settings of the plurality of group policy objects into an accumulated policy, wherein conflicting settings are resolved based on the hierarchy and inheritance data, and wherein the inheritance data indicates that policy settings of a first policy object hierarchically above a second policy object are suggested and are allowed to be blocked by the second policy object; and associating the accumulated policy with a policy recipient associated with the set of directory containers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A computer-implemented method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, each policy object associated with a directory container in a set of directory containers arranged in a hierarchy; accumulating the policy settings of the plurality of group policy objects into an accumulated policy, wherein conflicting settings are resolved based on the hierarchy and inheritance data, and wherein the inheritance data indicates that policy settings of a first policy object hierarchically above a second policy object are suggested and are allowed to be blocked by the second policy object; and associating the accumulated policy with a policy recipient associated with the set of directory containers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the inheritance data indicates that policy settings of a first policy object hierarchically above a second policy object are enforced and must be inherited.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the inheritance data indicates that non-enforced policy settings of a first policy object hierarchically above a second policy object are to be blocked.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein accumulating the policy comprises arranging the policy objects into a master list for applying to the policy recipient.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient, including inheriting at least one policy settings from a policy object that is hierarchically above the policy recipient.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient, including blocking at least one policy settings from a policy object that is hierarchically above the policy recipient.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
132 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; and associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient, wherein at least one policy object includes an exclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will not apply.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
132 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; and associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient, wherein at least one policy object includes an exclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will not apply.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient based on the ordering of the group policy objects.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein at least one policy object includes an inclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will apply.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
131 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; and associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient, wherein at least one policy object includes an inclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will apply.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
131 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; and associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient, wherein at least one policy object includes an inclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will apply.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 10 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient based on the ordering of the group policy objects.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein at least one policy object includes an exclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will not apply.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
149 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; and associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient, including developing an ordered master list of group policy objects; and applying policy settings to the policy recipient, including writing settings from the group policy objects into a database from weakest to strongest based on the ordered master list.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
149 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; and associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient, including developing an ordered master list of group policy objects; and applying policy settings to the policy recipient, including writing settings from the group policy objects into a database from weakest to strongest based on the ordered master list.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising, seeking a defined policy setting to apply to the policy recipient by evaluating policy settings from the group policy objects from strongest to weakest based on the ordered master list.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein at least one policy object includes an exclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will not apply.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein at least one policy abject includes an inclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will apply.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
150 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient, including developing an ordered master list of group policy objects; and seeking a defined policy setting to apply to the policy recipient by evaluating policy settings from the group policy objects from strongest to weakest based on the ordered master list.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
150 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient, including developing an ordered master list of group policy objects; and seeking a defined policy setting to apply to the policy recipient by evaluating policy settings from the group policy objects from strongest to weakest based on the ordered master list.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient based on the ordering of the group policy objects.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient, including writing settings from the group policy objects into a database from weakest to strongest based on the ordered master list.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein at least one policy object includes an exclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will not apply.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein at least one policy object includes an inclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will apply.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
126 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; and associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient; disabling at least part of the association between a directory container and a group policy object.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
126 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: placing policy settings into a plurality of group policy objects, wherein each of the policy objects is associated with a directory container organized in a hierarchy of directory containers; inheriting at least some of the settings from at least one policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above a policy recipient; blocking the inheritance of settings from at least one other policy object associated with a directory container hierarchically above the policy recipient; ordering the group policy objects based on the hierarchy of directory containers; and associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient; disabling at least part of the association between a directory container and a group policy object.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 22 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient based on the ordering of the group policy objects.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein associating the ordering of the group policy objects with the policy recipient comprises, developing an ordered master list of group policy objects.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 24 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient, including writing settings from the group policy objects into a database from weakest to strongest based on the ordered master list.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
46 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 24 further comprising, applying policy settings to the policy recipient, including seeking a defined policy setting to apply to the policy recipient by evaluating policy settings from the group policy objects from strongest to weakest based on the ordered master list.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein disabling at least part of the association comprises disabling the computer settings but not the user settings.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein disabling at least part of the association comprises disabling the user settings but not the computer settings.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein at least one policy object includes an exclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will not apply.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein at least one policy object includes an inclusion list of at least one user to which the policy will apply.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-09-26 | 2009-03-28 | 2009-09-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-09-26 | 2013-03-28 | 2013-09-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-09-26 | 2017-03-28 | 2017-09-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |