Your group policy environment can grow extremely large over time, even for a smaller business. GPA features a comprehensive and interactive Search GPO function that can help you locate GPO data in Active Directory (AD) and in your GP Repository.
The Search GPO function lets you perform an advanced search on multiple criteria. You can search for GPOs based on various criteria, such as user or computer policy settings, GPO information, security group details, GUID information, and other criteria in AD trusted domains. GPA can also search multiple domains at the same time and recent versions of GPOs in the GP Repository. GPA lists this data in the Search Results section of a GPO Search report.
NOTE:GPA determines and populates the available search criteria in the Search window based on the operating system and version on your computer.
When you change the domain for your search, GPA removes any domain-specific search criteria from the search criteria list. Click Cancel to keep the current search criteria or OK to continue.
When GPA displays the search results, you can do the following:
Act on GPOs by starting the GPO Editor or performing workflow operations on AD GPOs and GP Repository GPOs.
Save the GPO Search Results, Settings Report, and Health Check Report in HTML format.
Rerun the search with the current search criteria.
Edit the current search criteria.
Make a copy of the search criteria or rename the search results record you saved. (GPA copies the Report node to another node and adds the prefix “Copy of” to the original report name.)
Print the search results.
Delete the current search results.
To search for GPOs:
Log on to a GPA Console computer with a domain user account with Local Administrator permissions.
Start the GPA Console in the Group Policy Administrator program group.
Make sure the GPA Console is connected to a GPA Server. For more information about connecting to a GPA Server, see Section 3.3.3, Connecting to a GPA Server.
In the left pane, expand GP Analysis, and then select Search.
Click Action > Search GPO.
Use the Search Options to select AD domains and GP Repositories to include in your search.
Use the Search Criteria to specify the type of search and what criteria to use.
When you use the Search Criteria, you:
Select the type of search
Add specific search criteria using list boxes
After specifying the domain and search criteria, click OK.
GPA saves the search results and stores each report by date.
If you do not have an existing SQL Server connection in the GP Repository, enter the appropriate information in the connection dialog.
To use existing reports to quickly generate the same report or a similar report:
In the left pane, expand GP Analysis, expand Search, and then select the report you want to use.
On the Action menu, select Rerun Search to generate the same report with updated information based on changes made in AD. GPA uses the same criteria so you can see what has changed since you last ran the report.
On the Action menu, select Edit to display the Search window with the same search criteria as the selected report.
Add or remove criteria to fit your needs.
Click OK.