Customizing SBS 2003 - Part 1 - Create a new user template, distribution group, security group and a shared folder By Mariette Knap template, distribution group, security group In a default SBS 2003 setup you have four templates you can choose from when creating new users. Because our organization is bit more complicated, we have four divisions, we need to create customized templates that make it easier for the administrator to add users. Pages Customizing SBS 2003 - Part 1 - Create a new user template, distribution group, security group and a shared folderHow to create a new Distribution GroupHow to create a new templateHow to apply the new template and set the manager of the Distribution GroupHow to change the Manager of the Accounting Distribution Group Our company has four divisions. We have Sales, Accounting, Support and Management. In this example our goal is to create a Template for the Accounting group that automates almost all tasks when adding a user. When a user is added using the Accounting template it will add the user to the security group called 'Accounting' and the distribution group 'Accounting'. Before we can create the Accounting template we need to create the Accounting distribution and security group. How to create a new Distribution Group A Distribution Group is used for delivering messages to members of that group. This is very handy if you want to inform your co-workers about specific issues that are relevant to those co-workers only and not to the rest of your company. As always we open the Server Manager from the Start Menu and choose 'Add a Distribution Group'. Click Next Fill in the name of the distribution group. In our case this is Accounting. As you will see the email alias is filled in automatically and does not need to be changed. On the next screen you should not choose any members because we will add members using the template later. This is something very handy. The Manager of a distribution group can change the members of a distribution group using Outlook 2003 but because this is a clean install and we do not have any security groups setup nor do we have added any users. We will look in to this later. Click next. You may want to check or uncheck one or more of the below settings. This is really something you have to decide for your organization. Create a public folder to archive messages sent to distribution group. This option creates an Exchange public folder that stores a copy of all e-mail sent to this distribution group. Items in this public folder can be accessed from the folder list in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 and Outlook Web Access. The public folder will be named "Group_name Archive" and will be added as a member of the distribution group you are creating. If you clear the check box, no public folder will be created. Allow external e-mail sources to send messages to this distribution group. This option enables you to allow or prevent the receipt of e-mail messages from outside the network. If this distribution group is only used internally and should not be able to receive e-mail from outside the network, clear this check box. Disallowing external e-mail prevents this distribution group from receiving junk e-mail and helps prevent the spread of computer viruses on the network. If this distribution group is an important part of communicating with your customers, do not clear this check box. Click Finish to complete the wizard. The wizard has completed the task. Choose Close. How to create a new Security Group Open Server Management from the Start Menu and choose 'Add a Security Group'. Click Next The security group will be named 'Accounting Users'. Note: You cannot use the same name as you used for the Distribution Group. We are not going to add any users or groups because we are building a template. Users will added if you use the template. Complete the wizard by clicking Next. How to create a new secure shared folder Open Windows Explorer and create a new folder named 'Accounting Data'. Right click the 'Accounting Data' folder and choose 'Sharing and Security'. Choose the tab Sharing and check 'Share this folder' and then click the Permissions button. Remove the 'Everyone' group. Choose the Add button to add security groups. Choose the Advanced button. Click the Find Now button Choose the 'Account Users' security group and click OK. Click OK Add the 'Domain Admins' and 'Folder Operators' security groups also and assign to all of them 'Full Control'. How to set NTFS File and folder Permissions. Once you add a folder to the root of a partition or drive it is always set to inherit permissions by default. Because we want the Accounting share to be secure we are going to change this. Choose the security tab of the Accounting Data folder. Uncheck 'Allow inheritable permissions...' and a new window will popup. I always select Copy. In the next steps I will remove the Security groups I don't need. Remove all permissions for the Users group. We have removed the Users group, click OK. Click add to add the Accounting Users group. Click Find Now Select the Accounting Users and click OK. Click OK Give the Accounting Users group Full Controll. How to create a new template Now that we have successfully create an Accounting Distribution and Security Group, as well as the Accounting Data share it is about time we create a new template that will be used to add users. Open Server Management from the Start Menu and choose add Template. Click next to continue the wizard. We won't want this template to be our default template so we uncheck that option. We have checked the 'Power Users...' but to be honest I never use the Power Users group but you may have a need for that. We add the security groups 'Accounting Users' and 'Domain Users'. If you want the users in this template also be able to use 'Remote Web Workplace' you need to add that group to. Note that if you have a Terminal Server in your Lan you will need to add the Remote Web Workplace option also. There is the Accounting distribution group we previously added. Add this group to your template. Here you set what permissions those users will have on your Intranet. I choose 'Contributor'. Fill in the address. If the Accounting Group is in a different place as the main office it is usefull to fill in that address. This is used in the Fax coversheets if you use any. You should set disk quotas to prevent that users fill up your drives and cause disaster. A summary of your settings. You may want to save or email your settings. Click Finish. The wizard has created your new template. A final check if our 'Accounting Users' template has been created... How to apply the new template and set the manager of the Distribution Group The company has assigned a new CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and we need to create a user account for him. His name is Dagobert Duck... Open Server Management from the Start Menu and choose Add a User. Click Next Fill in the fields. It is usefull to also fill in the phone number because that can be used in fax cover sheets. Create a strong password. Choose the template you just created. If the new user has a new computer that needs to be joined to the network you will to create a computer account but in our case the new CFO gets the old computer that was used by the previous CFO. Click Finish to complete the wizard. Click close. How to change the Manager of the Accounting Distribution Group Open Server Management from the Start Menu, choose 'Change Group Properties'. Choose the Tab 'Managed By' and click Change. Choose Advanced. Click Find Now. Select Dagobert Duck and click OK. Click OK. Be sure to check 'Manager can update membership list' and choose OK.