A Universal Policy is defined in one of two different forms - Windows or cross platform environments to centrally manage and configure user and computer objects to manage applications, operating systems, discreet individual settings on premises or in the cloud. Cross platform environments include Mac or Linux managed on premises or in the cloud. You can apply and use Mac and Linux policies interchangeably. To ease management and avoid confusion, it is recommended to define, apply and manage cross platform policies by operating system. For example: Apply Linux policies to Linux systems only.
Additional benefits of Universal Policy Administrator include the following:
Implements a process to create, test, and deploy Universal Policies and minimize risks to your production environment
Tracks the history of changes made to Universal Policies and restore prior versions
Avoids changing Universal Policies directly in your production environment
Takes advantage of features such as version control and reports
Delegates Universal Policy administration capabilities and control the tasks each user can perform
NOTE:Universal Policy Administrator obtains descriptions of policies and permissible value ranges from Windows Server 2012 R2.
You can use the Universal Policy Repository to plan and evaluate your Universal Policies before implementing them in your production environment. Using the Universal Policy Repository enables you to perform a number of tasks that assist to manage Universal Policies in your Active Directory environment.
NOTE:A sub-string search in the Universal Policies tab of the web console lists all Universal Policies from the domain, if the search string matches the domain name.
You can view and manage Universal Policies with the Universal Policy Administrator web console. After you create, import or modify a Universal Policy, you can export it to Active Directory.
After you create, edit or merge a Universal Policy, you must check in the policy and submit for approval from the Universal Policies tab of the Web Console. The system then moves the policy to the appropriate approver. If approved, the policy becomes available for application in Active Directory.
NOTE:The option to submit a Universal Policy for approval becomes available only if the policy is in a checked in state.