Advanced Group Policy Management is a tool available in the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack that gives IT administrators a management platform for controlling change in Group Policy Objects. 

You can think of this tool as source control for group policy objects.  There is a server component that stores GPO changes and proposed GPO changes in a central archive.  The client component integrates within the Group Policy Management Console and allows an administrator to edit, review, and enforce GPO change requests from other administrators. 

If you have two group policies that are similar in nature but need to know how they differ, you can use Advanced Group Policy Management to generate a report that outlines the differences between two group policies.  Let’s see how this is done…

Advanced Group Policy Management incorporates a new icon in the Group Policy Management Console called Change Control.  In the Change Control window, locate the two group policies you’d like to compare.  Highlight both of them, and choose Differences | HTML Report from the right-click context menu. 

The results of the HTML report shows the results of the comparison.  The top of the report lists the two group policies under consideration.  The policy on top is known by convention as the first GPO and the policy on the bottom is called the second GPO. 

Items that exist in the first GPO are outlined by a [-] symbol and are highlighted red.  Items that exist in the second GPO are outlined by a [+] symbol and are highlighted green. Items that exist in both GPOs but have different settings are outlined by a [#] symbol and are highlighted blue.