Data source preference items allow you to create, update, replace, and delete user and system data sources. Data sources store information about how to connect to a data provider. Before you create a Data Source preference item, you should review the behavior of each type of action possible with this extension.

Creating a Data Source item

To create a new Data Source preference item

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console. Right-click the Group Policy object (GPO) that should contain the new preference item, and then click Edit.

  2. In the console tree under Computer Configuration or User Configuration, expand the Preferences folder, and then expand the Control Panel Settings folder.

  3. Right-click the Data Sources node, point to New, and select Data Source.

  4. In the New Data Source Properties dialog box, select an Action for Group Policy to perform. (For more information, see "Actions" in this topic.)

  5. Enter data source settings for Group Policy to configure or remove. (For more information, see "Data source settings" in this topic.)

  6. Click the Common tab, configure any options, and then type your comments in the Description box. (For more information, see Configure Common Options.)

  7. Click OK. The new preference item appears in the details pane.

Actions

This type of preference item provides a choice of four actions: Create, Replace, Update, and Delete. The behavior of the preference item varies with the action selected and whether a data source with the same name exists.

Create

Create a new data source name for the user or computer. If the data source exists, then do not modify it.

Delete

Remove a data source name from the user or computer. The extension performs no action if the data source does not exist.

Replace

Delete and recreate a data source name for the user or computer. The net result of the Replace action overwrites all existing settings associated with the data source name. If the data source name does not exist, then the Replace action creates the new data source name.

Update

Modify settings of an existing data source name. This action differs from replace in that it only updates settings defined within the preference item. All other settings remain as they were previously configured. If the data source name does not exist, then the Update action creates a new data source name.

Data source settings

User Data Source or System Data Source

Select the visibility of the data source name. User data sources are available to users receiving the preference item. System data sources are available to all the users of the computer (including the Local System).

Data Source Name

Type the name used to identify the data source. This field accepts preference processing variables. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select. You can import a local data source name into the Data Source preference item. Click Browse (…) to display a list of the data sources names on the current computer.

Important

Attributes are automatically populated when importing an existing data source name into a Data Source preference item.

Driver

Type the name of the ODBC driver used to connect to the data provider. Click Browse (…) to choose from a list of ODBC drivers.

Description

Provide text used to describe the data source. This field accepts preference processing variables. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select.

User Name

Type the user name used to connect to the indicated data provider.

Password

Type the password used to connect to the indicated data provider. Type the same password in the Confirm Password box.

Security Note

This password is stored as part of the GPO in SYSVOL and is discoverable, although obscured. If you choose to store passwords in preference items, you should consider creating dedicated accounts for this purpose, and never store administrative passwords in preference items.

Attributes

Data Source item attributes allow you to supply additional information for the data provider. Each attribute consists of an attribute name and its associated value.

  • Click Add to create new attributes in the Data Source item.

  • Click Remove to delete existing attributes.

  • Click Change to alter the attribute name or value.

Important

Attributes are automatically populated when importing an existing data source name into a Data Source preference item.

Additional considerations

  • Use the Update action to add or overwrite attributes of existing data source names.

  • Use the Replace action to remove attributes from existing data source names.

  • You can use item-level targeting to change the scope of preference items.

  • Preference items are available only in domain-based GPOs.

Additional references

  • Data Sources Extension
  • Devices Extension