Setting Groove workspace usage policy
Applies to: SharePoint Workspace 2010, Groove Server 2010
Topic Last Modified: 2010-02-11
This article describes how to set a policy that prohibits specified tools and usage types in Groove workspaces. Groove workspace usage policies are optimized to control usage at higher domain group levels, not to provide data filtering or different workspace views across many small groups. Applying usage restriction policies to small groups within a larger body of users can be difficult to manage and can have unexpected results when the various policies involved conflict.
In this article:
Controlling Groove workspace tool usage and types
Tool Usage Recovery After Restriction is Removed
Controlling Groove workspace tool usage and types
Restricting usage of a Groove tool affects all aspects of SharePoint Workspace use that depend on Groove workspace tools. Blocked tools appear in Groove workspaces as place-holders only, usually with a message that explains that that the tool is not available for use because of policy restrictions. Usage policies prevent Groove workspace users from accessing the user interface associated with a blocked tool. However, these policies do not affect the underlying content in a Groove workspace. In a mixed-use environment where not all users are subject to tool usage policies, all member devices will continue to receive content associated with all tools for a workspace, even if members cannot access that content through the Groove user interface. For example, if the Games tool is prohibited to User A but not to Users B and C who are members of the same workspace but belong to another management domain where Games are not blocked, the content that passes between Users B and C will also be transmitted to User A’s device, although User A cannot access it from the workspace.
This procedure requires that Groove Server 2010 Manager is installed as described in Deployment for Groove Server 2010.
To prohibit Groove workspace tools and types
Log on to the Groove Server Manager administrative Web site, expand Policies, and then click Default or another policy template.
On the Member Policies page, under Usage Policies, select the check boxes for workspace tools and types that you want to prohibit from Groove workspaces and then click Save Changes in the toolbar. The table that follows this procedure describes items that you can prohibit.
After SharePoint Workspace clients receive this policy from Groove Server Manager, domain members will be subject to Groove workspace restrictions that are defined by the policy. This policy applies to domain members who are subject to this policy template. For information about assigning policy templates to domain members, see Deploying policies to SharePoint Workspace users.
| SharePoint Workspace restriction | Description |
|---|---|
Prohibit non-auditable tools |
If the optional client auditing feature is used at your organization, setting this policy on managed devices prohibits use of any Groove tools that are not auditable. For more information about how to enable client auditing, see Install Groove Server 2010 Manager. |
Prohibit use of Shared Folders |
Prohibits the use of Shared Folders, a capability that enables SharePoint Workspace users to create Windows Explorer workspaces on a local computer for sharing among invited team members. |
Prohibit use of SharePoint workspaces |
Prohibits the use of SharePoint workspaces, personal client workspaces that are synchronized copies of document libraries or lists on a SharePoint site. |
Prohibit use of Groove workspaces |
Prohibits the use of Groove workspaces and associated tools. |
Prohibit use of Forms and forms-based tools (including any InfoPath tools and the Discussion tool) |
Prohibits the use of any Forms or forms-based tools and templates, including the following:
|
Prohibit use of Games |
Prohibits the use of Games in Groove workspaces. |
Prohibit use of Files and Documents tools |
Prohibits the use of the Files tool and Documents tool in Groove workspaces. |
Prohibit use of Pictures tool |
Prohibits the use of Pictures in Groove workspaces. |
Tool usage recovery after restriction is removed
Once a tool usage restriction is removed, affected users can usually recover tool usage when they click on the tool, or, if the tool is not installed, by clicking an Install button from the missing tool placeholder within the workspace. However, recovery paths vary, depending on the length of time that the tool has been blocked and whether tool content has been deleted.
If the tool restriction was lifted before the client data purge interval (approximately 21 days of user inactivity in a Groove workspace) elapsed, users can recover tool usage when they click on the tool or via the Install button, as described previously. All content that existed locally when the tool was blocked and any content that was added to the tool while it was blocked will be available.
If the tool restriction was lifted after the client purge interval (21 days) elapsed, affected users will be unable to re-install the tool by browsing to it or by clicking the Install button. In addition, in the context of Shared Files, if the Files tool or Shared Files restriction was not lifted before the client purge interval (21 days) elapsed, users will see alerts indicating that Shared Files cannot be synchronized. To recover under these conditions, affected users must delete any Groove workspace that includes the tool and be re-invited to the Groove workspace.