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So let's move on and talk about the different types of processing.

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There really are two different ways that group policy is processed at the client.

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The first way is called foreground processing.

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What?

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This is the processing that occurs at computer startup for computer objects.

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So when the computer first boots up, it connects to the network.

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It connects to Active Directory and it performs group policy processing for the computer.

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And then at user log on for user objects and AD, there's a foreground processing cycle that occurs

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and I'll talk about why the group policy engine distinguishes between these kinds of processing cycles

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in a bit.

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It definitely matters in terms of which client side extensions or policies areas process when.

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But let's just suffice it to say that foreground processing happens for computers at startup and users

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at log on.

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And then there's a background processing cycle that occurs every 90 minutes, plus a 30 minute random

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offset.

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So essentially every up to a maximum of every 120 minutes on workstations processing, the engine will

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wake up and perform some processing work and go back to sleep for another 90 plus 30 offset minutes.

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And that's designed to process any changes that might have occurred in your policy.

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While the computer has been started and the user has been logged on on servers, that actually happens

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every 5 minutes.

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So you get a lot more frequent checking of group policy changes.

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And I think the idea there is that servers tend to be more critical.

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And if you make changes like security changes to servers, you want them to get those pretty quick.

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Okay.

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So we've got these two types of processing.

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Foreground and background.

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So let's look at foreground in processing and background processing in a little bit more detail.

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So foreground processing, why is it important?

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Well, certain policy areas can only run in the foreground.

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Policy areas like folder direction, software installation and before Windows 8.1 group policy preferences

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drive mappings also would only run in the foreground.

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In other words, these three areas would only run at computer startup or user log on.

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And of course, during foreground processing, just like during background processing, the engine doesn't

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actually do any work unless that list of GPOs that applied to the computer or the user has changed.

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For whatever reason, GPO has been deleted or unlinked.

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A security group filter has changed.

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The user or computer security group membership has changed and therefore the list has changed.

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If none of that happens, if the list is the same from one foreground processing cycle to the next,

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then the engine wakes up, runs through core processing, and then does no work.

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Now, similarly with background processing, it's really, as the name implies, happening in the background.

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The user doesn't know what's happening.

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It's just running, picking up every 90 plus 30 minutes.

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And basically that same logic applies about whether things have changed or not changed.

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And then it goes back to sleep.

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So these are kind of the ways that foreground and background processing happen.

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The next thing we'll do is look at the different modes for processing.