Managing Active Directory Rights Management Services Templates in Server 2022
Posted on 19th June 2023
Overview
Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) is a server role included in Windows Server 2022 that allows an organization to encrypt documents and email messages, and to control who can read, edit, or print them. In order to use AD RMS, an organization must first obtain and install a digital certificate from a trusted certification authority. Once AD RMS is installed and configured, users can create and apply Rights Management templates to documents and email messages. These templates specify the permissions that should be granted to users who attempt to open or view the document or message.
Creating a Rights Management Template
Rights Management templates can be created in the AD RMS administration console. To create a new template, select the Templates node in the console tree, and then click Create Template in the Actions pane. On the Welcome to the Create Template Wizard page, enter a name and description for the template, and then click Next. On the Specify the Rights page, select the permissions that should be granted to users who attempt to open or view the document or message, and then click Next. On the Specify the Expiration page, specify whether the template should expire, and if so, when. Finally, on the Completing the Create Template Wizard page, review the settings that have been selected, and then click Finish.
Applying a Rights Management Template
Once a Rights Management template has been created, it can be applied to documents and email messages. To apply a template to a document, open the document in Microsoft Word, click the File tab, click Protect Document, and then click Restrict Access. In the Restrict Access dialog box, select the template that you want to apply, and then click OK. To apply a template to an email message, open the message in Microsoft Outlook, click the Message tab, click Actions, and then click Restrict Permissions. In the Restrict Permissions dialog box, select the template that you want to apply, and then click OK.
Modifying a Rights Management Template
Rights Management templates can be modified in the AD RMS administration console. To modify a template, select the Templates node in the console tree, and then click the template that you want to modify in the details pane. In the Actions pane, click Modify Template. On the Welcome to the Modify Template Wizard page, click Next. On the Specify the Rights page, modify the permissions that should be granted to users who attempt to open or view the document or message, and then click Next. On the Specify the Expiration page, specify whether the template should expire, and if so, when. Finally, on the Completing the Modify Template Wizard page, review the settings that have been selected, and then click Finish.
Deleting a Rights Management Template
Rights Management templates can be deleted in the AD RMS administration console. To delete a template, select the Templates node in the console tree, and then click the template that you want to delete in the details pane. In the Actions pane, click Delete Template. In the Confirm Delete Template dialog box, click Yes.
Managing Active Directory Rights Management Services Templates in Server 2022
Rights management is the process of managing access to information and resources. Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) is a server role in Server 2022 that provides the infrastructure for rights management. This includes creating and managing rights management templates.
Rights management templates are used to define the permissions and usage conditions that users have when they access protected content. For example, a template can be used to allow only certain users to view or print a document.
There are two types of rights management templates:
1. Centralized templates: These are created and managed by the AD RMS server.
2. Decentralized templates: These are created and managed by the owner of the content.
When you create a rights management template, you can specify the following:
1. The users or groups who are allowed to access the content.
2. The permissions that the users have, such as View, Print, or Edit.
3. The usage conditions that must be met, such as an expiration date.
AD RMS also provides the ability to create custom permissions and usage conditions. For more information, see the AD RMS documentation.
You can use the following methods to manage rights management templates:
1. The AD RMS Administration console: This console is used to manage centralized templates. It is available only on the AD RMS server.
2. The AD RMS Client Management console: This console is used to manage decentralized templates. It is available on all computers that have the AD RMS client installed.
3. The AD RMS SDK: This software development kit can be used to develop custom applications for managing rights management templates.
To manage centralized templates, you must be a member of the AD RMS Enterprise Administrators group or the AD RMS Template Administrators group. To manage decentralized templates, you must be the owner of the content.
To manage rights management templates by using the AD RMS Administration console:
1. On the AD RMS server, open the AD RMS Administration console.
2. In the left pane, click Templates.
3. In the right pane, select the template that you want to manage.
4. To change the permissions or usage conditions, click Edit.
5. To delete the template, click Delete.
To manage rights management templates by using the AD RMS Client Management console:
1. On the computer that has the AD RMS client installed, open the AD RMS Client Management console.
2. In the left pane, click Decentralized Templates.
3. In the right pane, select the template that you want to manage.
4. To change the permissions or usage conditions, click Edit.
5. To delete the template, click Delete.
To manage rights management templates by using the AD RMS SDK:
1. Download and install the AD RMS SDK.
2. Create a custom application by using the AD RMS SDK. For more information, see the AD RMS SDK documentation.
