Create and Use NPS Templates

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

You can use Network Policy Server (NPS) templates to create configuration elements, such as Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) clients or shared secrets, that you can reuse on the local NPS server and export for use on other NPS servers. Templates Management provides a node in the NPS console where you can create, modify, delete, duplicate, and view the use of NPS templates. NPS templates are designed to reduce the amount of time and cost that it takes to configure NPS on one or more servers.

Note

NPS templates and Templates Management are available only in Windows Server® 2012 and Windows Server 2008 R2. NPS templates and Templates Management are not available in Windows Server 2008.

The following NPS template types are available for configuration in Templates Management:

  • Shared Secrets: This template type makes it possible for you to specify a shared secret that you can reuse (by selecting the template in the appropriate location in the NPS console) when you configure RADIUS clients and servers.

  • RADIUS Clients: This template type makes it possible for you to configure RADIUS client settings that you can reuse by selecting the template in the appropriate location in the NPS console.

  • Remote RADIUS Servers: This template makes it possible for you to configure remote RADIUS server settings that you can reuse by selecting the template in the appropriate location in the NPS console.

  • IP Filters: This template makes it possible for you to create Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) filters that you can reuse (by selecting the template in the appropriate location in the NPS console) when you configure network policies.

  • Health Policies: This template makes it possible for you to create health policy settings that you can reuse (by selecting the template in the appropriate location in the NPS console) when you configure health policies.

  • Remediation Server Groups: This template makes it possible for you to create remediation server group settings that you can be reuse (by selecting the template in the appropriate location in the NPS console) when you configure remediation server groups.

Configuring a template is different than configuring the NPS server directly. Creating a template does not affect the NPS server's functionality. It is only when you select the template in the appropriate location in the NPS console that the template affects the NPS server functionality. For example, if you configure a RADIUS client in the NPS console under RADIUS Clients and Servers, you alter the NPS server configuration and take one step in configuring NPS to communicate with one of your network access servers. (The next step is to configure the network access server (NAS) to communicate with NPS.) However, if you configure a new RADIUS Clients template in the NPS console under Templates Management, rather than creating a new RADIUS client under RADIUS Clients and Servers, you have created a template, but you have not altered the NPS server functionality yet. To alter the NPS server functionality, you must select the template from the correct location in the NPS console.

To create an NPS template

  1. On the NPS server, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Network Policy Server.

    The Network Policy Server console opens.

  2. In the NPS console, expand Templates Management, right-click a template type, such as RADIUS Clients, and then click New.

    A new template properties dialog box opens that you can use to configure your template.

You can use a template that you have created in Templates Management by navigating to a location in the NPS console where you can apply the template. For example, if you want to apply a Shared Secrets template to a RADIUS client configuration, you can use the following procedure.

To apply an NPS template

  1. On the NPS server, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Network Policy Server. The NPS console opens.

  2. In the NPS console, expand RADIUS Clients and Servers, and then expand RADIUS Clients.

  3. In RADIUS Clients, in the details pane, right-click the RADIUS client that you want to apply the NPS template to, and then click Properties.

  4. In the properties dialog box for the RADIUS client, in Select an existing Shared Secrets template, select the template that you want to apply from the list of templates.

Note

You cannot use commands in the Netsh NPS context to configure NPS templates. If you use Netsh commands to change the settings of a configuration element, a reference to a template that is applied to this configuration element is removed.

You can export templates for use on other NPS servers, or you can import templates into Templates Management for use on the local computer.

To export or import NPS templates

  1. To export NPS templates, in the NPS console, right-click Templates Management, and then select click Export Templates to a File.

  2. To import NPS templates, in the NPS console, right-click Templates Management, and then click Import Templates from a Computer or Import Templates from a File.