windows-itpro-docs/mdop/agpm/using-a-test-environment.md

title, description, ms.assetid, author

title	description	ms.assetid	author
Using a Test Environment	Using a Test Environment	fc5fcc7c-1ac8-483a-a6bd-2279ae2ee3fb	jamiejdt

Using a Test Environment

Before you request that a Group Policy Object (GPO) be deployed to the production environment, you should test the GPO in a lab environment. If you develop the GPO in a domain in a test forest, you can export the GPO to a file and import the file to a domain in the production forest. You can then test the GPO by linking it to an organizational unit (OU) that contains test computers and users.

• Export a GPO to a File

• Import a GPO from a File

• Test a GPO in a Separate Organizational Unit

Note   You can also import a GPO from the production environment of the domain. For more information, see Import a GPO from Production.