16/19 Managing Windows Server with Windows Admin Center Table of contents 1. Why browser-based admin tools? 3| 2. Admin Center versus existing tools 4| 3. WAC not yet a replacement for RSAT 5| 4. Components of Windows Admin Center 6| 5. Installation and operation 7| Management via PowerShell, WMI and WinRM Supported web browsers Integration with Azure Installing Windows Admin Center on Server Core 6. Setting access rights via roles 11| Controlling access to the gateway Roles for the management of target systems Activating access controls, assigning roles Rudimentary role concept limits delegation options 7. Installing the Hyper-V role and configuring the host 16| Adding roles Creating a vSwitch Strengths and weaknesses of WAC for Hyper-V management 8. Creating and configuring virtual machines 19| Creating a new VM Installing the guest OS Subsequently changing VM settings Creating and managing snapshots 9. Activating Remote Desktop and starting it in the browser 24| Error when activating firewall rules Tools as RemoteApp 10. Copying files to a Windows server 27| Files tool in Admin Center 11. Summary 29| thomas-krenn.com | 3 Managing Windows Server 2016/2019 with Windows Admin Center With Windows Admin Center (WAC), Microsoft Admin Center is Microsoft’s second attempt to is joining the industry trend towards web-based develop web-based tools for the management of management tools – though somewhat later Windows servers. It’s first was Server Management than most. While still a long way from its final Tools (SMT) – an Azure service that was discontinued release stage, the manufacturer recommends it in mid-2017. WAC, on the other hand, is a pure on- for managing Windows Server 2019. Admins must premises solution that users install on their own therefore expect to juggle a range of different tools computers. for the Microsoft platform over an extended period. 1. Why browser-based admin tools? The main advantage of web-based admin tools is offers for assigning access rights. clear: They do not require the installation of software Finally, browser-based tools are an advantage on the end device and can run on practically any when hybrid environments consisting of local and device with a modern browser installed. This is a cloud-based resources are to be managed via a particular strength when administrative tasks are single interface. Services in the public cloud are to be delegated to standard users in specialist inherently designed for management via web APIs. departments. One argument against browser consoles for a For such scenarios, it should be possible to reduce the long time was the poor usability of web interfaces. web interface to the required functions. However, Today’s web technologies, however, allow the this requires a role concept that allows flexible development of interfaces that are on a par with customization of the GUI and can also be used to their desktop counterparts in terms of convenience. control the permissions of the respective users. A Windows Admin Center has a modern web GUI that separate section in this text therefore examines the provides dynamically updated performance charts. question of which options Admin Center currently thomas-krenn.com | 4 WAC uses a modern web interface that displays important indicators in live charts. (Windows-Admin-Center-Leistungsindikatoren.png) 2. Admin Center versus existing tools In addition to WAC, which appeared in its first official whose focus is on Unified Endpoint Management. version in Q2 2018 with Windows Server 1803, With the recent introduction of the ability to Microsoft has a broad portfolio of management distribute Win32 applications, cloud-based tools. These include Remote Server Administration software is increasingly entering System Center Tools (RSAT), System Center products and the SaaS Configuration Manager (SCCM) territory. tool Intune. Admin Center has very little overlap with the By contrast, Admin Center is to be seen as an heavyweight tools of the System Center family. alternative to RSAT, which it will probably replace Products such as the Configuration-, Operations- in the long run. As the example of vSphere shows, or Service Manager cover tasks for which Admin porting complex tools from the desktop to the Center is not intended. Functional overlaps exist browser can take a long time. However, VMware with the not too popular Virtual Machine Manager recently completed this transition after developing (SCVMM). Incidentally, a “webification” of System a Flash-based web client. Microsoft is still at the Center is still largely pending. beginning of this process with WAC. There is similarly little competition with Intune, thomas-krenn.com | 5 3. WAC not yet a replacement for RSAT Admin Center, like RSAT, is primarily used to manage Admin Center does not nearly have all the functions roles and features provided by Windows Server. of RSAT at this point, yet it already offers exclusive Unlike VMware, which equipped the vSphere web features for managing Windows Server 2019. client with the functions of the native Windows For instance, if you don’t want to forgo a graphical client, the relationship between RSAT and WAC is admin UI for certain aspects of the current server more complicated. operating system (e.g. storage migration services or system insights), then you’ll need to use WAC. Only WAC provides a GUI for capacity planning with system insights. (Windows-Admin-Center-System-Insights.png) The functionality of Admin Center in relation to RSAT can be categorized as follows: WAC has features that are: • Incomplete compared to the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) tools. This applies to most components. • Largely feature-complete. This applies, for example, to the management of Hyper-V. A separate section below shows how WAC manages such a relatively complex system component. thomas-krenn.com | 6 • Unique and not present in RSAT, such as Storage Spaces Direct monitoring. This also includes useful little helpers like an RDP web client and a file upload service, which are also covered here. • Missing completely. This applies to important services such as Active Directory, DHCP, DNS and Remote Desktop Services. There is no exact timetable as to when which Term Servicing channel. functions will be added. However, Microsoft is Due to the fast update cycles, Admin Center is publishing previews of WAC in relatively short not yet included in the scope of delivery for the intervals and has so far released an official version operating system. for each server release in the Semi-Annual or Long- 4. Components of Windows Admin Center WAC consists of four components: It can also be used to control Cluster-Aware Server Manager: This includes functions to manage Updating. The web variant, however, is not yet able the (as of now supported) roles and features of to set up failover clusters; for this, you still have to Windows Server. In contrast to the tool of the same fall back on the classic tools. name in RSAT, which was given the capability for Hyper-Converged Cluster Manager: Windows multi-server management in version 2012, only clusters running virtual machines and individual computers can be managed with WAC. simultaneously providing software-defined storage Computer Management: This is used to manage with Storage Spaces Direct could initially only be Windows 10 PCs. Its functions largely overlap with managed through PowerShell. WAC is currently those of the MMC program of the same name. the only graphical management tool for these Failover Cluster Manager: At first glance, this is the configurations. Its dashboard provides all the web equivalent of the MMC-based tool of the same essential metrics of such an environment, which name. It allows for the management of a server Admin Center can manage and monitor, but cannot group’s resources such as disks, networks, cluster set up. nodes, roles, VM, and vSwitches. The Windows Admin Center modules (Windows-Admin-Center-Komponenten.png) thomas-krenn.com | 7 In addition to these four modules and the functions Currently, there are mainly extensions from they contain, Admin Center has a mechanism for hardware manufacturers that allow users to adding extensions. It allows Microsoft or third-party monitor servers or storage systems. vendors to mount their tools in the web console. 5. Installation and operation Installation is surprisingly simple: If you expected versions 2016 and newer. that you would have to activate and configure the Since Preview 1802, a high-availability deployment Internet Information Services (IIS) first, you will in a failover cluster is also planned. be pleasantly surprised. The software comes with The web tools can be installed on Windows Server its own web server, which is established with the 2016 and 2019 as well as on Windows 10. Older setup. versions of the server OS from 2012 are also The whole process entails opening the MSI installer supported but will require a current version of and navigating three dialog boxes for essential the Windows Management Framework. A limited settings. It supports Windows 10 x64 and Server number of features function with Server 2008 R2. To install Admin Center, you need at least Windows 10 or Server 2016 or 2019 (windows-admin-center-server-2012r2-setup.png). thomas-krenn.com | 8 A specific feature of installing WAC on Windows be established with this server in order to use it as Server is that you can upload or create an SSL a gateway for the management of other machines. certificate. This allows secure HTTPS connections to When WAC is installed on a Windows server, it serves as a gateway to manage other resources. Source: Microsoft (Admin-Center-Architektur.png) However, this does not work if you install the web a gateway. tools on a client PC running Windows 10. As a result, rights management is also not available In this case, you can only manage remote systems in this case.