Managing Windows Server 2012 (part 4) - Working with Server Manager - Getting to know Server Manager

2. Working with Server Manager

Server Manager is your central management console. You can use it for the initial setup and configuration of roles and features and much, much more. Not only can Server Manager help you quickly set up a new server, the console also can help you quickly set up and maintain your server environment.

2.1 Getting to know Server Manager

Normally, Windows Server 2012 starts Server Manager whenever you log on and you can access Server Manager on the desktop. If you don’t want the console to start each time you log on, tap or click Manage and then tap or click Server Manager Properties. In the Server Manager Properties dialog box, select Do Not Start Server Manager Automatically At Logon and then tap or click OK.

Note

Group Policy can be used to control the automatic start of Server Manager as well. Enable or disable the Do Not Display Server Manager Automatically At Logon policy setting within Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Server Manager.

As Figure 2 shows, the default view of Server Manager is the Dashboard. The Dashboard has quick links for adding roles and features to local and remote servers, adding servers to manage, and creating server groups. You’ll find similar options are on the Manage menu:

• Add Roles And Features Starts the Add Roles And Features Wizard, which you can use to install roles, role services, and features on the server.

• Add Other Servers To Manage Opens the Add Servers dialog box, which you can use to add servers you want to manage. Added servers are listed when you select the All Servers node. Press and hold or right-click a server in the Servers pane of the All Servers node to display a list of management options, including Restart Server, Manage As, and Remove Server.

• Create A Server Group Opens the Create A Server Group dialog box, which you can use to add servers to server groups for easier management. Server Manager creates role-based groups automatically. For example, domain controllers are listed under AD DS, and you can quickly find information about any domain controllers by selecting the related node.

Figure 2. Use the Dashboard for general administration.

In the left pane of Server Manager (also sometimes referred to as the console tree), you’ll find options for accessing the Dashboard, the local server, all servers added for management, and server groups. When you need to connect to a server using alternate credentials, press and hold or right-click a server in the All Servers node and then select Manage As. In the Windows Security dialog box, enter your alternate credentials and then tap or click OK. Credentials you provide are cleared when you exit Server Manager. To save the credentials and use them each time you log on, select Remember My Credentials in the Windows Security dialog box. You need to repeat this procedure any time you change the password associated with the alternate credentials.

When you are logged on to a server and select Local Server, you can manage the basic configuration of the server. The Properties panel is where you perform much of your initial server configuration. Properties available for quick management include the following:

• Computer Name Lists the computer name. Tap or click the related link to display the System Properties dialog box with the Computer Name tab selected. You can then change a computer’s name by tapping or clicking Change, providing the computer name, and then tapping or clicking OK. By default, servers are assigned a randomly generated name.

• Customer Experience Improvement Program Specifies whether the server is participating in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). Tap or click the related link to change the participation settings. Participation in CEIP allows Microsoft to collect information about the way you use the server. Microsoft collects this data to help improve future releases of Windows. No data collected as part of CEIP personally identifies you or your company. If you elect to participate, you can also provide information about the number of servers and desktop computers in your organization, as well as your organization’s general industry. If you opt out of CEIP by turning this feature off, you miss the opportunity to help improve Windows.

• Domain Lists the domain membership (if any). Tap or click the related link to display the System Properties dialog box with the Computer Name tab selected. You can then change a computer’s domain information by tapping or clicking Change, providing the domain information, and then tapping or clicking OK. By default, servers are configured as part of a workgroup called WORKGROUP.

• Ethernet Specifies the TCP/IP configuration of wired Ethernet connections. Tap or click the related link to display the Network Connections console. You can then configure network connections by double-tapping or double-clicking the connection you want to work with and then tapping or clicking Properties to open the Properties dialog box. By default, servers are configured to use dynamic addressing for both Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). You can also display the Network Connections console by tapping or clicking Change Adapter Settings under Tasks in Network And Sharing Center.

• IE Enhanced Security Configuration Specifies the status of Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration (IE ESC). Tap or click the related link to enable or disable IE ESC. If you tap or click the link for this option, you can turn this feature on or off for administrators, users, or both. IE ESC is a security feature that reduces the exposure of a server to potential attacks by raising the default security levels in Internet Explorer security zones and changing default Internet Explorer settings. By default, IE ESC is enabled for both administrators and users.

  INSIDE OUT: Understanding Enhanced Security Configuration

  Enabling IE ESC reduces the functionality of Internet Explorer but is recommended for both users and administrators. When IE ESC is enabled, security zones are configured as follows: The Internet zone is set to Medium-High, the Trusted Sites zone is set to Medium, the Local Intranet zone is set to Medium-Low, and the Restricted zone is set to High. Additionally, the following Internet settings are changed: The Enhanced Security Configuration dialog box is on, third-party browser extensions are off, sounds in webpages are off, animations in webpages are off, signature checking for downloaded programs is on, server certificate revocation is on, encrypted pages are not saved, temporary Internet files are deleted when the browser is closed, warnings for secure and nonsecure mode changes are on, and memory protection is on.

• NIC Teaming Shows the status and configuration of network interface card (NIC) teaming. Tap or click the related link to add or remove teamed interfaces and to manage related options.

• Product ID Shows the product identifier for Windows Server. Tap or click the related link to enter a product key and activate the operating system over the Internet.

• Remote Desktop Opens the System Properties dialog box with the Remote tab selected. You can then configure Remote Desktop by selecting the configuration option you want to use and tapping or clicking OK. By default, no remote connections to a server are allowed. In the Small Icons or Large Icons view of Control Panel, you can display the System Properties dialog box with the Remote tab selected by double-tapping or double-clicking System and then tapping or clicking Remote Settings in the left pane.

• Remote Management Specifies whether remote management of this server from other servers is enabled. Tap or click the related link to enable or disable remote management.

• Time Zone Lists the current time zone for the server. Tap or click the related link to display the Date And Time dialog box. You can then configure the server’s time zone by tapping or clicking Change Time Zone, selecting the appropriate time zone, and then tapping or clicking OK twice. You can also display the Date And Time dialog box by pressing and holding or right-clicking the clock on the taskbar and then selecting Adjust Date/Time. Although all servers are configured to synchronize time automatically with an Internet time server, the time synchronization process does not change a computer’s time zone.

• Windows Error Reporting Specifies the status of Windows Error Reporting (WER). Tap or click the related link to change the participation settings for WER. In most cases, you’ll want to enable WER for at least the first 60 days following the installation of the operating system. With WER enabled, your server sends descriptions of problems to Microsoft, and Windows notifies you of possible solutions to those problems. You can view problem reports and possible solutions using Action Center. To open Action Center, tap or click the Action Center icon in the notification area of the taskbar and then select Open Action Center.

• Windows Firewall Lists the status of Windows Firewall. If Windows Firewall is active, this property displays the name of the firewall profile that currently applies and the firewall status. Tap or click the related link to display the Windows Firewall utility. By default, Windows Firewall is enabled. In the Small Icons or Large Icons view of Control Panel, you can display Windows Firewall by tapping or clicking the Windows Firewall option.

• Windows Update Specifies the current configuration of Windows Update. Tap or click the related link to display the Windows Update utility in Control Panel, which you can then use to enable automatic updating (if Windows Update is disabled) or to check for updates (if Windows Update is enabled). In the Small Icons or Large Icons view of Control Panel, you can display Windows Update by selecting the Windows Update option.

Other information about the local server is organized into several main headings, each with an associated management panel. The available management panels include

• Best Practices Analyzer Allows you to run the Best Practices Analyzer on the server and review the results. To start a scan, tap or click Tasks and then tap or click Start BPA Scan.

• Events Provides summary information about warning and error events from the server’s event logs. Tap or click an event to display more information about the event.

• Performance Allows you to configure and view the status of performance alerts for CPU and memory usage. To configure performance alerts, tap or click Tasks and then tap or click Configure Performance Alerts.

• Properties Shows the computer name, domain, network IP configuration, time zone, and more. Each property can be tapped or clicked to quickly display a related management interface.

• Roles And Features Lists the roles and features installed on the server, in the approximate order of installation.

• Services Lists the services running on the server by name, status, and start type. Press and hold or right-click a service to manage its run status.

When you press and hold or right-click a server name in the Servers pane of a server group or in the All Servers view, you open an extended list of management options. These options perform the corresponding task or open the corresponding management tool with the selected server in focus. For example, if you right-click CorpServer53 and then select Computer Management, Computer Management connects to CorpServer53 and then opens.