Management and Tools for Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012

Applies To: Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

This section contains tool and reference information for IT pros using Windows Server 2012.

Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1
This topic lists the Windows PowerShell modules included with Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows 8. The Windows PowerShell modules in the list support automating the features of those operating systems and provide links to the cmdlet references for each module. These modules enable you to use Windows PowerShell to administer, maintain, configure, and develop new features for Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows 8.

Manage Multiple, Remote Servers with Server Manager
The content in this section describes how to use Server Manager in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 to manage both local and remote Windows-based servers from desktop computers.

Deploy Remote Server Administration Tools
To ease remote server management, you can download and install Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8.1. Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8.1 includes Server Manager, Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins, consoles, Windows PowerShell cmdlets and providers, and some command-line tools for managing roles and features that run on Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012.

Install and Use Windows PowerShell Web Access
The content in this section describes how to configure and use Windows PowerShell Web Access, a feature that allows a server that is running Web Server (IIS) to act as a Windows PowerShell gateway and provide a web-based Windows PowerShell console to users in your organization.

Getting Started with Windows PowerShell Workflow
The content in this section describes Windows PowerShell Workflow, a feature that lets IT pros and developers leverage the benefits of workflows with the automation capabilities and ease of Windows PowerShell.

Command-Line Reference
The content in this section describes the command-line tools that enable IT pros to create batch files or scripting tools that automate common management tasks.

Datacenter Abstraction Layer (DAL) Overview
The content in this section describes DAL, an extensible framework that provides a set of management infrastructure components and schemas that can emulate device-specific details, such as those of network switches.

Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) Overview
The content in this section describes BITS, an optional feature that improves the network bandwidth use and efficiency of file transfers.

Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows

RSAT enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server from a computer that is running Windows 10 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1.

Original product version: В Windows 10, version 1909, Windows 10, version 1903, Windows 10, version 1809, Windows 7 Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number: В 2693643

Introduction

You can’t install RSAT on computers that are running Home or Standard editions of Windows. You can install RSAT only on Professional or Enterprise editions of the Windows client operating system. Unless the download page specifically states that RSAT applies to a beta, preview, or other prerelease version of Windows, you must be running a full (RTM) release of the Windows operating system to install and use RSAT. Some users have found ways of manually cracking or hacking the RSAT MSU to install RSAT on unsupported releases or editions of Windows. This behavior is a violation of the Windows end-user license agreement.

Installing RSAT is similar to installing Adminpak.msi in Windows 2000-based or Windows XP-based client computers. However, there’s one major difference: in Windows 7, the tools aren’t automatically available after you download and install RSAT. Enable the tools that you want to use by using Control Panel. To enable the tools, click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs and Features, and then click Turn Windows features on or off.

In the RSAT releases for Windows 10, tools are again all enabled by default. You can open Turn Windows features on or off to disable tools that you don’t want to use for Windows 7.

For RSAT in Windows 7, you must enable the tools for the roles and features that you want to manage after you run the downloaded installation package.

You can’t do the following changes for RSAT in Windows 8 or later versions.

If you have to install management tools in Windows Server 2012 R2 for specific roles or features that are running on remote servers, you don’t have to install additional software. Start the Add Roles and Features Wizard in Windows Server 2012 R2 and later versions. Then, on the Select Features page, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, and then select the tools that you want to install. Complete the wizard to install your management tools.

Download locations for RSAT

RSAT for Windows 10 platform and tools support matrix

Remote Server Administration Tools Technology	Description	Manages technology in Windows Server 2012 R2	Manages technology in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview and Windows Server 2012 R2
Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) tools	AD CS tools include the Certification Authority, Certificate Templates, Enterprise PKI, and Online Responder Management snap-ins.	в€љ	в€љ
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) tools and Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) tools	AD DS and AD LDS tools include the following tools:

— Active Directory Administrative Center
— Active Directory Domains and Trusts
— Active Directory Sites and Services
— Active Directory Users and Computers
— ADSI Edit
— Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell
— Tools such as

• DCPromo.exe
• LDP.exe
• NetDom.exe
• NTDSUtil.exe
• RepAdmin.exe
• DCDiag.exe
• DSACLs.exe
• DSAdd.exe
• DSDBUtil.exe
• DSMgmt.exe
• DSMod.exe
• DSMove.exe
• DSQuery.exe
• DSRm.exe
• GPFixup.exe
• KSetup.exe
• NlTest.exe
• NSLookup.exe
• W32tm.exe

в€љ Best Practices Analyzer Best Practices Analyzer cmdlets for Windows PowerShell в€љ в€љ BitLocker Drive Encryption Administration Utilities Manage-bde , Windows PowerShell cmdlets for BitLocker, BitLocker Recovery Password Viewer for Active Directory в€љ в€љ DHCP Server tools DHCP Server tools include the DHCP Management Console, the DHCP Server cmdlet module for Windows PowerShell, and the Netsh command-line tool. в€љ в€љ DirectAccess, Routing, and Remote Access — Routing and Remote Access management console
— Connection Manager Administration Kit console
— Remote Access provider for Windows PowerShell
— Web Application Proxy в€љ в€љ DNS Server tools DNS Server tools include the DNS Manager snap-in, the DNS module for Windows PowerShell, and the Ddnscmd.exe command-line tool. в€љ в€љ Failover Clustering tools Failover Clustering tools include Failover Cluster Manager, Failover Clusters (Windows PowerShell cmdlets), MSClus, Cluster.exe, Cluster-Aware Updating management console, Cluster-Aware Updating cmdlets for Windows PowerShell в€љ в€љ

GUI tools support Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview and Windows Server 2012 R2. Only PowerShell tools work in Windows Server 2012. File Services tools File Services tools include the following tools:

— Share and Storage Management tools
— Distributed File System tools

• The DFS Management snap-in
• The Dfsradmin.exe , Dfsrdiag.exe , Dfscmd.exe , Dfsdiag.exe , and Dfsutil.exe command-line tools
• PowerShell modules for DFSN and DFSR

— File Server Resource Manager tools

• The File Server Resource Manager snap-in
• The Dirquota.exe , Filescrn.exe , and Storrept.exe command-line tools.

— Services for NFS Administration tools
— iSCSI management cmdlets for Windows PowerShell
— Work Folders Management tools в€љ в€љ

The Share and Storage Management snap-in is deprecated after the release of Windows Server 2016. Storage Replica is new in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, and won’t work in Windows Server 2012 R2. Group Policy Management tools Group Policy Management tools include Group Policy Management Console, Group Policy Management Editor, and Group Policy Starter GPO Editor. в€љ в€љ

Group Policy has some new features in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview that aren’t available on older operating systems. Hyper-V tools Hyper-V tools include the Hyper-V Manager snap-in and the Virtual Machine Connection remote access tool. Hyper-V tools aren’t part of Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10. These tools are available as part of Windows 10. You don’t have to install RSAT to use the tools. The Hyper-V Manager console for Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview doesn’t support managing Hyper-V servers running Server 2008 or Server 2008 R2. Hyper-V in Windows 10 can manage Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 R2. IP Address Management (IPAM) Management tools IP Address Management client console в€љ

IPAM tools in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 can’t be used to manage IPAM running in Windows Server 2012 R2. в€љ

IPAM tools in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 can’t be used to manage IPAM running in Windows Server 2012 R2. Network Adapter Teaming, or NIC Teaming NIC Teaming management console в€љ в€љ Network Controller Network Controller PowerShell module Not available в€љ Network Load Balancing tools Network Load Balancing tools include the Network Load Balancing Manager, Network Load Balancing Windows PowerShell cmdlets, and the NLB.exe and WLBS.exe command-line tools. в€љ в€љ Remote Desktop Services tools Remote Desktop Services tools include:
— Remote Desktop snap-ins
— RD Gateway Manager
— tsgateway.msc
— RD Licensing Manager
— licmgr.exe
— RD Licensing Diagnoser
— lsdiag.msc

Use Server Manager to administer all other RDS role services except RD Gateway and RD Licensing. в€љ в€љ Server for NIS tools Server for NIS tools include an extension to the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, and the Ypclear.exe command-line tool These tools aren’t available in RSAT for Windows 10 and later releases. Server Manager Server Manager includes the Server Manager console.

Remote management with Server Manager is available in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012. в€љ в€љ Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) Server tools SMTP Server tools include the SMTP snap-in. These tools aren’t available in RSAT for Windows 8 and later releases. Storage Explorer tools Storage Explorer tools include the Storage Explorer snap-in. These tools aren’t available in RSAT for Windows 8 and later releases. Storage Manager for Storage Area Network (SAN) tools Storage Manager for SAN tools include the Storage Manager for SAN snap-in and the Provisionstorage.exe command-line tool. These tools aren’t available in RSAT for Windows 8 and later releases. Volume Activation Manage Volume Activation, vmw.exe в€љ в€љ Windows System Resource Manager tools Windows System Resource Manager tools include the Windows System Resource Manager snap-in and the Wsrmc.exe command-line tool. в€љ

WSRM has been deprecated in Windows Server 2012 R2. Tools for managing WSRM aren’t available in RSAT for Windows 8.1 and later releases of RSAT. Windows Server Update Services tools Windows Server Update Services tools include the Windows Server Update Services snap-in, WSUS.msc, and PowerShell cmdlets. в€љ в€љ

RSAT for Windows 10, version 1809 or later versions

You can’t use the Turn Windows features on and off dialog from the Control Panel

Installing the RSAT Tools for Windows 10 version 1809 and later version is slightly different from earlier versions. RSAT is now part of the Operating System an can be installed via Optional Features.

To enable the tools, click Start, click Settings, click Apps, and then click Optional features, after that click on the panel Add a feature and enter Remote in the search bar.