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Manage Servers with Windows Admin Center

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    ✅ Windows Admin Center, ✅ Windows Admin Center Preview

Tip

New to Windows Admin Center? Download or learn more about Windows Admin Center.

Managing Windows Server machines

You can add individual servers running Windows Server 2012 or later to Windows Admin Center to manage the server with a comprehensive set of tools including Certificates, Devices, Events, Processes, Roles and Features, Updates, Virtual Machines and more.

Server connection Overview screen

Adding a server to Windows Admin Center

To add a server to Windows Admin Center:

  1. Click + Add under All Connections.
  2. Choose to add Servers.
  3. Type the name of the server and, if prompted, the credentials to use.
  4. Click Add to finish.

The server will be added to your connection list on the Overview page. Click it to connect to the server.

Note

You can also add failover clusters or hyper-converged clusters as a separate connection in Windows Admin Center.

Tools

The following tools are available for server connections:

Tool Description
Overview View server details and control server state
Settings View and modify services
Active Directory Manage Active Directory
Azure Backup View and configure Azure Backup
Azure File Sync View and configure Azure File Sync
Azure hybrid center View and configure Azure hybrid services
Azure Monitor View and configure Azure Monitor
Certificates View and modify certificates
Containers View Containers
Devices View and modify devices
DHCP View and manage DHCP server configuration
DNS View and manage DNS server configuration
Events View events
Files & file sharing Browse files and folders
Firewall View and modify firewall rules
Installed apps View and remove installed apps
Local users and groups View and modify local users and groups
Microsoft Defender for Cloud View and configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Networks View and modify network devices
Packet monitoring Monitor network packets
Performance monitor View performance counters and reports
PowerShell Interact with server via PowerShell
Processes View and modify running processes
Registry View and modify registry entries
Remote Desktop Interact with server via Remote Desktop
Roles & features View and modify roles and features
Scheduled tasks View and modify scheduled tasks
Security View and modify security settings
Services View and modify services
Storage View and modify storage devices
Storage Migration Service Migrate servers and file shares to Azure or Windows Server 2019
Storage Replica Use Storage Replica to manage server-to-server storage replication
System Insights System Insights gives you increased insight into the functioning of your server.
Updates View installed and check for new updates
Virtual machines View and manage virtual machines
Virtual switches View and manage virtual switches

Overview

Overview allows you to see the current state of CPU, memory, and network performance, as well as perform operations and modify settings on a target computer or server.

Overview features

The following features are supported in Server Manager Overview:

  • View server details
  • View CPU activity
  • View memory activity
  • View network activity
  • Restart server
  • Shutdown server
  • Enable disk metrics on server
  • Edit Computer ID on server
  • View BMC IP address with hyperlink (requires IPMI-compatible BMC).

Active Directory (Preview)

Active Directory is an early preview that is available on the extension feed.

Active Directory features

The following Active Directory management features are available:

  • Create user
  • Create group
  • Search for users, computers, and groups
  • Details pane for users, computers, and groups when selected in grid
  • Global Grid actions users, computers, and groups (disable/enable, remove)
  • Reset user password
  • User objects: configure basic properties & group memberships
  • Computer objects: configure delegation to a single machine
  • Group objects: manage membership (add/remove 1 user at a time)

Azure Backup

Azure Backup allows you to protect your Windows server from corruptions, attacks or disasters by backing up your server directly to Microsoft Azure. Learn more about Azure Backup.

Azure Backup features

The following features are supported in Backup:

  • View an overview of your Azure backup status
  • Configure backup items and schedule
  • Start or stop a backup job
  • View backup job history and status
  • View recovery points and recover data
  • Delete backup data

Azure File Sync

Azure File Sync allows you to sync your file server with the cloud. Learn more about Azure File Sync.

Azure hybrid center

Azure hybrid center is your centralized location for learning about and onboarding to Azure hybrid services. Learn more about Azure hybrid services in Windows Admin Center.

Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor allows you to monitor your servers and configure alerts. Learn more about Azure Monitor.

Certificates

Certificates allows you to manage certificate stores on a computer or server.

Certificates features

The following features are supported in Certificates:

  • Browse and search existing certificates
  • View certificate details
  • Export certificates
  • Renew certificates
  • Request new certificates
  • Delete certificates

Containers

Containers allows you to view the containers on a Windows Server container host. In the case of a running Windows Server Core container, you can view the event logs and access the CLI of the container. It is available on the extension feed.

Devices

Devices allows you to manage connected devices on a computer or server.

Devices features

The following features are supported in Devices:

  • Browse and search devices
  • View device details
  • Disable a device
  • Update driver on a device

DHCP

DHCP allows you to manage connected devices on a computer or server. It is available on the extension feed.

DHCP features

  • Create, configure, and view IPV4 and IPV6 scopes
  • Create address exclusions and configure start and end IP address
  • Create address reservations and configure client MAC address (IPV4), DUID and IAID (IPV6)

DNS

DNS allows you to manage connected devices on a computer or server. It is available on the extension feed.

DNS features

  • View details of DNS Forward Lookup zones, Reverse Lookup zones and DNS records
  • Create forward Lookup zones (primary, secondary, or stub), and configure forward lookup zone properties
  • Create Host (A or AAAA), CNAME or MX type of DNS records
  • Configure DNS records properties
  • Create IPV4 and IPV6 Reverse Lookup zones (primary, secondary and stub), configure reverse lookup zone properties
  • Create PTR, CNAME type of DNS records under reverse lookup zone.

Events

Events allows you to manage event logs on a computer or server.

Events features

The following features are supported in Events:

  • Browse and search events
  • View event details
  • Clear events from the log
  • Export events from the log
  • Create workspaces (preview)
  • Save workspaces (preview)
  • Delete workspaces (preview)
  • View events in a stacked bar format (preview)

Files and file sharing

Files and file sharing allows you to manage files and folders on a computer or server.

Files and file sharing features

The following features are supported in Files and file sharing:

  • Browse files and folders
  • Search for a file or folder
  • Create a new folder
  • Delete a file or folder
  • Download a file or folder
  • Upload a file or folder
  • Rename a file or folder
  • Extract a zip file
  • Copy and move files and folders
  • View file or folder properties
  • Add, edit, or remove file shares
  • Modify user and group permissions on file shares
  • Modify file server security

Firewall

Firewall allows you to manage firewall settings and rules on a computer or server.

Firewall features

The following features are supported in Firewall:

  • View an overview of firewall settings
  • View incoming firewall rules
  • View outgoing firewall rules
  • Search firewall rules
  • View firewall rule details
  • Create a new firewall rule
  • Enable or disable a firewall rule
  • Delete a firewall rule
  • Edit the properties of a firewall rule

Installed apps

Installed apps allows you to list and uninstall applications that are installed.

Local users and groups

Local users and groups allows you to manage security groups and users that exist locally on a computer or server.

Local users and groups features

The following features are supported in Local users and groups:

  • View and search users and groups
  • Create a new user or group
  • Manage a user's group membership
  • Delete a user or group
  • Change a user's password
  • Edit the properties of a user or group

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a cloud-native application protection platform with a set of security measures and practices designed to protect cloud-based applications from various cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Networks

Networks allows you to manage network devices and settings on a computer or server.

Networks features

The following features are supported in Network:

PowerShell

PowerShell allows you to interact with a computer or server via a PowerShell session.

PowerShell features

The following features are supported in PowerShell:

  • Create an interactive PowerShell session on the server
  • Disconnect from PowerShell session on the server

Processes

Processes allows you to manage running processes on a computer or server.

Processes features

The following features are supported in Processes:

  • Browse and search for running processes
  • View process details
  • Start a process
  • End a process
  • Create a process dump
  • Find process handles

Registry

Registry allows you to manage registry keys and values on a computer or server.

Registry features

The following features are supported in Registry:

  • Browse registry keys and values
  • Add or modify registry values
  • Delete registry values

Remote Desktop

Remote Desktop allows you to interact with a computer or server via an interactive desktop session.

Remote Desktop features

The following features are supported in Remote Desktop:

  • Start an interactive remote desktop session
  • Disconnect from a remote desktop session
  • Send Ctrl+Alt+Del to a remote desktop session

Roles and Features

Roles and Features allows you to manage roles and features on a server.

Roles and Features features

The following features are supported in Roles and Features:

  • Browse list of roles and features on a server
  • View role or feature details
  • Install a role or feature
  • Remove a role or feature

Scheduled tasks

Scheduled tasks allows you to manage scheduled tasks on a computer or server.

Scheduled tasks features

The following features are supported in Scheduled tasks:

  • Browse the task scheduler library
  • Edit scheduled tasks
  • Enable & Disable scheduled tasks
  • Start & Stop scheduled tasks
  • Create scheduled tasks

Security

Security allows you to manage your security settings on a computer or server.

Security features

The following features are supported in Security:

  • Run and schedule virus scans
  • Enable and disable real-time threat protection
  • View threat history
  • Check Secured-core status
  • Enable or disable Secured-core security features

Services

Services allows you to manage services on a computer or server.

Services features

The following features are supported in Services:

  • Browse and search services on a server
  • View details of a service
  • Start a service
  • Pause a service
  • Restart a service
  • Edit the properties of a service

Settings

Settings is a central location to manage settings on a computer or server.

Settings features

  • View and modify File share settings
  • View and modify user and system environment variables
  • View and modify the power configuration
  • View and modify Remote Desktop settings
  • View and modify role-based access control settings
  • View and modify Hyper-V host settings, if applicable

Storage

Storage allows you to manage storage devices on a computer or server.

Storage features

The following features are supported in Storage:

  • Browse and search existing disks on a server
  • View disk details
  • Create a volume
  • Initialize a disk
  • Create, attach, and detach a virtual hard disk (VHD)
  • Take a disk offline
  • Format a volume
  • Resize a volume
  • Edit volume properties
  • Delete a volume
  • Install Quota Management
  • Manage File Server Resource Manager Quotas Storage->Create/Update Quota

Storage Migration Service

Storage Migration Service allows you to migrate servers and file shares to Azure or Windows Server 2019—without requiring apps or users to change anything. Get an overview of Storage Migration Service

Note

Storage Migration Service requires Windows Server 2019.

Storage Replica

Use Storage Replica to manage server-to-server storage replication. Learn more about Storage Replica

System Insights

System Insights introduces predictive analytics natively in Windows Server to help give you increased insight into the functioning of your server. Get an overview of System Insights

Note

System Insights requires Windows Server 2019.

Updates

Updates allows you to manage Microsoft and/or Windows Updates on a computer or server.

Updates features

The following features are supported in Updates:

  • View available Windows or Microsoft Updates
  • View a list of update history
  • Install Updates
  • Check online for updates from Microsoft Update
  • Manage Azure Update Management integration

Virtual machines

See Managing Virtual Machines with Windows Admin Center

Virtual switches

Virtual switches allows you to manage Hyper-V virtual switches on a computer or server.

Virtual switches features

The following features are supported in Virtual switches:

  • Browse and search Virtual switches on a server
  • Create a new Virtual switch
  • Rename a Virtual switch
  • Delete an existing Virtual switch
  • Edit the properties of a Virtual Switch