Now it’s time to practice the new MMC terms you’ve learned as we take a look at the Computer Management console. COMPMGMT.MSC is the main tool for administering a single server, local or remote. If you only have one or two Server 2003 servers on your network (and are not implementing Active Directory), the Computer Management console contains most of the tools you’ll need. You’ll find Computer Management in the Administrative Tools program group, or right-click My Computer on the Start menu and choose Manage.
Console Root Console Window Console Tree Toolbar Console Window Main MMC Window Details Pane
Using Computer Management Remotely
There are several ways to use COMPMGMT.MSC to manage remote servers on your network:
◆ Run COMPMGMT.MSC with the switch /COMPUTER=COMPUTERNAME.
◆ If you are working in an Active Directory context, within Active Directory Users and Computers, right-click the machine’s icon and choose Manage.
A MICROSOFT MANAGEMENT CONSOLE PRIMER 53
There are three nodes in the Computer Management console tree: System Tools, Storage, and Services and Applications (see Figure 3.5). Notice that the tool manages the local machine by default; to connect to other computers on the network, highlight the Computer Management icon at the root of the tree, right-click, and choose Connect to Another Computer. You can also choose Connect to Another Computer from the Action menu, but right-clicking an object in the console tree reveals both the Action and View menu options, so it’s more efficient.
FIGURE 3.5
The Computer Management console tree
Expand the nodes in the Computer Management console tree to reveal the configuration tools and objects, as shown in Figure 3.6. Most of the core functions are under System Tools.
FIGURE 3.6
The expanded Computer Management console tree
Using Computer Management Remotely (continued)
◆ Open Computer Manager and highlight Computer Management (local) at the root of the console, then right-click and choose Connect to Another Computer.
◆ If you are creating a custom console that includes the Computer Management snap-in, specify the remote server the tool will point to when you add the snap-in, or check the box that allows you to specify the remote computer at the command line, as described in the first option.
54 CHAPTER 3 CONFIGURING WINDOWS SERVER: THE MICROSOFT MANAGEMENT CONSOLE
Note To manage NT 4 or Windows 98 boxes remotely with COMPMGMT.MSC, install the Windows Management
Instrumentation (WMI) Version 1.5 Core Components on the legacy system. This is available as a download (WMICORE.EXE) from Microsoft’s Web site. The WMI add-on component is available for Windows 9x and NT 4.
Windows Me, 2000, and XP include WMI.
In the System Tools node, you can perform the following tasks:
◆ View events and manage the event logs. The Event Viewer is available as a snap-in, an exten- sion to the Computer Management tool (as shown here), or as a stand-alone prepackaged tool (EVENTVWR.MSC). Some services, such as DNS and Active Directory, have their own logs and these will appear in the details pane if the service is installed on the system.
◆ Manage shared folders. View, create, and manage shares; view sessions and open files; and disconnect sessions.
◆ Create and manage local users and groups (Chapter 9 is all about creating and managing users and groups). If the system is a domain controller running Active Directory, however, the local users and groups extension will not load.
◆ Set up performance logs and alerts (see Chapter 18 for specifics on configuring perfor- mance alerts).
◆ Manage devices. This version of Device Manager functions in read-only mode when it’s looking at remote systems, but it’s still a good resource if you want an overview of the remote system’s hardware or are troubleshooting a resource conflict.
Tip For a better (but still read-only) look at a remote system’s hardware and software configuration information, run
MSINFO32.EXE. This little tool is powerful and includes options to run a search, view a history of changes, print out
system information, or export the data to a file.
The Storage node includes options for managing removable storage (CD-ROMs and CD Jukeboxes, for example), along with the Disk Defragmenter tool and the Disk Management tool for managing disks, partitions, and volumes. The Logical Drives extension that was present in the Windows 2000 version of this tool is gone now.
The Services and Applications node includes, at a minimum, telephony settings, services config- uration, and an indexing extension. As new services are installed on the system, the components available in the Services and Applications node will change. For instance, if the server is a DHCP server or is running DNS, the appropriate management tools will appear under Services and Applications—otherwise, you won’t see them. I’m quite fond of this feature; when I’m checking out a server for the first time, I can determine what key services are installed on the system and look at the configuration for those services using the same tool.