In this demonstration, you will look at how you can securely manage your server environment by using
Windows Admin Centre, using Windows Admin Center, which is currently installed on the Domain Admins
Workstation.
You will connect and manage the primary domain controller and you will look at how you can manage server
core operating systems which we currently have installed on server three.
Currently on the Domain Admins workstation, we have installed the Windows Admin Center.
Now if you recall, there are a number of deployment options, but in this demonstration we are using
the local host option where we have installed this locally on the domain admin workstation.
Before we connect to the servers, let's take a look at some of the settings that's available within
Windows Admin Center.
When you navigate to settings, it gives you a number of options.
For instance, you can go ahead and sign in and connect to an Azure account so that you can manage Azure
resources.
You have various personalization options under Gateway.
You have the extensions option, which gives you a list of extensions that are currently available.
Microsoft is continually adding additional extensions, so you'll notice that some of them are currently
in preview mode.
If you would like to install a specific extension, all you need to do is select the extension and click
on install under installed extensions.
This shows you what is currently installed.
Take note of the extensions that require updates to update them.
All you have to do is select the extension and click on Update and Windows Admin Center will perform
the update of the extension.
Under Azure, this is where you can connect Windows Admin Center with Azure Services to integrate the
management.
Under PowerShell, you have a number of PowerShell scripts that you can use for repetitive tasks.
Now you will go ahead and add your first server.
By clicking on the add button, it provides you with a list of resources that you can add.
You'll click on Add under servers and here you can either add a server name.
You can also import a text or CSV list.
And since we are connected to an Active Directory forest, you can also search within Active Directory.
Now you need to manage the primary domain controller so you will enter in DC.
You can also use a wild card and click on search.
You will select the domain controller and click on ADD and now the domain controller has been successfully
added.
You can also change the managers account for the servers that you have added.
This gives you the ability to leverage multiple accounts to manage different servers, depending on
the permissions you have.
To manage the server.
You click on the server name and it'll connect to the server and you're immediately brought to the overview
page.
The overview page will give you some metrics related to the server.
On the left hand side, you'll see all of your extensions that you currently have installed.
Since this is a domain controller.
By navigating to the Active Directory extension, it enables you to manage Active Directory in a more
graphical user friendly way.
You can also browse the current Active Directory structure and modify objects within that structure.
For example, if you click on users and under domain admins, which is the security group, you can
modify the properties of that group such as the group name, and you can modify the membership by adding
or deleting users.
When you use the PowerShell extension, this establishes a PowerShell remote in session from within
Windows Admin Center to the server that you are managing.
Now you have the ability to run PowerShell scripts on the destination server from within Windows Admin
Center.
The roles and features extension enables you to install and uninstall additional roles and features
of the server.
Under the security extension, which at the time of recording was still in preview.
You can create security scans and you can run and you scan.
You can also look at the protection history to see what threats were found and the action that was taken.
The remote desktop extension enables you to establish an RDP session to the server.
It'll prompt you for the credentials that should be used.
And once you have entered in credentials that are allowed to remote desktop to the server, a remote
desktop session will be established and now you can manage the server remotely within Windows Admin
Center as if you have opened up the remote desktop application.
The settings extension pertains to the server that you are connected to.
It gives you a few settings that you can configure, for example, those related to SMB remote desktop
connection and one that I would like you to take a look at.
His role based access control with role based access control.
You can add some additional groups to Active Directory.
This gives you the ability to control who's got access to Windows Admin Center and the different permissions
that they have.
Now you will add server three.
I'll click on AD and follow the same process again, and this time you'll enter in the IP address.
You could also enter in the fully qualified domain name.
Once the server has been found, its name will be validated.
You can either added as you have typed the name or when you click on Add without selecting the tick
box it allowed the DNS name.
This server currently is not joined to the domain.
Lets modify the manage as account so that we can successfully connect to the server by selecting the
server and clicking on manage as and we specified the account details.
The credentials will be validated and you will then be able to connect to the server to connect to the
server.
It's the same process as before, simply clicking on the server name and you have the ability to utilize
your extensions to perform various management tasks on the server.
I find using Windows Admin Center a lot more useful and easier to use than using server manager and
connecting to multiple servers.
That brings us to the end of this module.