Admincenter
1 like•381 views
Windows Admin Center is a browser-based tool for managing Windows servers and clients. It can be installed locally and manages servers through Remote PowerShell and WMI over WinRM. The Windows Admin Center gateway publishes to DNS and provides secure remote access and management from anywhere using Edge or Chrome. Windows Admin Center enhances security for management and complements existing solutions like System Center while providing familiar functionality in a modern package.
![Support Extend
Video-based learning
See how customers are benefitting from Windows Admin Center
"[Windows Admin Center] has decreased our time/effort in managing the management system by over 75%."
- Rand Morimoto, President, Convergent Computing
"Thanks to [Windows Admin Center], we can manage our customers remotely from HTML5 portal without problem and with
the full integration with Azure Active Directory, we are able to increase the security thanks to the Multi-Factor Authentication."
- Silvio Di Benedetto, Founder and Senior Consultant, Inside Technologies
“We have been able to deploy [Server Core] SKUs in a more effective way, improving resource efficiency, security and
automation while still achieving a good degree of productivity and reducing errors that can happen when relying on scripting
only.”
- Guglielmo Mengora, Founder and CEO, VaiSulWeb
“With [Windows Admin Center] customers especially in the SMB market now have an easy to use tool to manage their internal
infrastructure. This minimizes administrative efforts and saves a lot of time. And the best of it: there are no additional license
fees for [Windows Admin Center]!”
- Helmut Otto, Managing Director, SecureGUARD
Release history
Support policy
Common troubleshooting steps
Known issues
Overview of extensions
Understanding extensions
Develop an extension
Guides
Publishing extensions
Here are some videos from Microsoft Ignite 2019 sessions:
Windows Admin Center: Unlock Azure Hybrid value
Windows Admin Center: What’s new and what’s next
Automatically monitor, secure and update your on-premises servers from Azure with Windows Admin Center
Get more done with Windows Admin Center third-party extensions
Be a Windows Admin Center expert: Best practices for deployment, configuration, and security
Windows Admin Center: Better together with System Center and Microsoft Azure
How to use Microsoft Azure hybrid services together with Windows Admin Center and Windows Server
Live Q&A: Manage your hybrid server environment with Windows Admin Center
Learning Path: Hybrid management technologies
Hands on Lab: Windows Admin Center and Hybrid
Here are some videos from Windows Server Summit 2019 sessions:
Go hybrid with Windows Admin Center
What's new with Windows Admin Center v1904
And here are a few additional resources:
Windows Admin Center server management reimagined
Manage Servers and Virtual Machines Anywhere with Windows Admin Center
How to get started with Windows Admin Center](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-6-320.jpg)
![Set-ADComputer -Identity (Get-ADComputer node01) -PrincipalsAllowedToDelegateToAccount (Get-ADComputer wac)
Set-ADComputer -Identity (Get-ADComputer node01) -PrincipalsAllowedToDelegateToAccount $null
Role-based access control
TIP
Apply role-based access control to a single machine
To configure Resource-based constrained delegation in your environment, use the following PowerShell example.
This example shows how you would configure a Windows Server [node01.contoso.com] to accept delegation from
your Windows Admin Center gateway [wac.contoso.com] in the contoso.com domain.
To remove this relationship, run the following cmdlet:
Role-based access control enables you to provide users with limited access to the machine instead of making them
full local administrators. Read more about role-based access control and the available roles.
Setting up RBAC consists of 2 steps: enabling support on the target computer(s) and assigning users to the
relevant roles.
Make sure you have local administrator privileges on the machines where you are configuring support for role-based access
control.
The single machine deployment model is ideal for simple environments with only a few computers to manage.
Configuring a machine with support for role-based access control will result in the following changes:
PowerShell modules with functions required by Windows Admin Center will be installed on your system drive,
under C:Program FilesWindowsPowerShellModules . All modules will start with Microsoft.Sme
Desired State Configuration will run a one-time configuration to configure a Just Enough Administration
endpoint on the machine, named Microsoft.Sme.PowerShell. This endpoint defines the 3 roles used by
Windows Admin Center and will run as a temporary local administrator when a user connects to it.
3 new local groups will be created to control which users are assigned access to which roles:
Windows Admin Center Administrators
Windows Admin Center Hyper-V Administrators
Windows Admin Center Readers
To enable support for role-based access control on a single machine, follow these steps:
1. Open Windows Admin Center and connect to the machine you wish to configure with role-based access control
using an account with local administrator privileges on the target machine.
2. On the Overview tool, click Settings > Role-based access control.
3. Click Apply at the bottom of the page to enable support for role-based access control on the target computer.
The application process involves copying PowerShell scripts and invoking a configuration (using PowerShell
Desired State Configuration) on the target machine. It may take up to 10 minutes to complete, and will result in
WinRM restarting. This will temporarily disconnect Windows Admin Center, PowerShell, and WMI users.
4. Refresh the page to check the status of role-based access control. When it is ready for use, the status will
change to Applied.
Once the configuration is applied, you can assign users to the roles:
1. Open the Local Users and Groups tool and navigate to the Groups tab.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-42-320.jpg)
![Deploy on multiple machines
NOTE
Copy-Item "$PSScriptRootJustEnoughAdministration" "$env:ProgramFilesWindowsPowerShellModules" -Recurse -
Force
$ConfigData = @{
AllNodes = @()
ModuleBasePath = @{
Source = "$PSScriptRootModules"
Destination = "$env:ProgramFilesWindowsPowerShellModules"
}
}
InstallJeaFeature -ConfigurationData $ConfigData | Out-Null
Start-DscConfiguration -Path "$PSScriptRootInstallJeaFeature" -JobName "Installing JEA for Windows Admin
Center" -Force
To deploy the configuration you downloaded onto multiple machines, you'll need to update the
InstallJeaFeatures.ps1 script to include the appropriate security groups for your environment, copy the files to
each of your computers, and invoke the configuration scripts. You can use your preferred automation tooling to
accomplish this, however this article will focus on a pure PowerShell-based approach.
By default, the configuration script will create local security groups on the machine to control access to each of the
roles. This is suitable for workgroup and domain joined machines, but if you're deploying in a domain-only
environment you may wish to directly associate a domain security group with each role. To update the
configuration to use domain security groups, open InstallJeaFeatures.ps1 and make the following changes:
1. Remove the 3 Group resources from the file:
2. Remove the 3 Group resources from the JeaEndpoint DependsOn property
3. Change the group names in the JeaEndpoint RoleDefinitions property to your desired security groups. For
example, if you have a security group CONTOSOMyTrustedAdmins that should be assigned access to the
Windows Admin Center Administrators role, change '$env:COMPUTERNAMEWindows Admin Center Administrators'
to 'CONTOSOMyTrustedAdmins' . The three strings you need to update are:
a. "Group MS-Readers-Group"
b. "Group MS-Hyper-V-Administrators-Group"
c. "Group MS-Administrators-Group"
a. "[Group]MS-Readers-Group"
b. "[Group]MS-Hyper-V-Administrators-Group"
c. "[Group]MS-Administrators-Group"
a. '$env:COMPUTERNAMEWindows Admin Center Administrators'
b. '$env:COMPUTERNAMEWindows Admin Center Hyper-V Administrators'
c. '$env:COMPUTERNAMEWindows Admin Center Readers'
Be sure to use unique security groups for each role. Configuration will fail if the same security group is assigned to multiple
roles.
Next, at the end of the InstallJeaFeatures.ps1 file, add the following lines of PowerShell to the bottom of the
script:
Finally, you can copy the folder containing the modules, DSC resource and configuration to each target node and
run the InstallJeaFeature.ps1 script. To do this remotely from your admin workstation, you can run the following
commands:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-44-320.jpg)
!["name","type","tags","groupId"
"myServer.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","hyperv"
"myDesktop.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client","hyperv"
"teamcluster.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.cluster","legacyCluster|WS2016","global"
"myHCIcluster.contoso.com,"msft.sme.connection-type.hyper-converged-cluster","myHCIcluster|hyperv|JIT|WS2019"
"teamclusterNode.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","legacyCluster|WS2016","global"
"myHCIclusterNode.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","myHCIcluster|hyperv|JIT|WS2019"
Import RDCman connections
Use the script below to export saved connections in RDCman to a file. You can then import the file into Windows
Admin Center, maintaining your RDCMan grouping hierarchy using tags. Try it out!
#Helper function for RdgToWacCsv
function AddServers {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
[Xml.XmlLinkedNode]
$node,
[Parameter()]
[String[]]
$tags,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
[String]
$csvPath
)
if ($node.LocalName -eq 'server') {
$serverName = $node.properties.name
$tagString = $tags -join "|"
Add-Content -Path $csvPath -Value ('"'+ $serverName + '","msft.sme.connection-type.server","'+
$tagString +'"')
}
elseif ($node.LocalName -eq 'group' -or $node.LocalName -eq 'file') {
$groupName = $node.properties.name
$tags+=$groupName
$currNode = $node.properties.NextSibling
while ($currNode) {
AddServers -node $currNode -tags $tags -csvPath $csvPath
$currNode = $currNode.NextSibling
}
}
else {
# Node type isn't relevant to tagging or adding connections in WAC
}
return
}
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Convert an .rdg file from Remote Desktop Connection Manager into a .csv that can be imported into
Windows Admin Center, maintaining groups via server tags. This will not modify the existing .rdg file
and will create a new .csv file
.DESCRIPTION
This converts an .rdg file into a .csv that can be imported into Windows Admin Center.
.PARAMETER RDGfilepath
The path of the .rdg file to be converted. This file will not be modified, only read.
.PARAMETER CSVdirectory
Optional. The directory you wish to export the new .csv file. If not provided, the new file is created
in the same directory as the .rdg file.
1. Copy and paste the code below into your PowerShell session:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-52-320.jpg)
![Manage Windows Admin Center extensions with PowerShell
.EXAMPLE
C:PS> RdgToWacCsv -RDGfilepath "rdcmangroup.rdg"
#>
function RdgToWacCsv {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
[String]
$RDGfilepath,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
[String]
$CSVdirectory
)
[xml]$RDGfile = Get-Content -Path $RDGfilepath
$node = $RDGfile.RDCMan.file
if (!$CSVdirectory){
$csvPath = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($RDGfilepath) +
[System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($RDGfilepath) + "_WAC.csv"
} else {
$csvPath = $CSVdirectory + [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($RDGfilepath) + "_WAC.csv"
}
New-item -Path $csvPath
Add-Content -Path $csvPath -Value '"name","type","tags"'
AddServers -node $node -csvPath $csvPath
Write-Host "Converted $RDGfilepath `nOutput: $csvPath"
}
RdgToWacCsv -RDGfilepath "pathtomyRDCManfile.rdg"
2. To create a .CSV file, run the following command:
3. Import the resulting .CSV file in to Windows Admin Center, and all your RDCMan grouping hierarchy will be
represented by tags in the connection list. For details, see Use PowerShell to import or export your
connections (with tags).](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-53-320.jpg)
After you have completed the installation of Windows Admin Center, you can add servers or clusters to manage
from the main overview page.
Add a single server or a cluster as a managed node
1. Click + Add under All Connections.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-56-320.jpg)
![Example CSV file for importing connections
"name","type","tags","groupId"
"myServer.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","hyperv"
"myDesktop.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client","hyperv"
"teamcluster.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.cluster","legacyCluster|WS2016","global"
"myHCIcluster.contoso.com,"msft.sme.connection-type.hyper-converged-cluster","myHCIcluster|hyperv|JIT|WS2019"
"teamclusterNode.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","legacyCluster|WS2016","global"
"myHCIclusterNode.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","myHCIcluster|hyperv|JIT|WS2019"
Import RDCman connections
Use the script below to export saved connections in RDCman to a file. You can then import the file into Windows
Admin Center, maintaining your RDCMan grouping hierarchy using tags. Try it out!
#Helper function for RdgToWacCsv
function AddServers {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
[Xml.XmlLinkedNode]
$node,
[Parameter()]
[String[]]
$tags,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
[String]
$csvPath
)
if ($node.LocalName -eq 'server') {
$serverName = $node.properties.name
$tagString = $tags -join "|"
Add-Content -Path $csvPath -Value ('"'+ $serverName + '","msft.sme.connection-type.server","'+
$tagString +'"')
}
elseif ($node.LocalName -eq 'group' -or $node.LocalName -eq 'file') {
$groupName = $node.properties.name
$tags+=$groupName
$currNode = $node.properties.NextSibling
while ($currNode) {
AddServers -node $currNode -tags $tags -csvPath $csvPath
$currNode = $currNode.NextSibling
}
}
else {
# Node type isn't relevant to tagging or adding connections in WAC
}
return
}
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Convert an .rdg file from Remote Desktop Connection Manager into a .csv that can be imported into
Windows Admin Center, maintaining groups via server tags. This will not modify the existing .rdg file
and will create a new .csv file
.DESCRIPTION
This converts an .rdg file into a .csv that can be imported into Windows Admin Center.
.PARAMETER RDGfilepath
The path of the .rdg file to be converted. This file will not be modified, only read.
.PARAMETER CSVdirectory
Optional. The directory you wish to export the new .csv file. If not provided, the new file is created
1. Copy and paste the code below into your PowerShell session:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-62-320.jpg)
![View PowerShell scripts used in Windows Admin Center
in the same directory as the .rdg file.
.EXAMPLE
C:PS> RdgToWacCsv -RDGfilepath "rdcmangroup.rdg"
#>
function RdgToWacCsv {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
[String]
$RDGfilepath,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
[String]
$CSVdirectory
)
[xml]$RDGfile = Get-Content -Path $RDGfilepath
$node = $RDGfile.RDCMan.file
if (!$CSVdirectory){
$csvPath = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($RDGfilepath) +
[System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($RDGfilepath) + "_WAC.csv"
} else {
$csvPath = $CSVdirectory + [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($RDGfilepath) +
"_WAC.csv"
}
New-item -Path $csvPath
Add-Content -Path $csvPath -Value '"name","type","tags"'
AddServers -node $node -csvPath $csvPath
Write-Host "Converted $RDGfilepath `nOutput: $csvPath"
}
RdgToWacCsv -RDGfilepath "pathtomyRDCManfile.rdg"
2. To create a .CSV file, run the following command:
3. Import the resulting .CSV file in to Windows Admin Center, and all your RDCMan grouping hierarchy will be
represented by tags in the connection list. For details, see Use PowerShell to import or export your
connections (with tags).
Once you've connected to a server, cluster, or PC, you can look at the PowerShell scripts that power the UI actions
available in Windows Admin Center. From within a tool, click the PowerShell icon in the top application bar. Select a
command of interest from the dropdown to navigate to the corresponding PowerShell script.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-63-320.jpg)
![Manage Storage Spaces Direct volumes
Create volume, three-way mirror https://www.youtube-
nocookie.com/embed/o66etKq70N8
Create volume, mirror-accelerated parity
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/R72QHudqWpE
Open volume and add files https://www.youtube-
nocookie.com/embed/j59z7ulohs4
Turn on deduplication and compression
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/PRibTacyKko
Expand volume https://www.youtube-
nocookie.com/embed/hqyBzipBoTI
Delete volume https://www.youtube-
nocookie.com/embed/DbjF8r2F6Jo
Create a new virtual machine
Pause and safely restart a server
If you're just getting started, here are some quick tutorials to help you learn how Windows Admin Center for
Hyper-Converged Infrastructure is organized and works. Please exercise good judgement and be careful with
production environments. These videos were recorded with Windows Admin Center version 1804 and an Insider
Preview build of Windows Server 2019.
(0:37) How to create a three-way mirror volume
(1:17) How to create a mirror-accelerated parity volume
(1:02) How to open a volume and add files
(0:51) How to turn on deduplication and compression
(0:47) How to expand a volume
(0:26) How to delete a volume
1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane.
2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Inventory tab, then click New to create a new virtual
machine.
3. Enter the virtual machine name and choose between generation 1 and 2 virtual machines.
4. Uou can then choose which host to initially create the virtual machine on or use the recommended host.
5. Choose a path for the virtual machine files. Choose a volume from the dropdown list or click Browse to
choose a folder using the folder picker. The virtual machine configuration files and virtual hard disk file will be
saved in a single folder under the Hyper-V[virtual machine name] path of the selected volume or path.
6. Choose the number of virtual processors, whether you want nested virtualization enabled, configure memory
settings, network adapters, virtual hard disks and choose whether you want to install an operating system
from an .iso image file or from the network.
7. Click Create to create the virtual machine.
8. Once the virtual machine is created and appears in the virtual machine list, you can start the virtual machine.
9. Once the virtual machine is started, you can connect to the virtual machine's console via VMConnect to install
the operating system. Select the virtual machine from the list, click More > Connect to download the .rdp file.
Open the .rdp file in the Remote Desktop Connection app. Since this is connecting to the virtual machine's
console, you will need to enter the Hyper-V host's admin credentials.
Learn more about virtual machine management with Windows Admin Center.
1. From the Dashboard, select Servers from the navigation on the left side or by clicking the VIEW SERVERS
> link on the tile in the lower right corner of the Dashboard.
2. At the top, switch from Summary to the Inventory tab.
3. Select a server by clicking its name to open the Server detail page.
4. Click Pause server for maintenance. If it's safe to proceed, this will move virtual machines to other servers
in the cluster. The server will have status Draining while this happens. If you want, you can watch the virtual
machines move on the Virtual machines > Inventory page, where their host server is shown clearly in the](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-82-320.jpg)
![Change virtual machine settings
TIP
1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane.
2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Inventory tab, then click New to create a new virtual
machine.
3. Enter the virtual machine name and choose between generation 1 and 2 virtual machines.
4. If you are creating a virtual machine on a cluster, you can choose which host to initially create the virtual
machine on. If you are running Windows Server 2016 or later, the tool will provide a host recommendation
for you.
5. Choose a path for the virtual machine files. Choose a volume from the dropdown list or click Browse to
choose a folder using the folder picker. The virtual machine configuration files and virtual hard disk file will
be saved in a single folder under the Hyper-V[virtual machine name] path of the selected volume or
path.
In the folder picker, you can browse to any available SMB share on the network by entering the path in the Folder
name field as servershare . Using a network share for VM storage will require CredSSP.
6. Choose the number of virtual processors, whether you want nested virtualization enabled, configure
memory settings, network adapters, virtual hard disks and choose whether you want to install an operating
system from an .iso image file or from the network.
7. Click Create to create the virtual machine.
8. Once the virtual machine is created and appears in the virtual machine list, you can start the virtual
machine.
9. Once the virtual machine is started, you can connect to the virtual machine's console via VMConnect to
install the operating system. Select the virtual machine from the list, click More > Connect to download
the .rdp file. Open the .rdp file in the Remote Desktop Connection app. Since this is connecting to the virtual
machine's console, you will need to enter the Hyper-V host's admin credentials.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-91-320.jpg)
!["replyUrlsWithType": [
{
"url": "http://localhost:6516/*",
"type": "Web"
}
],](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-115-320.jpg)
![Deploy Windows Admin Center in Azure
10/19/2020 • 6 minutes to read • Edit Online
Deploy using script
Prerequisites
Script parameters
You can download Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 which you will run from Azure Cloud Shell to set up a Windows Admin
Center gateway in Azure. This script can create the entire environment, including the resource group.
Jump to manual deployment steps
Set up your account in Azure Cloud Shell. If this is your first time using Cloud Shell, you will be asked you to
associate or create an Azure storage account with Cloud Shell.
In a PowerShell Cloud Shell, navigate to your home directory: PS Azure:> cd ~
To upload the Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 file, drag and drop it from your local machine to anywhere on the Cloud
Shell window.
If specifying your own certificate:
Upload the certificate to Azure Key Vault. First, create a key vault in Azure Portal, then upload the certificate
into the key vault. Alternatively, you can use Azure Portal to generate a certificate for you.
ResourceGroupName - [String] Specifies the name of the resource group where the VM will be created.
Name - [String] Specifies the name of the VM.
Credential - [PSCredential] Specifies the credentials for the VM.
MsiPath - [String] Specifies the local path of the Windows Admin Center MSI when deploying Windows
Admin Center on an existing VM. Defaults to the version from https://aka.ms/WACDownload if omitted.
VaultName - [String] Specifies the name of the key vault that contains the certificate.
CertName - [String] Specifies the name of the certificate to be used for MSI installation.
GenerateSslCert - [Switch] True if the MSI should generate a self signed ssl certificate.
PortNumber - [int] Specifies the ssl port number for the Windows Admin Center service. Defaults to 443
if omitted.
OpenPorts - [int[]] Specifies the open ports for the VM.
Location - [String] Specifies the location of the VM.
Size - [String] Specifies the size of the VM. Defaults to "Standard_DS1_v2" if omitted.
Image - [String] Specifies the image of the VM. Defaults to "Win2016Datacenter" if omitted.
VirtualNetworkName - [String] Specifies the name of the virtual network for the VM.
SubnetName - [String] Specifies the name of the subnet for the VM.
SecurityGroupName - [String] Specifies the name of the security group for the VM.
PublicIpAddressName - [String] Specifies the name of the public IP address for the VM.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-116-320.jpg)
![Script Examples
$ResourceGroupName = "wac-rg1"
$VirtualNetworkName = "wac-vnet"
$SecurityGroupName = "wac-nsg"
$SubnetName = "wac-subnet"
$VaultName = "wac-key-vault"
$CertName = "wac-cert"
$Location = "westus"
$PublicIpAddressName = "wac-public-ip"
$Size = "Standard_D4s_v3"
$Image = "Win2016Datacenter"
$Credential = Get-Credential
Example 1: Use the script to deploy WAC gateway on a new VM in a new virtual network and resource group. Use the MSI from
aka.ms/WACDownload and a self-signed cert from the MSI.
$scriptParams = @{
ResourceGroupName = $ResourceGroupName
Name = "wac-vm1"
Credential = $Credential
VirtualNetworkName = $VirtualNetworkName
SubnetName = $SubnetName
GenerateSslCert = $true
}
./Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 @scriptParams
Example 2: Same as #1, but using a certificate from Azure Key Vault.
$scriptParams = @{
ResourceGroupName = $ResourceGroupName
Name = "wac-vm2"
Credential = $Credential
VirtualNetworkName = $VirtualNetworkName
SubnetName = $SubnetName
VaultName = $VaultName
CertName = $CertName
}
./Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 @scriptParams
Example 3: Using a local MSI on an existing VM to deploy WAC.
$MsiPath = "C:Users<username>DownloadsWindowsAdminCenter<version>.msi"
$scriptParams = @{
ResourceGroupName = $ResourceGroupName
Name = "wac-vm3"
Credential = $Credential
MsiPath = $MsiPath
InstallWACOnly = $true
GenerateSslCert = $true
}
./Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 @scriptParams
InstallWACOnly - [Switch] Set to True if WAC should be installed on a pre-existing Azure VM.
There are 2 different options for the MSI to deploy and the certificate used for MSI installation. The MSI can either
be downloaded from aka.ms/WACDownload or, if deploying to an existing VM, the filepath of an MSI locally on
the VM can be given. The certificate can be found in either Azure Key Vault or a self-signed certificate will be
generated by the MSI.
First, define common variables needed for the parameters of the script.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-117-320.jpg)
![Requirements for VM running the Windows Admin Center gateway
$nsg = Get-AzNetworkSecurityGroup -Name $SecurityGroupName -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName
$newNSG = Add-AzNetworkSecurityRuleConfig -NetworkSecurityGroup $nsg -Name ssl-rule -Description "Allow SSL"
-Access Allow -Protocol Tcp -Direction Inbound -Priority 100 -SourceAddressPrefix Internet -SourcePortRange *
-DestinationAddressPrefix * -DestinationPortRange 443
Set-AzNetworkSecurityGroup -NetworkSecurityGroup $newNSG
Requirements for managed Azure VM's
Enable-AzVMPSRemoting -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -Name $Name
Invoke-AzVMCommand -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -Name $Name -ScriptBlock {Set-NetFirewallRule -Name
WINRM-HTTP-In-TCP-PUBLIC -RemoteAddress Any} -Credential $Credential
Invoke-AzVMCommand -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -Name $Name -ScriptBlock {winrm create
winrm/config/Listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTP} -Credential $Credential
Deploy manually on an existing Azure virtual machine
NOTE
Configure the gateway VM to enable HTTPS port access:
Port 443 (HTTPS) must be open. Using the same variables defined for script, you can use the code below in Azure
Cloud Shell to update the network security group:
Port 5985 (WinRM over HTTP) must be open and have an active listener. You can use the code below in Azure
Cloud Shell to update the managed nodes. $ResourceGroupName and $Name use the same variables as the
deployment script, but you will need to use the $Credential specific to the VM you are managing.
Before installing Windows Admin Center on your desired gateway VM, install a SSL certificate to use for HTTPS
communication, or you can choose to use a self-signed certificate generated by Windows Admin Center. However,
you will get a warning when trying to connect from a browser if you choose the latter option. You can bypass this
warning in Edge by clicking Details > Go on to the webpage or, in Chrome, by selecting Advanced >
Proceed to [webpage]. We recommend you only use self-signed certificates for test environments.
These instructions are for installing on Windows Server with Desktop Experience, not on a Server Core installation.
1. Download Windows Admin Center to your local computer.
2. Establish a remote desktop connection to the VM, then copy the MSI from your local machine and paste
into the VM.
3. Double-click the MSI to begin installation, and follow the instructions in the wizard. Be aware of the
following:
By default, the installer uses the recommended port 443 (HTTPS). If you want to select a different
port, note that you need to open that port in your firewall as well.
If you have already installed an SSL certificate on the VM, ensure you select that option and enter
the thumbprint.
4. Start the Windows Admin Center service (run C:/Program Files/Windows Admin Center/sme.exe)
Learn more about deploying Windows Admin Center.
1. Navigate to your VM in the Azure portal and select Networking.
2. Select Add inbound port rule and select HTTPS under Service.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-118-320.jpg)
![Troubleshooting Windows Admin Center
10/19/2020 • 8 minutes to read • Edit Online
IMPORTANT
Installer fails with message: The Module
'Microsoft.PowerShell.LocalAccounts' could not be loaded.
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PSModulePath","%SystemRoot%system32WindowsPowerShellv1.0Modules;" +
([Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("PSModulePath","User")),"User")
I get a This site/page can't be reached error in my web browser
If you've installed Windows Admin Center as an App on Windows 10
NOTE
If you've installed Windows Admin Center as a Gateway on Windows Server
Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview
This guide will help you diagnose and resolve issues that are preventing you from using Windows Admin Center. If you are
having an issue with a specific tool, please check to see if you are experiencing a known issue.
This can happen if your default PowerShell module path has been modified or removed. To resolve the issue, make
sure that %SystemRoot%system32WindowsPowerShellv1.0Modules is the first item in your PSModulePath
environment variable. You can achieve this with the following line of PowerShell:
Check to make sure Windows Admin Center is running. Look for the Windows Admin Center icon in
the System tray or Windows Admin Center Desktop / SmeDesktop.exe in Task Manager. If not, launch
Windows Admin Center from the Start Menu.
After rebooting, you must launch Windows Admin Center from the Start Menu.
Check the Windows version
Make sure you are using either Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome as your web browser.
Did you select the correct certificate on first launch?
Try opening your browser in a private session - if that works, you'll need to clear your cache.
Did you recently upgrade Windows 10 to a new build or version?
This may have cleared your trusted hosts settings. Follow these instructions to update your trusted hosts
settings.
Check the Windows version of the client and server.
Make sure you are using either Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome as your web browser.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-127-320.jpg)
![Windows Admin Center Known Issues
10/19/2020 • 15 minutes to read • Edit Online
Installer
General
Extension Manager
Browser Specific Issues
Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview
If you encounter an issue not described on this page, please let us know.
When installing Windows Admin Center using your own certificate, be mindful that if you copy the
thumbprint from the certificate manager MMC tool, it will contain an invalid character at the beginning. As
a workaround, type the first character of the thumbprint, and copy/paste the rest.
Using port below 1024 is not supported. In service mode, you may optionally configure port 80 to redirect
to your specified port.
WARNING
In the 1910.2 release of Windows Admin Center, you may not be able to connect to Hyper-V servers on
specific hardware. If you are blocked on this issue, please download our previous build.
If you have Windows Admin Center installed as a gateway on Windows Server 2016 under heavy use,
the service may crash with an error in the event log that contains Faulting application name: sme.exe and
Faulting module name: WsmSvc.dll . This is due to a bug that has been fixed in Windows Server 2019. The
patch for Windows Server 2016 was included the February 2019 cumulative update, KB4480977.
If you have Windows Admin Center installed as a gateway and your connection list appears to be corrupted,
perform the following steps:
This will delete the connection list and settings for all Windows Admin Center users on the gateway.
1. Uninstall Windows Admin Center
2. Delete the Server Management Experience folder under
C:WindowsServiceProfilesNetworkServiceAppDataRoamingMicrosoft
3. Reinstall Windows Admin Center
If you leave the tool open and idle for a long period of time, you may get several Error: The runspace
state is not valid for this operation errors. If this occurs, refresh your browser. If you encounter this,
send us feedback.
There may be minor variance between version numbers of OSS running in Windows Admin Center
modules, and what is listed within the 3rd Party Software Notice.
When you update Windows Admin Center, you must reinstall your extensions.
If you add an extension feed that is inaccessible, there is no warning. [14412861]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-133-320.jpg)
![Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
WebSocket compatibility when using a proxy service
Support for Windows Server versions before 2016 (2012 R2, 2012, 2008
R2)
NOTE
Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
Server Manager solution
Certificates
If you have Windows Admin Center deployed as a service and you are using Microsoft Edge as your browser,
connecting your gateway to Azure may fail after spawning a new browser window. Try to work around this
issue by adding https://login.microsoftonline.com, https://login.live.com, and the URL of your gateway as
trusted sites and allowed sites for pop-up blocker settings on your client side browser. For more guidance on
fixing this in the troubleshooting guide. [17990376]
Prior to version 70 (released late October, 2018) Chrome had a bug regarding the WebSockets protocol and
NTLM authentication. This effects the following tools: Events, PowerShell, Remote Desktop.
Chrome may pop-up multiple credential prompts, especially during the add connection experience in a
workgroup (non-domain) environment.
If you have Windows Admin Center deployed as a service, popups from the gateway URL need to be
enabled for any Azure integration functionality to work.
Windows Admin Center is not tested with Mozilla Firefox, but most functionality should work.
Windows 10 Installation: Mozilla Firefox has it's own certificate store, so you must import the
Windows Admin Center Client certificate into Firefox to use Windows Admin Center on Windows 10.
Remote Desktop, PowerShell, and Events modules in Windows Admin Center utilize the WebSocket protocol,
which is often not supported when using a proxy service.
Windows Admin Center requires PowerShell features that are not included in Windows Server 2012 R2, 2012, or 2008 R2. If
you will manage Windows Server these with Windows Admin Center, you will need to install WMF version 5.1 or higher on
those servers.
Type $PSVersiontable in PowerShell to verify that WMF is installed, and that the version is 5.1 or higher.
If it is not installed, you can download and install WMF 5.1.
RBAC deployment will not succeed on machines that are configured to use Windows Defender Application
Control (WDAC, formerly known as Code Integrity.) [16568455]
To use RBAC in a cluster, you must deploy the configuration to each member node individually.
When RBAC is deployed, you may get unauthorized errors that are incorrectly attributed to the RBAC
configuration. [16369238]
Cannot import .PFX Encrypted Certificate in to current user store. [11818622]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-134-320.jpg)
![Events
Files
PowerShell
Registry Editor
Remote Desktop
Roles and Features
Events is effected by websocket compatibility when using a proxy service.
You may get an error that references “packet size” when exporting large log files.
To resolve this, use the following command in an elevated command prompt on the gateway machine:
winrm set winrm/config @{MaxEnvelopeSizekb="8192"}
Uploading or downloading large files not yet supported. (~100mb limit) [12524234]
PowerShell is effected by websocket compatibility when using a proxy service
Pasting with a single right-click as in the desktop PowerShell console does not work. Instead you will get the
browser's context menu, where you can select paste. Ctrl-V works as well.
Ctrl-C to copy does not work, it will always send the Ctrl-C break command to the console. Copy from the
right-click context menu works.
When you make the Windows Admin Center window smaller, the terminal content will reflow, but when you
make it larger again, the content may not return to it's previous state. If things get jumbled, you can try
Clear-Host, or disconnect and reconnect using the button above the terminal.
Search functionality not implemented. [13820009]
When Windows Admin Center is deployed as a service, the Remote Desktop tool may fail to load after
updating the Windows Admin Center service to a new version. To work around this issue, clear your
browser cache. [23824194]
The Remote Desktop tool may fail to connect when managing Windows Server 2012. [20258278]
When using the Remote Desktop to connect to a machine that is not Domain joined, you must enter your
account in the MACHINENAMEUSERNAME format.
Some configurations can block Windows Admin Center's remote desktop client with group policy. If you
encounter this, enable Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services under
Computer Configuration/Policies/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Remote Desktop
Services/Remote Desktop Session Host/Connections
Remote Desktop is effected by websocket compatibility.
The Remote Desktop tool does not currently support any text, image, or file copy/paste between the local
desktop and the remote session.
To do any copy/paste within the remote session, you can copy as normal (right click + copy or Ctrl+C), but
paste requires right click + paste (Ctrl+V does NOT work)
You cannot send the following key commands to the remote session
Alt+Tab
Function keys
Windows Key
PrtScn
When selecting roles or features with unavailable sources for install, they are skipped. [12946914]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-135-320.jpg)
![Storage
Updates
Virtual Machines
Virtual Switches
Computer Management Solution
If you choose not to automatically reboot after role installation, we won't ask again. [13098852]
If you do choose to automatically reboot, the reboot will occur before the status gets updated to 100%.
[13098852]
Down-level: DVD/CD/Floppy drives do not appear as volumes on down-level.
Down-level: Some properties in Volumes and Disks are not available down-level so they appear unknown
or blank in details panel.
Down-level: When creating a new volume, ReFS only supports an allocation unit size of 64K on Windows
2012 and 2012 R2 machines. If a ReFS volume is created with a smaller allocation unit size on down-level
targets, file system formatting will fail. The new volume will not be usable. The resolution is to delete the
volume and use 64K allocation unit size.
After installing updates, install status may be cached and require a browser refresh.
You may encounter the error: "Keyset does not exist" when attempting to set up Azure Update
management. In this case, please try the following remediation steps on the managed node -
1. Stop ‘Cryptographic Services' service.
2. Change folder options to show hidden files (if required).
3. Got to “%allusersprofile%MicrosoftCryptoRSAS-1-5-18” folder and delete all its contents.
4. Restart ‘Cryptographic Services' service.
5. Repeat setting up Update Management with Windows Admin Center
When managing the virtual machines on a Windows Server 2012 host, the in-browser VM connect tool will
fail to connect to the VM. Downloading the .rdp file to connect to the VM should still work. [20258278]
Azure Site Recovery – If ASR is setup on the host outside of WAC, you will be unable to protect a VM from
within WAC [18972276]
Advanced features available in Hyper-V Manager such as Virtual SAN Manager, Move VM, Export VM, VM
Replication are currently not supported.
Switch Embedded Teaming (SET): When adding NICs to a team, they must be on the same subnet.
The Computer Management solution contains a subset of the tools from the Server Manager solution, so the same
known issues apply, as well as the following Computer Management solution specific issues:
If you use a Microsoft Account (MSA) or if you use Azure Active Directory (AAD) to log on to you Windows
10 machine, you must use "manage-as" to provide credentials for a local administrator account [16568455]
When you try to manage the localhost, you will be prompted to elevate the gateway process. If you click no
in the User Account Control popup that follows, you must cancel the connection attempt and start over.
Windows 10 does not have WinRM/PowerShell remoting on by default.
To enable management of the Windows 10 Client, you must issue the command Enable-PSRemoting
from an elevated PowerShell prompt.
You may also need to update your firewall to allow connections from outside the local subnet with](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-136-320.jpg)
![Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true
NOTE
Install-WindowsFeature –VHD <Path to the VHD> -Name Hyper-V, RSAT-Hyper-V-Tools, Hyper-V-PowerShell
Support for RDMA
Failover Cluster Manager solution
Hyper-Converged Cluster Manager solution
Azure services
Azure login and gateway registration
When validating Azure Stack HCI OS cluster deployment on virtual machines, nested virtualization needs to be
turned on before roles/features are enabled using the below powershell command:
For virtual switch teaming to be successful in a virtual machine environment, the following command needs to be run in
PowerShell on the host soon after the virtual machines are created: Get-vm | %{ set-VMNetworkAdapter -VMName $_.Name
-MacAddressSpoofing On -AllowTeaming on }
If you are a deploying a cluster using the Azure Stack HCI OS, there is an additional requirement. The VM boot
virtual hard drive must be preinstalled with Hyper-V features. To do this, run the following command before
creating the virtual machines:
The cluster deployment wizard in Windows Admin Center version 2007 does not provide support for RDMA
configuration.
When managing a cluster, (either Hyper-Converged or traditional?) you may encounter a shell was not
found error. If this happens either reload your browser, or navigate away to another tool and back.
[13882442]
An issue can occur when managing a down-level (Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2) cluster that hasn't
been configured completely. The fix for this issue is to ensure that the Windows feature RSAT-Clustering-
PowerShell has been installed and enabled on each member node of the cluster. To do this with
PowerShell, enter the command Install-WindowsFeature -Name RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell on all the cluster
nodes. [12524664]
The Cluster may need to be added with the entire FQDN to be discovered correctly.
When connecting to a cluster using Windows Admin Center installed as a gateway, and providing explicit
username/password to authenticate, you must select Use these credentials for all connections so that
the credentials are available to query the member nodes.
Some commands such as Drives - Update firmware, Servers - Remove and Volumes - Open are
disabled and currently not supported.
In the 2009 release, you may run into issues logging into Azure or registering your Windows Admin Center
gateway with Azure. The guidance below should help you mitigate these issues:
Before using any Azure capabilities within Windows Admin Center, including gateway registration, make
sure you are signed into your Azure account in a different tab or window. We suggest signing in through](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-139-320.jpg)
![Add content to new routing file
Add content to new module file
VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE FILENAME
{!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces
replaced with dashes)
manage-foo-works-portal.module.ts
VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE FILENAME
{!module-name} Your module name (lower case,
spaces replaced with dashes)
manage-foo-works-
portal.routing.ts
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { RouterModule, Routes } from '@angular/router';
import { {!ModuleName}Component } from './{!module-name}.component';
const routes: Routes = [
{
path: '',
component: {!ModuleName}Component,
// if the component has child components that need to be routed to, include them in the
children array.
children: [
{
path: '',
redirectTo: 'base',
pathMatch: 'full'
}
]
}];
@NgModule({
imports: [
RouterModule.forChild(routes)
],
exports: [
RouterModule
]
})
export class Routing { }
VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE
{!ModuleName} Your module name (spaces removed) ManageFooWorksPortal
{!module-name} Your module name (lower case,
spaces replaced with dashes)
manage-foo-works-portal
Browse to the module folder that was created by ng generate in the previous step.
Create a new file {!module-name}.routing.ts , following this naming convention:
Add this content to the file just created:
Replace values in the file just created with your desired values:
Open file {!module-name}.module.ts , found with the following naming convention:
Add content to the file:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-166-320.jpg)
![Add content to new component typescript file
VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE FILENAME
{!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces
replaced with dashes)
manage-foo-works-
portal.component.ts
constructor() {
// TODO
}
public ngOnInit() {
// TODO
}
Update app-routing.module.ts
VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE
{!ModuleName} Your module name (spaces removed) ManageFooWorksPortal
{!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces
replaced with dashes)
manage-foo-works-portal
{
path: '',
loadChildren: 'app/{!module-name}/{!module-name}.module#{!ModuleName}Module'
},
import { Routing } from './{!module-name}.routing';
VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE
{!module-name} Your module name (lower case,
spaces replaced with dashes)
manage-foo-works-portal
ORIGINAL VALUE NEW VALUE
imports: [ CommonModule ] imports: [ CommonModule, Routing ]
Replace values in the content just added with your desired values:
Modify the imports statement to import Routing:
Make sure import statements are alphabetized by source.
Open file {!module-name}.component.ts , found with the following naming convention:
Modify content in the file to the following:
Open file app-routing.module.ts , and modify the default path so it will load the new module you just created. Find
the entry for path: '' , and update loadChildren to load your module instead of the default module:
Here's an example of an updated default path:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-167-320.jpg)
![WARNING
Modify module.ts
import { HttpService } from '@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk/angular';
import { Http } from '@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk/core';
import { PluginService } from './plugin.service';
,
providers: [
HttpService,
PluginService,
Http
]
Modify component.ts
import { ActivatedRouteSnapshot } from '@angular/router';
import { AppContextService } from '@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk/angular';
import { Subscription } from 'rxjs';
import { Strings } from '../../generated/strings';
import { PluginService } from './plugin.service';
private serviceSubscription: Subscription;
private responseResult: string;
It is recommended that the built in this.appContextService.node is used for calling any API that is defined in your
custom gateway plugin. This will ensure that if credentials are required inside of your gateway plugin that they will be
handled properly.
Open the module.ts file of the new module created earlier (i.e. {!Module-Name}.module.ts ):
Add the following import statements:
Add the following providers (after declarations):
Open the component.ts file of the new module created earlier (i.e. {!Module-Name}.component.ts ):
Add the following import statements:
Add the following variables:
Modify the constructor and modify/add the following functions:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-171-320.jpg)
![connectionType Represents the connection type that the provider will load. The value
entered here will also be used in the Solution entry point to specify
that the Solution can load those connections. The value entered here
will also be used in Tool entry point(s) to indicate that the Tool is
compatible with this type. This value entered here will also be used
in the connection object that is submitted to the RPC call on the
"Add window", in the application layer implementation step.
connectionTypeName Used in the connections table to represent a connection that uses
your Connection Provider. This is expected to be the plural name of
the type.
connectionTypeUrlName Used in creating the URL to represent the loaded Solution, after
Windows Admin Center has connected to an instance. This entry is
used after connections, and before the target. In this example,
"connectionexample" is where this value appears in the URL:
http://localhost:6516/solutionexample/connections/connectionexample/con-
fake1.corp.contoso.com
connectionTypeDefaultSolution Represents the default component that should be loaded by the
Connection Provider. This value is a combination of:
[a] The name of the extension package defined at the top of the
manifest;
[b] Exclamation point (!);
[c] The Solution entry point name.
For a project with name "msft.sme.mySample-extension", and a
Solution entry point with name "example", this value would be
"msft.sme.solutionExample-extension!example".
connectionTypeDefaultTool Represents the default Tool that should be loaded on a successful
connection. This property value is made up of two parts, similar to
the connectionTypeDefaultSolution. This value is a combination of:
[a] The name of the extension package defined at the top of the
manifest;
[b] Exclamation point (!);
[c] The Tool entry point name for the Tool that should be loaded
initially.
For a project with name "msft.sme.solutionExample-extension", and a
Solution entry point with name "example", this value would be
"msft.sme.solutionExample-extension!example".
connectionStatusProvider Please see section "Define Connection Status Provider"
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
Define Connection Status Provider
Define status
Connection Status Provider is the mechanism by which a target is validated to be online and available, also ensuring that the
connecting user has permission to access the target. There are currently two types of Connection Status Providers: PowerShell,
and RelativeGatewayUrl.
PowerShell Connection Status Provider - Determines if a target is online and accessible with a PowerShell script. The
result must be returned in an object with a single property "status", defined below.
RelativeGatewayUrl Connection Status Provider - Determines if a target is online and accessible with a rest call. The
result must be returned in an object with a single property "status", defined below.
Connection Status Providers are required to return an object with a single property status that conforms to the following
format:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-175-320.jpg)
![/**
* The connection attributes class.
*/
export interface ConnectionAttribute {
/**
* The id string of this attribute
*/
id: string;
/**
* The value of the attribute. used for attributes that can have variable values such as Operating System
*/
value?: string | number;
}
/**
* The connection class.
*/
export interface Connection {
/**
* The id of the connection, this is unique per connection
*/
id: string;
/**
* The type of connection
*/
type: string;
/**
* The name of the connection, this is unique per connection type
*/
name: string;
/**
* The property bag of the connection
*/
properties?: ConnectionProperties;
/**
* The ids of attributes identified for this connection
*/
attributes?: ConnectionAttribute[];
/**
* The tags the user(s) have assigned to this connection
*/
tags?: string[];
}
/**
* Defines connection type strings known by core
* Be careful that these strings match what is defined by the manifest of @msft-sme/server-manager
*/
export const connectionTypeConstants = {
server: 'msft.sme.connection-type.server',
cluster: 'msft.sme.connection-type.cluster',
hyperConvergedCluster: 'msft.sme.connection-type.hyper-converged-cluster',
windowsClient: 'msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client',
clusterNodesProperty: 'nodes'
};
Define onCancel
this.appContextService.rpc.updateData(EnvironmentModule.nameOfShell, '##', <RpcUpdateData>{ results: { connections: [] }
});
onCancel cancels an "Add Connection" attempt by passing an empty connections array:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-179-320.jpg)
![Connection Provider example
import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
import { ActivatedRoute } from '@angular/router';
import { AppContextService } from '@msft-sme/shell/angular';
import { Connection, ConnectionUtility } from '@msft-sme/shell/core';
import { EnvironmentModule } from '@msft-sme/shell/dist/core/manifest/environment-modules';
import { RpcUpdateData } from '@msft-sme/shell/dist/core/rpc/rpc-base';
import { Strings } from '../../generated/strings';
@Component({
selector: 'add-example',
templateUrl: './add-example.component.html',
styleUrls: ['./add-example.component.css']
})
export class AddExampleComponent implements OnInit {
public newConnectionName: string;
public strings = MsftSme.resourcesStrings<Strings>().SolutionExample;
private connectionType = 'msft.sme.connection-type.example'; // This needs to match the connectionTypes value used in
the manifest.json.
constructor(private appContextService: AppContextService, private route: ActivatedRoute) {
// TODO:
}
public ngOnInit() {
// TODO
}
public onSubmit() {
let connections: Connection[] = [];
let connection = <Connection> {
id: ConnectionUtility.createConnectionId(this.connectionType, this.newConnectionName),
type: this.connectionType,
name: this.newConnectionName
};
connections.push(connection);
this.appContextService.rpc.updateData(
EnvironmentModule.nameOfShell,
'##',
<RpcUpdateData> {
results: {
connections: connections,
credentials: null
}
}
);
}
public onCancel() {
this.appContextService.rpc.updateData(
EnvironmentModule.nameOfShell, '##', <RpcUpdateData>{ results: { connections: [] } });
}
}
The full TypeScript class for implementing a connection provider is below. Note that the "connectionType" string matches the
"connectionType as defined in the connection provider in manifest.json.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-180-320.jpg)
![Modify root navigation behavior for a solution
extension
10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online
Modifying root navigation behavior
Setting path as a rootNavigationBehavior
"entryPoints": [
{
"entryPointType": "solution",
"name": "main",
"urlName": "testsln",
"displayName": "resources:strings:displayName",
"description": "resources:strings:description",
"icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-powerShell",
"path": "",
"rootNavigationBehavior": "path"
}
],
Setting connections as a rootNavigationBehavior
Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview
In this guide we will learn how to modify the root navigation behavior for your solution to have different
connection list behavior, as well as how to hide or show the tools list.
Open manifest.json file in {extension root}src, and find the property "rootNavigationBehavior". This property has
two valid values: "connections" or "path". The "connections" behavior is detailed later in the documentation.
Set the value of rootNavigationBehavior to path , and then delete the requirements property, and leave the path
property as an empty string. You have completed the minimal required configuration to build a solution extension.
Save the file, and gulp build -> gulp serve as you would a tool, and then side load the extension into your local
Windows Admin Center extension.
A valid manifest entryPoints array looks like this:
Tools built with this kind of structure will not required connections to load, but won't have node connectivity
functionality either.
When you set the rootNavigationBehavior property to connections , you are telling the Windows Admin Center
Shell that there will be a connected node (always a server of some type) that it should connect to, and verify
connection status. With this, there are 2 steps in verifying connection. 1) Windows Admin Center will attempt to
make an attempt to log into the node with your credentials (for establishing the remote PowerShell session), and
2) it will execute the PowerShell script you provide to identify if the node is in a connectable state.
A valid solution definition with connections will look like this:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-181-320.jpg)
![{
"entryPointType": "solution",
"name": "example",
"urlName": "solutionexample",
"displayName": "resources:strings:displayName",
"description": "resources:strings:description",
"icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-powerShell",
"rootNavigationBehavior": "connections",
"connections": {
"header": "resources:strings:connectionsListHeader",
"connectionTypes": [
"msft.sme.connection-type.example"
]
},
"tools": {
"enabled": false,
"defaultTool": "solution"
}
},
Enabling and disabling the tools menu
When the rootNavigationBehavior is set to "connections" you are required to build out the connections definition
in the manifest. This includes the "header" property (will be used to display in your solution header when a user
selects it from the menu), a connectionTypes array (this will specify which connectionTypes are used in the solution.
More on that in the connectionProvider documentation.).
Another property available in the solution definition is the "tools" property. This will dictate if the tools menu is
displayed, as well as the tool that will be loaded. When enabled, Windows Admin Center will render the left hand
tools menu. With defaultTool, it is required that you add a tool entry point to the manifest in order to load the
appropriate resources. The value of "defaultTool" needs to be the "name" property of the tool as it is defined in the
manifest.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-182-320.jpg)
![Control your tool's visibility in a solution
10/19/2020 • 5 minutes to read • Edit Online
Options for deciding when to show a tool
LocalHost
"conditions": [
{
"localhost": true
}]
"conditions": [
{
"localhost": false
}]
Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview
There might be times when you want to exclude (or hide) your extension or tool from the available tools list. For
example, if your tool targets only Windows Server 2016 (not older versions), you might not want a user who
connects to a Windows Server 2012 R2 server to see your tool at all. (Imagine the user experience - they click on it,
wait for the tool to load, only to get a message that its features aren't available for their connection.) You can define
when to show (or hide) your feature in the tool's manifest.json file.
There are three different options you can use to determine whether your tool should be displayed and available for
a specific server or cluster connection.
localhost
inventory (an array of properties)
script
The localHost property of the Conditions object contains a boolean value that can be evaluated to infer if the
connecting node is localHost (the same computer that Windows Admin Center is installed on) or not. By passing a
value to the property, you indicate when (the condition) to display the tool. For example if you only want the tool to
display if the user is in fact connecting to the local host, set it up like this:
Alternatively, if you only want your tool to display when the connecting node is not localhost:
Here's what the configuration settings look like to only show a tool when the connecting node is not localhost:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-183-320.jpg)
!["entryPoints": [
{
"entryPointType": "tool",
"name": "main",
"urlName": "processes",
"displayName": "resources:strings:displayName",
"description": "resources:strings:description",
"icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-serverProcesses",
"path": "",
"requirements": [
{
"solutionIds": [
"msft.sme.server-manager!windowsClients"
],
"connectionTypes": [
"msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client"
],
"conditions": [
{
"localhost": true
}
]
}
]
}
Inventory properties
PROPERTY NAME EXPECTED VALUE TYPE
computerManufacturer string
operatingSystemSKU number
operatingSystemVersion version_string (eg: "10.1.*")
productType number
clusterFqdn string
isHyperVRoleInstalled boolean
isHyperVPowershellInstalled boolean
isManagementToolsAvailable boolean
isWmfInstalled boolean
"<property name>": {
"type": "<expected type>",
"operator": "<defined operator to use>",
"value": "<expected value to evaluate using the operator>"
}
The SDK includes a pre-curated set of inventory properties that you can use to build conditions to determine when
your tool should be available or not. There are nine different properties in the 'inventory' array:
Every object in the inventory array must conform to the following json structure:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-184-320.jpg)
!["entryPoints": [
{
"entryPointType": "tool",
"name": "main",
"urlName": "processes",
"displayName": "resources:strings:displayName",
"description": "resources:strings:description",
"icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-serverProcesses",
"path": "",
"requirements": [
{
"solutionIds": [
"msft.sme.server-manager!servers"
],
"connectionTypes": [
"msft.sme.connection-type.server"
],
"conditions": [
{
"inventory": {
"operatingSystemVersion": {
"type": "version",
"operator": "gt",
"value": "6.3"
},
"operatingSystemSKU": {
"type": "number",
"operator": "eq",
"value": "8"
}
}
}
]
}
]
}
Script
@{
State = 'Available' | 'NotSupported' | 'NotConfigured';
Message = '<Message to explain the reason of state such as not supported and not configured.>';
Properties =
@{ Name = 'Prop1'; Value = 'prop1 data'; Type = 'string' },
@{Name='Prop2'; Value = 12345678; Type='number'; };
}
VALUE DESCRIPTION
Available The extension should be displayed in the tools list.
NotSupported The extension should not be displayed in the tools list.
Finally, you can run a custom PowerShell script to identify the availability and state of the node. All scripts must
return an object with the following structure:
The State property is the important value that will control the decision to show or hide your extension in the tools
list. The allowed values are:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-186-320.jpg)
!["entryPoints": [
{
"entryPointType": "tool",
"name": "main",
"urlName": "processes",
"displayName": "resources:strings:displayName",
"description": "resources:strings:description",
"icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-serverProcesses",
"path": "",
"requirements": [
{
"solutionIds": [
"msft.sme.server-manager!windowsClients"
],
"connectionTypes": [
"msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client"
],
"conditions": [
{
"localhost": true,
"inventory": {
"operatingSystemVersion": {
"type": "version",
"operator": "eq",
"value": "10.0.*"
},
"operatingSystemSKU": {
"type": "number",
"operator": "eq",
"value": "4"
}
},
"script": "$response = @{ State = 'NotSupported'; Message = 'Not executed'; Properties = @{ Name =
'Prop1'; Value = 'prop1 data'; Type = 'string' }, @{Name='Prop2'; Value = 12345678; Type='number'; }; }; if
(Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name servermanager) { Import-module servermanager; $isInstalled = (Get-
WindowsFeature -name bitlocker).Installed; $isGood = $isInstalled; }; if($isGood) { $response.State =
'Available'; $response.Message = 'Everything should work.'; }; $response"
}
]
}
]
}
Supporting multiple requirement sets
You can use more than one set of requirements to determine when to display your tool by defining multiple
"requirements" blocks.
For example, to display your tool if "scenario A" OR "scenario B" is true, define two requirements blocks; if either is
true (that is, all conditions within a requirements block are met), the tool is displayed.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-188-320.jpg)
!["entryPoints": [
{
"requirements": [
{
"solutionIds": [
…"scenario A"…
],
"connectionTypes": [
…"scenario A"…
],
"conditions": [
…"scenario A"…
]
},
{
"solutionIds": [
…"scenario B"…
],
"connectionTypes": [
…"scenario B"…
],
"conditions": [
…"scenario B"…
]
}
]
}
Supporting condition ranges
You can also define a range of conditions by defining multiple "conditions" blocks with the same property, but with
different operators.
When the same property is defined with different operators, the tool is displayed as long as the value is between
the two conditions.
For example, this tool is displayed as long as the operating system is a version between 6.3.0 and 10.0.0:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-189-320.jpg)
!["entryPoints": [
{
"entryPointType": "tool",
"name": "main",
"urlName": "processes",
"displayName": "resources:strings:displayName",
"description": "resources:strings:description",
"icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-serverProcesses",
"path": "",
"requirements": [
{
"solutionIds": [
"msft.sme.server-manager!servers"
],
"connectionTypes": [
"msft.sme.connection-type.server"
],
"conditions": [
{
"inventory": {
"operatingSystemVersion": {
"type": "version",
"operator": "gt",
"value": "6.3.0"
},
}
},
{
"inventory": {
"operatingSystemVersion": {
"type": "version",
"operator": "lt",
"value": "10.0.0"
}
}
}
]
}
]
}](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-190-320.jpg)
![Using PowerShell in your extension
10/19/2020 • 4 minutes to read • Edit Online
PowerShell in TypeScript
NOTE
Running a PowerShell Script
IMPORTANT
Param
(
[String] $stringFormat
)
$nodeName = [string]::Format($stringFormat,$env:COMPUTERNAME)
Write-Output $nodeName
const session = this.appContextService.powerShell.createSession('{!TargetNode}');
const script = PowerShell.createScript(PowerShellScripts.Get_NodeName, {stringFormat: 'The name of the node is
{0}!'});
Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview
Let's go more in-depth into the Windows Admin Center Extensions SDK - let's talk about adding PowerShell
commands to your extension.
The gulp build process has a generate step that will take any {!ScriptName}.ps1 that is placed in the
srcresourcesscripts folder and build them into the powershell-scripts class under the srcgenerated folder.
Don't manually update the powershell-scripts.ts nor the strings.ts files. Any change you make will be overwritten
on the next generate.
Any scripts that you want to run on a node can be placed in srcresourcesscripts{!ScriptName}.ps1 .
Any changes make in a {!ScriptName}.ps1 file will not be reflected in your project until gulp generate has been run.
The API works by first creating a PowerShell session on the nodes you are targeting, creating the PowerShell script
with any parameters that need to be passed in, and then running the script on the sessions that were created.
For example, we have this script srcresourcesscriptsGet-NodeName.ps1 :
We will create a PowerShell session for our target node :
Then we will create the PowerShell script with an input parameter:
Lastly, we need to run that script in the session we created:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-199-320.jpg)
![WorkItem Options
FUNCTION EXPLANATION
submit() Submits the work item
submitAndWait() Submit the work item and wait for the completion of its
execution
wait() Wait for existing work item to complete
query() Query for an existing work item by id
find() Find and existing work item by the TargetNodeName,
ModuleName, or typeId.
PowerShell Batch APIs
const batchSession = this.appContextService.powerShell.createBatchSession(
['{!TargetNode1}', '{!TargetNode2}', sessionKey);
this.appContextService.powerShell.runBatchSingleCommand(batchSession, command).subscribe((responses:
PowerShellBatchResponseItem[]) => {
for (const response of responses) {
if (response.error || response.errors) {
//handle error
} else {
const results = response.properties && response.properties.results;
//response.nodeName
//results[0]
}
}
},
Error => { /* handle error */ });
PowerShellBatch options
OPTION EXPLANATION
runSingleCommand Run a single command against all the nodes in the array
run Run corresponding command on paired node
cancel Cancel the command on all nodes in the array
If you need to run the same script on multiple nodes, then a batch PowerShell session can be used. For example:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-202-320.jpg)
![Enabling the extension discovery banner
10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online
How the extension discovery banner works
How to implement the extension discovery banner
Example
Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview
The extension discovery banner feature was introduced in the Windows Admin Center Preview 1903 release. This
feature allows an extension to declare the server hardware manufacturer and models it supports, and when a user
connects to a server or cluster for which an extension is available, a notification banner will be displayed to easily
install the extension. Extension developers will be able to get more visibility for their extensions and users will be
able to easily discover more management capabilities for their servers.
When Windows Admin Center is launched, it will connect to the registered extension feeds and fetch the metadata
for the available extension packages. Then when a user connects to a server or cluster in Windows Admin Center,
we read the server hardware manufacturer and model to display in the Overview tool. If we find an extension that
declares that it supports the current server's manufacturer and/or model, we'll display a banner to let the user
know. Clicking on the "Set up now" link will take the user to Extension Manager where they can install the
extension.
The "tags" metadata in the .nuspec file is used to declare which hardware manufacturer and/or models your
extension supports. Tags are delimited by spaces and you can add either a manufacturer or model tag, or both to
declare the supported manufacturer and/or models. The tag format is "[value type]_[value condition]" where
[value type] is either "Manufacturer" or "Model" (case sensitive), and [value condition] is a Javascript regular
expression defining the manufacturer or model string, and [value type] and [value condition] are separated by an
underscore. This string is then encoded using URI encoding and added to the .nuspec "tags" metadata string.
Let's say I've developed an extension that supports servers from a company named Contoso Inc., with model name
R3xx and R4xx.
1. The tag for the manufacturer would be "Manufacturer_/Contoso Inc./" . The tag for the models could be
"Model_/^R[34][0-9]{2}$/" . Depending on how strictly you want to define the matching condition, there will
be different ways to define your regular expression. You can also separate the Manufacturer or Model tags](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-206-320.jpg)
![TIP
var regex = /^R[34][0-9]{2}$/
regex.test('R300')
regex.test('R500')
encodeURI(/^R[34][0-9]{2}$/)
<tags>Manufacturer_/Contoso%20Inc./ Model_/%5ER%5B34%5D%5B0-9%5D%7B2%7D$/</tags>
into multiple tags, for example, the Model tag could also be "Model_/R3../ Model_/R4../" .
2. You can test the regular expression with your web browser's DevTools Console. In Edge or Chrome, hit F12 to
open the DevTools window, and in the Console tab, type the following and hit Enter:
Then if you type and run the following, it will return 'true'.
And if you run the following, it will return 'false'.
3. Once you've verified the regular expression, you can encode it in the DevTools Console as well, using the
following Javascript method:
The final format of the tag string to add to your .nuspec file would be:
We understand that a hardware manufacturer may have a very wide range of model names of which some may be
supported while some are not. Keep in mind that this feature is meant to help with the discovery of your extension, but it
does not have to be a perfectly up-to-date inventory of all your models. You can define your regular expression to be a
simpler expression that matches a subset of your models. A user might not see the discovery banner if they first connect to a
server model that doesn't match the condition, but sooner or later they will connect to another server that does and will
discover and install the extension. You can also consider defining a simple regular expression that only matches your
manufacturer name. In some cases, your extension may not actually support a specific model, but you can use the dynamic
tool display feature to define a custom PowerShell script to check model support and only show your extension when
applicable, or provide limited functionality in your extension for models that don't support all capabilities.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-207-320.jpg)
![PROPERTY NAME REQUIRED / RECOMMENDED DESCRIPTION
packageType Required Use "WindowsAdminCenterExtension"
which is the NuGet package type
defined for Windows Admin Center
extensions.
id Required Unique Package identifier within the
feed. This value needs to match the
"name" value in your project's
manifest.json file. See Choosing a
unique package identifier for guidance.
title Required for publishing to the Windows
Admin Center feed
Friendly name for the package that is
displayed in Windows Admin Center
Extension Manager.
version Required Extension version. Using Semantic
Versioning (SemVer convention) is
recommended but not required.
authors Required If publishing on behalf of your
company, use your company name.
description Required Provide a description of the extension's
functionality.
iconUrl Recommended when publishing to the
Windows Admin Center feed
URL for icon to display in the Extension
Manager.
projectUrl Required for publishing to the Windows
Admin Center feed
URL to your extension's website. If you
do not have a separate website, use the
URL for the package webpage on the
NuGet feed.
licenseUrl Required for publishing to the Windows
Admin Center feed
URL to your extension's end user license
agreement.
files Required These two settings set up the folder
structure that Windows Admin Center
expects for UI extensions and Gateway
plugins.
3. Build the extension NuGet package
4. Signing your extension NuGet package
Using the .nuspec file you created above, you will now create the NuGet package .nupkg file which you can upload
and publish to the NuGet feed.
1. Download the nuget.exe CLI tool from the NuGet client tools website.
2. Run "nuget.exe pack [.nuspec file name]" to create the .nupkg file.
Any .dll files included in your extension are required to be signed with a certificate from a trusted Certificate
Authority (CA). By default, unsigned .dll files will be blocked from being executed when Windows Admin Center is
running in Production Mode.
We also highly recommend that you sign the extension NuGet package to ensure the integrity of the package, but
this is not a required step.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/admincenter-201105101733/85/Admincenter-210-320.jpg)
Admincenter
- 1. Contents Windows Admin Center Understand What is Windows Admin Center? FAQ Case studies Related management products Plan What type of installation is right for you? User access options Deploy Prepare your environment Install Windows Admin Center High availability Configure Windows Admin Center settings User access control and permissions Using extensions Shared connections Automate with PowerShell Use Get started Manage servers Deploy hyperconverged infrastructure Manage hyper-converged infrastructure Manage failover clusters Manage Hyper-V virtual machines Logging Connect to Azure Azure hybrid services
- 2. Azure Backup Azure Site Recovery Azure File Sync Azure Monitor Azure Update Management Connect Windows Admin Center to Azure Deploy Windows Admin Center in Azure Create Azure VMs with Windows Admin Center Manage Azure VMs with Windows Admin Center Support Release history Support policy Common troubleshooting steps Known issues Windows Admin Center license terms Extend Overview of extensions Understanding extensions Develop an extension Prepare your development environment Develop a tool extension Develop a solution extension Develop a gateway plugin Target an SDK version Guides Add a module to a tool extension Add an iFrame to a tool extension Use a custom gateway plugin in your tool extension Create a connection provider Modify root navigation behavior Control your tool's visibility Strings and localization
- 3. UI text and design style guide Using PowerShell in your extension CSS icon guide Enable the extension discovery banner Publishing extensions Case Studies BiitOps DataON Fujitsu Lenovo NEC Pure Storage QCT Thomas-Krenn
- 4. Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 4 minutes to read • Edit Online Download now Windows Admin Center scenarios Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center is a locally deployed, browser-based app for managing Windows servers, clusters, hyper-converged infrastructure, as well as Windows 10 PCs. It is a free product and is ready to use in production. To find out what's new, see Release history. Download Windows Admin Center from the Microsoft Evaluation Center. Even though it says “Start your evaluation”, this is the generally available version for production use. For help installing, see Install. For tips on getting started with Windows Admin Center, see Get started. You can update non-preview versions of Windows Admin Center by using Microsoft Update or by manually downloading and installing Windows Admin Center. Each non-preview version of Windows Admin Center is supported until 30 days after the next non-preview version is released. See our support policy for more info. Here are a few things you can use Windows Admin Center for: Simplify server management Manage your servers and clusters with modernized versions of familiar tools such as Server Manager. Install in under five minutes and manage servers in your environment immediately, no additional configuration required. For details, see What is Windows Admin Center?. Work with hybrid solutions Integration with Azure helps you optionally connect your on-premises servers with relevant cloud services. For details, see Azure hybrid services Streamline hyperconverged management Streamline management of Azure Stack HCI or Windows Server hyperconverged clusters. Use simplified workloads to create and manage VMs, Storage Spaces Direct volumes, Software-Defined Networking and more. For details, see Manage Hyper-Converged Infrastructure with Windows Admin Center Here's a video to give you an overview, followed by a poster giving more details:
- 5. Contents at a glance Understand Plan Deploy Configure Use Connect to Azure Download the PDF What is Windows Admin Center? FAQ Case studies Related management products What type of installation is right for you? User access options Prepare your environment Install Windows Admin Center Enable high availability Windows Admin Center settings User access control and permissions Shared connections Extensions Automate with PowerShell Launch & add connections Manage servers Deploy hyperconverged infrastructure Manage hyper-converged infrastructure Manage failover clusters Manage virtual machines Logging Azure hybrid services Connect Windows Admin Center to Azure Deploy Windows Admin Center in Azure Manage Azure VMs with Windows Admin Center
- 6. Support Extend Video-based learning See how customers are benefitting from Windows Admin Center "[Windows Admin Center] has decreased our time/effort in managing the management system by over 75%." - Rand Morimoto, President, Convergent Computing "Thanks to [Windows Admin Center], we can manage our customers remotely from HTML5 portal without problem and with the full integration with Azure Active Directory, we are able to increase the security thanks to the Multi-Factor Authentication." - Silvio Di Benedetto, Founder and Senior Consultant, Inside Technologies “We have been able to deploy [Server Core] SKUs in a more effective way, improving resource efficiency, security and automation while still achieving a good degree of productivity and reducing errors that can happen when relying on scripting only.” - Guglielmo Mengora, Founder and CEO, VaiSulWeb “With [Windows Admin Center] customers especially in the SMB market now have an easy to use tool to manage their internal infrastructure. This minimizes administrative efforts and saves a lot of time. And the best of it: there are no additional license fees for [Windows Admin Center]!” - Helmut Otto, Managing Director, SecureGUARD Release history Support policy Common troubleshooting steps Known issues Overview of extensions Understanding extensions Develop an extension Guides Publishing extensions Here are some videos from Microsoft Ignite 2019 sessions: Windows Admin Center: Unlock Azure Hybrid value Windows Admin Center: What’s new and what’s next Automatically monitor, secure and update your on-premises servers from Azure with Windows Admin Center Get more done with Windows Admin Center third-party extensions Be a Windows Admin Center expert: Best practices for deployment, configuration, and security Windows Admin Center: Better together with System Center and Microsoft Azure How to use Microsoft Azure hybrid services together with Windows Admin Center and Windows Server Live Q&A: Manage your hybrid server environment with Windows Admin Center Learning Path: Hybrid management technologies Hands on Lab: Windows Admin Center and Hybrid Here are some videos from Windows Server Summit 2019 sessions: Go hybrid with Windows Admin Center What's new with Windows Admin Center v1904 And here are a few additional resources: Windows Admin Center server management reimagined Manage Servers and Virtual Machines Anywhere with Windows Admin Center How to get started with Windows Admin Center
- 7. Related products Stay updated Read more about companies using Windows Admin Center in their production environments. Windows Admin Center is designed for managing a single server or cluster. It complements but does not replace existing Microsoft monitoring and management solutions, such as Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT), System Center, Intune, or Azure Stack. Learn how Windows Admin Center complements other Microsoft management solutions. Follow us on Twitter Read our Blogs
- 8. What is Windows Admin Center? 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online How does Windows Admin Center work? Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center is a new, locally-deployed, browser-based management tool set that lets you manage your Windows Servers with no Azure or cloud dependency. Windows Admin Center gives you full control over all aspects of your server infrastructure and is particularly useful for managing servers on private networks that are not connected to the Internet. Windows Admin Center is the modern evolution of "in-box" management tools, like Server Manager and MMC. It complements System Center - it's not a replacement. Windows Admin Center runs in a web browser and manages Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows 10, Azure Stack HCI and more through the Windows Admin Center gateway installed on Windows Server or domain-joined Windows 10. The gateway manages servers by using Remote PowerShell and WMI over WinRM. The gateway is included with Windows Admin Center in a single lightweight .msi package that you can download. The Windows Admin Center gateway, when published to DNS and given access through corresponding corporate firewalls, lets you securely connect to, and manage, your servers from anywhere with Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
- 9. Learn how Windows Admin Center improves your management environment Familiar functionality Easy to install and use Complements existing solutions Manage from anywhere Enhanced security for your management platform Azure integration Deploy hyper-converged and failover clusters Windows Admin Center is the evolution of long-standing, well known management platforms like Microsoft Management Console (MMC), built from the ground up for the way systems are built and managed today. Windows Admin Center contains many of the familiar tools you currently use to manage Windows Servers and clients. Install on a Windows 10 computer, and start managing in minutes, or install on a Windows 2016 server acting as a gateway to enable your entire organization to manage computers from their web browser. Windows Admin Center works with solutions like System Center and Azure management and security, adding to their capabilities to perform detailed, single-machine management tasks. Publish your Windows Admin Center gateway server to the public Internet, then you can connect to and manage servers your from anywhere, all in a secure manner. Windows Admin Center has many enhancements that make your management platform more secure. Role-based access control lets you fine-tune which administrators have access to which management features. Gateway authentication options include local groups, local domain-based Active Directory, and cloud-based Azure Active Directory. Also, gain insight into management actions performed in your environment. Windows Admin Center has many points of integration with Azure services, including Azure Active Directory, Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery, and more. Windows Admin Center allows for seamless deployment of hyper-converged and failover clusters through an
- 10. Manage hyper-converged clusters Extensibility TIP easy-to-use wizard. Windows Admin Center offers the best experience for managing hyper-converged clusters - including virtualized compute, storage, and networking components. Windows Admin Center was built with extensibility in mind from the beginning, with the ability for Microsoft and 3rd party developers to build tools and solutions beyond the current offerings. Microsoft offers an SDK that enables developers to build their own tools for Windows Admin Center. Ready to install Windows Admin Center? Download now
- 11. Windows Admin Center Frequently Asked Questions 10/19/2020 • 9 minutes to read • Edit Online What is Windows Admin Center? Can I use Windows Admin Center in production environments? How much does it cost to use Windows Admin Center? What versions of Windows Server can I manage with Windows Admin Center? Is Windows Admin Center a complete replacement for all traditional in- box and RSAT tools? Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about Windows Admin Center. Windows Admin Center is a lightweight, browser-based GUI platform and toolset for IT Admins to manage Windows Server and Windows 10. It's the evolution of familiar in-box administrative tools, such as Server Manager and Microsoft Management Console (MMC) into a modernized, simplified, integrated, and secure experience. Yes. Windows Admin Center is generally available and ready for broad usage and production deployments. The current platform capabilities and core tools meet Microsoft's standard release criteria and our quality bar for usability, reliability, performance, accessibility, security, and adoption. Windows Admin Center (non-preview) releases are supported continuously, based on Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy. This means that only the latest version of Windows Admin Center is serviced and supported, and users must stay current by upgrading to the latest Windows Admin Center release within 30 days of availability to remain supported. This policy applies to both the Windows Admin Center platform itself, as well as any released (non- preview) Microsoft extensions published in the Windows Admin Center extension feed. Note that some extensions may be updated more frequently than others, between Windows Admin Center releases. For info about Windows Admin Center Preview releases, see Windows Insider Preview releases. Windows Admin Center has no additional cost beyond Windows. You can use Windows Admin Center (available as a separate download) with valid licenses of Windows Server or Windows 10 at no additional cost - it's licensed under a Windows Supplemental EULA. Windows Admin Center is optimized for Windows Server 2019 to enable key themes in the Windows Server 2019 release: hybrid cloud scenarios and hyper-converged infrastructure management in particular. Although Windows Admin Center will work best with Windows Server 2019, it supports managing a variety of versions that customers already use: Windows Server 2012 and newer are fully supported. There is also limited functionality for managing Windows Server 2008 R2. No. Although Windows Admin Center can manage many common scenarios, it doesn't completely replace all traditional Microsoft Management Console (MMC) tools. For a detailed look at what tools are included with Windows Admin Center, read more about managing servers in our documentation. Windows Admin Center has the
- 12. Can Windows Admin Center be used to manage the free Microsoft Hyper-V Server? Can I deploy Windows Admin Center on a Windows 10 computer? I've heard that Windows Admin Center uses PowerShell under the hood, can I see the actual scripts that it uses? following key capabilities in its Server Manager solution: Displaying resources and resource utilization Certificate Management Managing Devices Event Viewer File Explorer Firewall Management Managing Installed Apps Configuring Local Users and Groups Network Settings Viewing/Ending Processes and Creating Process Dumps Registry Editing Managing Scheduled tasks Managing Windows Services Enabling/Disabling Roles and Features Managing Hyper-V VMs and Virtual Switches Managing Storage Managing Storage Replica Managing Windows Updates PowerShell console Remote Desktop connection Windows Admin Center also provides these solutions: Computer Management – Provides a subset of the Server Manager features for managing Windows 10 client PCs Failover Cluster Manager – Provides support for ongoing management of failover clusters and cluster resources Hyper-Converged Cluster Manager – Provides an all-new experience tailored for Storage Spaces Direct and Hyper-V. It features the Dashboard and emphasizes charts and alerts for monitoring. Windows Admin Center is complementary to and does not replace RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools) since roles such as Active Directory, DHCP, DNS, IIS do not yet have equivalent management capabilities surfaced in Windows Admin Center. Yes. Windows Admin Center can be used to manage Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2. Yes, Windows Admin Center can be installed on Windows 10 (version 1709 or later), running in desktop mode. Windows Admin Center can also be installed on a server with Windows Server 2016 or greater in gateway mode, and then accessed via a web browser from a Windows 10 computer. Learn more about installation options. Yes! the Showscript feature was added in Windows Admin Center Preview 1806, and is now included in the GA
- 13. Are there any plans for Windows Admin Center to manage Windows Server 2008 R2 or earlier? Are there any plans for Windows Admin Center to manage Linux connections? Which web browsers are supported by Windows Admin Center? How does Windows Admin Center handle security? Does Windows Admin Center use CredSSP? Are there any cloud dependencies? channel. Windows Admin Center no longer supports functionality to manage Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Admin Center relies on PowerShell capabilities and platform technologies that don't exist in Windows Server 2008 R2 and earlier, making full support infeasible. If you have not yet, Microsoft recommends moving to Azure or upgrading to the latest version of Windows Server. We are investigating due to customer demand, but there is currently no locked plan to deliver, and support may consist only of a console connection over SSH. The latest versions of Microsoft Edge (Windows 10, version 1709 or later), Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge Insider are tested and supported on Windows 10. View browser specific known issues. Other modern web browsers or other platforms are not currently part of our test matrix and are therefore not officially supported. Traffic from the browser to the Windows Admin Center gateway uses HTTPS. Traffic from the gateway to managed servers is standard PowerShell and WMI over WinRM. We support LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution), resource-based constrained delegation, gateway access control using AD or Azure AD, and role-based access control for managing target servers. Yes, in a few cases Windows Admin Center requires CredSSP. This is required to pass your credentials for authentication to machines beyond the specific server you are targeting for management. For example, if you are managing virtual machines on server B, but want to store the vhdx files for those virtual machines on a file share hosted by server C, Windows Admin Center must use CredSSP to authenticate with server C to access the file share. Windows Admin Center handles the configuration of CredSSP automatically after prompting for consent from you. Before configuring CredSSP, Windows Admin Center will check to make sure that the system has the recent CredSSP updates. CredSSP is currently used in the following areas: Using disaggregated SMB storage in the virtual machines tool (the example above.) Using the Updates tool in either the Failover or Hyper-Converged cluster management solutions, which performs Cluster-Aware Updating Windows Admin Center does not require internet access and does not require Microsoft Azure. Windows Admin Center manages Windows Server and Windows instances anywhere: on physical systems, or in virtual machines on any hypervisor, or running in any cloud. Although integration with various Azure services will be added over time, these will be optional value-added features and not a requirement to use Windows Admin Center.
- 14. Are there any other dependencies or prerequisites? What about extensibility and 3rd-party support? Can I manage Hyper-Converged Infrastructure with Windows Admin Center? Does Windows Admin Center require System Center? Can Windows Admin Center replace System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)? What is Windows Admin Center Preview, which version is right for me? Windows Admin Center Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center can be installed on Windows 10 Fall Anniversary Update (1709) or newer, or Windows Server 2016 or newer. To manage Windows Server 2008 R2, 2012, or 2012 R2, installation of Windows Management Framework 5.1 is required on those servers. There are no other dependencies. IIS is not required, agents are not required, SQL Server is not required. Windows Admin Center has an SDK available so that anyone can write their own extension. As a platform, growing our ecosystem and enabling partner extensibility has been a key priority since the beginning. Read more about the Windows Admin Center SDK. Yes. Windows Admin Center supports the management of hyper-converged clusters running Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019. The hyper-converged cluster manager solution in Windows Admin Center was previously in preview but is now generally available, with some new functionality in preview. For more information, read more about managing hyper-converged infrastructure. No. Windows Admin Center is complementary to System Center, but System Center is not required. Read more about Windows Admin Center and System Center. Windows Admin Center and SCVMM are complementary; Windows Admin Center is intended to replace the traditional Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap ins and the server admin experience. Windows Admin Center is not intended to replace the monitoring aspects of SCVMM. Read more about Windows Admin Center and System Center. There are two versions of Windows Admin Center available for download: For IT admins who are not able to update frequently or who want more validation time for the releases they use in production, this version is for you. Our current generally available (GA) release is Windows Admin Center 1910. Windows Admin Center (non-preview) releases are supported continuously, based on Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy. This means that only the latest version of Windows Admin Center is serviced and supported, and users must stay current by upgrading to the latest Windows Admin Center release within 30 days of availability to remain supported. This policy applies to both the Windows Admin Center platform itself, as well as any released (non-preview) Microsoft extensions published in the Windows Admin Center extension feed. Note that some extensions may be updated more frequently than others, between Windows Admin Center releases.For info about Windows Admin Center Preview releases, see Windows Insider Preview releases. To get the latest release, download here. For IT admins who want the latest and greatest features on a regular cadence, this version is for you. Our intent
- 15. Why was "Windows Admin Center" chosen as the final name for "Project Honolulu"? Where can I learn more about Windows Admin Center, or get more details on the topics above? What is the version history of Windows Admin Center? I'm having an issue with Windows Admin Center, where can I get help? is to provide subsequent update releases every month or so. The core platform continues to be production- ready and the license provides production use rights. However, note that you will see the introduction of new tools and capabilities which are clearly marked as PREVIEW and are suitable for evaluation and testing. To get the latest Insider Preview release, registered Insiders may download Windows Admin Center Preview directly from the Windows Server Insider Preview download page, under the Additional Downloads dropdown. If you have not yet registered as an Insider, see Getting Started with Windows Server on the Windows Insiders for Business portal. Windows Admin Center is the official product name for "Project Honolulu" and reinforces our vision of an integrated experience for IT admins across a breadth of core administrative and management scenarios. It also highlights our customer-focus on IT admin user needs as central to how we invest and what we deliver. Our launch page is the best starting point and has links to our newly categorized documentation content, download location, how to provide feedback, reference information, and other resources. View the version history here. See our troubleshooting guide and our list of known issues.
- 16. Windows Admin Center Case Studies 10/19/2020 • 8 minutes to read • Edit Online Learn about how our customers have used Windows Admin Center to improve their productivity and reduce costs. Ava6 The Challenge The Solution Comparex The Challenge Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Ava6 Comparex Convergent Computing FZI Research Center for Information Technology GVC Group Inside Technologies SecureGUARD / COPA-DATA VaiSulWeb Ava6 is an IT consulting company that specializes in design, evaluation, and integration of IT infrastructure, specifically virtualization, networking, storage, backup, and cloud computing. Ava6 uses Windows Server 2016 Core, Hyper-V, Failover Clustering, and S2D. Ava6's first use case for Windows Admin Center is Hyper-V and Failover Clustering, and is evaluating hyper- converged cluster. Windows Admin Center helps Ava6 manage Windows Server deployed in Core Edition, especially for driver management. Windows Admin Center gives a better experience for Hyper-V and Failover Cluster to customers, especially to manage VMs, and shows customers that a GUI is coming for the hyper-converged solution. Ava6 has Windows Admin Center deployed as a single instance for VM management. Ava6's customers have been impressed with Windows Admin Center, and prefer its management capabilities for Hyper-V and Failover Clustering over other options. Before Windows Admin Center, driver management was overly complicated on a Core server. Windows Admin Center has also helped introduce S2D Ava6's customers, with a similar offering to competitors like Nutanix and VMWare. Comparex is an IT service provider and software license management company that has developed services to support management, leverage software products, and enable productivity optimization. Comparex uses Windows Server 2012R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows 10, Hyper-V, Failover Clusters, Storage Spaces Direct, PowerShell, RDP over HTML, Azure AD and Application Proxy, File Servers, and Azure Site Recovery. Comparex is responsible for running and managing thousands of servers for their customers, and consults with
- 17. The Solution Convergent Computing The Challenge The Solution FZI Research Center for Information Technology The Challenge customers to provide the best solution for server management depending on needs. Comparex was looking for an easy-to-use and remote-accessible server management solution for small to mid- size businesses. Finding a one-stop-shop for server management, in a modern and secure way, was proving to be a major challenge. Comparex is running a server-based Windows Admin Center installation for access to, and management of, their demo lab, which has helped alleviate extra VPN and RDP steps. Comparex's consultants also run Windows Admin Center on their notebooks to help customers in their environment, without the need for explicit RDP access. Windows Admin Center has saved Comparex time in their daily business, to do more and achieve more. Windows Admin Center has also solved common management challenges with their customers, such as with Hyper-V and Storage Spaces Direct. Convergent Computing is a technology strategy and implementation firm that helps enterprises plan, implement, migrate, and automate systems to improve business operations. Convergent Computing uses Windows Server 2016 (Nano, Core, Datacenter, Standard, Hyper-V) and Windows Server 2012R2 (Server Core, Datacenter, Standard, and Hyper-V). Convergent Computing uses the technologies it recommends to its customers, and it found that Windows Admin Center fits a perfect need for customers with hosted data centers and secured (isolated) on-premise work environments. Convergent Computing has three distinct environments: hosted, secured, and web operations). These environments run a combination of Windows Server Nano, Core, Cluster, and Hyper-V editions. Windows Admin Center has enabled them to centrally manage multiple servers and services from a single point, providing an optimized footprint and simple management platform. Convergent Computing uses Windows Admin Center to manage three environments with 40+ hosts running 200+ workloads. Prior to Windows Admin Center, Convergent Computing used a range of tools and technologies to perform management tasks, including System Center and custom scripts. With the goal of minimizing overhead and effort to manage their servers farms, Convergent Computing found that the “thinner” a management layer got, the more complex it became, so they typically ended up with higher overhead for the sake of simplicity. With Windows Admin Center, 20+ hours a month that were spent “managing the management system” are saved, a 75% reduction in time and effort, allowing their operations teams to focus on more valuable tasks including security, compliance, capacity planning, and overall systems optimization. FZI Research Center for Information Technology is a non-profit institution for applied research in information technology and technology transfer. FZI uses Windows Server 2016, Windows 10, Hyper-V, Storage Spaces Direct, and Failover-Cluster. FZI was looking for a way to manage Hyper-V Server in a Failover Cluster, and a Hyper-Converged Cluster. FZI was looking for a centralized way to administrate systems both inside and outside of their domain, with the
- 18. The Solution GVC Group The Challenge The Solution Inside Technologies The Challenge The Solution ability to switch quickly between each of those systems. Windows Admin Center enabled them to accomplish those goals, all in one place. FZI has multiple installations of Windows Admin Center, both as a server installation connecting all of the infrastructure they manage, as well as installations in desktop mode that their administrators use to manage their own testing servers. Windows Admin Center allows FZI to accelerate the rate they can perform tasks like monthly Windows Updates, connecting to servers via Remote Desktop, and making minor administrative changes quickly. GVC Group is an online entertainment provider, with over 15,000 servers operated around the globe. GVC Group uses Windows Server 2016 with many roles (Hyper-V, WSFC, AD-DS, Fileserver, among others), as well as System Center products including SCCM and SCOM. GVC Group operates in a highly regulated market, with the need to deploy systems to many locations worldwide. Local requirements sometimes require that management of systems is performed in the same country that the server is operated in. Windows Admin Center allows GVC group to leverage global resources and still perform management tasks on local systems. GVC Group need to deploy servers in many locales and still provide reliable, highly available solutions with minimal effort. GVC Group has deployed Windows Admin Center in a virtualized environment, with a load balancer, to enable management of servers in remote locations. GVC Group has seen increased productivity due to less management hops for administrators. This has reduced their cost due to the down-scaling of local terminal servers. Inside Technologies is a globally-focused IT consulting firm that provides application development, enterprise solutions, and infrastructure services. They specialize in applying new and unique approaches with Microsoft solutions to meet customer's needs. Inside Technologies uses a wide variety of Windows Server technologies, including Hyper-V and Storage. Inside Technologies primary needed a way to provide their customers with new tools in an always-connected environment that was integrated with high security, and without the need to use VPN. Inside Technologies have customers where uptime is critical, and were looking for a tool that allowed them to manage their servers easily without exposing RDP and without adding complexity with VPN. Windows Admin Center is deployed by Inside Technologies on a single server to manage all assets in their environment. Inside Technologies is using Windows Admin Center to manage their customers remotely, and with integration of Azure Activity Directory, with increased security thanks to Multi-Factor Authentication. The dashboards on Windows Admin Center offer improved visibility into the state of each role on each server, and ease of management down to the finest detail with PowerShell. Inside Technologies has realized a reduction in time spent
- 19. SecureGUARD / COPA-DATA The Challenge The Solution VaiSulWeb The Challenge The Solution to manage servers vs. using different consoles for each server role. SecureGUARD GmbH helps companies solve complex IT problems in security and cloud infrastructure with a series of products and custom engineering services. SecureGUARD builds IT security appliances and Microsoft Windows Server based appliances, more recently building rack-level converged appliances for cloud infrastructures. SecureGUARD is a Microsoft Gold Partner in Application Development and Datacenter. COPA-DATA develops the software solution “zenon” that allows for end-to-end industrial IoT solutions - from the field level up to the cloud and to mobile devices. COPA-DATA has deployed systems worldwide to companies in the Food & Beverage, Energy & Infrastructure, Automotive and Pharmaceutical sectors. COPA-DATA implemented a 4-node hyper converged cluster designed and implemented by SecureGUARD GmbH in late 2017 to host their internal infrastructure and test servers. COPA-DATA found itself limited by its old IT infrastructure. Specifically, monitoring and operating their infrastructure with approx. 60 virtual machines became a real challenge for the IT department. COPA-DATA uses Windows Admin Center to monitor and operate their physical and virtual server infrastructure, all accessible from one browser window. Tasks like provisioning a new virtual machine or viewing performance data of a physical server or VM are now done with a simple mouse click in the Windows Admin Center web interface. With Windows Admin Center, COPA-DATA has an easy to use tool to manage their internal infrastructure. This minimizes administrative efforts and saves a lot of time, without any additional license fees. VaiSulWeb is a web hosting and IaaS/PaaS services provider that also provides development and integration services. VaiSulWeb uses Windows Server 2016 and 2012 R2, with Hyper-V, Failover Clustering, Storage Spaces Direct, File Servers, SQL Server, IIS, and WSL. VaiSulWeb was looking to leverage the agility and efficiency of Server Core when deploying resources, while maintaining ease of management for those resources. VaiSulWeb uses a combination of PowerShell automation for simple tasks and UI for more complicated ones. VaiSulWeb has gained increased confidence deploying Windows Server Core with the increased ability to manage with Windows Admin Center, plus the ability to extend Windows Admin Center for a customized experience. VaiSulWeb deploys in a wide variety of scenarios, including failover clustering and hyper-converged. Windows Admin Center is deployed on both Windows 10 workstations and Windows Servers to manage their assets. VaiSulWeb has been able to deploy Windows Server Core more effectively, while improving resource efficiency, security, and automation. VaiSulWeb has achieved improved productivity and reduced errors versus management with scripts only.
- 20. Windows Admin Center and related management solutions from Microsoft 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) Intune Azure Stack System Center WINDOWS ADMIN CENTER SYSTEM CENTER Reimagined “in-box” platform & tools Datacenter management & monitoring Included with Windows Server license – no additional cost, just like MMC and other traditional in-box tools Comprehensive suite of solutions for additional value across your environment and platforms Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center is the evolution of traditional in-box server management tools for situations where you might have used Remote Desktop (RDP) to connect to a server for troubleshooting or configuration. It's not intended to replace other existing Microsoft management solutions; rather it complements these solutions, as described below. Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) is a collection of GUI and PowerShell tools to manage optional roles and features in Windows Server. RSAT has many capabilities that Windows Admin Center doesn't have. We may add some of the most commonly used tools in RSAT to Windows Admin Center in the future. Any new Windows Server role or feature that requires a GUI for management will be in Windows Admin Center. Intune is a cloud-based enterprise mobility management service that lets you manage iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS devices, based on a set of policies. Intune focuses on enabling you to secure company information by controlling how your workforce accesses and shares information. In contrast, Windows Admin Center is not policy- driven, but enables ad-hoc management of Windows 10 and Windows Server systems, using remote PowerShell and WMI over WinRM. Azure Stack is a hybrid cloud platform that lets you deliver Azure services from your data center. Azure Stack is managed using PowerShell or the administrator portal, which is similar to the traditional Azure portal used to access and manage traditional Azure services. Windows Admin Center isn't intended to manage the Azure Stack infrastructure, but you can use it to manage Azure IaaS virtual machines (running Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows Server 2012) or troubleshoot individual physical servers deployed in your Azure Stack environment. System Center is an on-premises data center management solution for deployment, configuration, management, monitoring your entire data center. System Center lets you see the status of all the systems in your environment, while Windows Admin Center lets you drill down into a specific server to manage or troubleshoot it with more granular tools.
- 21. Lightweight, browser-based remote management of Windows Server instances, anywhere; alternative to RDP Manage & monitor heterogeneous systems at scale, including Hyper-V, VMware, and Linux Deep single-server & single-cluster drill-down for troubleshooting, configuration & maintenance Infrastructure provisioning; automation and self-service; infrastructure and workload monitoring breadth Optimized management of individual 2–4 node HCI clusters, integrating Hyper-V, Storage Spaces Direct, and SDN Deploy & manage Hyper-V, Windows Server clusters at datacenter scale from bare metal with SCVMM Monitoring on HCI only; cluster health service stores history. Extensible platform for 1st and 3rd party admin tool extensions Extensible & scalable monitoring platform in SCOM, with alerting, notifications, third-party workload monitoring; SQL for history Easiest bridge to hybrid; onboard and use a variety of Azure services for data protection, replication, updates and more Built-in data protection, replication, updates (DPM/VMM/SCCM). Hybrid integration with Log Analytics and Service Map Lights up platform features of Windows Server: Storage Migration Service, Storage Replica, System Insights, etc. Additional platforms: Automation in Orchestrator/SMA.Integrations with SCSM & other service management tools WINDOWS ADMIN CENTER SYSTEM CENTER Each delivers targeted value independently; better together with complementary capabilities.
- 22. What type of installation is right for you? 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Installation: Types LOCAL CLIENT GATEWAY SERVER MANAGED SERVER FAILOVER CLUSTER Install on a local Windows 10 client that has connectivity to the managed servers. Great for quick start, testing, ad-hoc or small scale scenarios. Install on a designated gateway server and access from any client browser with connectivity to the gateway server. Great for large-scale scenarios. Install directly on a managed server for the purpose of managing itself or a cluster in which it's a member node. Great for distributed scenarios. Deploy in a failover cluster to enable high availability of the gateway service. Great for production environments to ensure resiliency of your management service. Installation: Supported operating systems PLATFORM INSTALLATION MODE Windows 10 Local client Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel Gateway sever, managed server, failover cluster Windows Server 2016 Gateway sever, managed server, failover cluster Windows Server 2019 Gateway sever, managed server, failover cluster This topic describes the different installation options for Windows Admin Center, including installing on a Windows 10 PC or a Windows server for use by multiple admins. To install Windows Admin Center on a VM in Azure, see Deploy Windows Admin Center in Azure. You can install Windows Admin Center on the following Windows operating systems: To operating Windows Admin Center: In local client scenario: Launch the Windows Admin Center gateway from the Start menu and connect to it from a client web browser by accessing https://localhost:6516 .
- 23. WARNING Installation: Supported web browsers Management target: Supported operating systems VERSION MANAGE NODE VIA SERVER MANAGER MANAGE VIA CLUSTER MANAGER Windows 10 Yes (via Computer Management) N/A Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel Yes Yes Windows Server 2019 Yes Yes Windows Server 2016 Yes Yes, with latest cumulative update Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 Yes Yes Windows Server 2012 R2 Yes Yes Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 Yes Yes Windows Server 2012 Yes Yes NOTE High availability In other scenarios: Connect to the Windows Admin Center gateway on a different machine from a client browser via its URL, e.g., https://servername.contoso.com Installing Windows Admin Center on a Domain controller is not supported. Read more about domain controller security best practices. Microsoft Edge (including Microsoft Edge insider) and Google Chrome are tested and supported on Windows 10. Other web browsers—including Internet Explorer and Firefox—are not currently part of our test matrix and are therefore not officially supported. These browsers may have problems running Windows Admin Center. For example, Firefox has it’s own certificate store, so you must import the Windows Admin Center Client certificate into Firefox to use Windows Admin Center on Windows 10. For more details, see browser-specific known issues. You can manage the following Windows operating systems using Windows Admin Center: Windows Admin Center requires PowerShell features that are not included in Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2. If you will manage these with Windows Admin Center, you will need to install Windows Management Framework (WMF) version 5.1 or higher on those servers. Type $PSVersiontable in PowerShell to verify that WMF is installed, and that the version is 5.1 or higher. If WMF is not installed, you can download WMF 5.1. You can enable high availability of the gateway service by deploying Windows Admin Center in a active-passive model on a failover cluster. If one of the nodes in the cluster fails, Windows Admin Center gracefully fails over to another node, letting you continue managing the servers in your environment seamlessly.
- 24. TIP Learn how to deploy Windows Admin Center with high availability. Ready to install Windows Admin Center? Download now
- 25. User access options with Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 4 minutes to read • Edit Online Gateway access roles NOTE NOTE Identity provider options Smartcard authentication Conditional access and multi-factor authentication Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview When deployed on Windows Server, Windows Admin Center provides a centralized point of management for your server environment. By controlling access to Windows Admin Center, you can improve the security of your management landscape. Windows Admin Center defines two roles for access to the gateway service: gateway users and gateway administrators. Access to the gateway does not imply access to the target servers visible by the gateway. To manage a target server, a user must connect with credentials that have administrative privileges on the target server. Gateway users can connect to the Windows Admin Center gateway service in order to manage servers through that gateway, but they cannot change access permissions nor the authentication mechanism used to authenticate to the gateway. Gateway administrators can configure who gets access as well as how users will authenticate to the gateway. If there are no access groups defined in Windows Admin Center, the roles will reflect the Windows account access to the gateway server. Configure gateway user and administrator access in Windows Admin Center. Gateway administrators can choose either of the following: Active Directory/local machine groups Azure Active Directory as the identity provider for Windows Admin Center When using Active Directory or local machine groups as the identity provider, you can enforce smartcard authentication by requiring users who access Windows Admin Center to be a member of additional smartcard- based security groups. Configure smartcard authentication in Windows Admin Center. By requiring Azure AD authentication for the gateway, you can leverage additional security features like conditional access and multi-factor authentication provided by Azure AD. Learn more about configuring conditional access with Azure Active Directory.
- 26. Role-based access control Available roles ROLE NAME INTENDED USE Administrators Allows users to use most of the features in Windows Admin Center without granting them access to Remote Desktop or PowerShell. This role is good for "jump server" scenarios where you want to limit the management entry points on a machine. Readers Allows users to view information and settings on the server, but not make changes. Hyper-V Administrators Allows users to make changes to Hyper-V virtual machines and switches, but limits other features to read-only access. Preparing for role-based access control By default, users require full local administrator privileges on the machines they wish to manage using Windows Admin Center. This allows them to connect to the machine remotely and ensures they have sufficient permissions to view and modify system settings. However, some users may not need unrestricted access to the machine to perform their jobs. You can use role-based access control in Windows Admin Center to provide such users with limited access to the machine instead of making them full local administrators. Role-based access control in Windows Admin Center works by configuring each managed server with a PowerShell Just Enough Administration endpoint. This endpoint defines the roles, including what aspects of the system each role is allowed to manage and which users are assigned to the role. When a user connects to the restricted endpoint, a temporary local administrator account is created to manage the system on their behalf. This ensures that even tools which do not have their own delegation model can still be managed with Windows Admin Center. The temporary account is automatically removed when the user stops managing the machine through Windows Admin Center. When a user connects to a machine configured with role-based access control, Windows Admin Center will first check if they are a local administrator. If they are, they will receive the full Windows Admin Center experience with no restrictions. Otherwise, Windows Admin Center will check if the user belongs to any of the pre-defined roles. A user is said to have limited access if they belong to a Windows Admin Center role but are not a full administrator. Finally, if the user is neither an administrator nor a member of a role, they will be denied access to manage the machine. Role-based access control is available for the Server Manager and Failover Cluster solutions. Windows Admin Center supports the following end-user roles: The following built-in extensions have reduced functionality when a user connects with limited access: Files (no file upload or download) PowerShell (unavailable) Remote Desktop (unavailable) Storage Replica (unavailable) At this time, you cannot create custom roles for your organization, but you can choose which users are granted access to each role. To leverage the temporary local accounts, each target machine needs to be configured to support role-based access control in Windows Admin Center. The configuration process involves installing PowerShell scripts and a Just Enough Administration endpoint on the machine using Desired State Configuration.
- 27. If you only have a few computers, you can easily apply the configuration individually to each computer using the role-based access control page in Windows Admin Center. When you set up role-based access control on an individual computer, local security groups are created to control access to each role. You can grant access to users or other security groups by adding them as members of the role security groups. For an enterprise-wide deployment on multiple machines, you can download the configuration script from the gateway and distribute it to your computers using a Desired State Configuration pull server, Azure Automation, or your preferred management tooling.
- 28. Prepare your environment for Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online Prepare Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Install WMF version 5.1 or higher Prepare Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 To manage Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 with Windows Admin Center: Step 1: Enable Remote Management Step 2: Enable File Server Role Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview There are some Server versions that need additional preparation before they are ready to manage with Windows Admin Center: Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 There are also some scenarios where port configuration on the target server may need to be modified before managing with Windows Admin Center. Windows Admin Center requires PowerShell features that are not included by default in Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2. To manage Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2 with Windows Admin Center, you will need to install WMF version 5.1 or higher on those servers. Type $PSVersiontable in PowerShell to verify that WMF is installed, and that the version is 5.1 or higher. If it is not installed, you can download and install WMF 5.1. To manage Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 with Windows Admin Center, there are some Server roles you'll need to enable before you can do so. 1. Enable Remote Management. 2. Enable File Server Role. 3. Enable Hyper-V Module for PowerShell. To enable remote management in Hyper-V Server: 1. Log into Hyper-V Server. 2. At the Server Configuration (SCONFIG) tool, type 4 to configure remote management. 3. Type 1 to enable Remote Management. 4. Type 4 to return to the main menu. To enable File Server Role for basic file sharing and remote management: 1. Click Roles and Features in the Tools menu. 2. In Roles and Features, find File and Storage Services, and check File and iSCSI Services and File
- 29. Step 3: Enable Hyper-V Module for PowerShell Prepare Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 To manage Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 with Windows Admin Center: Step 1: Install Windows Management Framework 5.1 Server: To enable Hyper-V Module for PowerShell features: 1. Click Roles and Features in the Tools menu. 2. In Roles and Features, find Remote Server Administration Tools and check Role Administration Tools and Hyper-V Module for PowerShell: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 is now ready for management with Windows Admin Center. To manage Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 with Windows Admin Center, there are some Server roles you'll need to enable before you can do so. In addition, you will need to install WMF version 5.1 or higher. 1. Install Windows Management Framework (WMF) version 5.1 or higher 2. Enable Remote Management 3. Enable File Server Role 4. Enable Hyper-V Module for PowerShell Windows Admin Center requires PowerShell features that are not included by default in Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2. To manage Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 with Windows Admin Center, you will need to install WMF version 5.1 or higher. Type $PSVersiontable in PowerShell to verify that WMF is installed, and that the version is 5.1 or higher.
- 30. Step 2: Enable Remote Management Step 3: Enable File Server Role Step 4: Enable Hyper-V Module for PowerShell Port configuration on the target server If it is not installed, you can download WMF 5.1. To enable Hyper-V Server remote management: 1. Log into Hyper-V Server. 2. At the Server Configuration (SCONFIG) tool, type 4 to configure remote management. 3. Type 1 to enable remote management. 4. Type 4 to return to the main menu. To enable File Server Role for basic file sharing and remote management: 1. Click Roles and Features in the Tools menu. 2. In Roles and Features, find File and Storage Services and check File and iSCSI Services and File Server: To enable Hyper-V Module for PowerShell features: 1. Click Roles and Features in the Tools menu. 2. In Roles and Features, find Remote Server Administration Tools and check Role Administration Tools and Hyper-V Module for PowerShell: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 is now ready for management with Windows Admin Center. Windows Admin Center uses the SMB file sharing protocol for some file copying tasks, such as when importing a
- 31. TIP certificate on a remote server. For these file copy operations to succeed, the firewall on the remote server must allow inbound connections on port 445. You can use the Firewall tool in Windows Admin Center to verify the incoming rule for ‘File Server Remote Management (SMB-In)' is set to allow access on this port. Ready to install Windows Admin Center? Download now
- 32. Install Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online TIP Determine your installation type Install on Windows 10 NOTE Install on Windows Server with desktop experience NOTE Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview This topic describes how to install Windows Admin Center on a Windows PC or on a server so that multiple users can access Windows Admin Center using a web browser. New to Windows Admin Center? Learn more about Windows Admin Center or Download now. Review the installation options which includes the supported operating systems. To install Windows Admin Center on a VM in Azure, see Deploy Windows Admin Center in Azure. When you install Windows Admin Center on Windows 10, it uses port 6516 by default, but you have the option to specify a different port. You can also create a desktop shortcut and let Windows Admin Center manage your TrustedHosts. Modifying TrustedHosts is required in a workgroup environment, or when using local administrator credentials in a domain. If you choose to forego this setting, you must configure TrustedHosts manually. When you start Windows Admin Center from the Start menu, it opens in your default browser. When you start Windows Admin Center for the first time, you'll see an icon in the notification area of your desktop. Right-click this icon and choose Open to open the tool in your default browser, or choose Exit to quit the background process. On Windows Server, Windows Admin Center is installed as a network service. You must specify the port that the service listens on, and it requires a certificate for HTTPS. The installer can create a self-signed certificate for testing, or you can provide the thumbprint of a certificate already installed on the computer. If you use the generated certificate, it will match the DNS name of the server. If you use your own certificate, make sure the name provided in the certificate matches the machine name (wildcard certificates are not supported.) You are also given the choice to let Windows Admin Center manage your TrustedHosts. Modifying TrustedHosts is required in a workgroup environment, or when using local administrator credentials in a domain. If you choose to forego this setting, you must configure TrustedHosts manually Once the install is complete, open a browser from a remote computer and navigate to URL presented in the last
- 33. WARNING Install on Server Core WARNING msiexec /i <WindowsAdminCenterInstallerName>.msi /qn /L*v log.txt SME_PORT=<port> SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION=generate msiexec /i <WindowsAdminCenterInstallerName>.msi /qn /L*v log.txt SME_PORT=<port> SME_THUMBPRINT=<thumbprint> SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION=installed WARNING Upgrading to a new version of Windows Admin Center Updating the certificate used by Windows Admin Center step of the installer. Automatically generated certificates expire 60 days after installation. If you have a Server Core installation of Windows Server, you can install Windows Admin Center from the command prompt (running as Administrator). Specify a port and SSL certificate by using the SME_PORT and SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION arguments respectively. If you're going to use an existing certificate, use the SME_THUMBPRINT to specify its thumbprint. Installing Windows Admin Center will restart the WinRM service, which will sever all remote PowerShells sessions. It is recommended that you install from a local Cmd or PowerShell. If you are installing with an automation solution that would be broken by the WinRM service restarting, you can add the parameter RESTART_WINRM=0 to the install arguments, but WinRM must be restarted for Windows Admin Center to function. Run the following command to install Windows Admin Center and automatically generate a self-signed certificate: Run the following command to install Windows Admin Center with an existing certificate: Don't invoke msiexec from PowerShell using dot-slash relative path notation (like, .<WindowsAdminCenterInstallerName>.msi ). That notation isn't supported, the installation will fail. Remove the . prefix or specify the full path to the MSI. You can update non-preview versions of Windows Admin Center by using Microsoft Update or by manually installing. Your settings are preserved when upgrading to a new version of Windows Admin Center. We don't officially support upgrading Insider Preview versions of Windows Admin Center - we think it's better to do a clean install - but we don't block it. When you have Windows Admin Center deployed as a service, you must provide a certificate for HTTPS. To update this certificate at a later time, re-run the installer and choose change .
- 34. Deploy Windows Admin Center with high availability 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online Prerequisites Install Windows Admin Center on a failover cluster Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview You can deploy Windows Admin Center in a failover cluster to provide high availability for your Windows Admin Center gateway service. The solution provided is an active-passive solution, where only one instance of Windows Admin Center is active. If one of the nodes in the cluster fails, Windows Admin Center gracefully fails over to another node, letting you continue managing the servers in your environment seamlessly. Learn about other Windows Admin Center deployment options. A failover cluster of 2 or more nodes on Windows Server 2016 or 2019. Learn more about deploying a Failover Cluster. A cluster shared volume (CSV) for Windows Admin Center to store persistent data that can be accessed by all the nodes in the cluster. 10 GB will be sufficient for your CSV. High-availability deployment script from Windows Admin Center HA Script zip file. Download the .zip file containing the script to your local machine and then copy the script as needed based on the guidance below. Recommended, but optional: a signed certificate .pfx & password. You don't need to have already installed the certificate on the cluster nodes - the script will do that for you. If you don't supply one, the installation script generates a self-signed certificate, which expires after 60 days. 1. Copy the Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 script to a node in your cluster. Download or copy the Windows Admin Center .msi to the same node. 2. Connect to the node via RDP and run the Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 script from that node with the following parameters: -clusterStorage : the local path of the Cluster Shared Volume to store Windows Admin Center data. -clientAccessPoint : choose a name that you will use to access Windows Admin Center. For example, if you run the script with the parameter -clientAccessPoint contosoWindowsAdminCenter , you will access the Windows Admin Center service by visiting https://contosoWindowsAdminCenter.<domain>.com -staticAddress : Optional. One or more static addresses for the cluster generic service. -msiPath : The path for the Windows Admin Center .msi file. -certPath : Optional. The path for a certificate .pfx file. -certPassword : Optional. A SecureString password for the certificate .pfx provided in -certPath -generateSslCert : Optional. If you don't want to provide a signed certificate, include this parameter flag to generate a self-signed certificate. Note that the self-signed certificate will expire in 60 days. -portNumber : Optional. If you don't specify a port, the gateway service is deployed on port 443 (HTTPS). To use a different port specify in this parameter. Note that if you use a custom port (anything besides 443), you'll access the Windows Admin Center by going to https://<clientAccessPoint>:<port>.
- 35. NOTE Examples Install with a signed certificate: $certPassword = Read-Host -AsSecureString .Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 -clusterStorage "C:ClusterStorageVolume1" -clientAccessPoint "contoso-ha- gateway" -msiPath ".WindowsAdminCenter.msi" -certPath "cert.pfx" -certPassword $certPassword -Verbose Install with a self-signed certificate: .Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 -clusterStorage "C:ClusterStorageVolume1" -clientAccessPoint "contoso-ha- gateway" -msiPath ".WindowsAdminCenter.msi" -generateSslCert -Verbose Update an existing high availability installation Update to a new version of Windows Admin Center .Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 -msiPath '.WindowsAdminCenter.msi' -Verbose Update the certificate used by Windows Admin Center $certPassword = Read-Host -AsSecureString .Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 -certPath "cert.pfx" -certPassword $certPassword -Verbose $certPassword = Read-Host -AsSecureString .Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 -msiPath ".WindowsAdminCenter.msi" -certPath "cert.pfx" -certPassword $certPassword -Verbose Uninstall .Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 -Uninstall -Verbose Troubleshooting The Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 script supports -WhatIf and -Verbose parameters Use the same Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 script to update your HA deployment, without losing your connection data. When a new version of Windows Admin Center is released, simply run the Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 script again with only the msiPath parameter: You can update the certificate used by a HA deployment of Windows Admin Center at any time by providing the new certificate's .pfx file and password. You may also update the certificate at the same time you update the Windows Admin Center platform with a new .msi file. To uninstall the HA deployment of Windows Admin Center from your failover cluster, pass the -Uninstall parameter to the Install-WindowsAdminCenterHA.ps1 script.
- 36. Logs are saved in the temp folder of the CSV (for example, C:ClusterStorageVolume1temp).
- 37. Windows Admin Center Settings 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online User settings Gateway settings Applies To: Windows Admin Center Windows Admin Center settings consist of user-level and gateway-level settings. A change to a user-level setting only affects the current user's profile, while a change to a gateway-level setting affects all users on that Windows Admin Center gateway. User-level settings consist of the following sections: Account Personalization Language/Region Suggestions Advanced In the Account tab, users can review the credentials they have used to authenticate to Windows Admin Center. If Azure AD is configured to be the identity provider, the user can log out of their Azure AD account from this tab. In the Personalization tab, users can toggle to a dark UI theme. In the Language/Region tab, users can change the language and region formats displayed by Windows Admin Center. In the Suggestions tab, users can toggle suggestions about Azure services and new features. The Advanced tab gives Windows Admin Center extension developers additional capabilities. Gateway-level settings consist of the following sections: Extensions Access Azure Shared Connections Only gateway administrators are able to see and change these settings. Changes to these settings change the configuration of the gateway and affect all users of the Windows Admin Center gateway. In the Extensions tab, administrators can install, uninstall, or update gateway extensions. Learn more about extensions. The Access tab lets administrators configure who can access the Windows Admin Center gateway, as well as the identity provider used to authenticate users. Learn more about controlling access to the gateway. From the Azure tab, administrators can register the gateway with Azure to enable Azure integration features in Windows Admin Center. Using the Shared Connections tab, administrators can configure a single list of connections to be shared across
- 38. all users of the Windows Admin Center gateway. Learn more about configuring connections once for all users of a gateway.
- 39. Configure User Access Control and Permissions 10/19/2020 • 13 minutes to read • Edit Online NOTE Gateway access role definitions NOTE Active Directory or local machine groups Smartcard authentication Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview If you haven't already, familiarize yourself with the user access control options in Windows Admin Center Group based access in Windows Admin Center is not supported in workgroup environments or across non-trusted domains. There are two roles for access to the Windows Admin Center gateway service: Gateway users can connect to the Windows Admin Center gateway service to manage servers through that gateway, but they can't change access permissions nor the authentication mechanism used to authenticate to the gateway. Gateway administrators can configure who gets access as well as how users authenticate to the gateway. Only gateway administrators can view and configure the Access settings in Windows Admin Center. Local administrators on the gateway machine are always administrators of the Windows Admin Center gateway service. Access to the gateway doesn't imply access to managed servers visible by the gateway. To manage a target server, the connecting user must use credentials (either through their passed-through Windows credential or through credentials provided in the Windows Admin Center session using the Manage as action) that have administrative access to that target server. By default, Active Directory or local machine groups are used to control gateway access. If you have an Active Directory domain, you can manage gateway user and administrator access from within the Windows Admin Center interface. On the Users tab you can control who can access Windows Admin Center as a gateway user. By default, and if you don't specify a security group, any user that accesses the gateway URL has access. Once you add one or more security groups to the users list, access is restricted to the members of those groups. If you don't use an Active Directory domain in your environment, access is controlled by the Users and Administrators local groups on the Windows Admin Center gateway machine. You can enforce smartcard authentication by specifying an additional required group for smartcard-based security groups. Once you have added a smartcard-based security group, a user can only access the Windows Admin Center service if they are a member of any security group AND a smartcard group included in the users list. On the Administrators tab you can control who can access Windows Admin Center as a gateway administrator.
- 40. Azure Active Directory Accessing Windows Admin Center when Azure AD authentication is enabled NOTE Configuring Azure Active Directory authentication for Windows Admin Center Preview The local administrators group on the computer will always have full administrator access and cannot be removed from the list. By adding security groups, you give members of those groups privileges to change Windows Admin Center gateway settings. The administrators list supports smartcard authentication in the same way as the users list: with the AND condition for a security group and a smartcard group. If your organization uses Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), you can choose to add an additional layer of security to Windows Admin Center by requiring Azure AD authentication to access the gateway. In order to access Windows Admin Center, the user's Windows account must also have access to gateway server (even if Azure AD authentication is used). When you use Azure AD, you'll manage Windows Admin Center user and administrator access permissions from the Azure Portal, rather than from within the Windows Admin Center UI. Depending on the browser used, some users accessing Windows Admin Center with Azure AD authentication configured will receive an additional prompt from the browser where they need to provide their Windows account credentials for the machine on which Windows Admin Center is installed. After entering that information, the users will get the additional Azure Active Directory authentication prompt, which requires the credentials of an Azure account that has been granted access in the Azure AD application in Azure. Users who's Windows account has Administrator rights on the gateway machine will not be prompted for the Azure AD authentication. Go to Windows Admin Center Settings > Access and use the toggle switch to turn on "Use Azure Active Directory to add a layer of security to the gateway". If you have not registered the gateway to Azure, you will be guided to do that at this time. By default, all members of the Azure AD tenant have user access to the Windows Admin Center gateway service. Only local administrators on the gateway machine have administrator access to the Windows Admin Center gateway. Note that the rights of local administrators on the gateway machine cannot be restricted - local admins can do anything regardless of whether Azure AD is used for authentication. If you want to give specific Azure AD users or groups gateway user or gateway administrator access to the Windows Admin Center service, you must do the following: 1. Go to your Windows Admin Center Azure AD application in the Azure portal by using the hyperlink provided in Access Settings. Note this hyperlink is only available when Azure Active Directory authentication is enabled. 2. In the Properties tab, set User assignment required to Yes. Once you've done this, only members listed in the Users and groups tab will be able to access the Windows Admin Center gateway. 3. In the Users and groups tab, select Add user. You must assign a gateway user or gateway administrator role for each user/group added. You can also find your application in the Azure portal by going to Azure Active Directory > Enterprise applications > All applications and searching WindowsAdminCenter (the Azure AD app will be named WindowsAdminCenter-). If you don't get any search results, ensure Show is set to all applications, application status is set to any and click Apply, then try your search. Once you've found the application, go to Users and groups Once you turn on Azure AD authentication, the gateway service restarts and you must refresh your browser. You can update user access for the SME Azure AD application in the Azure portal at any time. Users will be prompted to sign in using their Azure Active Directory identity when they attempt to access the
- 41. Configuring Azure Active Directory authentication for Windows Admin Center Conditional access and multi-factor authentication Configure single sign-on Windows Admin Center gateway URL. Remember that users must also be a member of the local Users on the gateway server to access Windows Admin Center. Users and administrators can view their currently logged-in account and as well as sign-out of this Azure AD account from the Account tab of Windows Admin Center Settings. To set up Azure AD authentication, you must first register your gateway with Azure (you only need to do this once for your Windows Admin Center gateway). This step creates an Azure AD application from which you can manage gateway user and gateway administrator access. If you want to give specific Azure AD users or groups gateway user or gateway administrator access to the Windows Admin Center service, you must do the following: 1. Go to your SME Azure AD application in the Azure portal. 2. In the Properties tab, set User assignment required to Yes. Once you've done this, only members listed in the Users and groups tab will be able to access the Windows Admin Center gateway. 3. In the Users and groups tab, select Add user. You must assign a gateway user or gateway administrator role for each user/group added. When you click Change access control and then select Azure Active Directory from the Windows Admin Center Access settings, you can use the hyperlink provided in the UI to access your Azure AD application in the Azure portal. This hyperlink is also available in the Access settings after you click save and have selected Azure AD as your access control identity provider. You can also find your application in the Azure portal by going to Azure Active Directory > Enterprise applications > All applications and searching SME (the Azure AD app will be named SME-). If you don't get any search results, ensure Show is set to all applications, application status is set to any and click Apply, then try your search. Once you've found the application, go to Users and groups Once you save the Azure AD access control in the Change access control pane, the gateway service restarts and you must refresh your browser. You can update user access for the Windows Admin Center Azure AD application in the Azure portal at any time. Users will be prompted to sign in using their Azure Active Directory identity when they attempt to access the Windows Admin Center gateway URL. Remember that users must also be a member of the local Users on the gateway server to access Windows Admin Center. Using the Azure tab of Windows Admin Center general settings, users and administrators can view their currently logged-in account and as well as sign-out of this Azure AD account. One of the benefits of using Azure AD as an additional layer of security to control access to the Windows Admin Center gateway is that you can leverage Azure AD's powerful security features like conditional access and multi- factor authentication. Learn more about configuring conditional access with Azure Active Directory. Single sign-on when deployed as a Service on Windows Server When you install Windows Admin Center on Windows 10, it's ready to use single sign-on. If you're going to use Windows Admin Center on Windows Server, however, you need to set up some form of Kerberos delegation in your environment before you can use single sign-on. The delegation configures the gateway computer as trusted to delegate to the target node.
- 42. Set-ADComputer -Identity (Get-ADComputer node01) -PrincipalsAllowedToDelegateToAccount (Get-ADComputer wac) Set-ADComputer -Identity (Get-ADComputer node01) -PrincipalsAllowedToDelegateToAccount $null Role-based access control TIP Apply role-based access control to a single machine To configure Resource-based constrained delegation in your environment, use the following PowerShell example. This example shows how you would configure a Windows Server [node01.contoso.com] to accept delegation from your Windows Admin Center gateway [wac.contoso.com] in the contoso.com domain. To remove this relationship, run the following cmdlet: Role-based access control enables you to provide users with limited access to the machine instead of making them full local administrators. Read more about role-based access control and the available roles. Setting up RBAC consists of 2 steps: enabling support on the target computer(s) and assigning users to the relevant roles. Make sure you have local administrator privileges on the machines where you are configuring support for role-based access control. The single machine deployment model is ideal for simple environments with only a few computers to manage. Configuring a machine with support for role-based access control will result in the following changes: PowerShell modules with functions required by Windows Admin Center will be installed on your system drive, under C:Program FilesWindowsPowerShellModules . All modules will start with Microsoft.Sme Desired State Configuration will run a one-time configuration to configure a Just Enough Administration endpoint on the machine, named Microsoft.Sme.PowerShell. This endpoint defines the 3 roles used by Windows Admin Center and will run as a temporary local administrator when a user connects to it. 3 new local groups will be created to control which users are assigned access to which roles: Windows Admin Center Administrators Windows Admin Center Hyper-V Administrators Windows Admin Center Readers To enable support for role-based access control on a single machine, follow these steps: 1. Open Windows Admin Center and connect to the machine you wish to configure with role-based access control using an account with local administrator privileges on the target machine. 2. On the Overview tool, click Settings > Role-based access control. 3. Click Apply at the bottom of the page to enable support for role-based access control on the target computer. The application process involves copying PowerShell scripts and invoking a configuration (using PowerShell Desired State Configuration) on the target machine. It may take up to 10 minutes to complete, and will result in WinRM restarting. This will temporarily disconnect Windows Admin Center, PowerShell, and WMI users. 4. Refresh the page to check the status of role-based access control. When it is ready for use, the status will change to Applied. Once the configuration is applied, you can assign users to the roles: 1. Open the Local Users and Groups tool and navigate to the Groups tab.
- 43. Apply role-based access control to multiple machines Download the role-based access control configuration $WindowsAdminCenterGateway = 'https://windowsadmincenter.contoso.com' Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "$WindowsAdminCenterGateway/api/nodes/all/features/jea/endpoint/export" -Method POST - UseDefaultCredentials -OutFile "~DesktopWindowsAdminCenter_RBAC.zip" $cert = Get-ChildItem Cert:CurrentUserMy | Where-Object Subject -eq 'CN=Windows Admin Center Client' | Select-Object -First 1 Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://localhost:6516/api/nodes/all/features/jea/endpoint/export" -Method POST - Certificate $cert -OutFile "~DesktopWindowsAdminCenter_RBAC.zip" 2. Select the Windows Admin Center Readers group. 3. In the Details pane at the bottom, click Add User and enter the name of a user or security group which should have read-only access to the server through Windows Admin Center. The users and groups can come from the local machine or your Active Directory domain. 4. Repeat steps 2-3 for the Windows Admin Center Hyper-V Administrators and Windows Admin Center Administrators groups. You can also fill these groups consistently across your domain by configuring a Group Policy Object with the Restricted Groups Policy Setting. In a large enterprise deployment, you can use your existing automation tools to push out the role-based access control feature to your computers by downloading the configuration package from the Windows Admin Center gateway. The configuration package is designed to be used with PowerShell Desired State Configuration, but you can adapt it to work with your preferred automation solution. To download the role-based access control configuration package, you'll need to have access to Windows Admin Center and a PowerShell prompt. If you're running the Windows Admin Center gateway in service mode on Windows Server, use the following command to download the configuration package. Be sure to update the gateway address with the correct one for your environment. If you're running the Windows Admin Center gateway on your Windows 10 machine, run the following command instead: When you expand the zip archive, you'll see the following folder structure: InstallJeaFeatures.ps1 JustEnoughAdministration (directory) Modules (directory) Microsoft.SME.* (directories) WindowsAdminCenter.Jea (directory) To configure support for role-based access control on a node, you need to perform the following actions: 1. Copy the JustEnoughAdministration, Microsoft.SME.*, and WindowsAdminCenter.Jea modules to the PowerShell module directory on the target machine. Typically, this is located at C:Program FilesWindowsPowerShellModules . 2. Update InstallJeaFeature.ps1 file to match your desired configuration for the RBAC endpoint. 3. Run InstallJeaFeature.ps1 to compile the DSC resource. 4. Deploy your DSC configuration to all of your machines to apply the configuration. The following section explains how to do this using PowerShell Remoting.
- 44. Deploy on multiple machines NOTE Copy-Item "$PSScriptRootJustEnoughAdministration" "$env:ProgramFilesWindowsPowerShellModules" -Recurse - Force $ConfigData = @{ AllNodes = @() ModuleBasePath = @{ Source = "$PSScriptRootModules" Destination = "$env:ProgramFilesWindowsPowerShellModules" } } InstallJeaFeature -ConfigurationData $ConfigData | Out-Null Start-DscConfiguration -Path "$PSScriptRootInstallJeaFeature" -JobName "Installing JEA for Windows Admin Center" -Force To deploy the configuration you downloaded onto multiple machines, you'll need to update the InstallJeaFeatures.ps1 script to include the appropriate security groups for your environment, copy the files to each of your computers, and invoke the configuration scripts. You can use your preferred automation tooling to accomplish this, however this article will focus on a pure PowerShell-based approach. By default, the configuration script will create local security groups on the machine to control access to each of the roles. This is suitable for workgroup and domain joined machines, but if you're deploying in a domain-only environment you may wish to directly associate a domain security group with each role. To update the configuration to use domain security groups, open InstallJeaFeatures.ps1 and make the following changes: 1. Remove the 3 Group resources from the file: 2. Remove the 3 Group resources from the JeaEndpoint DependsOn property 3. Change the group names in the JeaEndpoint RoleDefinitions property to your desired security groups. For example, if you have a security group CONTOSOMyTrustedAdmins that should be assigned access to the Windows Admin Center Administrators role, change '$env:COMPUTERNAMEWindows Admin Center Administrators' to 'CONTOSOMyTrustedAdmins' . The three strings you need to update are: a. "Group MS-Readers-Group" b. "Group MS-Hyper-V-Administrators-Group" c. "Group MS-Administrators-Group" a. "[Group]MS-Readers-Group" b. "[Group]MS-Hyper-V-Administrators-Group" c. "[Group]MS-Administrators-Group" a. '$env:COMPUTERNAMEWindows Admin Center Administrators' b. '$env:COMPUTERNAMEWindows Admin Center Hyper-V Administrators' c. '$env:COMPUTERNAMEWindows Admin Center Readers' Be sure to use unique security groups for each role. Configuration will fail if the same security group is assigned to multiple roles. Next, at the end of the InstallJeaFeatures.ps1 file, add the following lines of PowerShell to the bottom of the script: Finally, you can copy the folder containing the modules, DSC resource and configuration to each target node and run the InstallJeaFeature.ps1 script. To do this remotely from your admin workstation, you can run the following commands:
- 45. $ComputersToConfigure = 'MyServer01', 'MyServer02' $ComputersToConfigure | ForEach-Object { $session = New-PSSession -ComputerName $_ -ErrorAction Stop Copy-Item -Path "~DesktopWindowsAdminCenter_RBACJustEnoughAdministration" -Destination "$env:ProgramFilesWindowsPowerShellModules" -ToSession $session -Recurse -Force Copy-Item -Path "~DesktopWindowsAdminCenter_RBAC" -Destination "$env:TEMPWindowsAdminCenter_RBAC" - ToSession $session -Recurse -Force Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock { Import-Module JustEnoughAdministration; & "$env:TEMPWindowsAdminCenter_RBACInstallJeaFeature.ps1" } -AsJob Disconnect-PSSession $session }
- 46. Install and Manage Extensions 10/19/2020 • 5 minutes to read • Edit Online Installing an extension Installing extensions from a different feed Uninstalling an extension Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center is built as an extensible platform where each connection type and tool is an extension that you can install, uninstall and update individually. You can search for new extensions published by Microsoft and other developers, and install and update them individually without having to update the entire Windows Admin Center installation. You can also configure a separate NuGet feed or file share and distribute extensions to use internally within your organization. Windows Admin Center will show extensions available from the specified NuGet feed. By default, Windows Admin Center points to the Microsoft official NuGet feed which hosts extensions published by Microsoft and other developers. 1. Click the Settings button in the top-right > In the left pane, click Extensions. 2. The Available Extensions tab will list the extensions on the feed that are available for installation. 3. Click on an extension to view the extension description, version, publisher and other information in the Details pane. 4. Click Install to install an extension. If the gateway must run in elevated mode to make this change, you will be presented with a UAC elevation prompt. After installation is complete, your browser will automatically be refreshed and Windows Admin Center will be reloaded with the new extension installed. If the extension you are trying to install is an update to a previously installed extension, you can click the Update to latest button to install the update. You can also go to the Installed Extensions tab to view installed extensions and see if an update is available in the Status column. Windows Admin Center supports multiple feeds and you can view and manage packages from more than one feed at a time. Any NuGet feed that supports the NuGet V2 APIs or a file share can be added to Windows Admin Center for installing extensions from. 1. Click the Settings button in the top-right > In the left pane, click Extensions. 2. On the right pane, click the Feeds tab. 3. Click the Add button to add another feed. For a NuGet feed, enter the NuGet V2 feed URL. The NuGet feed provider or administrator should be able to provide the URL information. For a file share, enter the full path of the file share in which the extension package files (.nupkg) are stored. 4. Click Add. If the gateway must run in elevated mode to make this change, you will be presented with a UAC elevation prompt. This prompt will only be presented if you are running Windows Admin Center in desktop mode. The Available Extensions list will show extensions from all registered feeds. You can check which feed each extension is from using the Package Feed column. You can uninstall any extensions you have previously installed, or even uninstall any tools that were pre-installed
- 47. Installing extensions on a computer without internet connectivity Manually downloading extension packages Downloading packages with a PowerShell script $feedUrlBase = "https://aka.ms/sme-extension-feed" Manage extensions with PowerShell as part of the Windows Admin Center installation. 1. Click the Settings button in the top-right > In the left pane, click Extensions. 2. Click the Installed Extensions tab to view all installed extensions. 3. Choose an extension to uninstall, then click Uninstall. After uninstall is complete, your browser will automatically be refreshed and Windows Admin Center will be reloaded with the extension removed. If you uninstalled a tool that was pre-installed as part of Windows Admin Center, the tool will be available for reinstallation in the Available Extensions tab. If Windows Admin Center is installed on a computer that isn't connected to the internet or is behind a proxy, it may not be able to access and install the extensions from the Windows Admin Center feed. You can download extension packages manually or with a PowerShell script, and configure Windows Admin Center to retrieve packages from a file share or local drive. 1. On another computer that has internet connectivity, open a web browser and navigate to the following URL: https://dev.azure.com/WindowsAdminCenter/Windows%20Admin%20Center%20Feed/_packaging? _a=feed&feed=WAC You may need to create a Microsoft account and login to view the extension packages. 2. Click on the name of the package you want to install to view the package details page. 3. Click on the Download link in the top navigation bar of the package details page and download the .nupkg file for the extension. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all the packages you want to download. 5. Copy the package files to a file share that can be accessed from the computer Windows Admin Center is installed on, or to the local disk of the computer. 6. Follow the instructions to install extensions from a different feed. There are many scripts available on the Internet for downloading NuGet packages from a NuGet feed. We'll use the script provided by Jon Galloway, Senior Program Manager at Microsoft. 1. As described in the blog post, install the script as a NuGet package, or copy and paste the script into the PowerShell ISE. 2. Edit the first line of the script to your NuGet feed's v2 URL. If you are downloading packages from the Windows Admin Center official feed, use the URL below. 3. Run the script and it will download all the NuGet packages from the feed to the following local folder: %USERPROFILE%DocumentsNuGetLocal 4. Follow the instructions to install extensions from a different feed. Windows Admin Center Preview includes a PowerShell module to manage your gateway extensions.
- 48. # Add the module to the current session Import-Module "$env:ProgramFileswindows admin centerPowerShellModulesExtensionTools" # Available cmdlets: Get-Feed, Add-Feed, Remove-Feed, Get-Extension, Install-Extension, Uninstall-Extension, Update-Extension # List feeds Get-Feed "https://wac.contoso.com" # Add a new extension feed Add-Feed -GatewayEndpoint "https://wac.contoso.com" -Feed "WACour-private-extensions" # Remove an extension feed Remove-Feed -GatewayEndpoint "https://wac.contoso.com" -Feed "WACour-private-extensions" # List all extensions Get-Extension "https://wac.contoso.com" # Install an extension (locate the latest version from all feeds and install it) Install-Extension -GatewayEndpoint "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.containers" # Install an extension (latest version from a specific feed, if the feed is not present, it will be added) Install-Extension -GatewayEndpoint "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.containers" -Feed "https://aka.ms/sme- extension-feed" # Install an extension (install a specific version) Install-Extension "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.certificate-manager" "0.133.0" # Uninstall-Extension Uninstall-Extension "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.containers" # Update-Extension Update-Extension "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.containers" NOTE Learn more about building an extension with the Windows Admin Center SDK. You must be gateway administrator to modify Windows Admin Center extensions with PowerShell.
- 49. Configure shared connections for all users of the Windows Admin Center gateway 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Applies To: Windows Admin Center Preview, Windows Admin Center With the ability to configure shared connections, gateway administrators can configure the connections list once for all users of a given Windows Admin Center gateway. This feature is only available on Windows Admin Center service mode. From the Shared Connections tab of Windows Admin Center gateway Settings, gateway administrators can add servers, clusters, and PC connections as you would from the all connections page, including the ability to tag connections. Any connections and tags added in the Shared Connections list will appear for all users of this Windows Admin Center gateway, from their all connections page. When any Windows Admin Center user accesses the "All Connections" page after Shared Connections have been configured, they will see their connections grouped into two sections: Personal and Shared connections. The Personal group is a specific user's connection list and persists across that user's browser sessions. The Shared connections group is the same across all users, and cannot be modified from the All Connections page.
- 51. Use PowerShell to manage Windows Admin Center settings 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online Use PowerShell to import or export your connections (with tags) # Load the module Import-Module "$env:ProgramFileswindows admin centerPowerShellModulesConnectionTools" # Available cmdlets: Export-Connection, Import-Connection # Export connections (including tags) to a .csv file Export-Connection "https://wac.contoso.com" -fileName "WAC-connections.csv" # Import connections (including tags) from a .csv file Import-Connection "https://wac.contoso.com" -fileName "WAC-connections.csv" # Import connections (including tags) from .csv files, and remove any connections that are not explicitly in the imported file using the -prune switch parameter Import-Connection "https://wac.contoso.com" -fileName "WAC-connections.csv" -prune CSV file format for importing connections CONNECTION TYPE CONNECTION STRING Windows Server msft.sme.connection-type.server Windows 10 PC msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client Failover Cluster msft.sme.connection-type.cluster Hyper-Converged Cluster msft.sme.connection-type.hyper-converged-cluster NOTE Example CSV file for importing connections If you have a large organization with multiple Windows Admin Center servers, you can use PowerShell to configure the list of connections and extensions on multiple servers at a time. The format of the CSV file starts with the four headings "name","type","tags","groupId" , followed by each connection on a new line. name is the FQDN of the connection type is the connection type. For the default connections included with Windows Admin Center, you will use one of the following: tags are pipe-separated. groupId is used for shared connections. Use the value global in this column to make this a shared connection. Modifying the shared connections is limited to gateway administrators - any user can use PowerShell to modify their personal connection list.
- 52. "name","type","tags","groupId" "myServer.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","hyperv" "myDesktop.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client","hyperv" "teamcluster.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.cluster","legacyCluster|WS2016","global" "myHCIcluster.contoso.com,"msft.sme.connection-type.hyper-converged-cluster","myHCIcluster|hyperv|JIT|WS2019" "teamclusterNode.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","legacyCluster|WS2016","global" "myHCIclusterNode.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","myHCIcluster|hyperv|JIT|WS2019" Import RDCman connections Use the script below to export saved connections in RDCman to a file. You can then import the file into Windows Admin Center, maintaining your RDCMan grouping hierarchy using tags. Try it out! #Helper function for RdgToWacCsv function AddServers { param ( [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)] [Xml.XmlLinkedNode] $node, [Parameter()] [String[]] $tags, [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)] [String] $csvPath ) if ($node.LocalName -eq 'server') { $serverName = $node.properties.name $tagString = $tags -join "|" Add-Content -Path $csvPath -Value ('"'+ $serverName + '","msft.sme.connection-type.server","'+ $tagString +'"') } elseif ($node.LocalName -eq 'group' -or $node.LocalName -eq 'file') { $groupName = $node.properties.name $tags+=$groupName $currNode = $node.properties.NextSibling while ($currNode) { AddServers -node $currNode -tags $tags -csvPath $csvPath $currNode = $currNode.NextSibling } } else { # Node type isn't relevant to tagging or adding connections in WAC } return } <# .SYNOPSIS Convert an .rdg file from Remote Desktop Connection Manager into a .csv that can be imported into Windows Admin Center, maintaining groups via server tags. This will not modify the existing .rdg file and will create a new .csv file .DESCRIPTION This converts an .rdg file into a .csv that can be imported into Windows Admin Center. .PARAMETER RDGfilepath The path of the .rdg file to be converted. This file will not be modified, only read. .PARAMETER CSVdirectory Optional. The directory you wish to export the new .csv file. If not provided, the new file is created in the same directory as the .rdg file. 1. Copy and paste the code below into your PowerShell session:
- 53. Manage Windows Admin Center extensions with PowerShell .EXAMPLE C:PS> RdgToWacCsv -RDGfilepath "rdcmangroup.rdg" #> function RdgToWacCsv { param( [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)] [String] $RDGfilepath, [Parameter(Mandatory = $false)] [String] $CSVdirectory ) [xml]$RDGfile = Get-Content -Path $RDGfilepath $node = $RDGfile.RDCMan.file if (!$CSVdirectory){ $csvPath = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($RDGfilepath) + [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($RDGfilepath) + "_WAC.csv" } else { $csvPath = $CSVdirectory + [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($RDGfilepath) + "_WAC.csv" } New-item -Path $csvPath Add-Content -Path $csvPath -Value '"name","type","tags"' AddServers -node $node -csvPath $csvPath Write-Host "Converted $RDGfilepath `nOutput: $csvPath" } RdgToWacCsv -RDGfilepath "pathtomyRDCManfile.rdg" 2. To create a .CSV file, run the following command: 3. Import the resulting .CSV file in to Windows Admin Center, and all your RDCMan grouping hierarchy will be represented by tags in the connection list. For details, see Use PowerShell to import or export your connections (with tags).
- 54. # Add the module to the current session Import-Module "$env:ProgramFileswindows admin centerPowerShellModulesExtensionTools" # Available cmdlets: Get-Feed, Add-Feed, Remove-Feed, Get-Extension, Install-Extension, Uninstall-Extension, Update-Extension # List feeds Get-Feed "https://wac.contoso.com" # Add a new extension feed Add-Feed -GatewayEndpoint "https://wac.contoso.com" -Feed "WACour-private-extensions" # Remove an extension feed Remove-Feed -GatewayEndpoint "https://wac.contoso.com" -Feed "WACour-private-extensions" # List all extensions Get-Extension "https://wac.contoso.com" # Install an extension (locate the latest version from all feeds and install it) Install-Extension -GatewayEndpoint "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.containers" # Install an extension (latest version from a specific feed, if the feed is not present, it will be added) Install-Extension -GatewayEndpoint "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.containers" -Feed "https://aka.ms/sme- extension-feed" # Install an extension (install a specific version) Install-Extension "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.certificate-manager" "0.133.0" # Uninstall-Extension Uninstall-Extension "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.containers" # Update-Extension Update-Extension "https://wac.contoso.com" "msft.sme.containers" NOTE Additional References You must be gateway administrator to modify Windows Admin Center extensions with PowerShell. Deploy a highly available Windows Admin Center gateway on a cluster Deploy a Windows Admin Center gateway in Azure using Cloud Shell
- 55. Get Started with Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 7 minutes to read • Edit Online TIP Windows Admin Center installed on Windows 10 IMPORTANT Selecting a client certificate Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview New to Windows Admin Center? Learn more about Windows Admin Center or Download now. You must be a member of the local administrator's group to use Windows Admin Center on Windows 10 The first time you open Windows Admin Center on Windows 10, make sure to select the Windows Admin Center Client certificate (otherwise you'll get an HTTP 403 error saying "can't get to this page"). In Microsoft Edge, when you are prompted with this dialog: 1. Click More choices 2. Select the certificate labeled Windows Admin Center Client and click OK
- 56. Connecting to managed nodes and clusters 3. Make sure Always Allow Access is selected and click Allow !Credential required dialog box](../media/launch-cert-3.png) After you have completed the installation of Windows Admin Center, you can add servers or clusters to manage from the main overview page. Add a single server or a cluster as a managed node 1. Click + Add under All Connections.
- 57. 2. Choose to add a server, cluster, Windows PC, or an Azure VM: 3. Type the name of the server or cluster to manage and click Submit. The server or cluster will be added to your connection list on the overview page. -- OR -- Bulk import multiple servers 1. On the Add Server Connection page, choose the Import Servers tab.
- 58. NOTE Authenticate with the managed node 2. Click Browse and select a text file that contains a comma, or new line separated, list of FQDNs for the servers you want to add. The .csv file created by exporting your connections with PowerShell contains additional information beyond the server names and is not compatible with this import method. -- OR -- Add servers by searching Active Directory 1. On the Add Server Connection page, choose the Search Active Directory tab. 2. Enter your search criteria and click Search. Wildcards (*) are supported. 3. After the search completes - select one or more of the results, optionally add tags, and click Add. Windows Admin Center supports several mechanisms for authenticating with a managed node. Single sign-on is the default. Single Sign-on You can use your current Windows credentials to authenticate with the managed node. This is the default, and Windows Admin Center attempts the sign-on when you add a server. Single sign-on when deployed as a Service on Windows Server If you have installed Windows Admin Center on Windows Server, additional configuration is required for single sign-on. Configure your environment for delegation
- 59. Using tags to organize your connections Edit tags -- OR -- Use Manage As to Specify credentials Under All Connections, select a server from the list and choose Manage As to specify the credentials that you will use to authenticate to the managed node: If Windows Admin Center is running in service mode on Windows Server, but you do not have Kerberos delegation configured, you must re-enter your Windows credentials: You may apply the credentials to all connections, which will cache them for that specific browser session. If you reload your browser, you must re-enter your Manage As credentials. Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) If your environment uses LAPS, and you have Windows Admin Center installed on your Windows 10 PC, you can use LAPS credentials to authenticate with the managed node. If you use this scenario, please provide feedback. You can use tags to identify and filter related servers in your connection list. This allows you to see a subset of your servers in the connection list. This is especially useful if you have many connections. Select a server or multiple servers in the All Connections list
- 60. Filter connections by tag Under All Connections, click Edit Tags The Edit Connection Tags pane allows you to modify, add, or remove tags from your selected connection(s): To add a new tag to your selected connection(s), select Add tag and enter the tag name you would like to use. To tag the selected connections with an existing tag name, check the box next to the tag name you wish to apply. To remove a tag from all selected connections, uncheck the box next to the tag you wish to remove. If a tag is applied to a subset of the selected connections, the check box is shown in an intermediate state. You can click the box to check it and apply the tag to all selected connections, or click again to uncheck it and remove the tag from all selected connections. Once tags have been added to one or more server connections, you can view the tags on the connection list, and filter the connection list by tags. To filter by a tag, select the filter icon next to the search box. You can select "or", "and", or "not" to modify the filter behavior of the selected tags.
- 61. Use PowerShell to import or export your connections (with tags) # Load the module Import-Module "$env:ProgramFileswindows admin centerPowerShellModulesConnectionTools" # Available cmdlets: Export-Connection, Import-Connection # Export connections (including tags) to a .csv file Export-Connection "https://wac.contoso.com" -fileName "WAC-connections.csv" # Import connections (including tags) from a .csv file Import-Connection "https://wac.contoso.com" -fileName "WAC-connections.csv" # Import connections (including tags) from .csv files, and remove any connections that are not explicitly in the imported file using the -prune switch parameter Import-Connection "https://wac.contoso.com" -fileName "WAC-connections.csv" -prune CSV file format for importing connections CONNECTION TYPE CONNECTION STRING Windows Server msft.sme.connection-type.server Windows 10 PC msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client Failover Cluster msft.sme.connection-type.cluster Hyper-Converged Cluster msft.sme.connection-type.hyper-converged-cluster NOTE The format of the CSV file starts with the four headings "name","type","tags","groupId" , followed by each connection on a new line. name is the FQDN of the connection type is the connection type. For the default connections included with Windows Admin Center, you will use one of the following: tags are pipe-separated. groupId is used for shared connections. Use the value global in this column to make this a shared connection. Modifying the shared connections is limited to gateway administrators - any user can use PowerShell to modify their personal connection list.
- 62. Example CSV file for importing connections "name","type","tags","groupId" "myServer.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","hyperv" "myDesktop.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client","hyperv" "teamcluster.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.cluster","legacyCluster|WS2016","global" "myHCIcluster.contoso.com,"msft.sme.connection-type.hyper-converged-cluster","myHCIcluster|hyperv|JIT|WS2019" "teamclusterNode.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","legacyCluster|WS2016","global" "myHCIclusterNode.contoso.com","msft.sme.connection-type.server","myHCIcluster|hyperv|JIT|WS2019" Import RDCman connections Use the script below to export saved connections in RDCman to a file. You can then import the file into Windows Admin Center, maintaining your RDCMan grouping hierarchy using tags. Try it out! #Helper function for RdgToWacCsv function AddServers { param ( [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)] [Xml.XmlLinkedNode] $node, [Parameter()] [String[]] $tags, [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)] [String] $csvPath ) if ($node.LocalName -eq 'server') { $serverName = $node.properties.name $tagString = $tags -join "|" Add-Content -Path $csvPath -Value ('"'+ $serverName + '","msft.sme.connection-type.server","'+ $tagString +'"') } elseif ($node.LocalName -eq 'group' -or $node.LocalName -eq 'file') { $groupName = $node.properties.name $tags+=$groupName $currNode = $node.properties.NextSibling while ($currNode) { AddServers -node $currNode -tags $tags -csvPath $csvPath $currNode = $currNode.NextSibling } } else { # Node type isn't relevant to tagging or adding connections in WAC } return } <# .SYNOPSIS Convert an .rdg file from Remote Desktop Connection Manager into a .csv that can be imported into Windows Admin Center, maintaining groups via server tags. This will not modify the existing .rdg file and will create a new .csv file .DESCRIPTION This converts an .rdg file into a .csv that can be imported into Windows Admin Center. .PARAMETER RDGfilepath The path of the .rdg file to be converted. This file will not be modified, only read. .PARAMETER CSVdirectory Optional. The directory you wish to export the new .csv file. If not provided, the new file is created 1. Copy and paste the code below into your PowerShell session:
- 63. View PowerShell scripts used in Windows Admin Center in the same directory as the .rdg file. .EXAMPLE C:PS> RdgToWacCsv -RDGfilepath "rdcmangroup.rdg" #> function RdgToWacCsv { param( [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)] [String] $RDGfilepath, [Parameter(Mandatory = $false)] [String] $CSVdirectory ) [xml]$RDGfile = Get-Content -Path $RDGfilepath $node = $RDGfile.RDCMan.file if (!$CSVdirectory){ $csvPath = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($RDGfilepath) + [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($RDGfilepath) + "_WAC.csv" } else { $csvPath = $CSVdirectory + [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($RDGfilepath) + "_WAC.csv" } New-item -Path $csvPath Add-Content -Path $csvPath -Value '"name","type","tags"' AddServers -node $node -csvPath $csvPath Write-Host "Converted $RDGfilepath `nOutput: $csvPath" } RdgToWacCsv -RDGfilepath "pathtomyRDCManfile.rdg" 2. To create a .CSV file, run the following command: 3. Import the resulting .CSV file in to Windows Admin Center, and all your RDCMan grouping hierarchy will be represented by tags in the connection list. For details, see Use PowerShell to import or export your connections (with tags). Once you've connected to a server, cluster, or PC, you can look at the PowerShell scripts that power the UI actions available in Windows Admin Center. From within a tool, click the PowerShell icon in the top application bar. Select a command of interest from the dropdown to navigate to the corresponding PowerShell script.
- 64. Manage Servers with Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 9 minutes to read • Edit Online TIP Managing Windows Server machines Adding a server to Windows Admin Center Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview New to Windows Admin Center? Download or learn more about Windows Admin Center. 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. To add a server to Windows Admin Center: 1. Click + Add under All Connections. 2. Choose to add a Server Connection.
- 65. NOTE Tools TOOL DESCRIPTION Overview View server details and control server state Active Directory Manage Active Directory Backup View and configure Azure Backup 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 and 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 Network 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 3. Type the name of the server and, if prompted, the credentials to use. 4. Click Submit to finish. The server will be added to your connection list on the Overview page. Click it to connect to the server. You can also add failover clusters or hyper-converged clusters as a separate connection in Windows Admin Center. The following tools are available for server connections:
- 66. Remote Desktop Interact with server via Remote Desktop Roles and Features View and modify roles and features Scheduled Tasks View and modify scheduled tasks Services View and modify services Settings 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 TOOL DESCRIPTION Overview Features Active Directory (Preview) 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. 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). View feedback and proposed features for Server Overview. Active Directory is an early preview that is available on the extension feed.
- 67. Features Backup Features Certificates Features Containers The following Active Directory management 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) View feedback and proposed features for Active Directory. 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. Provide feedback for backup in Windows Admin Center 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 Certificates allows you to manage certificate stores on a computer or server. The following features are supported in Certificates: Browse and search existing certificates View certificate details Export certificates Renew certificates Request new certificates Delete certificates View feedback and proposed features for Certificates. 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. View feedback and proposed features for Containers.
- 68. Devices Features DHCP Features DNS Features Events Features Devices allows you to manage connected devices on a computer or server. The following features are supported in Devices: Browse and search devices View device details Disable a device Update driver on a device View feedback and proposed features for Devices. DHCP allows you to manage connected devices on a computer or server. Create/configure/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) View feedback and proposed features for DHCP. DNS allows you to manage connected devices on a computer or server. 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. View feedback and proposed features for DHCP. Events allows you to manage event logs on a computer or server. The following features are supported in Events: Browse and search events View event details Clear events from the log Export events from the log View feedback and proposed features for Events.
- 69. Files and file sharing Features Firewall Features Installed Apps Local Users and Groups Files and file sharing allows you to manage files and folders on a computer or server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Files and file sharing. Firewall allows you to manage firewall settings and rules on a computer or server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Firewall. Installed Apps allows you to list and uninstall application that are installed. View feedback and proposed features for Installed Apps. Local Users and Groups allows you to manage security groups and users that exist locally on a computer or server.
- 70. Features Network Features PowerShell Features Processes 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 View feedback and proposed features for Local User and Groups Network allows you to manage network devices and settings on a computer or server. The following features are supported in Network: Browse and search existing network adapters View details of a network adapter Edit properties of a network adapter Create an Azure Network Adapter (Preview feature) View feedback and proposed features for Network PowerShell allows you to interact with a computer or server via a PowerShell session. The following features are supported in PowerShell: Create an interactive PowerShell session on the server Disconnect from PowerShell session on the server View feedback and proposed features for PowerShell Processes allows you to manage running processes on a computer or server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Processes.
- 71. Registry Features Remote Desktop Features Roles and Features Features Scheduled Tasks Features Registry allows you to manage registry keys and values on a computer or server. The following features are supported in Registry: Browse registry keys and values Add or modify registry values Delete registry values View feedback and proposed features for Registry. Remote Desktop allows you to interact with a computer or server via an interactive desktop session. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Remote Desktop. Roles and Features allows you to manage roles and features on a server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Roles and Features. Scheduled Tasks allows you to manage scheduled tasks on a computer or server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Scheduled Tasks.
- 72. Services Features Settings Features Storage Features Storage Migration Service Services allows you to manage services on a computer or server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Services. Settings is a central location to manage settings on a computer or server. View and modify user and system environment variables View the configuration for monitoring alerts from Azure Monitor 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 allows you to manage storage devices on a computer or server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Storage
- 73. NOTE Storage Replica System Insights NOTE Updates Features Virtual Machines Virtual Switches Features 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 Storage Migration Service requires Windows Server 2019. Use Storage Replica to manage server-to-server storage replication. Learn more about Storage Replica 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 System Insights requires Windows Server 2019. Updates allows you to manage Microsoft and/or Windows Updates on a computer or server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Updates See Managing Virtual Machines with Windows Admin Center Virtual Switches allows you to manage Hyper-V virtual switches on a computer or server. 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 View feedback and proposed features for Virtual Switches
- 75. Deploy hyperconverged infrastructure with Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Undo and start over Remove virtual machines or other clustered resources Get-ClusterResource -Name "<NAME>" | Remove-ClusterResource Undo the Storage steps WARNING Get-VirtualDisk | Remove-VirtualDisk Get-StoragePool -IsPrimordial $False | Remove-StoragePool Disable-ClusterS2D Undo the Clustering steps Remove-Cluster -CleanUpAD Get-ChildItem C:WindowsclusterReports | Remove-Item Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview You can use Windows Admin Center version 1910 or later to deploy hyperconverged infrastructure using two or more suitable Windows Servers. This new feature takes the form of a multi-stage workflow that guides you through installing features, configuring networking, creating the cluster, and deploying Storage Spaces Direct and/or software-defined networking (SDN) if selected. As of Windows Admin Center version 2007, Windows Admin Center supports the Azure Stack HCI OS. Read about how to deploy a cluster in Windows Admin Center in the Azure Stack HCI docs. Although this documentation is focused on Azure Stack HCI, the instructions are also mostly applicable to Windows Server deployments. Use these Windows PowerShell cmdlets to undo changes made by the workflow and start over. If you created any virtual machines or other clustered resources, such as the network controllers for software- defined networking, remove them first. For example, to remove resources by name, use: If you enabled Storage Spaces Direct, disable it with this script: These cmdlets permanently delete any data in Storage Spaces Direct volumes. This can't be undone. If you created a cluster, remove it with this cmdlet: To also remove cluster validation reports, run this cmdlet on every server that was part of the cluster:
- 76. Undo the Networking steps Get-VMSwitch | Remove-VMSwitch NOTE WARNING Get-NetAdapter | Where Name -Ne "Management" | Rename-NetAdapter -NewName $(Get-Random) Get-NetAdapter | Where Name -Ne "Management" | Get-NetIPAddress -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Where AddressFamily -Eq IPv4 | Remove-NetIPAddress Get-NetAdapter | Where Name -Ne "Management" | Set-NetAdapter -VlanID 0 Additional References Run these cmdlets on every server that was part of the cluster. If you created a Hyper-V virtual switch: The Remove-VMSwitch cmdlet automatically removes any virtual adapters and undoes switch-embedded teaming of physical adapters. If you modified network adapter properties such as name, IPv4 address, and VLAN ID: These cmdlets remove network adapter names and IP addresses. Make sure you have the information you need to connect afterward, such as an adapter for management that is excluded from the script below. Also make sure that you know how the servers are connected in terms of physical properties like MAC Address, not just the adapter's name in Windows. You're now ready to start the workflow. Hello, Windows Admin Center Deploy Storage Spaces Direct
- 77. Manage Hyper-Converged Infrastructure with Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 12 minutes to read • Edit Online What is Hyper-Converged Infrastructure TIP IMPORTANT What is Windows Admin Center Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Hyper-Converged Infrastructure consolidates software-defined compute, storage, and networking into one cluster to provide high-performance, cost-effective, and easily scalable virtualization. This capability was introduced in Windows Server 2016 with Storage Spaces Direct, Software Defined Networking and Hyper-V. Looking to acquire Hyper-Converged Infrastructure? Microsoft recommends these Windows Server Software-Defined solutions from our partners. They are designed, assembled, and validated against our reference architecture to ensure compatibility and reliability, so you get up and running quickly. Some of the features described in this article are only available in Windows Admin Center Preview. How do I get this version? Windows Admin Center is the next-generation management tool for Windows Server, the successor to traditional "in-box" tools like Server Manager. It's free and can be installed and used without an Internet connection. You can use Windows Admin Center to manage and monitor Hyper-Converged Infrastructure running Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019.
- 78. Key features Before you start TIP Prepare your Windows Server 2016 cluster for Windows Admin Center Add-ClusterResourceType -Name "SDDC Management" -dll "$env:SystemRootClustersddcres.dll" -DisplayName "SDDC Management" TIP Prepare your Windows Server 2019 cluster for Windows Admin Center Highlights of Windows Admin Center for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure include: Unified single-pane-of-glass for compute, storage, and soon networking. View your virtual machines, host servers, volumes, drives, and more within one purpose-built, consistent, interconnected experience. Create and manage Storage Spaces and Hyper-V virtual machines. Radically simple workflows to create, open, resize, and delete volumes; and create, start, connect to, and move virtual machines; and much more. Powerful cluster-wide monitoring. The dashboard graphs memory and CPU usage, storage capacity, IOPS, throughput, and latency in real-time, across every server in the cluster, with clear alerts when something's not right. Software Defined Networking (SDN) support. Manage and monitor virtual networks, subnets, connect virtual machines to virtual networks, and monitor SDN infrastructure. Windows Admin Center for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure is being actively developed by Microsoft. It receives frequent updates that improve existing features and add new features. To manage your cluster as Hyper-Converged Infrastructure in Windows Admin Center, it needs to be running Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019, and have Hyper-V and Storage Spaces Direct enabled. Optionally, it can also have Software Defined Networking enabled and managed through Windows Admin Center. Windows Admin Center also offers a general-purpose management experience for any cluster supporting any workload, available for Windows Server 2012 and later. If this sounds like a better fit, when you add your cluster to Windows Admin Center, select Failover Cluster instead of Hyper-Converged Cluster. Windows Admin Center for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure depends on management APIs added after Windows Server 2016 was released. Before you can manage your Windows Server 2016 cluster with Windows Admin Center, you'll need to perform these two steps: 1. Verify that every server in the cluster has installed the 2018-05 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2016 (KB4103723) or later. To download and install this update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Check online for updates from Microsoft Update. 2. Run the following PowerShell cmdlet as Administrator on the cluster: You only need to run the cmdlet once, on any server in the cluster. You can run it locally in Windows PowerShell or use Credential Security Service Provider (CredSSP) to run it remotely. Depending on your configuration, you may not be able to run this cmdlet from within Windows Admin Center. If your cluster runs Windows Server 2019, the steps above are not necessary. Just add the cluster to Windows
- 79. Configure Software Defined Networking (Optional) .SDNExpress.ps1 -ConfigurationDataFile .your_fabricconfig.PSD1 -verbose Get started Install Windows Admin Center Add Hyper-Converged Cluster Admin Center as described in the next section and you're good to go! You can configure your Hyper-Converged Infrastructure running Windows Server 2016 or 2019 to use Software Defined Networking (SDN) with the following steps: 1. Prepare the VHD of the OS which is the same OS you installed on the hyper-converged infrastructure hosts. This VHD will be used for all NC/SLB/GW VMs. 2. Download all the folder and files under SDN Express from https://github.com/Microsoft/SDN/tree/master/SDNExpress. 3. Prepare a different VM using the deployment console. This VM should be able to access the SDN hosts. Also, the VM should be have the RSAT Hyper-V tool installed. 4. Copy everything you downloaded for SDN Express to the deployment console VM. And share this SDNExpress folder. Make sure every host can access the SDNExpress shared folder, as defined in the configuration file line 8: $env:ComputernameSDNExpress 5. Copy the VHD of the OS to the images folder under the SDNExpress folder on the deployment console VM. 6. Modify the SDN Express configuration with your environment setup. Finish the following two steps after you modify the SDN Express configuration based on your environment information. 7. Run PowerShell with Admin privilege to deploy SDN: The deployment will take around 30 – 45 minutes. Once your Hyper-Converged Infrastructure is deployed, you can manage it using Windows Admin Center. If you haven't already, download and install Windows Admin Center. The fastest way to get up and running is to install it on your Windows 10 computer and manage your servers remotely. This takes less than five minutes. Download now or learn more about other installation options. To add your cluster to Windows Admin Center: 1. Click + Add under All Connections. 2. Choose to add a Hyper-Converged Cluster Connection. 3. Type the name of the cluster and, if prompted, the credentials to use. 4. Click Add to finish. The cluster will be added to your connections list. Click it to launch the Dashboard.
- 80. Add SDN-enabled Hyper-Converged Cluster (Windows Admin Center Preview) The latest Windows Admin Center Preview supports Software Defined Networking management for Hyper- Converged Infrastructure. By adding a Network Controller REST URI to your Hyper-Converged cluster connection, you can use Hyper-converged Cluster Manager to manage your SDN resources and monitor SDN infrastructure. 1. Click + Add under All Connections. 2. Choose to add a Hyper-Converged Cluster Connection. 3. Type the name of the cluster and, if prompted, the credentials to use. 4. Check Configure the Network Controller to continue. 5. Enter the Network Controller URI and click Validate. 6. Click Add to finish. The cluster will be added to your connections list. Click it to launch the Dashboard.
- 81. IMPORTANT Frequently asked questions Are there differences between managing Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019? Can I use Windows Admin Center to manage Storage Spaces Direct for other use cases (not hyper-converged), such as converged Scale-Out File Server (SoFS) or Microsoft SQL Server? What's the difference between a Failover Cluster and a Hyper-Converged Cluster? Why do I need the latest cumulative update for Windows Server 2016? How much does it cost to use Windows Admin Center? Does Windows Admin Center require System Center? Does it require an Internet connection? Things to try SDN environments with Kerberos authentication for Northbound communication are currently not supported. Yes. Windows Admin Center for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure receives frequent updates that improve the experience for both Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. However, certain new features are only available for Windows Server 2019 – for example, the toggle switch for deduplication and compression. Windows Admin Center for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure does not provide management or monitoring options specifically for other use cases of Storage Spaces Direct – for example, it can't create file shares. However, the Dashboard and core features, such as creating volumes or replacing drives, work for any Storage Spaces Direct cluster. In general, the term "hyper-converged" refers to running Hyper-V and Storage Spaces Direct on the same clustered servers to virtualize compute and storage resources. In the context of Windows Admin Center, when you click + Add from the connections list, you can choose between adding a Failover Cluster connection or a Hyper-Converged Cluster connection: The Failover Cluster connection is the successor to the Failover Cluster Manager desktop app. It provides a familiar, general-purpose management experience for any cluster supporting any workload, including Microsoft SQL Server. It is available for Windows Server 2012 and later. The Hyper-Converged Cluster connection is an all-new experience tailored for Storage Spaces Direct and Hyper-V. It features the Dashboard and emphasizes charts and alerts for monitoring. It is available for Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. Windows Admin Center for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure depends on management APIs developed since Windows Server 2016 was released. These APIs are added in the 2018-05 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2016 (KB4103723), available as of May 8, 2018. Windows Admin Center has no additional cost beyond Windows. You can use Windows Admin Center (available as a separate download) with valid licenses of Windows Server or Windows 10 at no additional cost - it's licensed under a Windows Supplemental EULA. No. No. Although Windows Admin Center offers powerful and convenient integration with the Microsoft Azure cloud, the core management and monitoring experience for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure is completely on-premises. It can be installed and used without an Internet connection.
- 82. Manage Storage Spaces Direct volumes Create volume, three-way mirror https://www.youtube- nocookie.com/embed/o66etKq70N8 Create volume, mirror-accelerated parity https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/R72QHudqWpE Open volume and add files https://www.youtube- nocookie.com/embed/j59z7ulohs4 Turn on deduplication and compression https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/PRibTacyKko Expand volume https://www.youtube- nocookie.com/embed/hqyBzipBoTI Delete volume https://www.youtube- nocookie.com/embed/DbjF8r2F6Jo Create a new virtual machine Pause and safely restart a server If you're just getting started, here are some quick tutorials to help you learn how Windows Admin Center for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure is organized and works. Please exercise good judgement and be careful with production environments. These videos were recorded with Windows Admin Center version 1804 and an Insider Preview build of Windows Server 2019. (0:37) How to create a three-way mirror volume (1:17) How to create a mirror-accelerated parity volume (1:02) How to open a volume and add files (0:51) How to turn on deduplication and compression (0:47) How to expand a volume (0:26) How to delete a volume 1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Inventory tab, then click New to create a new virtual machine. 3. Enter the virtual machine name and choose between generation 1 and 2 virtual machines. 4. Uou can then choose which host to initially create the virtual machine on or use the recommended host. 5. Choose a path for the virtual machine files. Choose a volume from the dropdown list or click Browse to choose a folder using the folder picker. The virtual machine configuration files and virtual hard disk file will be saved in a single folder under the Hyper-V[virtual machine name] path of the selected volume or path. 6. Choose the number of virtual processors, whether you want nested virtualization enabled, configure memory settings, network adapters, virtual hard disks and choose whether you want to install an operating system from an .iso image file or from the network. 7. Click Create to create the virtual machine. 8. Once the virtual machine is created and appears in the virtual machine list, you can start the virtual machine. 9. Once the virtual machine is started, you can connect to the virtual machine's console via VMConnect to install the operating system. Select the virtual machine from the list, click More > Connect to download the .rdp file. Open the .rdp file in the Remote Desktop Connection app. Since this is connecting to the virtual machine's console, you will need to enter the Hyper-V host's admin credentials. Learn more about virtual machine management with Windows Admin Center. 1. From the Dashboard, select Servers from the navigation on the left side or by clicking the VIEW SERVERS > link on the tile in the lower right corner of the Dashboard. 2. At the top, switch from Summary to the Inventory tab. 3. Select a server by clicking its name to open the Server detail page. 4. Click Pause server for maintenance. If it's safe to proceed, this will move virtual machines to other servers in the cluster. The server will have status Draining while this happens. If you want, you can watch the virtual machines move on the Virtual machines > Inventory page, where their host server is shown clearly in the
- 83. Replace a failed drive Manage virtual networks (SDN-enabled HCI clusters using Windows Admin Center Preview) Connect a virtual machine to a virtual network (SDN-enabled HCI clusters using Windows Admin Center Preview) grid. When all virtual machines have moved, the server status will be Paused. 5. Click Manage server to access all the per-server management tools in Windows Admin Center. 6. Click Restart, then Yes. You'll be kicked back to the connections list. 7. Back on the Dashboard, the server is colored red while it's down. 8. Once it's back up, navigate again the Server page and click Resume server from maintenance to set the server status back to simply Up. In time, virtual machines will move back – no user action is required. 1. When a drive fails, an alert appears in the upper left Alerts area of the Dashboard. 2. You can also select Drives from the navigation on the left side or click the VIEW DRIVES > link on the tile in the lower right corner to browse drives and see their status for yourself. In the Inventory tab, the grid supports sorting, grouping, and keyword search. 3. From the Dashboard, click the alert to see details, like the drive's physical location. 4. To learn more, click the Go to drive shortcut to the Drive detail page. 5. If your hardware supports it, you can click Turn light on/off to control the drive's indicator light. 6. Storage Spaces Direct automatically retires and evacuates failed drives. When this has happened, the drive status is Retired, and its storage capacity bar is empty. 7. Remove the failed drive and insert its replacement. 8. In Drives > Inventory, the new drive will appear. In time, the alert will clear, volumes will repair back to OK status, and storage will rebalance onto the new drive – no user action is required. 1. Select Virtual Networks from the navigation on the left side. 2. Click New to create a new virtual network and subnets, or choose an existing virtual network and click Settings to modify its configuration. 3. Click an existing virtual network to view VM connections to the virtual network subnets and access control lists applied to virtual network subnets. 1. Select Virtual Machines from the navigation on the left side. 2. Choose an existing virtual machine > Click Settings > Open the Networks tab in Settings. 3. Configure the Virtual Network and Virtual Subnet fields to connect the virtual machine to a virtual network. You can also configure the virtual network when creating a virtual machine.
- 84. Monitor Software Defined Networking infrastructure (SDN-enabled HCI clusters using Windows Admin Center Preview) Give us feedback Additional References 1. Select SDN Monitoring from the navigation on the left side. 2. View detailed information about the health of Network Controller, Software Load Balancer, Virtual Gateway and monitor your Virtual Gateway Pool, Public and Private IP Pool usage and SDN host status. It's all about your feedback! The most important benefit of frequent updates is to hear what's working and what needs to be improved. Here are some ways to let us know what you're thinking: Submit and vote for feature requests on UserVoice Join the Windows Admin Center forum on Microsoft Tech Community Tweet to @servermgmt Windows Admin Center Storage Spaces Direct Hyper-V
- 86. Manage Failover Clusters with Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online TIP Managing failover clusters Adding a failover cluster to Windows Admin Center Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview New to Windows Admin Center? Download or learn more about Windows Admin Center. Failover clustering is a Windows Server feature that enables you to group multiple servers together into a fault- tolerant cluster to increase availability and scalability of applications and services such as Scale-Out File Server, Hyper-V and Microsoft SQL Server. While you can manage failover cluster nodes as individual servers by adding them as Server connections in Windows Admin Center, you can also add them as Failover clusters to view and manage cluster resources, storage, network, nodes, roles, virtual machines and virtual switches. To add a cluster to Windows Admin Center: 1. Click + Add under All Connections. 2. Choose to add a Failover Connection. 3. Type the name of the cluster and, if prompted, the credentials to use. 4. You will have the option to add the cluster nodes as individual server connections in Windows Admin Center. 5. Click Submit to finish. The cluster will be added to your connection list on the Overview page. Click it to connect to the cluster.
- 87. NOTE Tools TOOL DESCRIPTION Overview View failover cluster details and manage cluster resources Disks View cluster shared disks and volumes Networks View networks in the cluster Nodes View and manage cluster nodes Roles Manage cluster roles or create an empty role Updates Manage Cluster-Aware Updates (requires CredSSP) Virtual Machines View and manage virtual machines Virtual Switches View and manage virtual switches More Coming FEATURE REQUEST Show more clustered disk info Support additional cluster actions Support converged clusters running Hyper-V and Scale-Out File Server on different clusters View CSV block cache See all or propose new feature You can also manage hyper-converged clustered by adding the cluster as a Hyper-Converged Cluster connection in Windows Admin Center. The following tools are available for failover cluster connections: Failover cluster management in Windows Admin Center is actively under development and new features will be added in the near future. You can view the status and vote for features in UserVoice:
- 88. Managing Virtual Machines with Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 8 minutes to read • Edit Online Key features Monitor Hyper-V host resources and performance Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview The Virtual Machines tool is available in Server, Failover Cluster or Hyper-Converged Cluster connections if the Hyper-V role is enabled on the server or cluster. You can use the Virtual Machines tool to manage Hyper-V hosts running Windows Server 2012 or later, either installed with Desktop Experience or as Server Core. Hyper-V Server 2012, 2016 and 2019 are also supported. Highlights of the Virtual Machines tool in Windows Admin Center include: High-level Hyper-V host resource monitoring. View overall CPU and memory usage, IO performance metrics, VM health alerts and events for the Hyper-V host server or entire cluster in a single dashboard. Unified experience bringing Hyper-V Manager and Failover Cluster Manager capabilities together. View all the virtual machines across a cluster and drill down into a single virtual machine for advanced management and troubleshooting. Simplified, yet powerful workflows for virtual machine management. New UI experiences tailored to IT administration scenarios to create, manage and replicate virtual machines. Here are some of the Hyper-V tasks you can do in Windows Admin Center: Monitor Hyper-V host resources and performance View virtual machine inventory Create a new virtual machine Change virtual machine settings Live migrate a virtual machine to another cluster node Advanced management and troubleshooting for a single virtual machine Manage a virtual machine through the Hyper-V host (VMConnect) Change Hyper-V host settings View Hyper-V event logs Protect virtual machines with Azure Site Recovery
- 89. View virtual machine inventory 1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. There are two tabs at the top of the Virtual Machines tool, the Summary tab and the Inventory tab. The Summary tab provides a holistic view of Hyper-V host resources and performance for the current server or entire cluster, including the following: The number of VMs grouped by state - running, off, paused and saved Recent health alerts or Hyper-V event log events (Alerts are only available for hyper-converged clusters running Windows Server 2016 or later) CPU and memory usage with host vs guest breakdown Top VMs consuming the most CPU and memory resources Live and historical data line charts for IOPS and IO throughput (Storage performance line charts are only available for hyper-converged clusters running Windows Server 2016 or later. Historical data is only available for hyper-converged clusters running Windows Server 2019)
- 90. Create a new virtual machine 1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. There are two tabs at the top of the Virtual Machines tool, the Summary tab and the Inventory tab. The Inventory tab lists the virtual machines available on the current server or entire cluster, and provides commands to manage individual virtual machines. You can: View a list of the virtual machines running on the current server or cluster. View the virtual machine's state and host server if you are viewing virtual machines for a cluster. Also view CPU and memory usage from the host perspective, including memory pressure, memory demand and assigned memory, and the virtual machine's uptime, heartbeat status and protection status using Azure Site Recovery. Create a new virtual machine. Delete, start, turn off, shut down, pause, resume, reset or rename a virtual machine. Also save the virtual machine, delete a saved state, or create a checkpoint. Change settings for a virtual machine. Connect to a virtual machine console using VMConnect via the Hyper-V host. Replicate a virtual machine using Azure Site Recovery. For operations that can be run on multiple VMs, such as Start, Shut down, Save, Pause, Delete, Reset, you can select multiple VMs and run the operation at once. NOTE: If you are connected to a cluster, the Virtual Machine tool will only display clustered virtual machines. We plan to also show non-clustered virtual machines in the future.
- 91. Change virtual machine settings TIP 1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Inventory tab, then click New to create a new virtual machine. 3. Enter the virtual machine name and choose between generation 1 and 2 virtual machines. 4. If you are creating a virtual machine on a cluster, you can choose which host to initially create the virtual machine on. If you are running Windows Server 2016 or later, the tool will provide a host recommendation for you. 5. Choose a path for the virtual machine files. Choose a volume from the dropdown list or click Browse to choose a folder using the folder picker. The virtual machine configuration files and virtual hard disk file will be saved in a single folder under the Hyper-V[virtual machine name] path of the selected volume or path. In the folder picker, you can browse to any available SMB share on the network by entering the path in the Folder name field as servershare . Using a network share for VM storage will require CredSSP. 6. Choose the number of virtual processors, whether you want nested virtualization enabled, configure memory settings, network adapters, virtual hard disks and choose whether you want to install an operating system from an .iso image file or from the network. 7. Click Create to create the virtual machine. 8. Once the virtual machine is created and appears in the virtual machine list, you can start the virtual machine. 9. Once the virtual machine is started, you can connect to the virtual machine's console via VMConnect to install the operating system. Select the virtual machine from the list, click More > Connect to download the .rdp file. Open the .rdp file in the Remote Desktop Connection app. Since this is connecting to the virtual machine's console, you will need to enter the Hyper-V host's admin credentials.
- 92. Live migrate a virtual machine to another cluster node Advanced management and troubleshooting for a single virtual machine 1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Inventory tab. Choose a virtual machine from the list and click More > Settings. 3. Switch between the General, Security, Memory, Processors, Disks, Networks, Boot order and Checkpoints tab, configure the necessary settings, then click Save to save the current tab's settings. The settings available will vary depending on the virtual machine's generation. Also, some settings cannot be changed for running virtual machines and you will need to stop the virtual machine first. If you are connected to a cluster, you can live migrate a virtual machine to another cluster node. 1. From a Failover Cluster or Hyper-converged cluster connection, click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Inventory tab. Choose a virtual machine from the list and click More > Move. 3. Choose a server from the list of available cluster nodes and click Move. 4. Notifications for the move progress will be displayed in the upper right corner of Windows Admin Center. If the move is successful, you will see the Host server name changed in the virtual machine list.
- 93. Manage a virtual machine through the Hyper-V host (VMConnect) You can view detailed information and performance charts for a single virtual machine from the single virtual machine page. 1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Inventory tab. Click on the name of a virtual machine from the virtual machine list. 3. From the single virtual machine page, you can: View detailed information for the virtual machine. View Live and historical data line charts for CPU, memory, network, IOPS and IO throughput (Historical data is only available for hyper-converged clusters running Windows Server 2019) View, create, apply, rename and delete checkpoints. View details for the virtual machine's virtual hard disk (.vhd) files, network adapters and host server. Delete, start, turn off, shut down, pause, resume, reset or rename the virtual machine. Also save the virtual machine, delete a saved state, or create a checkpoint. Change settings for the virtual machine. Connect to the virtual machine console using VMConnect via the Hyper-V host. Replicate the virtual machine using Azure Site Recovery.
- 94. Change Hyper-V host settings 1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Inventory tab. Choose a virtual machine from the list and click More > Connect or Download RDP file. Connect will allow you to interact with the guest VM through the Remote Desktop web console, integrated in to Windows Admin Center. Download RDP file will download an .rdp file that you can open with the Remote Desktop Connection application (mstsc.exe). Both options will use VMConnect to connect to the guest VM through the Hyper-V host and will require you to enter administrator credentials for the Hyper-V host server. 1. On a Server, Hyper-converged Cluster or Failover Cluster connection, click the Settings menu at the bottom of the left side navigation pane. 2. On a Hyper-V host server or cluster, you will see a Hyper-V Host Settings group with the following sections: General: Change virtual hard disks and virtual machines file path, and hypervisor schedule type (if supported)
- 95. View Hyper-V event logs Protect virtual machines with Azure Site Recovery More coming 3. If you make any Hyper-V host setting changes in a Hyper-converged Cluster or Failover Cluster connection, the change will be applied to all cluster nodes. Enhanced Session Mode NUMA Spanning Live Migration Storage Migration You can view Hyper-V event logs directly from the Virtual Machines tool. 1. Click the Virtual Machines tool from the left side navigation pane. 2. At the top of the Virtual Machines tool, choose the Summary tab. In the top right Events section, click VIEW ALL EVENTS. 3. The Event Viewer tool will show the Hyper-V event channels in the left pane. Choose a channel to view the events in the right pane. If you are managing a failover cluster or hyper-converged cluster, the event logs will display events for all cluster nodes, displaying the host server in the Machine column. You can use Windows Admin Center to configure Azure Site Recovery and replicate your on-premises virtual machines to Azure. Learn more Virtual machine management in Windows Admin Center is actively under development and new features will be added in the near future. You can view the status and vote for features in UserVoice: Import/Export virtual machines Sort virtual machines in folders Support additional virtual machine settings Hyper-V Replica support Delegate virtual machine ownership Clone virtual machine Create a template from an existing virtual machine View virtual machines across Hyper-V hosts Configure VLAN in New Virtual Machine pane See all or propose new features.
- 96. Use event logging in Windows Admin Center to gain insight into management activities and track gateway usage 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Gain insight into management activities in your environment through user action logging KEY VALUE PowerShell PowerShell script name that was run on the server, if the action ran a PowerShell script CIM CIM call that was run on the server, if the action ran a CIM call Module Tool (or module) where the action was run Gateway Name of the Windows Admin Center gateway machine where the action was run UserOnGateway User name used to access the Windows Admin Center gateway and execute the action UserOnTarget User name used to access the target managed server, if different from the userOnGateway (i.e. the user accessed using the server using "Manage as" credentials) Delegation Boolean: if the target managed server trusts the gateway and credentials are delegated from the user's client machine LAPS Boolean: if the user accessed the server using LAPS credentials File name of the file uploaded, if the action was a file upload Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center writes event logs to let you see the management activities being performed on the servers in your environment, as well as to help you troubleshoot any Windows Admin Center issues. Windows Admin Center provides insight into the management activities performed on the servers in your environment by logging actions to the Microsoft-ServerManagementExperience event channel in the event log of the managed server, with EventID 4000 and Source SMEGateway. Windows Admin Center only logs actions on the managed server, so you won't see events logged if a user accesses a server for read-only purposes. Logged events include the following information:
- 97. Learn about Windows Admin Center activity with event logging Windows Admin Center logs gateway activity to the event channel on the gateway computer to help you troubleshoot issues and view metrics on usage. These events are logged to the Microsoft- ServerManagementExperience event channel. Learn more about troubleshooting Windows Admin Center.
- 98. Connecting Windows Server to Azure hybrid services 10/19/2020 • 8 minutes to read • Edit Online Discover integrated services in the Azure hybrid services tool You can extend on-premises deployments of Windows Server to the cloud by using Azure hybrid services. These cloud services provide an array of useful functions, both for extending on-premises into Azure, and for centrally managing from Azure. Using Azure hybrid services within Windows Admin Center, you can: Protect virtual machines and use cloud-based backup and disaster recovery (HA/DR). Extend on-premises capacity with storage and compute in Azure, and simplify network connectivity to Azure. Centralize monitoring, governance, configuration, and security across your applications, network, and infrastructure with the help of cloud-intelligent Azure management services. While you can set up most Azure hybrid services by downloading an app and doing some manual configuration, many are integrated directly into Windows Admin Center to provide a simplified setup experience and a server- centric view of the services. Windows Admin Center also provides convenient intelligent hyperlinks to the Azure portal to see connected Azure resources as well as a centralized view of your hybrid environment. The Azure hybrid services tool in Windows Admin Center consolidates all the integrated Azure services into a centralized hub where you can easily discover all the available Azure services that bring value to your on- premises or hybrid environment.
- 99. Back up and protect your on-premises servers and VMs If you connect to a server with Azure services already enabled, the Azure hybrid services tool serves as a single pane of glass to see all enabled services on that server. You can easily get to the relevant tool within Windows Admin Center, launch out to the Azure portal for deeper management of those Azure services, or read more with documentation at your fingertips. From the Azure hybrid services tool, you can: Backup your Windows Server from Windows Admin Center with Azure Backup Protect your Hyper-V Virtual Machines from Windows Admin Center with Azure Site Recovery Sync your file server with the cloud, using Azure File Sync Manage operating system updates for all your Windows servers, both on-premises or in the cloud, with Azure Update Management Monitor servers, both on-premises or in the cloud, and configure alerts with Azure Monitor Apply governance policies to your on-premises servers through Azure Policy using Azure Arc for servers Secure your servers and get advanced threat protection with Azure Security Center Connect your on-premises servers to an Azure Virtual Network with Azure Network Adapter Make Azure VMs look like your on-premises network with Azure Extended Network Back up your Windows servers with Azure Backup You can back up your Windows servers to Azure,
- 100. Extend on-premises capacity with Azure Extend storage capacity Extend compute capacity Simplify network connectivity between your on-premises and Azure networks Centrally manage your hybrid environment from Azure helping to protect you from accidental or malicious deletions, corruption, and ransomware. For more info, see Back up your servers with Azure Backup. Protect your Hyper-V virtual machines with Azure Site Recovery You can replicate workloads running on VMs so that your business-critical infrastructure is protected in case of a disaster. Windows Admin Center streamlines setup and the process of replicating your virtual machines on your Hyper-V servers or clusters, making it easier to bolster the resiliency of your environment with Azure Site Recovery's disaster recovery service. For more info, see Protect your VMs with Azure Site Recovery and Windows Admin Center. Use synchronous or asynchronous block-based replication to a VM in Azure using Storage Replica You can configure block-based or volume-based replication on a server-to-server level using Storage Replica to a secondary server or VM. Windows Admin Center allows you to create an Azure VM specifically for your replication target, helping you to right-size and correctly configure storage on a new Azure VM. For more info, see Server-to-server replication with Storage Replica. Sync your file server with the cloud by using Azure File Sync Sync files on this server with Azure file shares. Keep all your files local or use cloud tiering to free up space and cache only the most frequently used files on the server, tiering cold data to the cloud. Data in the cloud can be backed up, eliminating the need to worry about on-premises server backup. Additionally, multi-site-sync can keep a set of files in sync across multiple servers. For more info, see Sync your file server with the cloud by using Azure File Sync. Migrate storage to a VM in Azure using Storage Migration Service Use the step-by-step tool to inventory data on Windows and Linux servers and then transfer the data to a new Azure VM. Windows Admin Center can create a new Azure VM for the job that is right-sized and correctly configured to receive the data from your source server. For more info, see Use Storage Migration Service to migrate a server. Create a new Azure virtual machine without leaving Windows Admin Center From the All Connections page within Windows Admin Center, go to Add and select Create new under Azure VM. You can even domain-join your Azure VM and configure storage from within this step-by-step creation tool. Leverage Azure to achieve quorum on your failover cluster with Cloud Witness Instead of investing in additional hardware to achieve quorum on a 2-node cluster, you can use an Azure storage account to serve as the cluster witness for your Azure Stack HCI cluster or other failover cluster. For more info, see Deploy a Cloud Witness for a Failover Cluster. Connect your on-premises servers to an Azure Virtual Network with Azure Network Adapter Let Windows Admin Center simplify setting up a point-to-site VPN from an on-premises server into an Azure virtual network. Make Azure VMs look like your on-premises network with Azure Extended Network Windows Admin Center can set up a site-to-site VPN and extend your on-premises IP addresses into your Azure vNet to let you more easily migrate workloads into Azure without breaking dependencies on IP addresses. Monitor and get email alerts for all the servers in your environment with Azure Monitor for Virtual Machines You can use Azure Monitor, also known as Virtual Machines Insights, to monitor server health and events, create email alerts, get a consolidated view of server performance across your environment, and visualize apps, systems, and services connected to a given server. Windows Admin
- 101. Clusters versus stand-alone servers and VMs Services for stand-alone servers and VMs Services for clusters Other Azure-integrated abilities of Windows Admin Center Center can also set up default email alerts for server health performance and cluster health events. For more info, see Connect your servers to Azure Monitor and configure email notifications. Centrally manage operating system updates for all your Windows Servers with Azure Update Management You can manage updates and patches for multiple servers and VMs from a single place, rather than on a per-server basis. With Azure Update Management, you can quickly assess the status of available updates, schedule installation of required updates, and review deployment results to verify updates that apply successfully. This is possible whether your servers are Azure VMs, hosted by other cloud providers, or on-premises. For more info, see Configure servers for Azure Update Management. Improve your security posture and get advanced threat protection with Azure Security Center Azure Security Center is a unified infrastructure security management system that strengthens the security posture of your data centers, and provides advanced threat protection across your hybrid workloads in the cloud - whether they're in Azure or not - as well as on premises. With Windows Admin Center, you can easily set up and connect your servers to Azure Security Center. For more info, see Integrate Azure Security Center with Windows Admin Center (Preview). Apply policies and ensure compliance across your hybrid environment with Azure Arc for servers and Azure Policy Inventory, organize, and manage on-premises servers from Azure. You can govern servers using Azure policy, control access using RBAC, and enable additional management services from Azure. Azure hybrid services work with Windows Servers in the following configurations: Stand-alone physical servers and virtual machines (VMs) Clusters, including hyper-converged clusters certified by the Azure Stack HCI, and Windows Server Software- Defined (WSSD) programs This is the complete list of Azure services that provide functionality to stand-alone servers and VMs: Backup your Windows Server from Windows Admin Center with Azure Backup Protect your Hyper-V Virtual Machines from Windows Admin Center with Azure Site Recovery Sync your file server with the cloud, using Azure File Sync Manage operating system updates for all your Windows servers, both on-premises or in the cloud, with Azure Update Management Monitor servers, both on-premises or in the cloud, and configure alerts with Azure Monitor Apply governance policies to your on-premises servers through Azure Policy using Azure Arc for servers Secure your servers and get advanced threat protection with Azure Security Center Connect your on-premises servers to an Azure Virtual Network with Azure Network Adapter Make Azure VMs look like your on-premises network with Azure Extended Network These are the Azure services that provide functionality to clusters as a whole: Monitor a hyper-converged cluster with Azure Monitor Protect your VMs with Azure Site Recovery Deploy a cluster cloud witness Add Azure VM connections in Windows Admin Center You can use Windows Admin Center to
- 102. Additional References manage your Azure VMs as well as on-premises machines. By configuring your Windows Admin Center gateway to connect to your Azure VNet, you can manage virtual machines in Azure using the consistent, simplified tools that Windows Admin Center provides. For more info, see Configure Windows Admin Center to manage VMs in Azure. Add an layer of security to Windows Admin Center by adding Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) authentication You can add an additional layer of security to Windows Admin Center by requiring users to authenticate using Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) identities to access the gateway. Azure AD authentication also lets you take advantage of Azure AD’s security features like conditional access and multi-factor authentication. For more info, see Configure Azure AD authentication for Windows Admin Center. Manage Azure resources directly through Azure Cloud Shell embedded in Windows Admin Center Leverage Azure Cloud Shell to get a Bash or PowerShell experience within Windows Admin Center to give you easy access to Azure management tasks. For more info, see Overview of Azure Cloud Shell. Connect Windows Admin Center to Azure Deploy Windows Admin Center in Azure
- 103. Backup your Windows Servers from Windows Admin Center with Azure Backup 10/19/2020 • 5 minutes to read • Edit Online What is Azure Backup and how does it work with Windows Admin Center? Prerequisites and planning Setup Azure Backup Applies To: Windows Admin Center Preview, Windows Admin Center Learn more about Azure integration with Windows Admin Center. Windows Admin Center streamlines the process of backing up your Windows Servers to Azure and protecting you from accidental or malicious deletions, corruption and even ransomware. To automate setup, you can connect the Windows Admin Center gateway to Azure. Use the following information to configure Backup for you Windows Server and create a Backup policy to backup your server's Volumes and the Windows System State from the Windows Admin Center. Azure Backup is the Azure-based service you can use to back up (or protect) and restore your data in the Microsoft cloud. Azure Backup replaces your existing on-premises or off-site backup solution with a cloud-based solution that is reliable, secure, and cost-competitive. Learn more about Azure Backup. Azure Backup offers multiple components that you download and deploy on the appropriate computer, server, or in the cloud. The component, or agent, that you deploy depends on what you want to protect. All Azure Backup components (no matter whether you're protecting data on-premises or in Azure) can be used to back up data to a Recovery Services vault in Azure. The integration of Azure Backup in the Windows Admin Center is ideal for backing up volumes and the Windows System state on-premises Windows physical or virtual servers. This makes for a comprehensive mechanism to backup File Servers, Domain Controllers and IIS Web Servers. Windows Admin Center exposes the Azure Backup integration via the native Backup tool. The Backup tool provides setup, management and monitoring experiences to quickly start backing up your servers, perform common backup and restore operations and to monitor overall backup health of your Windows Servers. An Azure Account with at least one active subscription The target Windows Servers that you want to backup must have Internet access to Azure Connect your Windows Admin Center gateway to Azure To start the workflow to backup your Windows Server, open a server connection, click on the Backup tool and follow the steps mentioned below. When you click on the Backup tool for a server connection on which Azure Backup is not yet enabled, you would see the Welcome to Azure Backup screen. Click the Set up Azure Backup button. This would open the Azure Backup setup wizard. Follow the steps as listed below in the wizard to back up your server.
- 104. Step 1: Login to Microsoft Azure NOTE Step 2: Set up Azure Backup Step 3: Select Backup Items and Schedule NOTE Step 4: Enter Encryption Passphrase NOTE If Azure Backup is already configured, clicking on the Backup tool will open the Backup Dashboard. Refer to the (Management and Monitoring) section to discover operations and tasks that can be performed from the dashboard. Sign into you Azure Account. If you have connected your Windows Admin Center gateway to Azure, you should be automatically logged in to Azure. You can click sign-out to further sign-in as a different user. Select the appropriate settings for Azure Backup as described below Subscription Id: The Azure subscription you want to use backing up your Windows Server to Azure. All Azure assets like the Azure Resource Group, the Recovery Services Vault will be created in the selected Subscription. Vault: The Recovery Services Vault where your servers' backups will be stored. You can select from existing vaults or Windows Admin Center will create a new Vault. Resource Group: The Azure Resource Group is a container for a collection of resources. The Recovery Services vault is created or contained in the specified Resource Group. You can select from existing Resource Groups or Windows Admin Center will create a new one. Location: The Azure region where the Recovery Services Vault will be created. It is recommended to select the Azure region closest to the Windows Server. Select what you want to back up from your server. Windows Admin Center allows you to pick from a combination of Volumes and the Windows System State while giving you the estimated size of data that is selected for backup. The first backup is a full-backup of all the selected data. However, subsequent backups are incremental in nature and transfer only the changes to the data since the previous backup. Select from multiple preset Backup Schedules for you System State and/or Volumes. Enter an Encryption Passphrase of your choice (minimum 16 characters). Azure Backup secures your backup data with a user-configured and user-managed encryption passphrase. The encryption passphrase is required to recover data from Azure Backup. The passphrase must be stored in a secure offsite location such as another server or the Azure Key Vault. Microsoft does not store the passphrase and cannot retrieve or reset the passphrase if it is lost or forgotten. Review all the settings and click Apply Windows Admin Center will then perform the following operations 1. Create an Azure Resource Group if it does not exist already 2. Create an Azure Recovery Services Vault as specified
- 105. Management and Monitoring 3. Install and register the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services Agent to the Vault 4. Create the Backup and Retention schedule as per the selected options and associate them with the Windows Server. Once you have successfully setup Azure Backup, you would see the Backup Dashboard when you open the Backup tool for an existing server connection. You can perform the following tasks from the Backup Dashboard Access the Vault in Azure: You can click on the Recovery Services Vault link in the Overview tab of the Backup Dashboard to be taken to the Vault in Azure to perform a rich set of management operations Perform an ad hoc backup: Click on Backup Now to take an ad hoc backup. Monitor Jobs and Configure alert notifications: Navigate to the Jobs tab of the dashboard to monitor on-going or past jobs and configure alert notifications to receive emails for any failed jobs or other backup related alerts. View Recovery Points and Recover Data: Click on the Recovery Points tab of the dashboard to view the Recovery Points and click on Recover Data for steps to recover you data from Azure.
- 106. Protect your Hyper-V Virtual Machines with Azure Site Recovery and Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 5 minutes to read • Edit Online What is Azure Site Recovery and how does it work with Windows Admin Center? Prerequisites and planning Step 1: Set up VM protection on your target host NOTE Applies To: Windows Admin Center Preview, Windows Admin Center Learn more about Azure integration with Windows Admin Center. Windows Admin Center streamlines the process of replicating your virtual machines on your Hyper-V servers or clusters, making it easier to leverage the power of Azure from your own datacenter. To automate setup, you can connect the Windows Admin Center gateway to Azure. Use the following information to configure replication settings and create a recovery plan from within the Azure portal, enabling Windows Admin Center to start VM replication and protect your VMs. Azure Site Recovery is an Azure service that replicates workloads running on VMs so that your business-critical infrastructure is protected in case of a disaster. Learn more about Azure Site Recovery. Azure Site Recovery consists of two components: replication and failover. The replication portion protects your VMs in case of disaster by replicating the target VM's VHD to an Azure storage account. You can then failover these VMs and run them in Azure in the event of a disaster. You can also perform a test failover without impacting your primary VMs to test the recovery process in Azure. Completing setup for the replication component alone is sufficient to protect your VM in the case of disaster. However, you won't be able to start the VM in Azure until you configure the failover portion. You can set up the failover portion when you want to failover to an Azure VM - this isn't required as part of the initial setup. If the host server goes down and you haven't yet configured the failover component, you can configure it at that time and access the workloads of the protected VM. However, it's a good practice to configure the failover related settings before a disaster. The target servers hosting the VMs you want to protect must have Internet access to replicate to Azure. Connect your Windows Admin Center gateway to Azure. Review the capacity planning tool to evaluate the requirements for successful replication and failover. You need to do this step once per host server or cluster containing VMs targeted for protection. 1. Navigate to the server or cluster hosting VMs you want to protect (either with Server Manager or Hyper- Converged Cluster Manager). 2. Go to Virtual Machines > Inventory.
- 107. NOTE Step 2: Select virtual machines to protect Step 3: Configure and run a test failover in the Azure portal 3. Select any VM (this doesn't need to be the VM you want to protect). 4. Select More > Set up VM Protection. 5. Sign into your Azure Account. 6. Enter the required information: Subscription: The Azure subscription you want to use for replication of VMs on this host. Location: The Azure region where the ASR resources should be created. Storage Account: The storage account where replicated VM workloads on this host will be saved. Vault: Choose a name for the Azure Site Recovery vault for protected VMs on this host. 7. Select Setup ASR. 8. Wait until you see the notification: Site Recovery Setting Completed. This could take up to 10 minutes. You can watch the progress by going to Notifications (the bell icon at the top right). This step automatically installs the ASR agent onto the target server or nodes (if configuring on a cluster), creates a Resource Group with the Storage Account and Vault specified, in the Location specified. This will also register the target host with the ASR service and configure a default replication policy. 1. Navigate back to the server or cluster you configured in step 2 above, and go to Virtual Machines > Inventory. 2. Select the VM you want to protect. 3. Select More > Protect VM. 4. Review the capacity requirements for protecting the VM. If you want to use a premium storage account, create one in the Azure portal. The Create New option provided in the Windows Admin Center pane creates a standard storage account. 5. Enter the name of the Storage Account to use for this VM's replication, and select Protect VM. This step enables replication for the selected Virtual Machine. 6. ASR will start replication. Replication is completed and the VM is protected when the value in the Protected column of the Virtual Machine Inventory grid changes to Yes. This can take several minutes. Although you don't need to complete this step when starting VM replication (the VM will already be protected with just replication), we recommend you configure failover settings when you set up Azure Site Recovery. If you want to prepare for failover to an Azure VM, complete the following steps: 1. Set up an Azure network the failed-over VM will attach to this VNET. Note that the other steps listed in the linked page are completed automatically by Windows Admin Center; you only need to set up the Azure network. 2. Run a test failover.
- 108. Step 4: Create Recovery Plans Monitoring replicated VMs in Azure Known issue Recovery Plan is a feature in Azure Site Recovery that lets you failover and recover an entire application comprising a collection of VMs. While it is possible to recover protected VMs individually, by adding the VMs comprising an application to a recovery plan, you'll be able to failover the entire application through the recovery plan. You can also use the test failover feature of Recovery Plan to test the recovery of the application. Recovery Plan lets you group VMs, sequence the order in which they should be brought up during a failover, and automate additional steps to be performed as part of the recovery process. Once you've protected your VMs, you can go to the Azure Site Recovery vault in the Azure portal and create recovery plans for these VMs. Learn more about recovery plans. To verify there are no failures in server registration, go to the Azure portal > All resources > Recovery Services Vault (the one you specified in Step 2) > Jobs > Site Recovery Jobs. You can monitor VM replication by going to the Recovery Services Vault > Replicated Items. To see all servers that are registered to the vault, go to Recovery Services Vault > Site Recovery Infrastructure > Hyper-V hosts (under the Hyper-V sites section). When registering ASR with a cluster, if a node fails to install ASR or register to the ASR service, your VMs may not be protected. Verify that all nodes in the cluster are registered in the Azure portal by going to the Recovery Services vault > Jobs > Site Recovery Jobs.
- 109. Sync your file server with the cloud by using Azure File Sync 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Use Azure File Sync to centralize your organization's file shares in Azure, while keeping the flexibility, performance, and compatibility of an on-premises file server. Azure File Sync transforms Windows Server into a quick cache of your Azure file share with the optional cloud tiering feature. You can use any protocol that's available on Windows Server to access your data locally, including SMB, NFS, and FTPS. Once your files have synced to the cloud, you can connect multiple servers to the same Azure file share to sync and cache the content locally—permissions (ACLs) are always transported as well. Azure Files offers a snapshot capability that can generate differential snapshots of your Azure file share. These snapshots can even be mounted as read-only network drives via SMB for easy browsing and restore. Combined with cloud tiering, running an on- premises file server has never been easier. For more info, see Planning for an Azure File Sync deployment.
- 110. Monitor servers and configure alerts with Azure Monitor from Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 6 minutes to read • Edit Online How does Azure Monitor work? Learn more about Azure integration with Windows Admin Center. Azure Monitor is a solution that collects, analyzes, and acts on telemetry from a variety of resources, including Windows Servers and VMs, both on-premises and in the cloud. Though Azure Monitor pulls data from Azure VMs, and other Azure resources, this article focuses on how Azure Monitor works with on-premises servers and VMs, specifically with Windows Admin Center. If you're interested to learn how you can use Azure Monitor to get email alerts about your hyper-converged cluster, read about using Azure Monitor to send emails for Health Service Faults. Data generated from on-premises Windows Servers is collected in a Log Analytics workspace in Azure Monitor. Within a workspace, you can enable various monitoring solutions—sets of logic that provide insights for a particular scenario. For example, Azure Update Management, Azure Security Center, and Azure Monitor for VMs are all monitoring solutions that can be enabled within a workspace. When you enable a monitoring solution in a Log Analytics workspace, all the servers reporting to that workspace will start collecting data relevant to that solution, so that the solution can generate insights for all the servers in the workspace. To collect telemetry data on an on-premises server and push it to the Log Analytics workspace, Azure Monitor requires the installation of the Microsoft Monitoring Agent, or the MMA. Certain monitoring solutions also require a secondary agent. For example, Azure Monitor for VMs also depends on a ServiceMap agent for additional functionality that this solution provides. Some solutions, like Azure Update Management, also depend on Azure Automation, which enables you to centrally manage resources across Azure and non-Azure environments. For example, Azure Update Management
- 111. How does Windows Admin Center enable you to use Azure Monitor? Azure Monitor for virtual machines (a.k.a. Virtual Machine insights) NOTE Set up your server for use with Azure Monitor uses Azure Automation to schedule and orchestrate installation of updates across machines in your environment, centrally, from the Azure portal. From within WAC, you can enable two monitoring solutions: Azure Update Management (in the Updates tool) Azure Monitor for VMs (in server Settings), a.k.a Virtual Machines insights You can get started using Azure Monitor from either of these tools. If you've never used Azure Monitor before, WAC will automatically provision a Log Analytics workspace (and Azure Automation account, if needed), and install and configure the Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA) on the target server. It will then install the corresponding solution into the workspace. For instance, if you first go to the Updates tool to setup Azure Update Management, WAC will: 1. Install the MMA on the machine 2. Create the Log Analytics workspace and the Azure Automation account (since an Azure Automation account is necessary in this case) 3. Install the Update Management solution in the newly created workspace. If you want to add another monitoring solution from within WAC on the same server, WAC will simply install that solution into the existing workspace to which that server is connected. WAC will additionally install any other necessary agents. If you connect to a different server, but have already setup a Log Analytics workspace (either through WAC or manually in the Azure Portal), you can also install the MMA agent on the server and connect it up to an existing workspace. When you connect a server into a workspace, it automatically starts collecting data and reporting to solutions installed in that workspace. Applies To: Windows Admin Center Preview When you set up Azure Monitor for VMs in server Settings, Windows Admin Center enables the Azure Monitor for VMs solution, also known as Virtual Machine insights. This solution allows you to monitor server health and events, create email alerts, get a consolidated view of server performance across your environment, and visualize apps, systems, and services connected to a given server. Despite its name, VM insights works for physical servers as well as virtual machines. With Azure Monitor's free 5 GB of data/month/customer allowance, you can easily try this out for a server or two without worry of getting charged. Read on to see additional benefits of onboarding servers into Azure Monitor, such as getting a consolidated view of systems performance across the servers in your environment. From the Overview page of a server connection, click the new button "Manage alerts", or go to Server Settings > Monitoring and alerts. Within this page, onboard your server to Azure Monitor by clicking "Set up" and completing the setup pane. Admin Center takes care of provisioning the Azure Log Analytics workspace, installing the necessary agent, and ensuring the VM insights solution is configured. Once complete, your server will send performance counter data to Azure Monitor, enabling you to view and create email alerts based on this server,
- 112. Create email alerts **Get a consolidated view across multiple servers ** Visualize apps, systems, and services connected to a given server NOTE Disabling Monitoring from the Azure portal. Once you've attached your server to Azure Monitor, you can use the intelligent hyperlinks within the Settings > Monitoring and alerts page to navigate to the Azure Portal. Admin Center automatically enables performance counters to be collected, so you can easily create a new alert by customizing one of many pre-defined queries, or writing your own. If you onboard multiple servers to a single Log Analytics workspace within Azure Monitor, you can get a consolidated view of all these servers from the Virtual Machines Insights solution within Azure Monitor. (Note that only the Performance and Maps tabs of Virtual Machines Insights for Azure Monitor will work with on-premises servers – the health tab functions only with Azure VMs.) To view this in the Azure portal, go to Azure Monitor > Virtual Machines (under Insights), and navigate to the "Performance" or "Maps" tabs. When Admin Center onboards a server into the VM insights solution within Azure Monitor, it also lights up a capability called Service Map. This capability automatically discovers application components and maps the communication between services so that you can easily visualize connections between servers with great detail from the Azure portal. You can find this by going to the Azure portal > Azure Monitor > Virtual Machines (under Insights), and navigating to the "Maps" tab. The visualizations for Virtual Machines Insights for Azure Monitor are offered in 6 public regions currently. For the latest information, check the Azure Monitor for VMs documentation. You must deploy the Log Analytics workspace in one of the supported regions to get the additional benefits provided by the Virtual Machines Insights solution described above. To completely disconnect your server from the Log Analytics workspace, uninstall the MMA agent. This means that this server will no longer send data to the workspace, and all the solutions installed in that workspace will no longer collect and process data from that server. However, this does not affect the workspace itself – all the resources reporting to that workspace will continue to do so. To uninstall the MMA agent within Windows Admin Center, connect to the server and then go to Installed apps, find the Microsoft Monitoring Agent, and then select Remove. If you want to turn off a specific solution within a workspace, you will need to remove the monitoring solution from the Azure portal. Removing a monitoring solution means that the insights created by that solution will no longer be generated for any of the servers reporting to that workspace. For example, if I uninstall the Azure Monitor for VMs solution, I will no longer see insights about VM or server performance from any of the machines connected to my workspace.
- 113. Use Windows Admin Center to manage operating system updates with Azure Update Management 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Learn more about Azure integration with Windows Admin Center. Azure Update Management is a solution in Azure Automation that allows you to manage updates and patches for multiple machines from a single place, rather than on a per-server basis. With Azure Update Management, you can quickly assess the status of available updates, schedule installation of required updates, and review deployment results to verify updates that apply successfully. This is possible whether your machines are Azure VMs, hosted by other cloud providers, or on premise. Learn more about Azure Update Management. With Windows Admin Center, you can easily set up and use Azure Update Management to keep your managed servers up to date. If you don't already have a Log Analytics workspace in your Azure subscription, Windows Admin Center will automatically configure your server and create the necessary Azure resources in the subscription and location you specify. If you have an existing Log Analytics workspace, Windows Admin Center can automatically configure your server to consume updates from Azure Update Management. To get started, go to the Updates tool in a server connection and select “Set up now”, and provide your preferences for the related Azure resources. Once you've configured your server to be managed by Azure Update Management, you can access Azure Update Management by using the hyperlink provided in the Updates tool. Learn how to stop using Azure Update Management to update your server. Note that you must register your Windows Admin Center gateway with Azure before setting up Azure Update Management.
- 114. Configuring Azure integration 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Register your gateway with Azure Manual Azure AD app configuration Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center supports several optional features that integrate with Azure services. Learn about the Azure integration options available with Windows Admin Center. To allow the Windows Admin Center gateway to communicate with Azure to leverage Azure Active Directory authentication for gateway access, or to create Azure resources on your behalf (for example, to protect VMs managed in Windows Admin Center using Azure Site Recovery), you will need to first register your Windows Admin Center gateway with Azure. You only need to do this once for your Windows Admin Center gateway - the setting is preserved when you update your gateway to a newer version. The first time you try to use an Azure integration feature in Windows Admin Center, you will be prompted to register the gateway to Azure. You can also register the gateway by going to the Azure tab in Windows Admin Center Settings. Note that only Windows Admin Center gateway administrators can register the Windows Admin Center gateway with Azure. Learn more about Windows Admin Center user and administrator permissions. The guided in-product steps will create an Azure AD app in your directory, which allows Windows Admin Center to communicate with Azure. To view the Azure AD app that is automatically created, go to the Azure tab of Windows Admin Center settings. The View in Azure hyperlink lets you view the Azure AD app in the Azure portal. The Azure AD app created is used for all points of Azure integration in Windows Admin Center, including Azure AD authentication to the gateway. Windows Admin Center automatically configures the permissions needed to create and manage Azure resources on your behalf: Azure Active Directory Graph Azure Service Management Directory.AccessAsUser.All User.Read user_impersonation If you wish to configure an Azure AD app manually, rather than using the Azure AD app created automatically by Windows Admin Center during the gateway registration process, you must do the following. 1. Grant the Azure AD app the required API permissions listed above. You can do so by navigating to your Azure AD app in the Azure portal. Go to the Azure portal > Azure Active Directory > App registrations > select your Azure AD app you wish to use. Then to to the API permissions tab and add the API permissions listed above. 2. Add the Windows Admin Center gateway URL to the reply URLs (also known as the redirect URIs). Navigate to your Azure AD app, then go to Manifest. Find the "replyUrlsWithType" key in the manifest. Within the key, add an object containing two keys: "url" and "type". The key "url" should have a value of the Windows Admin Center gateway URL, appending a wildcard at the end. The key "type" key should have a value of "Web". For example:
- 115. "replyUrlsWithType": [ { "url": "http://localhost:6516/*", "type": "Web" } ],
- 116. Deploy Windows Admin Center in Azure 10/19/2020 • 6 minutes to read • Edit Online Deploy using script Prerequisites Script parameters You can download Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 which you will run from Azure Cloud Shell to set up a Windows Admin Center gateway in Azure. This script can create the entire environment, including the resource group. Jump to manual deployment steps Set up your account in Azure Cloud Shell. If this is your first time using Cloud Shell, you will be asked you to associate or create an Azure storage account with Cloud Shell. In a PowerShell Cloud Shell, navigate to your home directory: PS Azure:> cd ~ To upload the Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 file, drag and drop it from your local machine to anywhere on the Cloud Shell window. If specifying your own certificate: Upload the certificate to Azure Key Vault. First, create a key vault in Azure Portal, then upload the certificate into the key vault. Alternatively, you can use Azure Portal to generate a certificate for you. ResourceGroupName - [String] Specifies the name of the resource group where the VM will be created. Name - [String] Specifies the name of the VM. Credential - [PSCredential] Specifies the credentials for the VM. MsiPath - [String] Specifies the local path of the Windows Admin Center MSI when deploying Windows Admin Center on an existing VM. Defaults to the version from https://aka.ms/WACDownload if omitted. VaultName - [String] Specifies the name of the key vault that contains the certificate. CertName - [String] Specifies the name of the certificate to be used for MSI installation. GenerateSslCert - [Switch] True if the MSI should generate a self signed ssl certificate. PortNumber - [int] Specifies the ssl port number for the Windows Admin Center service. Defaults to 443 if omitted. OpenPorts - [int[]] Specifies the open ports for the VM. Location - [String] Specifies the location of the VM. Size - [String] Specifies the size of the VM. Defaults to "Standard_DS1_v2" if omitted. Image - [String] Specifies the image of the VM. Defaults to "Win2016Datacenter" if omitted. VirtualNetworkName - [String] Specifies the name of the virtual network for the VM. SubnetName - [String] Specifies the name of the subnet for the VM. SecurityGroupName - [String] Specifies the name of the security group for the VM. PublicIpAddressName - [String] Specifies the name of the public IP address for the VM.
- 117. Script Examples $ResourceGroupName = "wac-rg1" $VirtualNetworkName = "wac-vnet" $SecurityGroupName = "wac-nsg" $SubnetName = "wac-subnet" $VaultName = "wac-key-vault" $CertName = "wac-cert" $Location = "westus" $PublicIpAddressName = "wac-public-ip" $Size = "Standard_D4s_v3" $Image = "Win2016Datacenter" $Credential = Get-Credential Example 1: Use the script to deploy WAC gateway on a new VM in a new virtual network and resource group. Use the MSI from aka.ms/WACDownload and a self-signed cert from the MSI. $scriptParams = @{ ResourceGroupName = $ResourceGroupName Name = "wac-vm1" Credential = $Credential VirtualNetworkName = $VirtualNetworkName SubnetName = $SubnetName GenerateSslCert = $true } ./Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 @scriptParams Example 2: Same as #1, but using a certificate from Azure Key Vault. $scriptParams = @{ ResourceGroupName = $ResourceGroupName Name = "wac-vm2" Credential = $Credential VirtualNetworkName = $VirtualNetworkName SubnetName = $SubnetName VaultName = $VaultName CertName = $CertName } ./Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 @scriptParams Example 3: Using a local MSI on an existing VM to deploy WAC. $MsiPath = "C:Users<username>DownloadsWindowsAdminCenter<version>.msi" $scriptParams = @{ ResourceGroupName = $ResourceGroupName Name = "wac-vm3" Credential = $Credential MsiPath = $MsiPath InstallWACOnly = $true GenerateSslCert = $true } ./Deploy-WACAzVM.ps1 @scriptParams InstallWACOnly - [Switch] Set to True if WAC should be installed on a pre-existing Azure VM. There are 2 different options for the MSI to deploy and the certificate used for MSI installation. The MSI can either be downloaded from aka.ms/WACDownload or, if deploying to an existing VM, the filepath of an MSI locally on the VM can be given. The certificate can be found in either Azure Key Vault or a self-signed certificate will be generated by the MSI. First, define common variables needed for the parameters of the script.
- 118. Requirements for VM running the Windows Admin Center gateway $nsg = Get-AzNetworkSecurityGroup -Name $SecurityGroupName -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName $newNSG = Add-AzNetworkSecurityRuleConfig -NetworkSecurityGroup $nsg -Name ssl-rule -Description "Allow SSL" -Access Allow -Protocol Tcp -Direction Inbound -Priority 100 -SourceAddressPrefix Internet -SourcePortRange * -DestinationAddressPrefix * -DestinationPortRange 443 Set-AzNetworkSecurityGroup -NetworkSecurityGroup $newNSG Requirements for managed Azure VM's Enable-AzVMPSRemoting -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -Name $Name Invoke-AzVMCommand -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -Name $Name -ScriptBlock {Set-NetFirewallRule -Name WINRM-HTTP-In-TCP-PUBLIC -RemoteAddress Any} -Credential $Credential Invoke-AzVMCommand -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -Name $Name -ScriptBlock {winrm create winrm/config/Listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTP} -Credential $Credential Deploy manually on an existing Azure virtual machine NOTE Configure the gateway VM to enable HTTPS port access: Port 443 (HTTPS) must be open. Using the same variables defined for script, you can use the code below in Azure Cloud Shell to update the network security group: Port 5985 (WinRM over HTTP) must be open and have an active listener. You can use the code below in Azure Cloud Shell to update the managed nodes. $ResourceGroupName and $Name use the same variables as the deployment script, but you will need to use the $Credential specific to the VM you are managing. Before installing Windows Admin Center on your desired gateway VM, install a SSL certificate to use for HTTPS communication, or you can choose to use a self-signed certificate generated by Windows Admin Center. However, you will get a warning when trying to connect from a browser if you choose the latter option. You can bypass this warning in Edge by clicking Details > Go on to the webpage or, in Chrome, by selecting Advanced > Proceed to [webpage]. We recommend you only use self-signed certificates for test environments. These instructions are for installing on Windows Server with Desktop Experience, not on a Server Core installation. 1. Download Windows Admin Center to your local computer. 2. Establish a remote desktop connection to the VM, then copy the MSI from your local machine and paste into the VM. 3. Double-click the MSI to begin installation, and follow the instructions in the wizard. Be aware of the following: By default, the installer uses the recommended port 443 (HTTPS). If you want to select a different port, note that you need to open that port in your firewall as well. If you have already installed an SSL certificate on the VM, ensure you select that option and enter the thumbprint. 4. Start the Windows Admin Center service (run C:/Program Files/Windows Admin Center/sme.exe) Learn more about deploying Windows Admin Center. 1. Navigate to your VM in the Azure portal and select Networking. 2. Select Add inbound port rule and select HTTPS under Service.
- 119. NOTE Accessing a Windows Admin Center gateway installed on an Azure VM NOTE If you chose a port other than the default 443, choose Custom under Service and enter the port you chose in step 3 under Port ranges. At this point, you should be able to access Windows Admin Center from a modern browser (Edge or Chrome) on your local computer by navigating to the DNS name of your gateway VM. If you selected a port other than 443, you can access Windows Admin Center by navigating to https://<DNS name of your VM>:<custom port> When you attempt to access Windows Admin Center, the browser will prompt for credentials to access the virtual machine on which Windows Admin Center is installed. Here you will need to enter credentials that are in the Local users or Local administrators group of the virtual machine. In order to add other VMs in the VNet, ensure WinRM is running on the target VMs by running the following in PowerShell or the command prompt on the target VM: winrm quickconfig If you haven't domain-joined the Azure VM, the VM behaves like a server in workgroup, so you'll need to make sure you account for using Windows Admin Center in a workgroup.
- 120. Deploy Azure virtual machines from within Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online Scenarios Requirements Usage Deploying Azure VMs as part of Storage Migration Service Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center version 1910 allows you to deploy Azure virtual machines. This integrates VM deployment into Windows Admin Center-managed workloads like Storage Migration Service and Storage Replica. Instead of building new servers and VMs in the Azure Portal by hand prior to deploying your workload - and possibly missing required steps and configuration - Windows Admin Center can deploy the Azure VM, configure its storage, join it to your domain, install roles, and then set up your distributed system. You can also deploy new Azure VMs without a workload from the Windows Admin Center Connections page. Windows Admin Center also manages a variety of Azure services. Learn more about the Azure integration options available with Windows Admin Center. If you want to lift and shift virtual machines to Azure instead of creating new ones, consider using Azure Migrate. For more info, see Azure Migrate overview. Windows Admin Center version 1910 Azure VM deployment supports the following scenarios: Storage Migration Service Storage Replica New standalone server (without roles) Creating a new Azure VM from within Windows Admin Center requires that you have: An Azure subscription. A Windows Admin Center gateway registered with Azure An existing Azure resource group where you have Create permissions. An existing Azure Virtual Network and subnet. An Azure Express Route or Azure VPN solution tied to the virtual network and subnet that allows connectivity from Azure VMs to your on-premises clients, domain controllers, the Windows Admin Center computer, and any servers requiring communication with this VM as part of a workload deployment. For instance, to use the Storage Migration Service to migrate storage to an Azure VM, the orchestrator computer and the source computer must both be able to contact the destination Azure VM you are migrating to. Azure VM deployment steps and wizards vary by scenario. Review the workload's documentation for detailed information about the overall scenario. 1. From the Storage Migration Service tool within Windows Admin Center, perform an inventory of one or more source servers.
- 121. Deploying Azure VMs as part of Storage Replica Deploying a new standalone Azure VM 2. Once you're in the Transfer Data phase, select Create a new Azure VM on the Specify a destination page then click Create VM. This begins a step-by-step creation tool that selects a Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, or Windows Server 2019 Azure VM as a destination for the migration. Storage Migration Service provides recommended VM sizes to match your source, but you can override them by clicking See all sizes. Source server data is also used to automatically configure your managed disks and their file systems as well as join your new Azure VM to your Active Directory domain. If the VM is Windows Server 2019 (which we recommend), Windows Admin Center installs the Storage Migration Service proxy feature. Once it has created the Azure VM, Windows Admin Center returns to the normal Storage Migration Service transfer workflow. Here's a video showing how to use Storage Migration Service to migrate to Azure VMs. 1. From the Storage Replica tool within Windows Admin Center, under the Partnerships tab, select New and then under Replicate with another server select Use a New Azure VM then select Next. 2. Specify your source server information and replication group name, and then select Next. This begins a process that automatically selects a Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019 Azure VM as a destination for the migration source. Storage Migration Service recommends VM sizes to match your source, but you can override this by selecting See all sizes. Inventory data is used to automatically configure your managed disks and their file systems, as well as join your new Azure VM to your Active Directory domain. 3. After Windows Admin Center creates the Azure VM, provide a replication group name and then select Create. Windows Admin Center then begins the normal Storage Replica initial synchronization process to start protecting your data. Here's a video showing how to use Storage Replica to replicate to Azure VMs. 1. From the All Connections page within Windows Admin Center, select Add. 2. In the Azure VM section, select Create new. This begins a step-by-step creation tool that will let you select a Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, or Windows Server 2019 Azure VM, pick a size, add managed disks, and optionally join your Active Directory domain. Here's a video showing how to use Windows Admin Center to create Azure VMs.
- 122. Manage Azure IaaS virtual machines with Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 4 minutes to read • Edit Online Manage with an on-premises Windows Admin Center gateway Connecting to VMs with a public IP NOTE You can use Windows Admin Center to manage your Azure VMs as well as on-premises machines. There are several different configurations possible - choose the configuration that makes sense for your environment: Manage Azure VMs from an on-premises Windows Admin Center gateway Manage Azure VMs from a Windows Admin Center gateway installed on an Azure VM If you've already installed Windows Admin Center on an on-premises gateway (either on Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016), you can use this same gateway to manage Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2008 R2 VMs in Azure. If your target VMs (the VMs you want to manage with Windows Admin Center) have public IPs, add them to your Windows Admin Center gateway by IP address, or by FQDN. There are a couple considerations to take into account: You must enable WinRM access to your target VM by running the following in PowerShell or the Command Prompt on the target VM: winrm quickconfig If you haven't domain-joined the Azure VM, the VM behaves like a server in workgroup, so you'll need to make sure you account for using Windows Admin Center in a workgroup. You must also enable inbound connections to port 5985 for WinRM over HTTP in order for Windows Admin Center to manage the target VM: 1. Run the following PowerShell script on the target VM to enable inbound connections to port 5985 on the guest OS: Set-NetFirewallRule -Name WINRM-HTTP-In-TCP-PUBLIC -RemoteAddress Any 2. You must also open the port in Azure networking: Select your Azure VM, select Networking, then Add inbound port rule. Ensure Basic is selected at the top of the Add inbound security rule pane. In the Port ranges field, enter 5985. If your Windows Admin Center gateway has a static IP, you can select to allow only inbound WinRM access from your Windows Admin Center gateway for added security. To do this, select Advanced at the top of the Add inbound security rule pane. For Source, select IP Addresses, then enter the Source IP address corresponding to your Windows Admin Center gateway. For Protocol select TCP. The rest can be left as default. You must create a custom port rule. The WinRM port rule provided by Azure networking uses port 5986 (over HTTPS) instead of 5985 (over HTTP).
- 123. Connecting to VMs without a public IP TIP Use a Windows Admin Center gateway deployed in Azure If your target Azure VMs don't have public IPs, and you want to manage these VMs from a Windows Admin Center gateway deployed in your on-premises network, you need to configure your on-premises network to have connectivity to the VNet on which the target VMs are connected. There are 3 ways you can do this: ExpressRoute, Site-to-Site VPN, or Point-to-Site VPN. Learn which connectivity option makes sense in your environment. If you wish to use a Point-to-Site VPN to connect your Windows Admin Center gateway to an Azure VNet to manage Azure VMs in that VNet, you can use the Azure Network Adapter feature in Windows Admin Center. To do so, connect to the server on which Windows Admin Center is installed, navigate to the Network tool and select "Add Azure Network Adapter". When you provide the necessary details and click "Set up", Windows Admin Center will configure a Point-to-Site VPN to the Azure VNet you specify, after which, you can connect to and manage Azure VMs from your on-premises Windows Admin Center gateway. Ensure WinRM is running on your target VMs by running the following in PowerShell or the Command Prompt on the target VM: winrm quickconfig If you haven't domain-joined the Azure VM, the VM behaves like a server in workgroup, so you'll need to make sure you account for using Windows Admin Center in a workgroup. If you run into any issues, consult Troubleshoot Windows Admin Center to see if additional steps are required for configuration (for example, if you are connecting using a local administrator account or are not domain-joined). You can manage Azure VMs without any on-premises dependency by deploying Windows Admin Center in the VNet where your target VMs are connected. To manage VMs outside of the VNet on which the Windows Admin Center gateway is deployed, you must establish VNet-to-VNet connectivity between the VNet of the Windows Admin Center gateway and the VNet of the target servers. You can establish this connectivity with VNet Peering, VNet-to-VNet connection, or a Site-to-Site connection. Learn more about which VNet-to-VNet connectivity option makes sense in your environment. Windows Admin Center can be installed on an existing or newly deployed VM in your environment. The VM that you choose for Windows Admin Center installation must have a public IP and DNS name. Learn more about Deploying a Windows Admin Center gateway in Azure
- 124. Windows Admin Center release history 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Here's a listing of our latest released features: Version 2009 is the most recent GA release - it includes support for Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI and major updates to the Virtual machines, File shares, and Containers tools. Version 2007 includes support for the new Azure Stack HCI and new features for several tools. Version 1910.2 includes updates to the platform’s accessibility and numerous bug fixes Version 1910 introduces several new Azure hybrid services and brings features that were previously in preview to the GA channel. Version 1909 introduces the Azure VM specific connection type and unifies the connection types for traditional failover clusters and HCI clusters. Version 1908 added visual updates, Packetmon, FlowLog Audit, Azure Monitor onboarding for clusters, and support for WinRM over HTTPS (port 5986.) Version 1907 added Azure cost estimate links and made improvements to import/export and tagging of virtual machines. Version 1906 added import/export VMs, switch Azure accounts, add connections from Azure, connectivity settings experiment, performance improvements, and performance profiling tool. Version 1904.1 was a maintenance update to improve stability of gateway plugins. Version 1904 was a GA release that introduced the Azure Hybrid Services tool, and brought features that were previously in preview to the GA channel. Version 1903 added email notifications from Azure Monitor, the ability to add Server or PC connections from Active Directory, and new tools to manage Active Directory, DHCP, and DNS. Version 1902 added a shared connection list & improvements to software defined network (SDN) management, including new SDN tools to manage ACLs, gateway connections, and logical networks. Version 1812 added dark theme (in preview), power configuration settings, BMC info, and PowerShell support to manage extensions and connections. Version 1809.5 was a GA cumulative update that included various quality and functional improvements, bug fixes throughout the platform, and a few new features in the hyper-converged infrastructure management solution. Version 1809 was a GA release that brought features that were previously in preview to the GA channel. Version 1808 added Installed Apps tool, lots of under the hood improvements, and major updates to the preview SDK. Version 1807 added a streamlined Azure connect experience, improvements to VM inventory page, file sharing functionality, Azure update management integration, and more. Version 1806 added show PowerShell script, SDN management, 2008 R2 connections, SDN, scheduled tasks, and many other improvements. Version 1804.25 - a maintenance update to support users installing Windows Admin Center in completely offline environments. Version 1804 - Project Honolulu becomes Windows Admin Center and adds security features and role-based access control. Our first GA release. Version 1803 added support for Azure AD access control, detailed logging, resizable content, and a bunch of tool improvements. Version 1802 added support for accessibility, localization, high-availability deployments, tagging, Hyper-V host settings, and gateway authentication.
- 125. Version 1712 added more virtual machine features and performance improvements throughout the tools. Version 1711 added highly anticipated tools (Remote Desktop and PowerShell) along with other improvements. Version 1709 launched as our first public preview release.
- 126. Windows Admin Center support policy 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center (non-preview) releases are supported continuously, based on Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy. This means that only the latest version of Windows Admin Center is serviced and supported, and users must stay current by upgrading to the latest Windows Admin Center release within 30 days of availability to remain supported. This policy applies to both the Windows Admin Center platform itself, as well as any released (non-preview) Microsoft extensions published in the Windows Admin Center extension feed. Note that some extensions may be updated more frequently than others, between Windows Admin Center releases. For info about Windows Admin Center Preview releases, see Windows Insider Preview releases.
- 127. Troubleshooting Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 8 minutes to read • Edit Online IMPORTANT Installer fails with message: The Module 'Microsoft.PowerShell.LocalAccounts' could not be loaded. [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PSModulePath","%SystemRoot%system32WindowsPowerShellv1.0Modules;" + ([Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("PSModulePath","User")),"User") I get a This site/page can't be reached error in my web browser If you've installed Windows Admin Center as an App on Windows 10 NOTE If you've installed Windows Admin Center as a Gateway on Windows Server Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview This guide will help you diagnose and resolve issues that are preventing you from using Windows Admin Center. If you are having an issue with a specific tool, please check to see if you are experiencing a known issue. This can happen if your default PowerShell module path has been modified or removed. To resolve the issue, make sure that %SystemRoot%system32WindowsPowerShellv1.0Modules is the first item in your PSModulePath environment variable. You can achieve this with the following line of PowerShell: Check to make sure Windows Admin Center is running. Look for the Windows Admin Center icon in the System tray or Windows Admin Center Desktop / SmeDesktop.exe in Task Manager. If not, launch Windows Admin Center from the Start Menu. After rebooting, you must launch Windows Admin Center from the Start Menu. Check the Windows version Make sure you are using either Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome as your web browser. Did you select the correct certificate on first launch? Try opening your browser in a private session - if that works, you'll need to clear your cache. Did you recently upgrade Windows 10 to a new build or version? This may have cleared your trusted hosts settings. Follow these instructions to update your trusted hosts settings. Check the Windows version of the client and server. Make sure you are using either Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome as your web browser.
- 128. If you have installed Windows Admin Center in an Azure Windows Server VM Check the Windows version Make sure the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service is running on both the gateway machine and managed node Did you upgrade your server from 2016 to 2019? I get the message: "Cant connect securely to this page. This might be because the site uses outdated or unsafe TLS security settings. EnableHttp2Cleartext=dword:00000000 EnableHttp2Tls=dword:00000000 Test-NetConnection -Port <port> -ComputerName <gateway> -InformationLevel Detailed On the server, open Task Manager > Services and make sure ServerManagementGateway / Windows Admin Center is running. Test the network connection to the Gateway (replace <values> with the information from your deployment) Check the Windows version Did you add an inbound port rule for HTTPS? Learn more about installing Windows Admin Center in an Azure VM Open the run dialog (Windows Key + R) and launch winver . If you are using Windows 10 version 1703 or below, Windows Admin Center is not supported on your version of Microsoft Edge. Either upgrade to a recent version of Windows 10 or use Chrome. If you are using an insider preview version of Windows 10 or Server with a build version between 17134 and 17637, Windows had a bug which caused Windows Admin Center to fail. Please use a current supported version of Windows. Open the run dialog with WindowsKey + R Type services.msc and press enter In the window that opens, look for Windows Remote Management (WinRM), make sure it is running and set to automatically start This may have cleared your trusted hosts settings. Follow these instructions to update your trusted hosts settings. Your machine is restricted to HTTP/2 connections. Windows Admin Center uses integrated Windows authentication, which is not supported in HTTP/2. Add the following two registry values under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesHttpParameters key on the machine running the browser to remove the HTTP/2 restriction:
- 129. I'm having trouble with the Remote Desktop, Events, and PowerShell tools. I can connect to some servers, but not others Using Windows Admin Center in a workgroup What account are you using? REG ADD HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem /v LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 Are you connecting to a workgroup machine on a different subnet? Configure TrustedHosts These three tools require the websocket protocol, which is commonly blocked by proxy servers and firewalls. If you are using Google Chrome, there is a known issue with websockets and NTLM authentication. REG ADD HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem /v LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 Log on to the gateway machine locally and try to Enter-PSSession <machine name> in PowerShell, replacing <machine name> with the name of the Machine you are trying to manage in Windows Admin Center. If your environment uses a workgroup instead of a domain, see using Windows Admin Center in a workgroup. Using local administrator accounts: If you are using a local user account that is not the built-in administrator account, you will need to enable the policy on the target machine by running the following command in PowerShell or at a Command Prompt as Administrator on the target machine: Make sure the credentials you are using are a member of the target server's local administrators group. In some cases, WinRM also requires membership in the Remote Management Users group. If you are using a local user account that is not the built-in administrator account, you will need to enable the policy on the target machine by running the following command in PowerShell or at a Command Prompt as Administrator on the target machine: To connect to a workgroup machine that is not on the same subnet as the gateway, make sure the firewall port for WinRM (TCP 5985) allows inbound traffic on the target machine. You can run the following command in PowerShell or at a Command Prompt as Administrator on the target machine to create this firewall rule: Set-NetFirewallRule -Name WINRM-HTTP-In-TCP-PUBLIC -RemoteAddress Any Set-NetFirewallRule -Name WINRM-HTTP-In-TCP -RemoteAddress Any Windows Server Windows 10 When installing Windows Admin Center, you are given the option to let Windows Admin Center manage the gateway's TrustedHosts setting. This is required in a workgroup environment, or when using local administrator credentials in a domain. If you choose to forego this setting, you must configure TrustedHosts manually.
- 130. I previously had Windows Admin Center installed, and now nothing else can use the same TCP/IP port netsh http delete sslcert ipport=0.0.0.0:443 netsh http delete urlacl url=https://+:443/ Azure features don't work properly in Edge To modify TrustedHosts using PowerShell commands: Get-Item WSMan:localhostClientTrustedHosts WARNING Set-Item WSMan:localhostClientTrustedHosts -Value '192.168.1.1,server01.contoso.com,server02' TIP Set-Item WSMan:localhostClientTrustedHosts -Value '*' Clear-Item WSMan:localhostClientTrustedHosts Set-Item WSMan:localhostClientTrustedHosts -Value '<paste values from text file>' 1. Open an Administrator PowerShell session. 2. View your current TrustedHosts setting: If the current setting of your TrustedHosts is not empty, the commands below will overwrite your setting. We recommend that you save the current setting to a text file with the following command so you can restore it if needed: Get-Item WSMan:localhostClientTrustedHosts | Out-File C:OldTrustedHosts.txt 3. Set TrustedHosts to the NetBIOS, IP, or FQDN of the machines you intend to manage: For an easy way to set all TrustedHosts at once, you can use a wildcard. 4. When you are done testing, you can issue the following command from an elevated PowerShell session to clear your TrustedHosts setting: 5. If you had previously exported your settings, open the file, copy the values, and use this command: Manually run these two commands in an elevated command prompt: Edge has known issues related to security zones that affect Azure login in Windows Admin Center. If you are having trouble using Azure features when using Edge, try adding https://login.microsoftonline.com, https://login.live.com and the URL of your gateway as trusted sites and to allowed sites for Edge pop-up blocker settings on your client side browser.
- 131. Having an issue with an Azure-related feature? Providing feedback on issues To do this: 1. Search for Internet Options in the Windows Start Menu 2. Go to the Security tab 3. Under the Trusted Sites option, click on the sites button and add the URLs in the dialog box that opens. You'll need to add your gateway URL as well as https://login.microsoftonline.com and https://login.live.com. 4. Go to the Privacy tab 5. Under the Pop-up Blocker section, click on the Settings button and add the URLs in the dialog box that opens. You'll need to add your gateway URL as well as https://login.microsoftonline.com and https://login.live.com. Please send us an email at [email protected] with the following information: General issue information from the questions listed below. Describe your issue and the steps you took to reproduce the issue. Did you previously register your gateway to Azure using the New-AadApp.ps1 downloadable script and then upgrade to version 1807? Or did you register your gateway to Azure using the UI from gateway Settings > Azure? Is your Azure account associated with multiple directories/tenants? Does your Azure account have access to multiple subscriptions? Does the subscription you were using have billing attached? Were you logged in to multiple Azure accounts when you encountered the issue? Does your Azure account require multi-factor authentication? Is the machine you are trying to manage an Azure VM? Is Windows Admin Center installed on an Azure VM? If yes: When registering the Azure AD application to Windows Admin Center, was the directory you used your default directory in Azure? Go to Event Viewer > Application and Services > Microsoft-ServerManagementExperience and look for any errors or warnings. File a bug on our UserVoice that describes your issue. Please include any errors or warning you find in the event log, as well as the following information: Platform where Windows Admin Center is installed (Windows 10 or Windows Server): Did you install with the default port setting? Is the machine where Windows Admin Center is installed joined to a domain? Windows version where Windows Admin Center is installed: Is the machine that you are trying to manage joined to a domain? Windows version of the machine that you are trying to manage: What browser are you using? If installed on Server, what is the Windows version of the machine running the browser to access Windows Admin Center: Are you using the self-signed certificate created by the installer? If you are using your own certificate, does the subject name match the machine? If you are using your own certificate, does it specify an alternate subject name? If not, which port did you specify?
- 132. If you are using Google Chrome, what is the version? (Help > About Google Chrome)
- 133. Windows Admin Center Known Issues 10/19/2020 • 15 minutes to read • Edit Online Installer General Extension Manager Browser Specific Issues Applies to: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview If you encounter an issue not described on this page, please let us know. When installing Windows Admin Center using your own certificate, be mindful that if you copy the thumbprint from the certificate manager MMC tool, it will contain an invalid character at the beginning. As a workaround, type the first character of the thumbprint, and copy/paste the rest. Using port below 1024 is not supported. In service mode, you may optionally configure port 80 to redirect to your specified port. WARNING In the 1910.2 release of Windows Admin Center, you may not be able to connect to Hyper-V servers on specific hardware. If you are blocked on this issue, please download our previous build. If you have Windows Admin Center installed as a gateway on Windows Server 2016 under heavy use, the service may crash with an error in the event log that contains Faulting application name: sme.exe and Faulting module name: WsmSvc.dll . This is due to a bug that has been fixed in Windows Server 2019. The patch for Windows Server 2016 was included the February 2019 cumulative update, KB4480977. If you have Windows Admin Center installed as a gateway and your connection list appears to be corrupted, perform the following steps: This will delete the connection list and settings for all Windows Admin Center users on the gateway. 1. Uninstall Windows Admin Center 2. Delete the Server Management Experience folder under C:WindowsServiceProfilesNetworkServiceAppDataRoamingMicrosoft 3. Reinstall Windows Admin Center If you leave the tool open and idle for a long period of time, you may get several Error: The runspace state is not valid for this operation errors. If this occurs, refresh your browser. If you encounter this, send us feedback. There may be minor variance between version numbers of OSS running in Windows Admin Center modules, and what is listed within the 3rd Party Software Notice. When you update Windows Admin Center, you must reinstall your extensions. If you add an extension feed that is inaccessible, there is no warning. [14412861]
- 134. Microsoft Edge Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox WebSocket compatibility when using a proxy service Support for Windows Server versions before 2016 (2012 R2, 2012, 2008 R2) NOTE Role Based Access Control (RBAC) Server Manager solution Certificates If you have Windows Admin Center deployed as a service and you are using Microsoft Edge as your browser, connecting your gateway to Azure may fail after spawning a new browser window. Try to work around this issue by adding https://login.microsoftonline.com, https://login.live.com, and the URL of your gateway as trusted sites and allowed sites for pop-up blocker settings on your client side browser. For more guidance on fixing this in the troubleshooting guide. [17990376] Prior to version 70 (released late October, 2018) Chrome had a bug regarding the WebSockets protocol and NTLM authentication. This effects the following tools: Events, PowerShell, Remote Desktop. Chrome may pop-up multiple credential prompts, especially during the add connection experience in a workgroup (non-domain) environment. If you have Windows Admin Center deployed as a service, popups from the gateway URL need to be enabled for any Azure integration functionality to work. Windows Admin Center is not tested with Mozilla Firefox, but most functionality should work. Windows 10 Installation: Mozilla Firefox has it's own certificate store, so you must import the Windows Admin Center Client certificate into Firefox to use Windows Admin Center on Windows 10. Remote Desktop, PowerShell, and Events modules in Windows Admin Center utilize the WebSocket protocol, which is often not supported when using a proxy service. Windows Admin Center requires PowerShell features that are not included in Windows Server 2012 R2, 2012, or 2008 R2. If you will manage Windows Server these with Windows Admin Center, you will need to install WMF version 5.1 or higher on those servers. Type $PSVersiontable in PowerShell to verify that WMF is installed, and that the version is 5.1 or higher. If it is not installed, you can download and install WMF 5.1. RBAC deployment will not succeed on machines that are configured to use Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC, formerly known as Code Integrity.) [16568455] To use RBAC in a cluster, you must deploy the configuration to each member node individually. When RBAC is deployed, you may get unauthorized errors that are incorrectly attributed to the RBAC configuration. [16369238] Cannot import .PFX Encrypted Certificate in to current user store. [11818622]
- 135. Events Files PowerShell Registry Editor Remote Desktop Roles and Features Events is effected by websocket compatibility when using a proxy service. You may get an error that references “packet size” when exporting large log files. To resolve this, use the following command in an elevated command prompt on the gateway machine: winrm set winrm/config @{MaxEnvelopeSizekb="8192"} Uploading or downloading large files not yet supported. (~100mb limit) [12524234] PowerShell is effected by websocket compatibility when using a proxy service Pasting with a single right-click as in the desktop PowerShell console does not work. Instead you will get the browser's context menu, where you can select paste. Ctrl-V works as well. Ctrl-C to copy does not work, it will always send the Ctrl-C break command to the console. Copy from the right-click context menu works. When you make the Windows Admin Center window smaller, the terminal content will reflow, but when you make it larger again, the content may not return to it's previous state. If things get jumbled, you can try Clear-Host, or disconnect and reconnect using the button above the terminal. Search functionality not implemented. [13820009] When Windows Admin Center is deployed as a service, the Remote Desktop tool may fail to load after updating the Windows Admin Center service to a new version. To work around this issue, clear your browser cache. [23824194] The Remote Desktop tool may fail to connect when managing Windows Server 2012. [20258278] When using the Remote Desktop to connect to a machine that is not Domain joined, you must enter your account in the MACHINENAMEUSERNAME format. Some configurations can block Windows Admin Center's remote desktop client with group policy. If you encounter this, enable Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services under Computer Configuration/Policies/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Remote Desktop Services/Remote Desktop Session Host/Connections Remote Desktop is effected by websocket compatibility. The Remote Desktop tool does not currently support any text, image, or file copy/paste between the local desktop and the remote session. To do any copy/paste within the remote session, you can copy as normal (right click + copy or Ctrl+C), but paste requires right click + paste (Ctrl+V does NOT work) You cannot send the following key commands to the remote session Alt+Tab Function keys Windows Key PrtScn When selecting roles or features with unavailable sources for install, they are skipped. [12946914]
- 136. Storage Updates Virtual Machines Virtual Switches Computer Management Solution If you choose not to automatically reboot after role installation, we won't ask again. [13098852] If you do choose to automatically reboot, the reboot will occur before the status gets updated to 100%. [13098852] Down-level: DVD/CD/Floppy drives do not appear as volumes on down-level. Down-level: Some properties in Volumes and Disks are not available down-level so they appear unknown or blank in details panel. Down-level: When creating a new volume, ReFS only supports an allocation unit size of 64K on Windows 2012 and 2012 R2 machines. If a ReFS volume is created with a smaller allocation unit size on down-level targets, file system formatting will fail. The new volume will not be usable. The resolution is to delete the volume and use 64K allocation unit size. After installing updates, install status may be cached and require a browser refresh. You may encounter the error: "Keyset does not exist" when attempting to set up Azure Update management. In this case, please try the following remediation steps on the managed node - 1. Stop ‘Cryptographic Services' service. 2. Change folder options to show hidden files (if required). 3. Got to “%allusersprofile%MicrosoftCryptoRSAS-1-5-18” folder and delete all its contents. 4. Restart ‘Cryptographic Services' service. 5. Repeat setting up Update Management with Windows Admin Center When managing the virtual machines on a Windows Server 2012 host, the in-browser VM connect tool will fail to connect to the VM. Downloading the .rdp file to connect to the VM should still work. [20258278] Azure Site Recovery – If ASR is setup on the host outside of WAC, you will be unable to protect a VM from within WAC [18972276] Advanced features available in Hyper-V Manager such as Virtual SAN Manager, Move VM, Export VM, VM Replication are currently not supported. Switch Embedded Teaming (SET): When adding NICs to a team, they must be on the same subnet. The Computer Management solution contains a subset of the tools from the Server Manager solution, so the same known issues apply, as well as the following Computer Management solution specific issues: If you use a Microsoft Account (MSA) or if you use Azure Active Directory (AAD) to log on to you Windows 10 machine, you must use "manage-as" to provide credentials for a local administrator account [16568455] When you try to manage the localhost, you will be prompted to elevate the gateway process. If you click no in the User Account Control popup that follows, you must cancel the connection attempt and start over. Windows 10 does not have WinRM/PowerShell remoting on by default. To enable management of the Windows 10 Client, you must issue the command Enable-PSRemoting from an elevated PowerShell prompt. You may also need to update your firewall to allow connections from outside the local subnet with
- 137. Cluster Deployment Step 1.2 Step 1.4 Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName 'Microsoft-Hyper-V' Step 1.7 Stretch cluster creation Undo and start over Set-NetFirewallRule -Name WINRM-HTTP-In-TCP -RemoteAddress Any . For more restrictive networks scenarios, please refer to this documentation. Mixed workgroup machines are currently not supported when adding servers. All machines used for clustering need to belong to same workgroup. If they do not, the next button will be disabled and the following error will appear: "Cannot create a cluster with servers in different Active Directory domains. Verify the server names are correct. Move all the servers into the same domain and try again." Hyper-V needs to be installed on virtual machines running the Azure Stack HCI OS. Trying to enable the Hyper-V feature for these virtual machines will fail with the error below: To install Hyper-V on virtual machines running the Azure Stack HCI OS, run the following command: Sometimes servers take longer than expected to restart after updates are installed. The Windows Admin Center cluster deployment wizard will check the server restart state periodically to know if the server was restarted successfully. However, if the user restarts the server outside of the wizard manually, then the wizard does not have a way to capture the server state in an appropriate way. If you would like to restart the server manually, exit the current wizard session. After you have restarted the server, you may restart the wizard. It is recommended to use servers that are domain-joined when creating a stretch cluster. There is a network segmentation issue when trying to use workgroup machines for stretch cluster deployment due to WinRM limitations.
- 138. CredSSP Disable-WsmanCredSSP -Role Client Disable-WsmanCredSSP -Role Server Test-ComputerSecureChannel -Verbose -Repair -Credential <account name> gpupdate /force Enter-PSSession -computername <node fqdn> Nested Virtualization When using same machines repeatedly for cluster deployment, cleanup of previous cluster entities is important to get a successful cluster deployment in the same set of machines. See the page on deploying hyper-converged infrastructure for instructions on how to clean up your cluster. The Windows Admin Center cluster deployment wizard uses CredSSP in several places. You run into this error message during the wizard (this occurs most frequently in the Validate cluster step): You can use the following steps to troubleshoot: 1. Disable CredSSP settings on all nodes and the Windows Admin Center gateway machine. Run the first command on your gateway machine and the second command on all of the nodes in your cluster: 2. Repair the trust on all nodes. Run the following command on all nodes: 3. Reset group policy propagated data using the command 4. Reboot the nodes. After reboot, test the connectivity between your gateway machine and target nodes, as well as your connectivity between nodes, using the following command:
- 139. Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true NOTE Install-WindowsFeature –VHD <Path to the VHD> -Name Hyper-V, RSAT-Hyper-V-Tools, Hyper-V-PowerShell Support for RDMA Failover Cluster Manager solution Hyper-Converged Cluster Manager solution Azure services Azure login and gateway registration When validating Azure Stack HCI OS cluster deployment on virtual machines, nested virtualization needs to be turned on before roles/features are enabled using the below powershell command: For virtual switch teaming to be successful in a virtual machine environment, the following command needs to be run in PowerShell on the host soon after the virtual machines are created: Get-vm | %{ set-VMNetworkAdapter -VMName $_.Name -MacAddressSpoofing On -AllowTeaming on } If you are a deploying a cluster using the Azure Stack HCI OS, there is an additional requirement. The VM boot virtual hard drive must be preinstalled with Hyper-V features. To do this, run the following command before creating the virtual machines: The cluster deployment wizard in Windows Admin Center version 2007 does not provide support for RDMA configuration. When managing a cluster, (either Hyper-Converged or traditional?) you may encounter a shell was not found error. If this happens either reload your browser, or navigate away to another tool and back. [13882442] An issue can occur when managing a down-level (Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2) cluster that hasn't been configured completely. The fix for this issue is to ensure that the Windows feature RSAT-Clustering- PowerShell has been installed and enabled on each member node of the cluster. To do this with PowerShell, enter the command Install-WindowsFeature -Name RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell on all the cluster nodes. [12524664] The Cluster may need to be added with the entire FQDN to be discovered correctly. When connecting to a cluster using Windows Admin Center installed as a gateway, and providing explicit username/password to authenticate, you must select Use these credentials for all connections so that the credentials are available to query the member nodes. Some commands such as Drives - Update firmware, Servers - Remove and Volumes - Open are disabled and currently not supported. In the 2009 release, you may run into issues logging into Azure or registering your Windows Admin Center gateway with Azure. The guidance below should help you mitigate these issues: Before using any Azure capabilities within Windows Admin Center, including gateway registration, make sure you are signed into your Azure account in a different tab or window. We suggest signing in through
- 140. Azure File Sync permissions Options for setting up Azure management services the Azure Portal. If you successfully sign into Azure during gateway registration but do not see visual confirmation on the Azure page of your Windows Admin Center settings, try navigating to a different page in settings before navigating back to the Azure page. The Azure sign-in pop-up may appear more frequently in this build and may require administrators to grant Windows Admin Center permissions more frequently. If you have already given admin approval for Windows Admin Center in the Azure Portal and you are still seeing an error message saying “Need admin approval”, try signing into Azure using one of the banners around Windows Admin Center instead of in the Settings page. Azure File Sync requires permissions in Azure that Windows Admin Center did not provide prior to version 1910. If you registered your Windows Admin Center gateway with Azure using a version earlier than Windows Admin Center version 1910, you will need to update your Azure Active Directory application to get the correct permissions to use Azure File Sync in the latest version of Windows Admin Center. The additional permission allows Azure File Sync to perform automatic configuration of storage account access as described in this article: Ensure Azure File Sync has access to the storage account. To update your Azure Active Directory app, you can do one of two things 1. Go to Settings > Azure > Unregister, and then register Windows Admin Center with Azure again, making sure you choose to create a new Azure Active Directory application. 2. Go to your Azure Active Directory application and manually add the permission needed to your existing Azure Active Directory app registered with Windows Admin Center. To do this, go to Settings > Azure > View in Azure. From the App Registration blade in Azure, go to API permissions, select Add a permission. Scroll down to select Azure Active Directory Graph, select Delegated permissions, expand Directory, and select Directory.AccessAsUser.All. Click Add permissions to save the updates to the app. Azure management services including Azure Monitor, Azure Update Management, and Azure Security Center, use the same agent for an on-premises server: the Microsoft Monitoring Agent. Azure Update Management has a more limited set of supported regions and requires the Log Analytics workspace to be linked to an Azure Automation account. Because of this limitation, if you wish to set up multiple services in Windows Admin Center, you must set up Azure Update Management first, and then either Azure Security Center or Azure Monitor. If you've configured any Azure management services that use the Microsoft Monitoring Agent, and then try to set up Azure Update Management using Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center will only allow you to configure Azure Update Management if the existing resources linked to the Microsoft Monitoring Agent support Azure Update Management. If this is not the case you have two options: 1. Go to the Control Panel > Microsoft Monitoring Agent to disconnect your server from the existing Azure management solutions (like Azure Monitor or Azure Security Center). Then set up Azure Update Management in Windows Admin Center. After that, you can go back to set up your other Azure management solutions through Windows Admin Center without issues. 2. You can manually set up the Azure resources needed for Azure Update Management and then manually update the Microsoft Monitoring Agent (outside of Windows Admin Center) to add the new workspace corresponding to the Update Management solution you wish to use.
- 141. Windows Admin Center - License Terms 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Review our Windows Admin Center license terms. Microsoft Software License Terms - Pre-release extensions for Microsoft Windows Admin Center License terms for extensions Microsoft Software License Terms - Windows Admin Center - Preview Windows Admin Center for Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft Windows operating system (Version 10) Windows Server-related license terms
- 142. Extensions for Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 4 minutes to read • Edit Online Why you should consider developing an extension for Windows Admin Center Start developing with the Windows Admin Center SDK Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center is built as an extensible platform to enable partners and developers to leverage existing capabilities within Windows Admin Center, seamlessly integrate with other IT administration products and solutions, and provide additional value to customers. Each solution and tool in Windows Admin Center is built as an extension using the same extensibility features available to partners and developers, so you can build powerful tools just like the ones available in Windows Admin Center today. Windows Admin Center extensions are built using modern web technologies including HTML5, CSS, Angular, TypeScript and jQuery, and can manage target servers via PowerShell or WMI. You can also manage target servers, services or devices over different protocols such as REST by building a Windows Admin Center gateway plugin. Here's the value you can bring to your product and customers by developing extensions for Windows Admin Center: Integrate with Windows Admin Center tools: Integrate your products and services with server and cluster management tools in Windows Admin Center and deliver unified and seamless, end-to-end monitoring, management, troubleshooting experiences to your customers. Leverage platform security, identity and management capabilities: Enable Azure Active Directory (AAD) support, Multi-Factor Authentication, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), logging, auditing for your product and services by leveraging Windows Admin Center platform capabilities to meet the complex requirements of today's IT organizations. Develop using the latest web technologies: Quickly build stunning user experiences using modern web technologies including HTML5, CSS, Angular, TypeScript and jQuery, and rich, powerful UI controls included in the Windows Admin Center SDK. Extend product outreach: Become a part of the Windows Admin Center ecosystem with outreach to our expanding customer base. Getting started with Windows Admin Center development is easy! Sample code can be found for tool, solution, and gateway plugin extension types in our SDK documentation. There you will leverage the Windows Admin Center CLI to build a new extension project, then follow the individual guides to customize your project to meet your needs. We've made a Windows Admin Center SDK design toolkit available to help you rapidly mock up extensions in PowerPoint using Windows Admin Center styles, controls, and page templates. See what your extension can look like in Windows Admin Center before you start coding! We also have sample code hosted on GitHub: Developer Tools is a sample solution extension containing a rich collection of controls that you can browse and use in your own extension. Developer Tools is a fully functioning extension that can be side-loaded into Windows Admin Center in Developer Mode.
- 143. Partner Spotlight BiitOps DataON See the topics below to learn more about the SDK and get started: Understand how extensions work Develop an extension Guides Publish your extension See the amazing value our partners have started to bring to the Windows Admin Center ecosystem and try these extensions out today. Learn more on how to install extensions from Windows Admin Center. The BiitOps Changes extension provides change tracking for hardware, software and configuration settings on your Windows Server physical/virtual machines. The BiitOps Changes extension will show precisely what is new, what has changed and what has been deleted in a single-pane-of-glass to help track issues related to compliance, reliability and security. Learn more about the BiitOps Changes extension. The DataON MUST extension brings monitoring, management and end-to-end insight into DataON's hyper- converged infrastructure and storage systems based on Windows Server. The MUST extension adds unique value such as historical data reporting, disk mapping, system alerts and SAN-like call home service, complementing the Windows Admin Center server and hyper-converged infrastructure management capabilities, through a seamless, unified experience. Learn more about DataON's MUST extension and their development experience.
- 144. Fujitsu Lenovo Fujitsu's ServerView Health and RAID Health extensions for Windows Admin Center provide in-depth monitoring and management of critical hardware components such as processors, memory, power and storage subsystems for Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers. By utilizing the Windows Admin Center UX design patterns and UI controls, Fujitsu has brought us a huge step towards our vision of end-to-end insight into server roles and services, to operating system, and to hardware management through the Windows Admin Center platform. Learn more about Fujitsu's extensions and their development experience. The Lenovo XClarity Integrator extension takes hardware management to the next level by seamlessly integrating into various experiences within Windows Admin Center. The XClarity Integrator solution provides a high-level view of all your Lenovo servers, and different tool extensions provide hardware details whether you are connected to a single server, failover cluster or a hyper-converged cluster. Learn more about the Lenovo XClarity Integrator extension.
- 145. Pure Storage QCT Pure Storage provides enterprise, all-flash data storage solutions that deliver data-centric architecture to accelerate your business for a competitive advantage. The Pure Storage extension for Windows Admin Center provides a single-pane view into Pure FlashArray products and empowers users to conduct monitoring tasks, view real-time performance metrics, and manage storage volumes and initiators through a single UI experience. Learn more about Pure's extensions and their development experience. The QCT Management Suite extension complements Windows Admin Center by providing physical server monitoring and management for QCT Azure Stack HCI certified systems. The QCT Management Suite extension displays server hardware information, and provides an intuitive wizard UI to help replace physical disks efficiently, hardware event log tools, and S.M.A.R.T. based predictive disk management. Learn more about the QCT Management Suite extension.
- 147. Understanding Windows Admin Center Extensions 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online Solution extensions Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview In case you're not yet familiar with how Windows Admin Center works, let's start with the high-level architecture. Windows Admin Center is comprised of two main components: Lightweight web service that serves Windows Admin Center UI web pages to web browser requests. Gateway component that listens for REST API requests from the web pages and relays WMI calls or PowerShell scripts to be executed on a target server or cluster. The Windows Admin Center UI web pages served by the web service has two main UI components from an extensibility perspective, solutions and tools, which are implemented as extensions, and, a third extension type called gateway plugins. In the Windows Admin Center home screen, by default, you can add connections that are one of four types – Windows Server connections, Windows PC connections, failover cluster connections and hyper-converged cluster connections. Once a connection is added, the connection name and type will be displayed in the home screen. Clicking on the connection name will attempt to connect to the target server or cluster and then load the UI for the connection.
- 148. Tool extensions Each of these connection types map to a solution and solutions are defined through a type of extension called “solution” extensions. Solutions typically define a unique type of object you wish to manage through Windows Admin Center, such as servers, PCs or failover clusters. You could also define a new solution for connecting to and managing other devices such as network switches and Linux servers, or even services such as Remote Desktop Services. When you click on a connection in the Windows Admin Center home screen and connect, the solution extension for the selected connection type will be loaded and you will then be presented with the solution UI including a list of tools in the left navigation pane. When you click on a tool, the tool UI is loaded and displayed in the right pane. Each of these tools are defined through a second type of extension called “tool” extensions. When a tool is loaded, it can execute WMI calls or PowerShell scripts on a target server or cluster and display information in the UI or
- 149. Gateway plugins Next steps execute commands based on user input. A tool extension defines which solutions it should be displayed for, resulting in a different set of tools for each solution. If you are creating a new solution extension, you'll additionally need to write one or more tool extensions that provide functionality for the solution. The gateway service exposes REST APIs for the UI to call and relays commands and scripts to be executed on the target. The gateway service can be extended by gateway plugins that support different protocols. Windows Admin Center is pre-packaged with two gateway plugins, one for executing PowerShell scripts and the other for WMI commands. If you need to communicate with the target through a protocol other than PowerShell or WMI, such as REST, you can build a gateway plugin for this. Depending on what capabilities you want to build in Windows Admin Center, building a tool extension for an existing server or cluster solution may be sufficient, and is the easiest first step into building extensions. However, if your feature is for managing a device, service or something completely new, rather than a server or cluster, you should consider building a solution extension with one or more tools. And finally, if you need to communicate with the target through a protocol other than WMI or PowerShell, you'll need to build a gateway plugin. Continue reading on to learn how to set up your development environment and start writing your first extension.
- 150. Develop an extension for Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online NOTE Development step-by-step SDK design toolkit Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Windows Admin Center supports three types of extensions - tool extensions, solution extensions and gateway plugins. The SDK contains content and examples to guide you in building the different types of extensions/plugins. Not familiar with the different extension types? Learn more about the extensibility architecture and extension types. Prepare your development environment Create a tool extension Create a solution extension Create a gateway plugin Learn more with our guides Check out our Windows Admin Center SDK design toolkit! This toolkit is designed to help you rapidly mock up extensions in PowerPoint using Windows Admin Center styles, controls, and page templates. See what your extension can look like in Windows Admin Center before you start coding!
- 151. Prepare your development environment 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online NOTE Install prerequisites NOTE Install global dependencies npm install -g npm npm install -g @angular/[email protected] npm install -g gulp npm install -g typescript npm install -g tslint npm install -g windows-admin-center-cli Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Let's get started developing extensions with the Windows Admin Center SDK! In this document, we'll cover the process to get your environment up and running to build and test an extension for Windows Admin Center. New to the Windows Admin Center SDK? Learn more about Extensions for Windows Admin Center To prepare your development environment, perform the following steps: To begin developing with the SDK, download and install the following prerequisites: Windows Admin Center (GA or preview version) Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code Node.js (version 10.3.0) Node Package Manager (8.12.0 or later) Nuget (for publishing extensions) You need to install and run Windows Admin Center in Dev Mode to follow the steps below. Dev Mode allows Windows Admin Center to load unsigned extension packages. Windows Admin Center can only be installed in Dev Mode on a Windows 10 machine. To enable Dev Mode, install Windows Admin Center from the command line with the parameter DEV_MODE=1. In the example below, replace <version> with the version you are installing, i.e. WindowsAdminCenter1809.msi . msiexec /i WindowsAdminCenter<version>.msi DEV_MODE=1 Next, install or update dependencies required for your projects, with Node Package Manager. These dependencies will be installed globally, and will be available for all projects.
- 152. NOTE Next steps SDK design toolkit You can install a later version of @angular/cli, however be aware that if you install a version greater than 7.1.2, you will receive a warning during the gulp build step that the local cli version does not match the installed version. Now that your environment is prepared, you are ready to start creating content. Create a tool extension Create a solution extension Create a gateway plugin Learn more with our guides Check out our Windows Admin Center SDK design toolkit! This toolkit is designed to help you rapidly mock up extensions in PowerPoint using Windows Admin Center styles, controls, and page templates. See what your extension can look like in Windows Admin Center before you start coding!
- 153. Develop a tool extension 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online NOTE Prepare your environment Create a new tool extension with the Windows Admin Center CLI wac create --company "{!Company Name}" --tool "{!Tool Name}" VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE {!Company Name} Your company name (with spaces) Contoso Inc {!Tool Name} Your tool name (with spaces) Manage Foo Works wac create --company "Contoso Inc" --tool "Manage Foo Works" Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview A tool extension is the primary way that users interact with Windows Admin Center to manage a connection, such as a server or cluster. When you click on a connection in the Windows Admin Center home screen and connect, you will then be presented with a list of tools in the left navigation pane. When you click on a tool, the tool extension is loaded and displayed in the right pane. When a tool extension is loaded, it can execute WMI calls or PowerShell scripts on a target server or cluster and display information in the UI or execute commands based on user input. Tool extensions define which solutions it should be displayed for, resulting in a different set of tools for each solution. Not familiar with the different extension types? Learn more about the extensibility architecture and extension types. If you haven't already, prepare your environment by installing dependencies and global prerequisites required for all projects. Once you have all the dependencies installed, you are ready to create your new tool extension. Create or browse to a folder that contains your project files, open a command prompt, and set that folder as the working directory. Using the Windows Admin Center CLI that was installed previously, create a new extension with the following syntax: Here's an example usage: This creates a new folder inside the current working directory using the name you specified for your tool, copies all the necessary template files into your project, and configures the files with your company and tool name. Next, change directory into the folder just created, then install required local dependencies by running the following command:
- 154. npm install Add content to your extension Customize your extension's icon "icon": "{!icon-uri}", VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE URI {!icon-uri} The location of your icon resource assets/foo-icon.svg "target": "", Build and side load your extension Once this completes, you've set up everything you need to load your new extension into Windows Admin Center. Now that you've created an extension with the Windows Admin Center CLI, you are ready to customize content. See these guides for examples of what you can do: Add an empty module Add an iFrame Even more examples can be found in our Developer Guide. The Developer Guide is a fully functioning solution extension that can be side-loaded into Windows Admin Center, and contains a rich collection of sample functionality and tool examples that you can browse and use in your own extension. Enable the Developer Guide extension on the Advanced page of your Windows Admin Center settings. You can customize the icon that shows for your extension in the tool list. To do this, modify all icon entries in manifest.json for your extension: NOTE: Currently, custom icons aren't visible when side loading your extension in dev mode. As a workaround, remove the contents of target as follows: This configuration is only valid for side loading in dev mode, so it's important to preserve the value contained in target and then restore it before publishing your extension. Next, build and side load your extension into Windows Admin Center. Open a command window, change directory to your source directory, then you're ready to build. gulp build gulp serve -p 4201 Build and serve with gulp: Note that you need to choose a port that is currently free. Make sure you do not attempt to use the port that Windows Admin Center is running on. Your project can be side loaded into a local instance of Windows Admin Center for testing by attaching the locally served project into Windows Admin Center.
- 155. Target a different version of the Windows Admin Center SDK MsftSme.sideLoad("http://localhost:4201") Launch Windows Admin Center in a web browser Open the debugger (F12) Open the Console and type the following command: Refresh the web browser Your project will now be visible in the Tools list with (side loaded) next to the name. Keeping your extension up to date with SDK changes and platform changes is easy. Read about how to target a different version of the Windows Admin Center SDK.
- 156. Develop a solution extension 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online NOTE Prepare your environment Create a new solution extension with the Windows Admin Center CLI wac create --company "{!Company Name}" --solution "{!Solution Name}" --tool "{!Tool Name}" VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE {!Company Name} Your company name (with spaces) Contoso Inc {!Solution Name} Your solution name (with spaces) Contoso Foo Works Suite {!Tool Name} Your tool name (with spaces) Manage Foo Works Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Solutions primarily define a unique type of object you wish to manage through Windows Admin Center. These solutions/connection types are included with Windows Admin Center by default: Windows Server connections Windows PC connections Failover cluster connections Hyper-converged cluster connections When you select a connection from the Windows Admin Center connection page, the solution extension for that connection's type is loaded, and Windows Admin Center will attempt to connect to the target node. If the connection is successful, the solution extension's UI will load, and Windows Admin Center will display the tools for that solution in the left navigation pane. If you would like to build a management GUI for services not defined by the default connection types above, such a network switch, or other hardware not discoverable by computer name, you may want to create your own solution extension. Not familiar with the different extension types? Learn more about the extensibility architecture and extension types. If you haven't already, prepare your environment by installing dependencies and global prerequisites required for all projects. Once you have all the dependencies installed, you are ready to create your new solution extension. Create or browse to a folder that contains your project files, open a command prompt, and set that folder as the working directory. Using the Windows Admin Center CLI that was installed previously, create a new extension with the following syntax:
- 157. wac create --company "Contoso Inc" --solution "Contoso Foo Works Suite" --tool "Manage Foo Works" npm install Add content to your extension Build and side load your extension Here's an example usage: This creates a new folder inside the current working directory using the name you specified for your solution, copies all the necessary template files into your project, and configures the files with your company, solution, and tool name. Next, change directory into the folder just created, then install required local dependencies by running the following command: Once this completes, you've set up everything you need to load your new extension into Windows Admin Center. Now that you've created an extension with the Windows Admin Center CLI, you are ready to customize content. See these guides for examples of what you can do: Add an empty module Add an iFrame Create a custom connection provider Modify root navigation behavior Even more examples can be found in our Developer Guide. The Developer Guide is a fully functioning solution extension that can be side-loaded into Windows Admin Center, and contains a rich collection of sample functionality and tool examples that you can browse and use in your own extension. Enable the Developer Guide extension on the Advanced page of your Windows Admin Center settings. Next, build and side load your extension into Windows Admin Center. Open a command window, change directory to your source directory, then you're ready to build. gulp build gulp serve -p 4201 Build and serve with gulp: Note that you need to choose a port that is currently free. Make sure you do not attempt to use the port that Windows Admin Center is running on. Your project can be side loaded into a local instance of Windows Admin Center for testing by attaching the locally served project into Windows Admin Center. MsftSme.sideLoad("http://localhost:4201") Launch Windows Admin Center in a web browser Open the debugger (F12) Open the Console and type the following command:
- 158. Target a different version of the Windows Admin Center SDK Refresh the web browser Your project will now be visible in the Tools list with (side loaded) next to the name. Keeping your extension up to date with SDK changes and platform changes is easy. Read about how to target a different version of the Windows Admin Center SDK.
- 159. Develop a gateway plugin 10/19/2020 • 4 minutes to read • Edit Online NOTE Prepare your environment Create a gateway plugin (C# library) NOTE Download sample from GitHub Add content Deploy plugin for testing Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview A Windows Admin Center gateway plugin enables API communication from the UI of your tool or solution to a target node. Windows Admin Center hosts a gateway service that relays commands and scripts from gateway plugins to be executed on target nodes. The gateway service can be extended to include custom gateway plugins that support protocols other than the default ones. These gateway plugins are included by default with Windows Admin Center: PowerShell gateway plugin WMI gateway plugin If you would like to communicate with a protocol other than PowerShell or WMI, such as with REST, you can build your own gateway plugin. Gateway plugins are loaded into a separate AppDomain from the existing gateway process, but use the same level of elevation for rights. Not familiar with the different extension types? Learn more about the extensibility architecture and extension types. If you haven't already, prepare your environment by installing dependencies and global prerequisites required for all projects. To create a custom gateway plugin, create a new C# class that implements the IPlugIn interface from the Microsoft.ManagementExperience.FeatureInterfaces namespace. The IFeature interface, available in earlier versions of the SDK, is now flagged as obsolete. All gateway plugin development should use IPlugIn (or optionally the HttpPlugIn abstract class). To get started quickly with a custom gateway plugin, you can clone or download a copy of our sample C# plugin project from our Windows Admin Center SDK GitHub site. Add new content to your cloned copy of the sample C# plugin project project (or your own project) to contain your custom APIs, then build your custom gateway plugin DLL file to be used in the next steps. Test your custom gateway plugin DLL by loading it into Windows Admin Center gateway process. Windows Admin Center looks for all plugins in a plugins folder in the Application Data folder of the current
- 160. NOTE Optional: Attach to plugin for debugging Create a tool extension with the Windows Admin Center CLI wac create --company "{!Company Name}" --tool "{!Tool Name}" VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE {!Company Name} Your company name (with spaces) Contoso Inc {!Tool Name} Your tool name (with spaces) Manage Foo Works wac create --company "Contoso Inc" --tool "Manage Foo Works" machine (using the CommonApplicationData value of the Environment.SpecialFolder enumeration). On Windows 10 this location is C:ProgramDataServer Management Experience . If the plugins folder doesn't exist yet, you can create the folder yourself. You can override the plugin location in a debug build by updating the "StaticsFolder" configuration value. If you're debugging locally, this setting is in the App.Config of the Desktop solution. Inside the plugins folder (in this example, C:ProgramDataServer Management Experienceplugins ) Create a new folder with the same name as the Name property value of the Feature in your custom gateway plugin DLL (in our sample project, the Name is "Sample Uno") Copy your custom gateway plugin DLL file to this new folder Restart the Windows Admin Center process After the Windows Admin process restarts, you will be able to exercise the APIs in your custom gateway plugin DLL by issuing a GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, or POST to http(s)://{domain|localhost}/api/nodes/{node}/features/{feature name}/{identifier} In Visual Studio 2017, from the Debug menu, select "Attach to Process". In the next window, scroll through the Available Processes list and select SMEDesktop.exe, then click "Attach". Once the debugger starts, you can place a breakpoint in your feature code and then exercise through the above URL format. For our sample project (feature name: "Sample Uno") the URL is: "http://localhost:6516/api/nodes/fake- server.my.domain.com/features/Sample%20Uno" Now we need to create a tool extension from which you can call your custom gateway plugin. Create or browse to a folder where you want to store your project files, open a command prompt, and set that folder as the working directory. Using the Windows Admin Center CLI that was installed earlier, create a new extension with the following syntax: Here's an example usage: This creates a new folder inside the current working directory using the name you specified for your tool, copies all the necessary template files into your project, and configures the files with your company and tool name. Next, change directory into the folder just created, then install required local dependencies by running the following command:
- 161. npm install Connect your tool extension to your custom gateway plugin Build and side load your extension Target a different version of the Windows Admin Center SDK Once this completes, you've set up everything you need to load your new extension into Windows Admin Center. Now that you've created an extension with the Windows Admin Center CLI, you are ready to connect your tool extension to your custom gateway plugin, by following these steps: Add an empty module Use your custom gateway plugin in your tool extension Next, build and side load your extension into Windows Admin Center. Open a command window, change directory to your source directory, then you're ready to build. gulp build gulp serve -p 4201 Build and serve with gulp: Note that you need to choose a port that is currently free. Make sure you do not attempt to use the port that Windows Admin Center is running on. Your project can be side loaded into a local instance of Windows Admin Center for testing by attaching the locally served project into Windows Admin Center. MsftSme.sideLoad("http://localhost:4201") Launch Windows Admin Center in a web browser Open the debugger (F12) Open the Console and type the following command: Refresh the web browser Your project will now be visible in the Tools list with (side loaded) next to the name. Keeping your extension up to date with SDK changes and platform changes is easy. Read about how to target a different version of the Windows Admin Center SDK.
- 162. Target a different version of the Windows Admin Center SDK 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online NOTE Targeting SDK version on a new project wac create --company "{!Company Name}" --tool "{!Tool Name}" --version {!version} VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE {!Company Name} Your company name (with spaces) Contoso Inc {!Tool Name} Your tool name (with spaces) Manage Foo Works {!version} SDK Version latest wac create --company "Contoso Inc" --tool "Manage Foo Works" --version insider Targeting SDK version on an existing project "@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk": "latest", Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Keeping your extension up to date with SDK changes and platform changes is easy. We use NPM tags to organize the release of new features into SDK versions. There are three SDK versions you can choose from: latest – this SDK package aligns with the current GA release of Windows Admin Center insider – this SDK package aligns with the current preview release of Windows Admin Center (available at Windows Server Insider Preview) next – this SDK package contains the most recent functionality Find out more about the different versions of Windows Admin Center that are available to download. When creating a new extension, you can include the --version parameter to target a different version of the SDK: Here's an example creating a new extension targeting insider : To modify an existing project to target a different SDK version, modify the following line in package.json : In this example, replace latest with your desired SDK version, i.e. insider :
- 163. "@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk": "insider", Then run npm install to update references throughout your project.
- 164. Guides 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Guides SDK design toolkit Sample code included with the SDK Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Here are some guides for developing with the Windows Admin Center SDK: Add a module to a tool extension Add an iFrame to a tool extension Use a custom gateway plugin in your tool extension Create a connection provider Modify root navigation behavior Control your tool's visibility Strings and localization Using PowerShell in your extension CSS icon guide Check out our Windows Admin Center SDK design toolkit! This toolkit is designed to help you rapidly mock up extensions in PowerPoint using Windows Admin Center styles, controls, and page templates. See what your extension can look like in Windows Admin Center before you start coding! Sample code can be found for tool, solution, and gateway plugin extension types in our SDK documentation. There you will leverage the Windows Admin Center CLI to build a new extension project, then follow the individual guides to customize your project to meet your needs. Developer Tools, hosted on our GitHub SDK site, is a solution extension containing a rich collection of controls that you can browse and use in your own extension. Developer Tools is a fully functioning extension that can be side-loaded into Windows Admin Center in Developer Mode.
- 165. Add a module to a tool extension 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online Prepare your environment Use the Angular CLI to create a module (and component) cd srcapp ng generate module {!ModuleName} ng generate component {!ModuleName} VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE {!ModuleName} Your module name (spaces removed) ManageFooWorksPortal cd srcapp ng generate module ManageFooWorksPortal ng generate component ManageFooWorksPortal Add routing information Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview In this article, we will add an empty module to a tool extension we have created with the Windows Admin Center CLI. If you haven't already, follow the directions in develop a tool (or solution) extension to prepare your environment and create a new, empty tool extension. If you are new to Angular, it is highly recommended that you read the documentation on the Angular.Io website to learn about Angular and NgModule. For more information about NgModule, go here: https://angular.io/guide/ngmodule More information about generating a new module in Angular CLI: https://github.com/angular/angular- cli/wiki/generate-module More information about generating a new component in Angular CLI: https://github.com/angular/angular- cli/wiki/generate-component Open a command prompt, change directory to srcapp in your project, then run the following commands, replacing {!ModuleName} with your module name (spaces removed): Example usage: If you are new to Angular, it is highly recommended you learn about Angular Routing and Navigation. The sections below define necessary routing elements that enable Windows Admin Center to navigate to your extension and between views in your extension in response to user activity. To learn more, go here: https://angular.io/guide/router Use the same module name that you used in the step above.
- 166. Add content to new routing file Add content to new module file VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE FILENAME {!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces replaced with dashes) manage-foo-works-portal.module.ts VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE FILENAME {!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces replaced with dashes) manage-foo-works- portal.routing.ts import { NgModule } from '@angular/core'; import { RouterModule, Routes } from '@angular/router'; import { {!ModuleName}Component } from './{!module-name}.component'; const routes: Routes = [ { path: '', component: {!ModuleName}Component, // if the component has child components that need to be routed to, include them in the children array. children: [ { path: '', redirectTo: 'base', pathMatch: 'full' } ] }]; @NgModule({ imports: [ RouterModule.forChild(routes) ], exports: [ RouterModule ] }) export class Routing { } VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE {!ModuleName} Your module name (spaces removed) ManageFooWorksPortal {!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces replaced with dashes) manage-foo-works-portal Browse to the module folder that was created by ng generate in the previous step. Create a new file {!module-name}.routing.ts , following this naming convention: Add this content to the file just created: Replace values in the file just created with your desired values: Open file {!module-name}.module.ts , found with the following naming convention: Add content to the file:
- 167. Add content to new component typescript file VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE FILENAME {!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces replaced with dashes) manage-foo-works- portal.component.ts constructor() { // TODO } public ngOnInit() { // TODO } Update app-routing.module.ts VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE {!ModuleName} Your module name (spaces removed) ManageFooWorksPortal {!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces replaced with dashes) manage-foo-works-portal { path: '', loadChildren: 'app/{!module-name}/{!module-name}.module#{!ModuleName}Module' }, import { Routing } from './{!module-name}.routing'; VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE {!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces replaced with dashes) manage-foo-works-portal ORIGINAL VALUE NEW VALUE imports: [ CommonModule ] imports: [ CommonModule, Routing ] Replace values in the content just added with your desired values: Modify the imports statement to import Routing: Make sure import statements are alphabetized by source. Open file {!module-name}.component.ts , found with the following naming convention: Modify content in the file to the following: Open file app-routing.module.ts , and modify the default path so it will load the new module you just created. Find the entry for path: '' , and update loadChildren to load your module instead of the default module: Here's an example of an updated default path:
- 168. { path: '', loadChildren: 'app/manage-foo-works-portal/manage-foo-works-portal.module#ManageFooWorksPortalModule' }, Build and side load your extension You've now added a module to your extension. Next, you can build and side load your extension in Windows Admin Center to see the results.
- 169. Add an iFrame to a tool extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Prepare your environment Add a module to your project Add an iFrame to your module VALUE EXPLANATION EXAMPLE FILENAME {!module-name} Your module name (lower case, spaces replaced with dashes) manage-foo-works- portal.component.html <div> <iframe style="height: 850px;" src="https://www.bing.com"></iframe> </div> NOTE Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview In this article, we will add an iFrame to a new, empty tool extension we have created with the Windows Admin Center CLI. If you haven't already, follow the directions in develop a tool extension to prepare your environment and create a new, empty tool extension. Add a new empty module to your project, to which we will add an iFrame in the next step. Now we'll add an iFrame to that new, empty module that we just created. In srcapp, browse into your module folder, then open file {!module-name}.component.html , found with the following naming convention: Add the following content to the html file: That's it, you've added an iFrame to your extension. Next, you can build and side load your extension in Windows Admin Center to see the results. Content Security Policy (CSP) settings could prevent some sites from rendering in an iFrame within Windows Admin Center. You can learn more about this here.
- 170. Use a custom gateway plugin in your tool extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Prepare your environment Add a module to your project Add integration to custom gateway plugin Create plugin.service.ts import { Injectable } from '@angular/core'; import { AppContextService, HttpService } from '@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk/angular'; import { Cim, Http, PowerShell, PowerShellSession } from '@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk/core'; import { AjaxResponse, Observable } from 'rxjs'; @Injectable() export class PluginService { constructor(private appContextService: AppContextService, private http: Http) { } public getGatewayRestResponse(): Observable<any> { let callUrl = this.appContextService.activeConnection.nodeName; return this.appContextService.node.get(callUrl, 'features/Sample%20Uno').map( (response: any) => { return response; } ) } } Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview In this article, we will use a custom gateway plugin in a new, empty tool extension we have created with the Windows Admin Center CLI. If you haven't already, follow the directions in develop a tool extension to prepare your environment and create a new, empty tool extension. If you haven't already, add a new empty module to your project, which we will use in the next step. Now we'll use a custom gateway plugin in the new, empty module that we just created. Change to the directory of the new tool module created above ( srcapp{!Module-Name} ), and create a new file plugin.service.ts . Add the following code to the file just created: Change references to Sample Uno and Sample%20Uno to your feature name as appropriate.
- 171. WARNING Modify module.ts import { HttpService } from '@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk/angular'; import { Http } from '@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk/core'; import { PluginService } from './plugin.service'; , providers: [ HttpService, PluginService, Http ] Modify component.ts import { ActivatedRouteSnapshot } from '@angular/router'; import { AppContextService } from '@microsoft/windows-admin-center-sdk/angular'; import { Subscription } from 'rxjs'; import { Strings } from '../../generated/strings'; import { PluginService } from './plugin.service'; private serviceSubscription: Subscription; private responseResult: string; It is recommended that the built in this.appContextService.node is used for calling any API that is defined in your custom gateway plugin. This will ensure that if credentials are required inside of your gateway plugin that they will be handled properly. Open the module.ts file of the new module created earlier (i.e. {!Module-Name}.module.ts ): Add the following import statements: Add the following providers (after declarations): Open the component.ts file of the new module created earlier (i.e. {!Module-Name}.component.ts ): Add the following import statements: Add the following variables: Modify the constructor and modify/add the following functions:
- 172. constructor(private appContextService: AppContextService, private plugin: PluginService) { // } public ngOnInit() { this.responseResult = 'click go to do something'; } public onClick() { this.serviceSubscription = this.plugin.getGatewayRestResponse().subscribe( (response: any) => { this.responseResult = 'response: ' + response.message; }, (error) => { console.log(error); } ); } Modify component.html <button (click)="onClick()" >go</button> {{ responseResult }} Build and side load your extension Open the component.html file of the new module created earlier (i.e. {!Module-Name}.component.html ): Add the following content to the html file: Now you are ready to build and side load your extension in Windows Admin Center.
- 173. Create a connection provider for a solution extension 10/19/2020 • 9 minutes to read • Edit Online Add Connection Provider details to manifest.json Create entry in manifest.json Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Connection Providers play an important role in how Windows Admin Center defines and communicates with connectable objects, or targets. Primarily, a Connection Provider performs actions while a connection is being made, such as ensuring that the target is online and available, and also ensuring that the connecting user has permission to access the target. By default, Windows Admin Center ships with the following Connection Providers: Server Windows Client Failover Cluster HCI Cluster To create your own custom Connection Provider, follow these steps: Add Connection Provider details to manifest.json Define Connection Status Provider Implement Connection Provider in application layer Now we'll walk through what you need to know to define a Connection Provider in your project's manifest.json file. The manifest.json file is located in the src folder and contains, among other things, definitions of entry points into your project. Types of entry points include Tools, Solutions, and Connection Providers. We'll be defining a Connection Provider. A sample of a Connection Provider entry in manifest.json is below:
- 174. { "entryPointType": "connectionProvider", "name": "addServer", "path": "/add", "displayName": "resources:strings:addServer_displayName", "icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-server", "description": "resources:strings:description", "connectionType": "msft.sme.connection-type.server", "connectionTypeName": "resources:strings:addServer_connectionTypeName", "connectionTypeUrlName": "server", "connectionTypeDefaultSolution": "msft.sme.server-manager!servers", "connectionTypeDefaultTool": "msft.sme.server-manager!overview", "connectionStatusProvider": { "powerShell": { "script": "## Get-My-Status ##nfunction Get-Status()n{n# A function like this would be where logic would exist to identify if a node is connectable.n$status = @{label = $null; type = 0; details = $null; }n$caption = "MyConstCaption"n$productType = "MyProductType"n# A result object needs to conform to the following object structure to be interpreted properly by the Windows Admin Center shell.n$result = @{ status = $status; caption = $caption; productType = $productType; version = $version }n# DO FANCY LOGIC #n# Once the logic is complete, the following fields need to be populated:n$status.label = "Display Thing"n$status.type = 0 # This value needs to conform to the LiveConnectionStatusType enum. >= 3 represents a failure.n$status.details = "success stuff"nreturn $result}nGet-Status" }, "displayValueMap": { "wmfMissing-label": "resources:strings:addServer_status_wmfMissing_label", "wmfMissing-details": "resources:strings:addServer_status_wmfMissing_details", "unsupported-label": "resources:strings:addServer_status_unsupported_label", "unsupported-details": "resources:strings:addServer_status_unsupported_details" } } }, PROPERTY DESCRIPTION entryPointType This is a required property. There are three valid values: "tool", "solution", and "connectionProvider". name Identifies the Connection Provider within the scope of a Solution. This value must be unique inside a full Windows Admin Center instance (not just a Solution). path Represents the URL path for the "Add Connection" UI, if it will be configured by the Solution. This value must map to a route that is configured in app-routing.module.ts file. When the Solution entry point is configured to use the connections rootNavigationBehavior, this route will load the module that is used by the Shell to display the Add Connection UI. More information available in the section on rootNavigationBehavior. displayName The value entered here is displayed on the right hand side of the shell, below the black Windows Admin Center bar when a user loads a Solution's connections page. icon Represents the icon used in the Solutions drop down menu to represent the Solution. description Enter a short description of the entry point. An entry point of type "connnectionProvider" indicates to the Windows Admin Center shell that the item being configured is a provider that will be used by a Solution to validate a connection state. Connection Provider entry points contains a number of important properties, defined below:
- 175. connectionType Represents the connection type that the provider will load. The value entered here will also be used in the Solution entry point to specify that the Solution can load those connections. The value entered here will also be used in Tool entry point(s) to indicate that the Tool is compatible with this type. This value entered here will also be used in the connection object that is submitted to the RPC call on the "Add window", in the application layer implementation step. connectionTypeName Used in the connections table to represent a connection that uses your Connection Provider. This is expected to be the plural name of the type. connectionTypeUrlName Used in creating the URL to represent the loaded Solution, after Windows Admin Center has connected to an instance. This entry is used after connections, and before the target. In this example, "connectionexample" is where this value appears in the URL: http://localhost:6516/solutionexample/connections/connectionexample/con- fake1.corp.contoso.com connectionTypeDefaultSolution Represents the default component that should be loaded by the Connection Provider. This value is a combination of: [a] The name of the extension package defined at the top of the manifest; [b] Exclamation point (!); [c] The Solution entry point name. For a project with name "msft.sme.mySample-extension", and a Solution entry point with name "example", this value would be "msft.sme.solutionExample-extension!example". connectionTypeDefaultTool Represents the default Tool that should be loaded on a successful connection. This property value is made up of two parts, similar to the connectionTypeDefaultSolution. This value is a combination of: [a] The name of the extension package defined at the top of the manifest; [b] Exclamation point (!); [c] The Tool entry point name for the Tool that should be loaded initially. For a project with name "msft.sme.solutionExample-extension", and a Solution entry point with name "example", this value would be "msft.sme.solutionExample-extension!example". connectionStatusProvider Please see section "Define Connection Status Provider" PROPERTY DESCRIPTION Define Connection Status Provider Define status Connection Status Provider is the mechanism by which a target is validated to be online and available, also ensuring that the connecting user has permission to access the target. There are currently two types of Connection Status Providers: PowerShell, and RelativeGatewayUrl. PowerShell Connection Status Provider - Determines if a target is online and accessible with a PowerShell script. The result must be returned in an object with a single property "status", defined below. RelativeGatewayUrl Connection Status Provider - Determines if a target is online and accessible with a rest call. The result must be returned in an object with a single property "status", defined below. Connection Status Providers are required to return an object with a single property status that conforms to the following format:
- 176. { status: { label: string; type: int; details: string; } } PowerShell Connection Status Provider script ## Get-My-Status ## function Get-Status() { # A function like this would be where logic would exist to identify if a node is connectable. $status = @{label = $null; type = 0; details = $null; } $caption = "MyConstCaption" $productType = "MyProductType" # A result object needs to conform to the following object structure to be interperated properly by the Windows Admin Center shell. $result = @{ status = $status; caption = $caption; productType = $productType; version = $version } # DO FANCY LOGIC # # Once the logic is complete, the following fields need to be populated: $status.label = "Display Thing" $status.type = 0 # This value needs to conform to the LiveConnectionStatusType enum. >= 3 represents a failure. $status.details = "success stuff" return $result } Get-Status Status properties: VALUE DESCRIPTION 0 Online 1 Warning 2 Unauthorized 3 Error 4 Fatal 5 Unknown Label - A label describing the status return type. Note, values for label can be mapped in runtime. See entry below for mapping values in runtime. Type - The status return type. Type has the following enumeration values. For any value 2 or above, the platform will not navigate to the connected object, and an error will be displayed in the UI. Types: Details - Additional details describing the status return type. The Connection Status Provider PowerShell script determines if a target is online and accessible with a PowerShell script. The result must be returned in an object with a single property "status". An example script is shown below. Example PowerShell script:
- 177. Define RelativeGatewayUrl Connection Status Provider method { "entryPointType": "connectionProvider", "name": "addServer", "path": "/add/server", "displayName": "resources:strings:addServer_displayName", "icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-server", "description": "resources:strings:description", "connectionType": "msft.sme.connection-type.server", "connectionTypeName": "resources:strings:addServer_connectionTypeName", "connectionTypeUrlName": "server", "connectionTypeDefaultSolution": "msft.sme.server-manager!servers", "connectionTypeDefaultTool": "msft.sme.server-manager!overview", "connectionStatusProvider": { "relativeGatewayUrl": "<URL here post /api>", "displayValueMap": { "wmfMissing-label": "resources:strings:addServer_status_wmfMissing_label", "wmfMissing-details": "resources:strings:addServer_status_wmfMissing_details", "unsupported-label": "resources:strings:addServer_status_unsupported_label", "unsupported-details": "resources:strings:addServer_status_unsupported_details" } } }, Map values in runtime "defaultConnection_test": "resources:strings:addServer_status_defaultConnection_label" Implement Connection Provider in application layer FUNCTION DESCRIPTION constructor(private appContextService: AppContextService, private route: ActivatedRoute) public ngOnInit() public onSubmit() Contains logic to update shell when an add connection attempt is made public onCancel() Contains logic to update shell when an add connection attempt is canceled The Connection Status Provider RelativeGatewayUrl method calls a rest API to determine if a target is online and accessible. The result must be returned in an object with a single property "status". An example Connection Provider entry in manifest.json of a RelativeGatewayUrl is shown below. Notes about using RelativeGatewayUrl: "relativeGatewayUrl" specifies where to get the connection status from a gateway URL. This URI is relative from /api. If $connectionName is found in the URL, it will be replaced with the name of the connection. All relativeGatewayUrl properties must be executed against the host gateway, which can be accomplished by creating a gateway extension The label and details values in the status return object can be formatted at tune time by including keys and values in the "defaultValueMap" property of the provider. For example, if you add the value below, any time that "defaultConnection_test" showed up as a value for either label or details, Windows Admin Center will automatically replace the key with the configured resource string value. Now we're going to implement the Connection Provider in the application layer, by creating a TypeScript Class that implements OnInit. The class has the following functions:
- 178. Define onSubmit this.appContextService.rpc.updateData( EnvironmentModule.nameOfShell, '##', <RpcUpdateData>{ results: { connections: connections, credentials: this.useCredentials ? this.creds : null } } ); onSubmit issues an RPC call back to the app context to notify the shell of an "Add Connection". The basic call uses "updateData" like this: The result is a connection property, which is an array of objects that conform to the following structure:
- 179. /** * The connection attributes class. */ export interface ConnectionAttribute { /** * The id string of this attribute */ id: string; /** * The value of the attribute. used for attributes that can have variable values such as Operating System */ value?: string | number; } /** * The connection class. */ export interface Connection { /** * The id of the connection, this is unique per connection */ id: string; /** * The type of connection */ type: string; /** * The name of the connection, this is unique per connection type */ name: string; /** * The property bag of the connection */ properties?: ConnectionProperties; /** * The ids of attributes identified for this connection */ attributes?: ConnectionAttribute[]; /** * The tags the user(s) have assigned to this connection */ tags?: string[]; } /** * Defines connection type strings known by core * Be careful that these strings match what is defined by the manifest of @msft-sme/server-manager */ export const connectionTypeConstants = { server: 'msft.sme.connection-type.server', cluster: 'msft.sme.connection-type.cluster', hyperConvergedCluster: 'msft.sme.connection-type.hyper-converged-cluster', windowsClient: 'msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client', clusterNodesProperty: 'nodes' }; Define onCancel this.appContextService.rpc.updateData(EnvironmentModule.nameOfShell, '##', <RpcUpdateData>{ results: { connections: [] } }); onCancel cancels an "Add Connection" attempt by passing an empty connections array:
- 180. Connection Provider example import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core'; import { ActivatedRoute } from '@angular/router'; import { AppContextService } from '@msft-sme/shell/angular'; import { Connection, ConnectionUtility } from '@msft-sme/shell/core'; import { EnvironmentModule } from '@msft-sme/shell/dist/core/manifest/environment-modules'; import { RpcUpdateData } from '@msft-sme/shell/dist/core/rpc/rpc-base'; import { Strings } from '../../generated/strings'; @Component({ selector: 'add-example', templateUrl: './add-example.component.html', styleUrls: ['./add-example.component.css'] }) export class AddExampleComponent implements OnInit { public newConnectionName: string; public strings = MsftSme.resourcesStrings<Strings>().SolutionExample; private connectionType = 'msft.sme.connection-type.example'; // This needs to match the connectionTypes value used in the manifest.json. constructor(private appContextService: AppContextService, private route: ActivatedRoute) { // TODO: } public ngOnInit() { // TODO } public onSubmit() { let connections: Connection[] = []; let connection = <Connection> { id: ConnectionUtility.createConnectionId(this.connectionType, this.newConnectionName), type: this.connectionType, name: this.newConnectionName }; connections.push(connection); this.appContextService.rpc.updateData( EnvironmentModule.nameOfShell, '##', <RpcUpdateData> { results: { connections: connections, credentials: null } } ); } public onCancel() { this.appContextService.rpc.updateData( EnvironmentModule.nameOfShell, '##', <RpcUpdateData>{ results: { connections: [] } }); } } The full TypeScript class for implementing a connection provider is below. Note that the "connectionType" string matches the "connectionType as defined in the connection provider in manifest.json.
- 181. Modify root navigation behavior for a solution extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Modifying root navigation behavior Setting path as a rootNavigationBehavior "entryPoints": [ { "entryPointType": "solution", "name": "main", "urlName": "testsln", "displayName": "resources:strings:displayName", "description": "resources:strings:description", "icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-powerShell", "path": "", "rootNavigationBehavior": "path" } ], Setting connections as a rootNavigationBehavior Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview In this guide we will learn how to modify the root navigation behavior for your solution to have different connection list behavior, as well as how to hide or show the tools list. Open manifest.json file in {extension root}src, and find the property "rootNavigationBehavior". This property has two valid values: "connections" or "path". The "connections" behavior is detailed later in the documentation. Set the value of rootNavigationBehavior to path , and then delete the requirements property, and leave the path property as an empty string. You have completed the minimal required configuration to build a solution extension. Save the file, and gulp build -> gulp serve as you would a tool, and then side load the extension into your local Windows Admin Center extension. A valid manifest entryPoints array looks like this: Tools built with this kind of structure will not required connections to load, but won't have node connectivity functionality either. When you set the rootNavigationBehavior property to connections , you are telling the Windows Admin Center Shell that there will be a connected node (always a server of some type) that it should connect to, and verify connection status. With this, there are 2 steps in verifying connection. 1) Windows Admin Center will attempt to make an attempt to log into the node with your credentials (for establishing the remote PowerShell session), and 2) it will execute the PowerShell script you provide to identify if the node is in a connectable state. A valid solution definition with connections will look like this:
- 182. { "entryPointType": "solution", "name": "example", "urlName": "solutionexample", "displayName": "resources:strings:displayName", "description": "resources:strings:description", "icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-powerShell", "rootNavigationBehavior": "connections", "connections": { "header": "resources:strings:connectionsListHeader", "connectionTypes": [ "msft.sme.connection-type.example" ] }, "tools": { "enabled": false, "defaultTool": "solution" } }, Enabling and disabling the tools menu When the rootNavigationBehavior is set to "connections" you are required to build out the connections definition in the manifest. This includes the "header" property (will be used to display in your solution header when a user selects it from the menu), a connectionTypes array (this will specify which connectionTypes are used in the solution. More on that in the connectionProvider documentation.). Another property available in the solution definition is the "tools" property. This will dictate if the tools menu is displayed, as well as the tool that will be loaded. When enabled, Windows Admin Center will render the left hand tools menu. With defaultTool, it is required that you add a tool entry point to the manifest in order to load the appropriate resources. The value of "defaultTool" needs to be the "name" property of the tool as it is defined in the manifest.
- 183. Control your tool's visibility in a solution 10/19/2020 • 5 minutes to read • Edit Online Options for deciding when to show a tool LocalHost "conditions": [ { "localhost": true }] "conditions": [ { "localhost": false }] Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview There might be times when you want to exclude (or hide) your extension or tool from the available tools list. For example, if your tool targets only Windows Server 2016 (not older versions), you might not want a user who connects to a Windows Server 2012 R2 server to see your tool at all. (Imagine the user experience - they click on it, wait for the tool to load, only to get a message that its features aren't available for their connection.) You can define when to show (or hide) your feature in the tool's manifest.json file. There are three different options you can use to determine whether your tool should be displayed and available for a specific server or cluster connection. localhost inventory (an array of properties) script The localHost property of the Conditions object contains a boolean value that can be evaluated to infer if the connecting node is localHost (the same computer that Windows Admin Center is installed on) or not. By passing a value to the property, you indicate when (the condition) to display the tool. For example if you only want the tool to display if the user is in fact connecting to the local host, set it up like this: Alternatively, if you only want your tool to display when the connecting node is not localhost: Here's what the configuration settings look like to only show a tool when the connecting node is not localhost:
- 184. "entryPoints": [ { "entryPointType": "tool", "name": "main", "urlName": "processes", "displayName": "resources:strings:displayName", "description": "resources:strings:description", "icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-serverProcesses", "path": "", "requirements": [ { "solutionIds": [ "msft.sme.server-manager!windowsClients" ], "connectionTypes": [ "msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client" ], "conditions": [ { "localhost": true } ] } ] } Inventory properties PROPERTY NAME EXPECTED VALUE TYPE computerManufacturer string operatingSystemSKU number operatingSystemVersion version_string (eg: "10.1.*") productType number clusterFqdn string isHyperVRoleInstalled boolean isHyperVPowershellInstalled boolean isManagementToolsAvailable boolean isWmfInstalled boolean "<property name>": { "type": "<expected type>", "operator": "<defined operator to use>", "value": "<expected value to evaluate using the operator>" } The SDK includes a pre-curated set of inventory properties that you can use to build conditions to determine when your tool should be available or not. There are nine different properties in the 'inventory' array: Every object in the inventory array must conform to the following json structure:
- 185. Operator values OPERATOR DESCRIPTION gt greater than ge greater than or equal to lt less than le less than or equal to eq equal to ne not equal to is checking if a value is true not checking if a value is false contains item exists in a string notContains item does not exist in a string Data types TYPE DESCRIPTION version a version number (eg: 10.1.*) number a numeric value string a string value boolean true or false Value types Available options for the 'type' property: The 'value' property accepts these types: string number boolean A properly-formed inventory condition set looks like this:
- 186. "entryPoints": [ { "entryPointType": "tool", "name": "main", "urlName": "processes", "displayName": "resources:strings:displayName", "description": "resources:strings:description", "icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-serverProcesses", "path": "", "requirements": [ { "solutionIds": [ "msft.sme.server-manager!servers" ], "connectionTypes": [ "msft.sme.connection-type.server" ], "conditions": [ { "inventory": { "operatingSystemVersion": { "type": "version", "operator": "gt", "value": "6.3" }, "operatingSystemSKU": { "type": "number", "operator": "eq", "value": "8" } } } ] } ] } Script @{ State = 'Available' | 'NotSupported' | 'NotConfigured'; Message = '<Message to explain the reason of state such as not supported and not configured.>'; Properties = @{ Name = 'Prop1'; Value = 'prop1 data'; Type = 'string' }, @{Name='Prop2'; Value = 12345678; Type='number'; }; } VALUE DESCRIPTION Available The extension should be displayed in the tools list. NotSupported The extension should not be displayed in the tools list. Finally, you can run a custom PowerShell script to identify the availability and state of the node. All scripts must return an object with the following structure: The State property is the important value that will control the decision to show or hide your extension in the tools list. The allowed values are:
- 187. NotConfigured This is a placeholder value for future work that will prompt the user for additional configuration before the tool is made available. Currently this value will result in the tool being displayed and is the functional equivalent to 'Available'. VALUE DESCRIPTION $response = @{ State = 'NotSupported'; Message = 'Not executed'; Properties = @{ Name = 'Prop1'; Value = 'prop1 data'; Type = 'string' }, @{Name='Prop2'; Value = 12345678; Type='number'; }; } if (Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name servermanager) { Import-module servermanager; $isInstalled = (Get-WindowsFeature -name bitlocker).Installed; $isGood = $isInstalled; } if($isGood) { $response.State = 'Available'; $response.Message = 'Everything should work.'; } $response For example, if we want a tool to load only if the remote server has BitLocker installed, the script looks like this: An entry point configuration using the script option looks like this:
- 188. "entryPoints": [ { "entryPointType": "tool", "name": "main", "urlName": "processes", "displayName": "resources:strings:displayName", "description": "resources:strings:description", "icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-serverProcesses", "path": "", "requirements": [ { "solutionIds": [ "msft.sme.server-manager!windowsClients" ], "connectionTypes": [ "msft.sme.connection-type.windows-client" ], "conditions": [ { "localhost": true, "inventory": { "operatingSystemVersion": { "type": "version", "operator": "eq", "value": "10.0.*" }, "operatingSystemSKU": { "type": "number", "operator": "eq", "value": "4" } }, "script": "$response = @{ State = 'NotSupported'; Message = 'Not executed'; Properties = @{ Name = 'Prop1'; Value = 'prop1 data'; Type = 'string' }, @{Name='Prop2'; Value = 12345678; Type='number'; }; }; if (Get-Module -ListAvailable -Name servermanager) { Import-module servermanager; $isInstalled = (Get- WindowsFeature -name bitlocker).Installed; $isGood = $isInstalled; }; if($isGood) { $response.State = 'Available'; $response.Message = 'Everything should work.'; }; $response" } ] } ] } Supporting multiple requirement sets You can use more than one set of requirements to determine when to display your tool by defining multiple "requirements" blocks. For example, to display your tool if "scenario A" OR "scenario B" is true, define two requirements blocks; if either is true (that is, all conditions within a requirements block are met), the tool is displayed.
- 189. "entryPoints": [ { "requirements": [ { "solutionIds": [ …"scenario A"… ], "connectionTypes": [ …"scenario A"… ], "conditions": [ …"scenario A"… ] }, { "solutionIds": [ …"scenario B"… ], "connectionTypes": [ …"scenario B"… ], "conditions": [ …"scenario B"… ] } ] } Supporting condition ranges You can also define a range of conditions by defining multiple "conditions" blocks with the same property, but with different operators. When the same property is defined with different operators, the tool is displayed as long as the value is between the two conditions. For example, this tool is displayed as long as the operating system is a version between 6.3.0 and 10.0.0:
- 190. "entryPoints": [ { "entryPointType": "tool", "name": "main", "urlName": "processes", "displayName": "resources:strings:displayName", "description": "resources:strings:description", "icon": "sme-icon:icon-win-serverProcesses", "path": "", "requirements": [ { "solutionIds": [ "msft.sme.server-manager!servers" ], "connectionTypes": [ "msft.sme.connection-type.server" ], "conditions": [ { "inventory": { "operatingSystemVersion": { "type": "version", "operator": "gt", "value": "6.3.0" }, } }, { "inventory": { "operatingSystemVersion": { "type": "version", "operator": "lt", "value": "10.0.0" } } } ] } ] }
- 191. Strings and localization in Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online "<YourExtensionName>_<Component>_<Accessor>": "Your string value goes here.", "HelloWorld_cim_title": "CIM Component", MsftSme.resourcesStrings<Strings>().HelloWorld.cim.title; Add Other Languages for Localization LANGUAGE FOLDER Čeština cs-CZ Deutsch de-DE English en-US Español es-ES Français fr-FR Magyar hu-HU Italiano it-IT 日本語 ja-JP Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Let's go more in-depth into the Windows Admin Center Extensions SDK and talk about strings and localization. To enable localization of all strings that are rendered on the presentation layer, take advantage of the strings.resjson file under /src/resources/strings - it's already set up. When you need to add a new string to your extension, add it to this resjson file as a new entry. The existing structure follows this format: You can use any format you like for the strings, but be aware that the generation process (the process that takes the resjson and outputs the usable TypeScript class) converts underscore (_) to periods (.). For example, this entry: Generates the following accessor structure: For localization to other languages, a strings.resjson file needs to be created for each language. These files need to be places in locoutput{!ExtensionName}{!LanguageFolder}strings.resjson . The available languages with corresponding folders are:
- 192. 한국어 ko-KR Nederlands nl-NL Polski pl-PL Português (Brasil) pt-BR Português (Portugal) pt-PT Русский ru-RU Svenska sv-SE Türkçe tr-TR 中文(简体) zh-CN 中文(繁體) zh-TW LANGUAGE FOLDER NOTE "HelloWorld_cim_title": "CIM Componente", gulp generate If your file structure needs are different inside of loc/output, you will need to adjust the localeOffset for the gulp task ‘generate-resjson-json-localized' that is in the gulpfile.js. This offset is how deep into the loc folder it should start searching for strings.resjson files. Each strings.resjson file will be formatted in the same way as previously mentioned at the top of this guide. For example, to include a localization for Español include this entry in locoutputHelloWorldes-ESstrings.resjson : Anytime that you added localized strings, gulp generate must be ran again in order to have them appear. Run: To confirm that your strings have been generated navigate to srcappassetsstrings{!LanguageFolder}strings.resjson . Your newly added entry will appear in this file. Now if you switch the language option in Windows Admin Center, you will be able to see the localized strings in your extension.
- 193. Windows Admin Center UI text and design style guide 10/19/2020 • 11 minutes to read • Edit Online Buttons Capitalization UI ELEMENT CAPITALIZATION COMMENTS Badges (such as PREVIEW) All caps Everything else Sentence-style However, there are a few exceptions where we surface object properties from WMI or PowerShell that's outside of our control. Colons Confirmation messages Applies To: Windows Admin Center This topic describes the general approach to writing user interface (UI) text for the Windows Admin Center, as well as some specific conventions and approaches we're taking. Windows Admin Center and any extensions should follow Microsoft's voice principles so that the experience is easy to use and friendly. This style guide builds on these voice principles as well as the Microsoft Writing Style Guide, so make sure to check out both of those resources for info on such things as accessibility, acronyms, and word choice such as please, and sorry. Buttons should be one word whenever possible, especially if you plan to localize your tool. Two or three is OK but try to avoid longer. If you have four words or longer, it'd be better to use a link control. Button labels should be concise, specific, and self-explanatory. Instead of a generic "Submit" button, use a verb corresponding to the user action, such as "Create", "Delete", "Add", "Format", etc. If a button follows a question, its label should correspond clearly to the question (typically "Yes" or "No"). We follow the Microsoft style for Capitalization - use sentence-style capitalization for pretty much everything. Use colons to introduce lists. For example: Choose one of the following: Cats Dogs Quokkas Don't use colons in UI text when a label is on a different line from the thing it labels or when there's a clear distinction between the label and the thing it's labeling. Use colons in UI text when a label is on the same line as the text it labels and you need to keep the two elements from running together.
- 194. First-run experiences 1. Be helpful 2. Show, don't tell 3. Don't overwhelm 4. Keep it contextual 5. Minimize painful setup Confirmation dialogs are useful when continuing might have unexpected results, such as data loss. They should contain scannable, useful info with a clear outcome, especially for events that can't be reversed. Make sure a confirmation is necessary. If there's no new info to offer (for example, “Are you sure?”) then a confirmation message may not be necessary. Verify that the customer wants to proceed with the action. Make sure the main instruction (heading) and explanatory text (body) aren't redundant. In the heading, define the possible outcomes as a question or a statement about what will happen next. For example, “Erase all data on this drive? or “You're about to erase all your data”. Add details in the body. If there's a variable, such as the name of the item you're about change, include it here. Include a simple question (either in the header or in the body) that frames a clear choice between two action buttons. For a complex choice, use Yes/No buttons, which encourage careful reading. For a simpler choice, use buttons that are specific to the action, such as Delete all or Cancel. The first time a user visits a page, you have an opportunity to help them get started with your tool. This could be: A text string in an empty page with short instructions on how to get started - for example, "Select 'Add' to add an app." A link to the control that gets the user started - for example, "Add an app to get started." A small and short animation or video showing the user how to get started Here are some tips from our Windows style guide: Avoid marketing style and language. When you demo or suggest something, make sure the end result is clear; just showing the customer how to do something isn't effective if they don't know why they are doing it. Don't present tips if the customer doesn't need them. Keep your text simple as possible (think small animations or videos). Limit pop-ups and tips to 4 per usage session combined—including system notifications and shell notifications. Make sure the timing of pop-ups is helpful. Don't prevent the customer from doing something. Make sure pop-ups are easily dismissed. Teaching moments are most effective when presented at the right time. If you create tutorials or slideshows, keep the info concrete. No marketing “fluff”—focus on specific tips and tricks. Provide a way for customers to return to the tutorial later, if relevant (people often don't retain info the first time, but setup instructions might only be relevant once). Empty-state messaging is a natural place for learning and/or delight—keep it simple and informative. When you need the customer to perform another action to experience full value (sign-in to an online service, etc.), make it as painless as possible.
- 195. Help links When should we provide a Help link? Where should help links appear? What URL should we use? Text guidelines Error messages Messaging should be short and direct. Avoid sending them away. If possible, provide a means to connect from where they are. If you can, allow the option to do it later, and then remind them to do it later. If you take them out of their experience, provide a way to switch back quickly and easily. Here are some tips from our Windows style guide: Almost never. Provide a help link only when: There's an obvious and important question that customers are likely to have while they're in the UI the answer to which will help them succeed at the UI task. There's not enough room in the UI to provide the amount of information necessary for users to succeed at the UI task. Text links should appear as close to the UI element that the help is directed at as possible. If you must provide a text link that applies to an entire UI screen, place it at the bottom left of the screen. If you provide a link through a Help button (?), the tooltip should be "Help." Never link directly to a web address—instead use a redirection service. Microsoft developers should use an FWLink except when it's a help link that users might have to manually type, in which case use an aka.ms link (as long as the target of the URL is a website that automatically recognizes the browser locale, such as Docs.microsoft.com) Use full sentences. Do not include ending punctuation except for question marks. You don't need to use the same text as the task title; use text that makes sense in the context of the UI, but make sure that there's a logical connection between the two. For example: Help link: What are the risks of allowing exceptions? Help topic title: "Allowing a program to communicate through Windows Firewall" Be as specific as possible about the content of the help topic. Use the entire sentence for the link text, not just the key words. Our style Not our style How does Windows Firewall help protect my computer? Why highlights can improve a picture More information about Windows Firewall Learn more about color management Learn more Our style Not our style What are the risks of allowing exceptions? risks of allowing exceptions What are the ?
- 196. General guidelines Headings Body Buttons Help links Null state text Guidelines Here's some guidance adapted from the Windows Style Guide: Writing a good message is a balance between providing enough explanation but not being overly technical; between being casual and personable but not annoying or offensive. Use one message per error case. Keep it brief and explain concisely what the problem is or ideally what to do. Some UI surfaces may have headings that truncate instead of wrapping when they're too long, so keep an eye out for these. Use the solution in the heading if it's a simple step. Make sure that the heading relates directly to the button in case the reader ignores the body text. Avoid using "There was a problem" in headings, unless you have no other choice. Be more specific about the problem. Avoid using variables (such as file, folder, and app names) in headings. Put them in the body. If the heading sufficiently explains the problem or solution, you don't need body text. Don't repeat the title in the message with slightly different wording. Communicate clearly and concisely what the solution is. Focus on giving the facts first. Don't blame users for the error. If there is an error code associated with the error and if you think that including the error code might help the customer or Microsoft support to research the issue, include it directly below the body text and write it as follows: Error code: #### If the customer has all the info necessary to resolve the error without the code, you don't need to include it. Write button text so that it's a specific response to the main instruction. If that's not possible, use "Close" for the dismissal button text (instead of "Okay" or "Done"). If you have more than one button, make the leftmost button the action the user is encouraged to take. Make the rightmost button the more conservative action, such as "Cancel." Only consider Help links for error messages that you can't make specific and actionable. Here's some help from the Windows Style Guide. Null state occurs when customer data or content is absent from an app or feature, when no results are returned after a search, or when required information is missing from a form, such as billing information for a transaction. If possible, use null state situations as an opportunity to educate people about how to use the feature (for example, how to add music, where to find pictures, etc.) If you have a title in your UI, explain the action to take to “fix” the null state (for example, “Add some music”)
- 197. Examples Punctuation Status messages STRING TYPE NOTES Toast Sentence case with ending punctuation - ideally with an object variable so users can understand what object the message applies to in case they've navigated away from the object Notification heading (title) Sentence case without ending punctuation (it's a heading) - ideally with an object variable Notification details Full sentences, ideally with a link to the UI that displays the object STRING TYPE NOTES Started Omit when possible - usually you can just skip to the in- progress message to minimize the number of distractions. In progress Start with the verb of the action you're performing and end with ellipses to indicate an ongoing operation. Here's an example: Creating the volume 'Customer data'... When there are multiple variables, use this pattern: Deleting the following virtual machine: {0}; Host: {1} Have fun with the text. This space can be an opportunity to provide delight since it will probably not be seen several times. Avoid “It's lonely in here.” This is sad and has been overused. Avoid questions like “Haven't connected your printer?” Okay to use once, but this format tends to get overused, and questions put extra burden/pressure on the customer. It can also feel condescending. Variety in null state text is a good thing. "Add someone as a favorite, and you'll see them here." "Got any achievements or game clips you're particularly proud of? Add them to your showcase." "No one's in a party yet. Start one up!" "When someone adds you as a friend, you'll see them here." "When you do stuff like unlock achievements, record game clips, and add friends, you'll see it all here." "Your favorite friends will show up here, so you can see when they're online and what they're up to." No ending punctuation (periods, question marks) for headings or incomplete sentences. An exception is in a confirmation dialog where the heading asks the question Use Microsoft Style Guide's guidance on periods and question marks. Status messages consist of pop-up (toast) messages and notifications. Here are some detailed recommendations for notification messages:
- 198. Success Start with "Successfully" and end with what the software just did. Here's an example: Successfully created the volume 'Customer data'. Failure Start with "Couldn't" and end with what the software couldn't do. Here's an example: Couldn't create the volume 'Customer data'. STRING TYPE NOTES Tooltips CONTEXT HOW TO WRITE THE TOOLTIPS When a control or UI element is unlabeled... Use a simple, descriptive noun phrase. For example: Highlighting pen When a UI element is labeled, but its purpose needs clarification… When a text label is truncated or likely to truncate in some languages… If a keyboard shortcut is available… Good tooltips briefly describe unlabeled controls or provide a bit of additional info for labeled controls, when this is useful. They can also help customers navigate the UI by offering additional—not redundant—information about control labels, icons, links, etc. Tooltips should be used sparingly or not at all. They can be an interruption to the customer, so don't include a tooltip that simply repeats a label or states the obvious. It should always add valuable info. Briefly describe what you can do with this UI element. Use the imperative verb form. For example, "Find text in this file" (not "Finds text in this file"). Don't include end punctuation unless there are multiple complete sentences. Provide the untruncated label in the tooltip. Optional: On another line, provide a clarifying description, but only if needed. Don't provide a tooltip if the untruncated info is provided elsewhere on the page or flow. Optional: Provide the keyboard shortcut in parentheses following the label or descriptive phrase, e.g. "Print (Ctrl+P)" or "Find text in this file (Ctrl+F)" It's OK to add a useful keyboard shortcut to a clarifying tooltip, but avoid adding a tooltip only to show a keyboard shortcut.
- 199. Using PowerShell in your extension 10/19/2020 • 4 minutes to read • Edit Online PowerShell in TypeScript NOTE Running a PowerShell Script IMPORTANT Param ( [String] $stringFormat ) $nodeName = [string]::Format($stringFormat,$env:COMPUTERNAME) Write-Output $nodeName const session = this.appContextService.powerShell.createSession('{!TargetNode}'); const script = PowerShell.createScript(PowerShellScripts.Get_NodeName, {stringFormat: 'The name of the node is {0}!'}); Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Let's go more in-depth into the Windows Admin Center Extensions SDK - let's talk about adding PowerShell commands to your extension. The gulp build process has a generate step that will take any {!ScriptName}.ps1 that is placed in the srcresourcesscripts folder and build them into the powershell-scripts class under the srcgenerated folder. Don't manually update the powershell-scripts.ts nor the strings.ts files. Any change you make will be overwritten on the next generate. Any scripts that you want to run on a node can be placed in srcresourcesscripts{!ScriptName}.ps1 . Any changes make in a {!ScriptName}.ps1 file will not be reflected in your project until gulp generate has been run. The API works by first creating a PowerShell session on the nodes you are targeting, creating the PowerShell script with any parameters that need to be passed in, and then running the script on the sessions that were created. For example, we have this script srcresourcesscriptsGet-NodeName.ps1 : We will create a PowerShell session for our target node : Then we will create the PowerShell script with an input parameter: Lastly, we need to run that script in the session we created:
- 200. public ngOnInit(): void { this.session = this.appContextService.powerShell.createAutomaticSession('{!TargetNode}'); } public getNodeName(): Observable<any> { const script = PowerShell.createScript(PowerShellScripts.Get_NodeName.script, { stringFormat: 'The name of the node is {0}!'}); return this.appContextService.powerShell.run(this.session, script) .pipe( map( response => { if (response && response.results) { return response.results; } return 'no response'; } ) ); } public ngOnDestroy(): void { this.session.dispose() } this.getNodeName().subscribe( response => { console.log(response) } ); Key Options const session = this.appContextService.powerShell.createSession('{!TargetNode}', '{!Key}'); const session = this.appContextService.powerShell.createSession('{!TargetNodeName}'); Now we will need to subscribe to the observable function we just created. Place this where you need to call the function to run the PowerShell script: By providing the node name to the createSession method, a new PowerShell session is created, used, and then immediately destroyed upon completion of the PowerShell call. A few options are available when calling the PowerShell API. Each time a session is created it can be created with or without a key. Key: This creates a keyed session that can be looked up and reused, even across components (meaning that Component1 can create a session with key "SME-ROCKS," and Component2 can use that same session).If a key is provided, the session that is created must be disposed of by calling dispose() as was done in the example above. A session should not be kept without being disposed of for more than 5 minutes. Keyless: A key will automatically be created for the session. This session with be disposed of automatically after 3 minutes. Using keyless allows your extension to recycle the use of any Runspace that is already available at the time of creation of a session. If no Runspace is available than a new one will be created. This functionality is good for one-off calls, but repeated use can affect performance. A session takes approximately 1 second to create, so continuously recycling sessions can cause slowdowns. or
- 201. const session = this.appContextService.powerShell.createAutomaticSession('{!TargetNodeName}'); PowerShell Stream this.appContextService.powerShellStream.run(session, script); Long Running Scripts const workItem: WorkItemSubmitRequest = { typeId: 'Long Running Script', objectName: 'My long running service', powerShellScript: script, //in progress notifications inProgressTitle: 'Executing long running request', startedMessage: 'The long running request has been started', progressMessage: 'Working on long running script – {{ percent }} %', //success notification successTitle: 'Successfully executed a long running script!', successMessage: '{{objectName}} was successful', successLinkText: 'Bing', successLink: 'http://www.bing.com', successLinkType: NotificationLinkType.Absolute, //error notification errorTitle: 'Failed to execute long running script', errorMessage: 'Error: {{ message }}' nodeRequestOptions: { logAudit: true, logTelemetry: true } }; return this.appContextService.workItem.submit('{!TargetNode}', workItem); NOTE Write-Progress -Activity ‘The script is almost done!' -percentComplete 95 In most situations, create a keyed session in the ngOnInit() method, and then dispose of it in ngOnDestroy() . Follow this pattern when there are multiple PowerShell scripts in a component but the underlying session IS NOT shared across components. For best results, make sure session creation is managed inside of components rather than services - this helps ensure that lifetime and cleanup can be managed properly. For best results, make sure session creation is managed inside of components rather than services - this helps ensure that lifetime and cleanup can be managed properly. If you have a long running script and data is outputted progressively, a PowerShell stream will allow you to process the data without having to wait for the script to finish. The observable next() will be called as soon as data is received. If you have a long running script that you would like to run in the background, a work item can be submitted. The state of the script will be tracked by the Gateway and updates to the status can be sent to a notification. For progress to be shown, Write-Progress must be included in the script that you have written. For example:
- 202. WorkItem Options FUNCTION EXPLANATION submit() Submits the work item submitAndWait() Submit the work item and wait for the completion of its execution wait() Wait for existing work item to complete query() Query for an existing work item by id find() Find and existing work item by the TargetNodeName, ModuleName, or typeId. PowerShell Batch APIs const batchSession = this.appContextService.powerShell.createBatchSession( ['{!TargetNode1}', '{!TargetNode2}', sessionKey); this.appContextService.powerShell.runBatchSingleCommand(batchSession, command).subscribe((responses: PowerShellBatchResponseItem[]) => { for (const response of responses) { if (response.error || response.errors) { //handle error } else { const results = response.properties && response.properties.results; //response.nodeName //results[0] } } }, Error => { /* handle error */ }); PowerShellBatch options OPTION EXPLANATION runSingleCommand Run a single command against all the nodes in the array run Run corresponding command on paired node cancel Cancel the command on all nodes in the array If you need to run the same script on multiple nodes, then a batch PowerShell session can be used. For example:
- 203. Current list of icons in Windows Admin Center 10/19/2020 • 4 minutes to read • Edit Online .icon-win-globalNavButton:before { content: "E700"; } .icon-win-connect:before { content: "E703"; } .icon-win-chevronDown:before { content: "E70D"; } .icon-win-chevronUp:before { content: "E70E"; } .icon-win-edit:before { content: "E70F"; } .icon-win-add:before { content: "E710"; } .icon-win-cancel:before { content: "E711"; } .icon-win-more:before { content: "E712"; } .icon-win-settings:before { content: "E713"; } .icon-win-mail:before { content: "E715"; } .icon-win-pin:before { content: "E718"; } .icon-win-shop:before { content: "E719"; } .icon-win-stop:before { content: "E71A"; } .icon-win-link:before { content: "E71B"; } .icon-win-filter:before { content: "E71C"; } .icon-win-allApps:before { content: "E71D"; } .icon-win-search:before { content: "E721"; } .icon-win-attach:before { content: "E723"; } .icon-win-forward:before { content: "E72A"; } .icon-win-back:before { content: "E72B"; } .icon-win-refresh:before { content: "E72C"; } .icon-win-share:before { content: "E72D"; } .icon-win-lock:before { content: "E72E"; } .icon-win-blocked:before { content: "E733"; } .icon-win-favoriteStar:before { content: "E734"; } .icon-win-favoriteStarFill:before { content: "E735"; } .icon-win-remove:before { content: "E738"; } .icon-win-backToWindow:before { content: "E73F"; } .icon-win-fullScreen:before { content: "E740"; } .icon-win-up:before { content: "E74A"; } .icon-win-down:before { content: "E74B"; } .icon-win-oEM:before { content: "E74C"; } .icon-win-delete:before { content: "E74D"; } .icon-win-save:before { content: "E74E"; } .icon-win-eraseTool:before { content: "E75C"; } .icon-win-play:before { content: "E768"; } .icon-win-pause:before { content: "E769"; } .icon-win-chevronLeft:before { content: "E76B"; } .icon-win-chevronRight:before { content: "E76C"; } .icon-win-updateRestore:before { content: "E777"; } .icon-win-unpin:before { content: "E77A"; } .icon-win-contact:before { content: "E77B"; } .icon-win-paste:before { content: "E77F"; } .icon-win-lEDLight:before { content: "E781"; } .icon-win-error:before { content: "E783"; } .icon-win-unlock:before { content: "E785"; } .icon-win-newWindow:before { content: "E78B"; } .icon-win-saveLocal:before { content: "E78C"; } .icon-win-redo:before { content: "E7A6"; } .icon-win-undo:before { content: "E7A7"; } .icon-win-warning:before { content: "E7BA"; } .icon-win-flag:before { content: "E7C1"; } .icon-win-powerButton:before { content: "E7E8"; } .icon-win-home:before { content: "E80F"; } .icon-win-history:before { content: "E81C"; } .icon-win-recent:before { content: "E823"; } .icon-win-chat:before { content: "E901"; } Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview
- 204. .icon-win-chat:before { content: "E901"; } .icon-win-clear:before { content: "E894"; } .icon-win-sync:before { content: "E895"; } .icon-win-download:before { content: "E896"; } .icon-win-help:before { content: "E897"; } .icon-win-upload:before { content: "E898"; } .icon-win-openInNewWindow:before { content: "E8A7"; } .icon-win-switch:before { content: "E8AB"; } .icon-win-remote:before { content: "E8AF"; } .icon-win-folder:before { content: "E8B7"; } .icon-win-copy:before { content: "E8C8"; } .icon-win-sort:before { content: "E8CB"; } .icon-win-permissions:before { content: "E8D7"; } .icon-win-unfavorite:before { content: "E8D9"; } .icon-win-openFile:before { content: "E8E5"; } .icon-win-newFolder:before { content: "E8F4"; } .icon-win-bulletedList:before { content: "E8FD"; } .icon-win-manage:before { content: "E912"; } .icon-win-accept:before { content: "E8FB"; } .icon-win-completed:before { content: "E930"; } .icon-win-code:before { content: "E943"; } .icon-win-info:before { content: "E946"; } .icon-win-chevronUpSmall:before { content: "E96D"; } .icon-win-chevronDownSmall:before { content: "E96E"; } .icon-win-chevronLeftSmall:before { content: "E96F"; } .icon-win-chevronRightSmall:before { content: "E970"; } .icon-win-chevronUpMed:before { content: "E971"; } .icon-win-chevronDownMed:before { content: "E972"; } .icon-win-chevronLeftMed:before { content: "E973"; } .icon-win-chevronRightMed:before { content: "E974"; } .icon-win-pC1:before { content: "E977"; } .icon-win-unknown:before { content: "E9CE"; } .icon-win-ringer:before { content: "EA8F"; } .icon-win-checkList:before { content: "E9D5"; } .icon-win-processing:before { content: "E9F5"; } .icon-win-hourGlass:before { content: "EA03"; } .icon-win-asterisk:before { content: "EA38"; } .icon-win-errorBadge:before { content: "EA39"; } .icon-win-allAppsMirrored:before { content: "EA40"; } .icon-win-bulletedListMirrored:before { content: "EA42"; } .icon-win-helpMirrored:before { content: "EA51"; } .icon-win-dietPlanNotebook:before { content: "EAC8"; } .icon-win-market:before { content: "EAFC"; } .icon-win-heart:before { content: "EB51"; } .icon-win-editMirrored:before { content: "EB7E"; } .icon-win-speedHigh:before { content: "EC4A"; } .icon-win-fileExplorer:before { content: "EC50"; } .icon-win-developerTools:before { content: "EC7A"; } .icon-win-embed:before { content: "ECCE"; } .icon-win-publish:before { content: "ECDB"; } .icon-win-networkPipes:before { content: "ECE3"; } .icon-win-blocked2:before { content: "ECE4"; } .icon-win-toolbox:before { content: "ECED"; } .icon-win-gateway:before { content: "ED23"; } .icon-win-openFolderHorizontal:before { content: "ED25"; } .icon-win-playPause:before { content: "ED38"; } .icon-win-hardDrive:before { content: "EDA2"; } .icon-win-virtualMachine:before { content: "EE9B"; } .icon-win-rAM:before { content: "EEA0"; } .icon-win-cPU:before { content: "EEA1"; } .icon-win-hostCluster:before { content: "EEA2"; } .icon-win-virtualMachineGroup:before { content: "EEA3"; } .icon-win-customList:before { content: "EEBE"; } .icon-win-customListMirrored:before { content: "EEBF"; } .icon-win-marketDown:before { content: "EF42"; } .icon-win-database:before { content: "EFC7"; } .icon-win-checklistMirrored:before { content: "F0B5"; } .icon-win-windowsUpdate:before { content: "F0C5"; } .icon-win-backMirrored:before { content: "F0D2"; }
- 205. .icon-win-forwardMirrored:before { content: "F0D3"; } .icon-win-statusCircleOuter:before { content: "F136"; } .icon-win-statusCircleInner:before { content: "F137"; } .icon-win-statusCircleRing:before { content: "F138"; } .icon-win-statusTriangleOuter:before { content: "F139"; } .icon-win-statusTriangleInner:before { content: "F13A"; } .icon-win-statusTriangleExclamation:before { content: "F13B"; } .icon-win-statusCircleExclamation:before { content: "F13C"; } .icon-win-statusCircleErrorX:before { content: "F13D"; } .icon-win-statusCircleCheckmark:before { content: "F13E"; } .icon-win-statusCircleInfo:before { content: "F13F"; } .icon-win-statusCircleBlock:before { content: "F140"; } .icon-win-statusCircleBlock2:before { content: "F141"; } .icon-win-statusCircleQuestionMark:before { content: "F142"; } .icon-win-statusCircleSync:before { content: "F143"; } .icon-win-exploreContentSingle:before { content: "F164"; } .icon-win-collapseContentSingle:before { content: "F166"; } .icon-win-hardDriveGroup:before { content: "F18F"; } .icon-win-tripleColumn:before { content: "F1D5"; } .icon-win-certificateManager:before { content: "F1F8"; } .icon-win-firewall:before { content: "F1F9"; } .icon-win-firewallRules:before { content: "F1FA"; } .icon-win-localAdmin:before { content: "F1FB"; } .icon-win-networkSettings:before { content: "F1FC"; } .icon-win-powerShell:before { content: "F1FD"; } .icon-win-serverProcesses:before { content: "F1FE"; } .icon-win-registrayEditor:before { content: "F1FF"; } .icon-win-serverFeatures:before { content: "F200"; } .icon-win-server:before { content: "F201"; } .icon-win-cluster:before { content: "F202"; } .icon-win-saveAll:before { content: "F203"; } .icon-win-failoverClusterManager:before { content: "F204"; } .icon-win-softwareDefinedDataCenter:before { content: "F205"; } .icon-win-storageReplica:before { content: "F206"; } .icon-win-storageLogical:before { content: "F20E"; } .icon-win-storagePhysical:before { content: "F20F"; } .icon-win-networkPhysical:before { content: "F211"; } .icon-win-lEDLightOff:before { content: "F388"; } .icon-win-removeHardDisk:before { content: "F389"; } .icon-win-virtualHardDisk:before { content: "F38A"; } .icon-win-virtualSwitch:before { content: "F38B"; } .icon-win-virtualNIC:before { content: "F38C"; } .icon-win-offlineResource:before { content: "F38D"; } .icon-win-onlineResource:before { content: "F38E"; } .icon-win-formatDatabase:before { content: "F3BE"; } .icon-win-developerToolsRemove:before { content: "F3EA"; } .icon-win-unzipFolder:before { content: "F3FD"; } .icon-win-storageReplica:before { content: "F42D"; } .icon-win-speedHighOff:before { content: "F42E"; } .icon-win-bootOrder:before { content: "F42F"; } .icon-win-bootOrderMirrored:before { content: "F430"; }
- 206. Enabling the extension discovery banner 10/19/2020 • 3 minutes to read • Edit Online How the extension discovery banner works How to implement the extension discovery banner Example Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview The extension discovery banner feature was introduced in the Windows Admin Center Preview 1903 release. This feature allows an extension to declare the server hardware manufacturer and models it supports, and when a user connects to a server or cluster for which an extension is available, a notification banner will be displayed to easily install the extension. Extension developers will be able to get more visibility for their extensions and users will be able to easily discover more management capabilities for their servers. When Windows Admin Center is launched, it will connect to the registered extension feeds and fetch the metadata for the available extension packages. Then when a user connects to a server or cluster in Windows Admin Center, we read the server hardware manufacturer and model to display in the Overview tool. If we find an extension that declares that it supports the current server's manufacturer and/or model, we'll display a banner to let the user know. Clicking on the "Set up now" link will take the user to Extension Manager where they can install the extension. The "tags" metadata in the .nuspec file is used to declare which hardware manufacturer and/or models your extension supports. Tags are delimited by spaces and you can add either a manufacturer or model tag, or both to declare the supported manufacturer and/or models. The tag format is "[value type]_[value condition]" where [value type] is either "Manufacturer" or "Model" (case sensitive), and [value condition] is a Javascript regular expression defining the manufacturer or model string, and [value type] and [value condition] are separated by an underscore. This string is then encoded using URI encoding and added to the .nuspec "tags" metadata string. Let's say I've developed an extension that supports servers from a company named Contoso Inc., with model name R3xx and R4xx. 1. The tag for the manufacturer would be "Manufacturer_/Contoso Inc./" . The tag for the models could be "Model_/^R[34][0-9]{2}$/" . Depending on how strictly you want to define the matching condition, there will be different ways to define your regular expression. You can also separate the Manufacturer or Model tags
- 207. TIP var regex = /^R[34][0-9]{2}$/ regex.test('R300') regex.test('R500') encodeURI(/^R[34][0-9]{2}$/) <tags>Manufacturer_/Contoso%20Inc./ Model_/%5ER%5B34%5D%5B0-9%5D%7B2%7D$/</tags> into multiple tags, for example, the Model tag could also be "Model_/R3../ Model_/R4../" . 2. You can test the regular expression with your web browser's DevTools Console. In Edge or Chrome, hit F12 to open the DevTools window, and in the Console tab, type the following and hit Enter: Then if you type and run the following, it will return 'true'. And if you run the following, it will return 'false'. 3. Once you've verified the regular expression, you can encode it in the DevTools Console as well, using the following Javascript method: The final format of the tag string to add to your .nuspec file would be: We understand that a hardware manufacturer may have a very wide range of model names of which some may be supported while some are not. Keep in mind that this feature is meant to help with the discovery of your extension, but it does not have to be a perfectly up-to-date inventory of all your models. You can define your regular expression to be a simpler expression that matches a subset of your models. A user might not see the discovery banner if they first connect to a server model that doesn't match the condition, but sooner or later they will connect to another server that does and will discover and install the extension. You can also consider defining a simple regular expression that only matches your manufacturer name. In some cases, your extension may not actually support a specific model, but you can use the dynamic tool display feature to define a custom PowerShell script to check model support and only show your extension when applicable, or provide limited functionality in your extension for models that don't support all capabilities.
- 208. Publishing Extensions 10/19/2020 • 8 minutes to read • Edit Online Publishing Options Publishing to the Windows Admin Center extension feed Publishing to a different NuGet feed Publishing to a file share Preparing your extension for release Consider releasing as a Preview release Creating an extension package Applies To: Windows Admin Center, Windows Admin Center Preview Once you've developed your extension, you will want to publish it and make it available to others to test or use. Depending on your audience and purpose of publishing, there are a few options which we'll introduce below along with the steps and requirements for publishing. There are three primary options for configurable package sources that Windows Admin Center supports: Microsoft's public Windows Admin Center NuGet feed Your own private NuGet feed Local or network file share By default, Windows Admin Center is connected to a NuGet feed maintained by the Windows Admin Center product team at Microsoft. Early preview versions of new extensions developed by Microsoft may be published to this feed and available to Windows Admin Center users. External developers planning to build and release extensions publicly may also submit a request to publish to this feed. You may also create your own NuGet feed to publish your extensions to using one of the many different options for setting up a private source or using a NuGet hosting service. The NuGet feed must support the NuGet v2 API. Since Windows Admin Center does not currently support feed authentication, the feed needs to be configured to allow read access to anyone. To restrict access of your extension to your organization or to a limited group of people, you can use an SMB file share as an extension feed. In this case, the file share and folder permissions will be applied for allowing access to the feed. Make sure you read and consider the following development topics: Control your tool's visibility Strings and localization If you are releasing a preview version of your extension for evaluation purposes, we recommend that you: Append "(Preview)" to the end of your extension's title in the .nuspec file Explain the limitations in your extension's description in the .nuspec file Windows Admin Center utilizes NuGet packages and feeds for distributing and downloading extensions. In order for your package to be shipped, you will need to generate a NuGet package containing your plugins and
- 209. 1. Build your extension UI Extensions Gateway Plugins 2. Create the .nuspec file IMPORTANT <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <package xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2011/08/nuspec.xsd"> <metadata> <id>contoso.project.extension</id> <version>1.0.0</version> <title>Contoso Hello Extension</title> <authors>Contoso</authors> <owners>Contoso</owners> <requireLicenseAcceptance>false</requireLicenseAcceptance> <projectUrl>https://msft-sme.myget.org/feed/windows-admin-center-feed/package/nuget/contoso.sme.hello- extension</projectUrl> <licenseUrl>http://YourLicenseLink</licenseUrl> <iconUrl>http://YourLogoLink</iconUrl> <description>Hello World extension by Contoso</description> <copyright>(c) Contoso. All rights reserved.</copyright> <tags></tags> </metadata> <files> <file src="bundle***.*" target="ux" /> <file src="package***.*" target="gateway" /> </files> </package> Required or Recommended Properties extensions. A single package can contain both a UI extension as well as a Gateway plugin, and the following section will walk you through the process. As soon as you are ready to start packaging your extension, create a new directory on your file system, open a console, and CD into it. This will be the root directory that we will use to contain all the nuspec and content directories that will make up our package. We will reference this folder as "NuGet Package" for the duration of this document. To begin the process on gathering all the content needed for a UI extension, run "gulp build" on your tool and make sure the build is successful. This process packages all the components together in a folder called "bundle" located in the root directory of your extension (at the same level of the src directory). Copy this directory and all it's contents into the "NuGet Package" folder. Using your Build infrastructure (this could be as simple as opening Visual Studio and clicking the Build button), compile and build your plugin. Open up your build output directory, and copy the Dll(s) that represent your plugin, and put them in a new folder inside the "NuGet Package" directory called "package". You do not need to copy the FeatureInterface dll, just the Dll(s) that represent your code. To create the NuGet package, you need to first create a .nuspec file. A .nuspec file is an XML manifest that contains NuGet package metadata. This manifest is used both to build the package and to provide information to consumers. Place this file at the root of the "NuGet Package" folder. Here's an example .nuspec file and the list of required or recommended properties. For the full schema, see the .nuspec reference. Save the .nuspec file to your project's root folder with a file name of your choice. The <id> value in the .nuspec file needs to match the "name" value in your project's manifest.json file, or else your published extension won't load successfully in Windows Admin Center.
- 210. PROPERTY NAME REQUIRED / RECOMMENDED DESCRIPTION packageType Required Use "WindowsAdminCenterExtension" which is the NuGet package type defined for Windows Admin Center extensions. id Required Unique Package identifier within the feed. This value needs to match the "name" value in your project's manifest.json file. See Choosing a unique package identifier for guidance. title Required for publishing to the Windows Admin Center feed Friendly name for the package that is displayed in Windows Admin Center Extension Manager. version Required Extension version. Using Semantic Versioning (SemVer convention) is recommended but not required. authors Required If publishing on behalf of your company, use your company name. description Required Provide a description of the extension's functionality. iconUrl Recommended when publishing to the Windows Admin Center feed URL for icon to display in the Extension Manager. projectUrl Required for publishing to the Windows Admin Center feed URL to your extension's website. If you do not have a separate website, use the URL for the package webpage on the NuGet feed. licenseUrl Required for publishing to the Windows Admin Center feed URL to your extension's end user license agreement. files Required These two settings set up the folder structure that Windows Admin Center expects for UI extensions and Gateway plugins. 3. Build the extension NuGet package 4. Signing your extension NuGet package Using the .nuspec file you created above, you will now create the NuGet package .nupkg file which you can upload and publish to the NuGet feed. 1. Download the nuget.exe CLI tool from the NuGet client tools website. 2. Run "nuget.exe pack [.nuspec file name]" to create the .nupkg file. Any .dll files included in your extension are required to be signed with a certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). By default, unsigned .dll files will be blocked from being executed when Windows Admin Center is running in Production Mode. We also highly recommend that you sign the extension NuGet package to ensure the integrity of the package, but this is not a required step.
- 211. 5. Test your extension NuGet package Publishing your extension to the Windows Admin Center feed Submit an extension review request to Microsoft Windows Admin Center Extension Review Request 1. Name and email address of extension owner/developer (up to 3 users). If you will be releasing an extension on behalf of your company, provide your company email address. 2. Company name (Only required if you are releasing an extension on behalf of your company): 3. Extension name: 4. Release target date (estimate): 5. For new extension submission - Extension description (early design wire frames, screen mockups or product screenshots are highly recommended): 6. For extension update review – Description of changes (include product screenshots if UI has been significantly changed): Submit your extension package for review and publishing Your extension package is now ready for testing! Upload the .nupkg file to a NuGet feed or copy it to a file share. To view and download packages from a different feed or file share, you'll need to change your feed configuration to point to your NuGet feed or file share. When testing, make sure the properties are displayed correctly in Extension Manager and you can successfully install and uninstall your extension. By publishing to the Windows Admin Center feed, you can make your extension available to any Windows Admin Center user. Since the Windows Admin Center SDK is still in preview, we'd like to work closely with you to help resolve development issues, and, make sure you are able to deliver a quality product and experience to your users. Before releasing the initial version of your extension, we recommend that you submit an extension review request to Microsoft at least 2-3 weeks before release to ensure we have sufficient time to review and for you to make any changes to your extension if necessary. Once your extension is ready to be published, you'll need to send it to us for review, and if approved, we'll publish it to the feed for you. Afterwards, if you want to release an update to your extension, you will need to submit another request for review. While depending on the scope of change, the turnaround time for update reviews should generally be shorter. To submit an extension review request, enter the following information and send as an email to [email protected]. We will reply to your email within a week. Make sure you follow the instructions above for creating an extension package and the .nuspec file is defined properly and files are signed. We also recommend that you have a project website including the following: Detailed description of your extension including screenshots or video Email address or website feature to receive feedback or questions When you are ready to publish your extension, send an email to [email protected] and we will provide instructions on how to send us your extension package. Once we receive your package, we will review and if approved, publish to the Windows Admin Center feed.
- 212. BiitOps Changes Extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online BiitOps Changes for Windows Admin Center gives you insight into changes to hardware, software and configuration settings on your Windows Server physical/virtual machines. The BiitOps Changes extension enables you to quickly and cost-effectively determine changes which cause issues related to compliance, reliability or security. It will show precisely what is new, what has changed and what has been deleted in a single-pane-of-glass. It works on both servers and selected services on Microsoft Windows Server. Learn more by visiting the BiitOps product site or subscribe for a free trial.
- 213. DataON MUST Extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Integrated monitoring and management for Microsoft hyper-converged infrastructure DataON is the industry-leading provider of hyper-converged infrastructure and storage systems optimized for Microsoft Windows Server environments. Exclusively focused on delivering Microsoft applications, virtualization, data protection, and hybrid cloud services, it has over 650 enterprise deployments and over 120PB of Storage Spaces Direct deployments. DataON's MUST extension for Windows Admin Center is a prime example of the value that integrating two complementary products can deliver to customers, bringing monitoring and management and end-to-end insight into hardware and software together across an entire cluster in a unified experience. “We've taken our standalone MUST visibility, monitoring, and management tool and enabled it to work within Windows Admin Center. Customers will benefit from the expanded capabilities that MUST provides, and the combination of MUST and Windows Admin Center from a single console will provide the ultimate management experience for Windows Server-based infrastructure.” -- Howard Lo, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, DataON The MUST extension extends the functionality of Windows Admin Center by providing features such as: Historic Data Reporting – Provides real-time and monthly dashboards of your system performance data including IOPS, latency, throughput on your cluster, storage pool, volume, and nodes. Disk Mapping – MUST displays the device types and components in each of the nodes, providing a clear disk map of your entire node. It shows the number of disks, disk type, location and slot of each drive, and disk health status. System Alerts – Leverages Windows Health Service faults to identify hardware failures, configuration issues, and resource saturation. It also provides a multi-level assessment of specific locations, fault descriptions, and recovery actions. You can also leverage third-party SNMP monitoring traps to alert you when you need disk or hardware replacements. SAN-like Call Home Service – Prompted by system alerts, administrators can have automated email alerts sent to key contacts.
- 214. Disk mapping in the DataON MUST extension for Windows Admin Center “It's great that Windows Admin Center allows for extensions such as DataON MUST so I can use both tools within the same console, and I like how seamless that integration is. Windows Admin Center and DataON MUST together really does allow us to be more efficient and saves our team a ton of time. It allows us to achieve our administrator tasks a lot quicker than what we had before." -- Matt Roper, Facilitator of Technology Support Services, Cherokee County (GA) School District Alert Services in the DataON MUST extension for Windows Admin Center “MUST has been very valuable and was a big selling point. To us, it demonstrated a commitment from DataON to support Microsoft hyper-converged infrastructure. The inclusion of MUST with their S2D appliance is what completes the solution with Storage Spaces Direct as a viable SAN replacement.” -- Benjamin Clements, President, Strategic Online Systems, Inc.
- 215. Fujitsu ServerView Health and RAID extensions 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Bringing end-to-end visibility, from operating system to hardware, into Windows Admin Center Fujitsu is a leading Japanese information and communication technology company and a manufacturer of PRIMERGY and PRIMEQUEST server products. The Fujitsu ServerView management suite provides a comprehensive toolset for server lifecycle management including a server-side agent that provides a CIM and PowerShell interface for hardware management. Fujitsu saw an opportunity to easily integrate with Windows Admin Center as it provided CIM and PowerShell interfaces that could communicate with the server-side agents. The development team at Fujitsu was able to easily implement the CIM calls they were familiar with to the agent and visualize the information within Windows Admin Center using the available UI components. Once the team became familiar with the Windows Admin Center SDK, adding UI to expose additional hardware information was often simply a few more lines of HTML code and they were quickly able to expand from a single tool to displaying a summary view of hardware component health, detailed views for system event logs, driver monitor, separate views for processor, memory, fans, power supplies, temperatures and voltages, and even an additional tool for RAID management. Using UI controls available in the SDK such as the tree, grid and detail pane controls enabled the team to quickly build UI and also achieve a visual and interaction design very similar to the rest of Windows Admin Center.
- 216. The partnership between Fujitsu and the Windows Admin Center team clearly shows the value of integration within Windows Admin Center, enabling customers to have end-to-end insight into server roles and services, to the operating system, and to hardware management.
- 217. Lenovo XClarity Integrator Extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Integrated hardware management everywhere! The Lenovo XClarity Integrator extension for Windows Admin Center provides administrators a seamless experience to manage Lenovo infrastructure directly from Windows Admin Center. The XClarity Integrator extension includes a standalone solution extension and also extends the existing Server Manager, Failover Cluster Manager, and Hyper-Converged Cluster Manager solutions in a single, unified UI to enable simple server management. The solution extension included in the XClarity Integrator extension allows connecting to a Lenovo XClarity Administrator, Lenovo rack or tower servers, or all the servers in an entire chassis at once. Once the servers are added, you can see the overall health status for all added nodes. By selecting a server, you can view the server's hardware inventory, available firmware updates, alerts, events, logs, power consumption and temperature. You can also run operations such as Remote Control and power on/off. The same tools are available as a tool extension when managing servers within Windows Admin Center as well,
- 218. allowing you to seamlessly switch between managing your infrastructure software and hardware. The tool extension for failover clusters and hyper-converged clusters provides a dashboard displaying overall cluster hardware health status, status alerts, firmware consistency status and report, power consumption and temperature, and fan and power supply health status.
- 219. The solution extension and tool extensions for Windows servers and clusters provide the rolling (cluster-aware) server update functions. This can help prevent any workload interruption during server updates. Currently, the extensions support individual firmware updates and compliance policy firmware updates for any Lenovo servers. They also support best recipe firmware/driver updates for Lenovo ThinkAgile MX HCI cluster servers. The tool extension for hyperconverged clusters provides the disk/storage pool management functions for Lenovo ThinkAgile MX HCI cluster servers. These functions include the server rear/front graphic view to present server and disk status. With the help of both the wizard and graphic view, operations like adding a disk to the storage pool, removing a disk from the storage pool, replacing a disk, or locating a server/disk by lighting on the server/disk location LEDs become much easier.
- 220. In version 2.1, Lenovo extensions introduced role-based access control capabilities. These capabilities are enabled if Lenovo XClarity Administrator is applied for hardware management. Learn more about the Lenovo XClarity Integrator offerings for Windows Admin Center on the Lenovo website.
- 221. NEC ESMPRO Extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online NEC provides products for businesses, ranging from terminals to network and computer equipment, software products and service platforms, as well as integrated platforms based on these products and services. NEC ESMPRO is NEC's server management software to manage NEC Express5800 series servers, and the NEC ESMPRO extension for Windows Admin Center enables showing hardware and RAID information of NEC Express5800 series servers in Windows Admin Center. The NEC ESMPRO extension requires installing the NEC ESMPRO Manager as it retrieves server hardware information through the NEC ESMPRO Manager. The NEC ESMPRO extension has two tabs, the 'System Overview' tab and the 'System Health' tab. In the System Overview tab, you can easily view the system's basic information.
- 222. In the System Health tab, you can view the detailed information of individual hardware components, such as processors, memory, power supplies, network adapters, temperature and fan. The status and configuration for RAID systems, power consumption and hardware event logs are also available. The NEC ESMPRO extension for Windows Admin Center brings new experiences of server management to server administrators with the collaboration of NEC's hardware technology and Microsoft's software technology.
- 223. Pure Storage Extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Providing End-to-End Array Management for Windows Admin Center Pure Storage provides enterprise, all-flash data storage solutions that deliver data-centric architecture to accelerate your business for a competitive advantage. Pure is a Microsoft Gold Partner, certified for Microsoft Windows Server, and develops technical integrations for key Microsoft solutions such as Azure, Hyper-V, SQL Server, System Center, Windows PowerShell, and Windows SMB. Pure recently announced a tech preview of an extension supporting the latest release of Windows Admin Center that provides a single-pane view into Pure FlashArray products. From this extension, users are empowered from one tool to conduct monitoring tasks, view real-time performance metrics, and manage storage volumes and initiators. Early on, when Windows Admin Center was known as “Project Honolulu”, Pure saw the value of being able to provide customers and partners the ability to manage multiple Pure Storage FlashArrays from the single pane of glass that Windows Admin Center provides. When Pure started researching the use case with “Project Honolulu” they immediately realized the potential for providing a unified management experience between Windows Admin Center and FlashArray. Pure closely collaborated with the Windows Admin Center engineering team, which helped define the implementation details for the features. Pure was also able to provide feedback at the early stages of Windows Admin Center and make contributions to the Microsoft team. “We have integrated a feature set that mimics our FlashArray web interface to enable direct management from within Windows Admin Center. Our customers and partners will benefit from a single pane of glass versus needing to work with two different management tools. In addition to the single point of management benefits customers will be able to contextually manage Windows Servers that are connected to the FlashArray.” -- Barkz, Technical Director Microsoft Solutions & Integration, Pure Storage
- 224. The features that are included in the Pure Storage Solution Extension include: Connecting to multiple FlashArrays. Viewing the FlashArray details, including IOPs, bandwidth, latency, data reduction and space management. These are all the same details you get from the FlashArray Management GUI. View configured host groups that are used to enable shared volume access for Windows Server hosts and Clustered Shared Volumes (CSVs). View Hosts — All of the connectivity information is available including Host Names, iSCSI Qualified Name (IQNs) and World Wide Names (WWNs). Manage Volumes — This includes the ability to create and destroy volumes. Once a volume is destroyed it will be placed in the Destroyed items bucket and you will need to Eradicate from the main FlashArray Management GUI. Manage Initiators — This is one of the most interesting features providing context to the individual servers being managed by the Windows Admin Center deployment. You can view the connected disks (volumes) to individual Windows Servers, check if MultiPath-IO (MPIO) is installed/configured and creating/mounting new volumes. A demonstration video has been created that shows all of the features that the Pure Storage Solution Extension provides. The below screenshot illustrates viewing what disks (volumes) are connected to a specific Windows Server host. In addition to viewing the connectivity detail, we check if Multipath-IO is configured. In addition to viewing the disks, new volumes can be created and immediately mounted to the host without having to use Windows Disk Management tool.
- 225. Since releasing our Technical Preview, the customer feedback collected so far has been very positive and has also provided us insight into different features to add in future releases. Additional resources: Pure Storage extension announcement blog post PureReport podcast
- 226. QCT Management Suite Extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online A simple path to server infrastructure management The QCT Management Suite extension for Windows Admin Center provides a single pane of glass dashboard for monitoring system configurations and managing server health of QCT Azure Stack HCI certified systems : QuantaGrid D52BQ-2U, QuantaGrid D52T-1ULH and QuantaPlex T21P-4U. Driven by customer pain points around existing monitoring and management, QCT provides exclusive, complementary features and functions, which includes an overview of system event logs, monitoring drivers, and hardware component health to enhance the overall management experience. The QCT Management Suite extends the functionality of Windows Admin Center with the key features below: One-click exclusive hardware management - An intuitive user interface displays hardware information, including model name, processor, memory and BIOS. IT administrators can restart the BMC with a simple one- click UI.
- 227. Disk mapping and LED identification for efficient service support - QCT Management Suite wizard UI design displays the slot of each selected disk with an overview of disk profiles and LED light controls of selected disks for efficient replacement. Easy-to-use monitoring tool for hardware event log and health status.
- 228. Predictive disk management - Evaluate the system condition with S.M.A.R.T information and unhealthy notifications which allow organizations to take action before total failure occurs. Learn more about the QCT Management Suite for Windows Admin Center: QCT Management Suite web page QCT Management Suite datasheet
- 229. Thomas-Krenn.AG Extension 10/19/2020 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online Intuitive server and storage health management The Thomas Krenn.AG Windows Admin Center extension is designed specifically for the highly available, 2-node S2D Micro-Cluster appliance. The user-friendly, graphical web interface visualizes a Micro-Cluster's health status through a simple dashboard and allows you to drill down on storage devices, network interfaces or the entire cluster to view more details. The extension provides intuitive access to information typically needed for first-level service and support calls, such as serial numbers, software versions, storage utilization and more. It is designed to be useful to admins who have no prior experience with Windows Server hyper-converged infrastructure. A few of the insights available are: General Information about the Micro-Nodes and the Micro-Cluster OS / boot device status Capacity HDD and caching SSD status Cluster events Network status and information Use the dashboard to determine the cluster's health status and important system information such as serial numbers, model, OS version and utilization. Additionally, fan, NIC and overall node hardware health are displayed on the dashboard as well. You can drill down into storage devices to view serial numbers, SMART-status, and capacity utilization. Boot devices also show wear out indicators, reallocated sectors and power on time, which are the best indicators of SSD health.
- 230. The cluster status icon expands to show a summary of the cluster's operational details. After this Micro-Cluster's Azure cloud witness was unavailable for a whole night, one glance is enough to identify the problem. Clicking on “Notifications” immediately lists relevant events for quick remediation. Cluster events are localized and determined by the base OS language. The extension itself supports English and German.
- 231. Network information is readily available as well. Based on customer feedback, we've also implemented “Dark Mode” available in Windows Admin Center v1904. This is soothing in dark datacenters and in poorly lighted cabinets and closets. It also makes Windows Admin Center more accessible by reducing glare for admins with certain visual impairments.
- 232. Thomas-Krenn immediately realized that usability and accessibility for untrained admins would be key to a great customer experience for hyper-converged infrastructure in the small and mid-sized business market. Thomas- Krenn's Micro-Cluster extension perfectly complements Windows Admin Center's native HCI management capabilities by including proprietary hardware information on the dashboard and re-grouping important cluster health information in a new, human-friendly interface. During the development process it was decided to deploy Windows Admin Center 1904 in a high-availability configuration on the cluster itself, ensuring manageability even after node failures. The extension comes pre- installed, just as the entire OS. The extension was built in parallel with Windows Admin Center 1904 being developed at Microsoft. Close cooperation and continuous feedback exposed issues on both sides that were jointly resolved before the product successfully launched in April 2019. Thomas-Krenn is incredibly proud to be one of the first to fully support and implement Windows Admin Center 1904's new features.