Windows Admin Center (Project Honolulu): Web-Based PowerShell-Based Remote Server Monitoring & Management + Installation Guide (Part-1, Chopped Edition)
“WAC can be seen as a collection of customizable PowerShell scripts, which are used remotely, and managed via a web-based GUI… Thus WAC is agentless… and yes, those scripts can be independently used. How cool is that!?”
Note: This is the limited (as in partial) version of the article. The full version including a step-by-step guide for installing Windows Admin Center is available @ AskMe4Tech here.
Windows Admin Center (WAC) is the new tool in the block. It is highly promoted by Microsoft as a free application for remotely managing and monitoring supported Microsoft OS. According to Microsoft: WAC is “the successor to traditional “in-box” tools like Server Manager” and; “the future of remote server management”! Wow! This article is just about to take us through the future, right to WAC :)
Formally WAC is not supposed to substitute other Microsoft remote management tools such as RSAT, RDC, System Center, Intune and Azure Stack. Rather, WAC complements such tools, by supposedly adding value.
For example, WAC is meant to replace Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins and the server experience in System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), but not its monitoring aspects.
Among other things, WAC can be seen as collection of customizable PowerShell scripts, which are managed via a web-based GUI and implemented remotely. If you were just asking, yes, those scripts can be used independently just as well.
Setting Up WAC as a Local Client (aka Desktop Mode)
Perhaps the simplest form of deployment of Windows Admin Center is called Local Client, aka Dekstop Mode. In this non-agentless mode, WAC is installed on Windows 10, providing the capabilities listed below. Windows 10 version 1709 or newer are required.
Step 1: Downloading WAC
Step 2: Executing WAC Installer
Step 3: Licensing Agreement
Step 4: Next
Step 5: Configuration Options
Step 6: Installation & Completion
Step 7: Loading WAC
Step 8: Accessing WAC from a Browser (https://localhost:6516)
Step 9: Managing the Local Machine
Step 10: Managing Remote Machines (Part-2)
A complete installation guide of Windows Admin Center, including a step-by-step installation and setup guide, is available @ AskMe4Tech here.
Congratulations and welcome to Windows Admin Center :)
Good luck!
Author: Haggai Yedidya, by Real Network Labs: Providing evaluation labs (aka: innovation labs, test labs) for enterprises to test new products prior to purchasing or deployment; or for software manufacturers to assess their product releases pre or post launch.
Popular assessments: remote management, 3rd party integration such as with active directory, large-scale distribution, stress tests, performance, compatibility and conflicts, maintenance, support needs, vulnerabilities, resistency to cyber attacks and more.
Contact us to remotely evaluate a sample test-lab and discuss your owns: Contact@Realnetworklabs.com
