Ease Windows Server 2003 Administration
Take advantage of Microsoft Management Console snap-ins to create a better administration tool.
by Danielle Ruest and Nelson Ruest
August 2003 Issue
For This Solution: Windows Server 2003
Q
We just migrated to Windows Server 2003, and I need to administer the new network. I took some training courses and know that several new administration tools are available. Can you recommend some that are easy to use?
—Mike, Denver, Colo.
A
Danielle: You're right—there are many new tools for administering Windows Server 2003. We like to take the KISS approach—Keep It Simple, but Structured—which takes your network's size into account and is threefold. First, if you have a small network and are new to Windows Server 2003, you might prefer to use the graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI's advantage is that it's harder to make mistakes, because you tend to work mostly with wizards. Wizards incorporate best practices directly and are good tools for learning what makes an OS tick. The disadvantage of the GUI is that it often forces you to work on only one server at a time.
The GUI also enables you to use both the Manage Your Server and Configure Your Server consoles. Manage Your Server runs automatically at system startup (unless you disable it) and gives you immediate access to single-purpose consoles applicable to the server role installed on each physical server (see Figure 1). This is one of the best ways to start working with Windows Server 2003. Configure Your Server is activated when you choose to add or modify a role on your server.
Second, you can administer Windows Server 2003 through the command line, using the Windows character-based command console. Windows Server 2003 boasts more than 60 new command-line tools (over Windows 2000). The advantage of this approach is that it's easy to create batch (BAT) or command (CMD) files that include commands you can apply to several servers at once. This approach is usually better for medium-sized shops running 50 servers or more. Its disadvantage is that it's easy to make mistakes, because everything in command mode is syntax-based, and misspelled commands can produce unpredictable results. If you decide to begin working with the command line, make sure you test each command thoroughly before putting it in a command file.
Third, you can use scripts. Like previous versions of Windows, Windows Server 2003 includes the Windows Scripting Host (WSH), a scripting environment that can run scripts in either graphical mode (using the wscript.exe command) or character mode (using cscript.exe). WSH supports scripts that affect general server environments through Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) or affect Active Directory (AD) behavior through the Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI). Once again, it's easy to make mistakes in scripts, because they rely heavily on proper syntax. Microsoft's TechNet Scripting Center is a good place to learn more about scripting (see Resources)
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