Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows 8: Download and Install

How do I use the Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8?

Windows Server 2012 can be managed using the local Server Manager tool, or remotely using a Remote Desktop Connection. But a third and preferable option for managing Windows Server is to download the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows 8 and manage all your servers from a dedicated workstation. Not only does RSAT include the GUI management tools found in Windows Server 2012, but it also includes the PowerShell cmdlets for Windows Server management. In addition, RSAT provides administrators with an easy way to manage Server Core.

Both 64-bit and 32-bit versions of RSAT for Windows 8 are available to download. By default, remote management is enabled on Windows Server 2012. In Windows Server 2008 R2, remote management can be toggled on and off in Server Manager.

Managing Windows Server 2008 R2

While RSAT is primarily intended for managing Windows Server 2012 from a Windows 8 workstation, some of the tools are compatible with earlier releases of Windows Server. If you intend to manage Windows Server 2008 R2 with RSAT for Windows 8, you will need to install the following components on the server(s) you want to manage:

• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
• Windows Management Framework 3.0
• An update that allows Server Manager to collect performance data on Windows Server 2008 R2.

Adding a remote server to Server Manager

Once RSAT is installed on the computer you want to use as a management workstation, you need to add remote servers to Server Manager:

• Open Server Manager from the Start screen.
• In the Server Manager dashboard, click Add other servers to manage.
• In the Add Servers dialog, click Find Now to list all computers in your AD domain. Alternatively, you can specify criteria such as the operating system or machine name to narrow your search.
• Select the server(s) in the search results that you want to add to Server Manager, then click the arrow in the center of the dialog box and click OK.
• The selected servers will now be available to manage via Server Manager and other tools in the RSAT suite.