Windows Admin Center

[free780]

Shiny.

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2018/04/12/announcing-windows-admin-center-our-reimagined-management-experience/

[Arthur]

Very nice!

 

Download: https://aka.ms/WindowsAdminCenter

 

[Steven_Cleaver]

Been running Project Honolulu for few weeks seems pretty good so will give this a go .

[Simcfc73]

That is rather lovely.

 

Oh and browser based RDP into the servers

Edited April 13, 2018 by Simcfc73

[free780]

I wonder when rdp web will come out of beta.

[DJ-1701]

Just ran a search for this thread and couldn't find it because I was typing Windows Admin Centre... like a Brit.

 

It appears devices that you connect to need to have Dot Net Framework 4.5 and Windows Management Framework 5.1 installed.

 

This is fine for Windows 10 and Server 2016 as it comes out the box (or are deployed via Windows Update), but Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows Server 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2 will require it.

[free780]

Ms seem to like using fall and center which of course are spelt the same in all English speaking countries of the world.

[DJ-1701]

Just to confirm, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 and Hyper-V Server 2012 also accept the update for Windows Management Framework, and then can be controlled via Windows Admin Center. A reboot though, is needed.

[DJ-1701]

Hmmm, having fun trying to access a Non-Domain machine with Windows Admin Center, coming up with the following message:

 

WinRM cannot complete the operation. Verify that the specified computer name is valid, that the computer is accessible over the network, and that a firewall exception for the WinRM service is enabled and allows access from this computer. By default, the WinRM firewall exception for public profiles limits access to remote computers within the same local subnet.

 

I have enabled incoming Windows Remote Management requests for the machine on Private connections, and it is in the same subnet, but still no joy. Anyone else had this, or got any ideas?

[Sheridan]

I'm struggling to get it to work on my Server 2016 install, always says page cannot be displayed, or ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED in Chrome, failed at the first hurdle!

[cpjitservices]

Am i supposed to install this client or server side?

 

Installed on my Windows 10 PC tried to manage A server 2016 server and I get failed to connect, PC and Server on same domain.

[DJ-1701]

It's meant to have multiple ways of using it. I also installed it on my Windows 10 PC, and it works fine for me. It *should* be able to connect to Server 2016, as it would have Dot Net 4.5 and WMF 5 installed.

[DJ-1701]

For those who have got this working, but it keeps trying to launch in your default browser which either a) isn't Edge, or Google Chrome, or b) you don't want it to auto-launch the browser, just have it running in the background. You might want to vote on this:

 

https://windowsserver.uservoice.com/forums/295071-management-tools/suggestions/34011373-add-command-line-switch-to-not-open-the-web-interf

[ThomL]

I'm struggling to get it to work on my Server 2016 install, always says page cannot be displayed, or ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED in Chrome, failed at the first hurdle!

 

I had this, I did something silly and used port 80 in the setup wizard instead of 443 and even after correcting this kept forgetting to use https:// in the address bar - not something easy like this is it?

[Katy]

Just given this a go, spun up a new 2016 server core VM and stuck it on there on port 443. Opened https://server/ on any PC and logged in and it looks quite good

[Sheridan]

I've tried on Windows 10 (default port 6516) and Server 2016 (Port 443) and always get "Error 503 Service is unavailable'

 

Shame as it looks really good.

[DJ-1701]

I've tried on Windows 10 (default port 6516) and Server 2016 (Port 443) and always get "Error 503 Service is unavailable'

 

Shame as it looks really good.

 

Hmm, odd. The only issue on installation on Windows 10 and using the default port is that I have to run the shortcut for Windows Admin Center to start up, then ensure https://localhost:6516 is open up on Edge or Chrome, and not my default on that machine (which could be Firefox or Internet Explorer). Then if it's the first time loading, select the Windows Center certificate and it works.

[mitchell1981]

Is anyone else having problems connecting to servers with this? If we select the option to 'use my Windows account for this connection' it throws back 'your credentials didn't work - try again'.

 

If we select 'use another account for this connection' and put in the same windows credentials that we are already logged in as, it works! Any ideas?

[Sheridan]

Hmm, odd. The only issue on installation on Windows 10 and using the default port is that I have to run the shortcut for Windows Admin Center to start up, then ensure https://localhost:6516 is open up on Edge or Chrome, and not my default on that machine (which could be Firefox or Internet Explorer). Then if it's the first time loading, select the Windows Center certificate and it works.

 

Yeah its frustrating as I've been trying for a while - server 2016 I can get no further than the 503 error, on 10 the best I can get is the message saying IE11 isn't supported!

 

There's no list of prerequisites so I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but it was 2016 and Windows 10 1709 I've been trying, both separate physical machines

[Primus]

Is anyone else having problems connecting to servers with this? If we select the option to 'use my Windows account for this connection' it throws back 'your credentials didn't work - try again'.

 

If we select 'use another account for this connection' and put in the same windows credentials that we are already logged in as, it works! Any ideas?

 

I get exactly the same behaviour and have done since the betas of Honolulu.

[Sheridan]

All I get is this on a W10 machine.

[DJ-1701]

All I get is this on a W10 machine.

 

I get that if I haven't run the Windows Admin Center shortcut first. It launches SmeDesktop.exe, which starts the background application, and (unfortunately in my case) loads the default browser with the URL.

 

After that, the page should be able to load.

[Sheridan]

Yeah I can see the SmeDesktop.exe running in the background, and it appears in the taskbar but no luck. I'm pretty much bust on this as it doesn't even work on a blank install of server 2016, which hasn't been domain joined or anything!

 

Maybe the next version will work....

[Simcfc73]

TBH its not something I will use, I can see it being useful for multi site domain but we are only little.

[BKGarry]

Using it here, didn't have a problem.

Got it published through out WAP server too, so I can use it at home, RDP won't work on my Mac (not sure if that is my Mac part of the WAP server) I also get prompted multiple times for my domain details on a non domain machine but by god the HyperV server overview is useful.

It is very basic at the moment, but is useful, I love the memory pressure graphs in the HyperV Inventory, but I am always amused by the little things