Manage Windows Server 2012 Core with Windows Admin Center

I have problems when it comes to manage Windows Server Core / without GUI.

This is my step by step on how to install Windows Admin Center to manage my servers.

I am using Windows 2012 Core Server as an example.

Before you start

1. Windows 2012 Core Survival Guide
2. Windows Admin Center
3. Windows 2012 Environment Preparation
4. Install and Configure WMF 5.1

Install Windows Server 2012 Core as usual

You don’t need my help to do this … :)

Change your server’s environment

Using sconfig, change some parameter here:

1. Change computer name.
2. Enable Remote Management.
3. Enable Remote Desktop with any client version.
4. Change IP to static.
5. Change date / time.

Remote Desktop your new server :

Before we can remote desktop to our server, we need to enable Firewall for remote desktop group:

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop"

Now we can manage our server with remote desktop:

Remote Desktop for the First Time

Firewall is something we don’t talk here. My environment is local LAN with no access to the internet.

Install Windows Admin Center to your Windows 10 Laptop:

• Download it here: ( https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-admin-center )
• Manage it Here : ( https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/manage/windows-admin-center/deploy/install )
• If you having problem with TrustedHosts : ( https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/manage/windows-admin-center/support/troubleshooting#configure-trustedhosts )

Add new server to your Windows Admin

On our laptop, Add server’s hostname to our laptop hosts file

192.168.0.50 vm-server2012

On the server, change some parameter:

• Enable WinRM :

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Enable-PSRemoting -Force

• Enable File and Printer Sharing :

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File and Printer Sharing"

• Install WMF version 5.1 or higher :
• Download here : ( https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=839516 )
• Copy your downloaded file to your server.
• Install it via remote desktop.

Now, add your server by their hostname.

Add Server

If you having problem connecting, it might be credential problem like mine. Select your server, then choose “manage as” and fill it with your username / password.

Specify Credential

Now, manage your server:

Server List

My Server List

Dashboard

Dashboard for my new server

That’s it, you may now manage your server anywhere using your browser.

If you have any problems following this article, you may contact me .

This article first appeared in my Github .