Admin Tip #65: Microsoft's Administration Tools for Windows 2000

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Microsoft provides a fairly comprehensive set of tools for administrators. I would call some of these tools and some services. Some are integral to NT and W2K like Event Viewer. The tools are:

Tool Description
Active Directory Domains and Trusts administer domain trusts, change domain mode, add and change user principal name suffixes
Active Directory Sites and Services establishes and administers sites, replication, and security services
Active Directory Users and Computers manages users, computers, and groups within a domain
Certification Authority manages certificate services which issues certificates for public key security
Cluster Administrator (advanced server only) handles the configuration of clusters and nodes
Component Services configures and administers COM components and apps
Computer Management administers disks, shares, users, groups, and services on the local computer
Configure Your Server sets up and configures windows services
Connection Manager Administration Kit manages and customizes local and remote connections
Data Sources adds, removes, and configures ODBC databases and drivers
DHCP manages DHCP services
DHCP manages DHCP services
Distributed files system (DFS) manages DFS installations, topology, and replication
DNS manages DNS services
Event Viewer display application, security and system logs
Internet Authentication Service configures security and authenication for dialin users
Internet Services Manager manages IIS
Licensing Manager manages client licenses
Local Security Policy views and configures user rights, audit policy, and misc security settings applicable to local computer
Network Monitor captures network data for analysis
Performance Monitor views system performance graphs and configures performance logs and alerts
QoS Admission Control Quality of Service: assign network bandwidth by subnet
Remote Storage manages the storage of infrequently accessed files
Routing and Remote Access administers dialup, vpn, and internetwork connections
Server Extensions Administrator manages Front Page server extensions
Servies Manager start, stop, and configure services
Telephony manages telephony clients and servers
Telnet Server Administration start, stop, and provide info about Telnet server
Terminal Services Client Creator make floppy disks for installing Terminal Services client software
Terminal Services Configuration configures new connections for Terminal Services; modifies and deletes existing connections
Terminal Services Manager display terminal servers in trusted domains
WINS adminster WINS

Most admins want to run these tools from their W2K workstation. Open the i386 folder in the W2K server CD and double-click Adminpak.msi. This will start the Administration Tools Setup Wizard which you can use to install or remove admin tools. This version of the Admin tools will not install under XP. The .NET version of Adminpak.msi will. You can download the beta3 version of the Windows XP Administration Tools Pack .





A must for support and installations personnel as well as technical savvy users. 1800 pages with a wealth of information on the CD.