Using Remote Administration | Introducing Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003

Windows Server 2003 operating systems architectures include additional remote management capabilities such as Remote Desktop for Administration (part of Terminal Services), Microsoft Management Console (MMC), Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI), Telnet service, and WMI. These are grouped under two major modalities for remote management tools and features. First are the tools intrinsic to Windows Server 2003 operating systems. These include Active Directory, Group Policy, Event Manager, Services, and many others. The second modality involves connections to computers remotely using the Remote Desktop snap-in and the Remote Desktop connection.

Systems employing Windows Server 2003 operating systems can be run in a "lights-out" environment. In this environment, a server can be administered remotely without any local interaction, such as from a local keyboard, mouse, or video card and monitor. The administrator can manage and monitor multiple sites remotely from one central location, diagnosing and resolving most problems efficiently without visiting each site individually. With the exception of adding or replacing hardware, you can set up your system so that you can perform all administrative tasks remotely from anywhere on the network using remote management capabilities.

Third-Party Administration Tools

An extensive number of remote management tools are available through other independent software vendors. An example of a type of tool provided by other vendors that you might find useful is an event management tool that aggregates large numbers of events from multiple systems. Other types of tools available include performance monitoring and capacity planning tools, which notify you when additional hardware is needed; and security monitoring tools, which can reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your system.

Remote Desktop for Administration

Remote Desktop for Administration (formerly known as Terminal Services in Remote Administration mode) provides remote access to the desktop of computers running any Windows Server 2003 operating system, allowing you to administer your server from virtually any computer on your network. Remote administration of servers with Remote Desktop for Administration is available on any computer running a member of the Windows Server 2003 family. A simpler version of Remote Desktop is also available on Windows XP Professional.

Using Remote Desktop for Administration can greatly reduce administrative overhead. Enabled by Terminal Services technology, Remote Desktop for Administration is specifically designed for server management. It does not install the application sharing and multiuser capabilities or the process scheduling of the full Terminal Server component (formerly called Terminal Services in Application Server mode). As a result, Remote Desktop for Administration can be used on an already-busy server without creating noticeable CPU impact. This makes Remote Desktop for Administration a convenient and efficient service for remote management.

Remote Desktop for Administration does not require you to purchase special licenses for client computers that access the server. It isn't necessary to install Terminal Server Licensing when using Remote Desktop for Administration. You can also fully administer Windows Server 2003 operating systems from computers running earlier versions of Windows by installing Remote Desktop Connection.

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