Microsoft Management ConsoleConcepts

Microsoft Management ConsoleConcepts

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WS2003 administration is based largely on a software framework called the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). The MMC is an application that in itself has no administrative functionality, but in which other software components called snap-ins can be installed and utilized. Each of these snap-ins provides basic administrative functionality for some component or aspect of WS2003. When one or more snap-ins are installed in the MMC, the result is called a console. WS2003 includes a number of preconfigured consoles and utilities called administrative tools. These tools can be launched by shortcuts found in the Administrative Tools program group .

Snap-ins

Table 4-28 lists the various snap-ins included with WS2003. If the table entry under "Component Required" is "None," the snap-in is present when a typical setup of WS2003 has been performed; otherwise , the associated Windows component must be installed before the snap-in becomes available in the Add/Remove Standalone Snap-in box.

Table 4-28. Snap-ins available with WS2003

Snap-in	Component required
.NET Framework 1.1 Configuration	None
Active Directory Domains and Trusts	None
Active Directory Sites and Services	None
Active Directory Users and Computers	None
ActiveX Control	None
Authorization Manager	None
Certificate Templates	None
Certificates	None
Certification Authority	None
Component Services	None
Computer Management	None
Device Manager	None
DHCP	DHCP
Disk Defragmenter	None
Disk Management	None
Distributed File System	None
DNS	DNS
Event Viewer	None
Fax Service Management	Fax Service
Folder	None
FrontPage Server Extensions	FrontPage Server Extensions
Group Policy Object Editor	None
Indexing Service	None
Internet Authentication Service (IAS)	None
Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager	IIS
IP Security Monitor	None
IP Security Policy Management	None
Link to Web Address	None
Local Users and Groups	None
Performance Logs and Alerts	None
QoS Admission Control	QoS Admission Control
Remote Desktop	None
Remote Storage	Remote Storage
Removable Storage Management	None
Resultant Set of Policy	None
Routing and Remote Access	None
Security Configuration and Analysis	None
Security Templates	None
Services	None
Shared Folders	None
Telephony	None
Terminal Services Client Creator	Terminal Services
Terminal Services Configuration	None
Terminal Services Licensing	Terminal Services Licensing
Terminal Services Manager	Terminal Services
WINS	WINS
Wireless Monitor	None
WMI Control	None

When you try to add a snap-in to an MMC console, a dialog box sometimes appears prompting you for further information. For example, if you try to add the Computer Management snap-in to a console, a dialog box appears prompting you to specify whether the console will be used to manage the local computer or a remote computer. As a different example, when you install the Shared Folders snap-in, you must specify whether to display all three subnodes (Shares, Sessions, and Open Files) or just one of them. Table 4-29 summarizes the options offered when installing various snap-ins. When no options are indicated, no dialog box appears when you try to add the snap-in.

Table 4-29. Options when installing a new snap-in into a console

Snap-in	Manage local or remote computer	Select computer from command line	Other options
Active Directory Domains and Trusts
Active Directory Sites and Services
Active Directory Users and Computers
ActiveX Control			Starts the Insert ActiveX Control Wizard
Certificates			Can specify whether to manage the user , service, or computer account
Component Services
Computer Management	Yes	Yes
Device Manager	Yes
Disk Defragmenter
Disk Management	Yes
Distributed File System
DNS
Event Viewer	Yes	Yes
Fax Service Management	Yes
Folder
FrontPage Server Extensions
Group Policy	Yes	Yes
Indexing Service	Yes
Internet Authentication Service	Yes
Internet Information Services
IP Security Policy Management	Yes		Can manage domain policy for current or different domain
Link to Web Address			Can specify URL
Local Users and Groups	Yes	Yes
Performance Logs and Alerts
QoS Admission Control
Removable Storage Management	Yes	Yes
Routing and Remote Access
Security Configuration and Analysis
Security Templates
Services	Yes	Yes
Shared Folders	Yes	Yes	Can also display one or all subnodes
System Information	Yes
Telephony
WMI Control	Yes		Can specify credentials when managing remote computers

Consoles

Let's examine one particular administrative tool as an example of a preconfigured MMC console. The tool we will look at is Computer Management, which is used to manage a variety of resources on both local and remote computers. You can launch the Computer Management console in several ways:

• Start Programs Administrative Tools Computer Management

• By using My Computer or Windows Explorer to browse the System32 folder and double-clicking on the file compmgmt.msc

• From the command line by typing %SystemRoot%\system32\compmgmt.msc

• By opening a new (blank) MMC console and adding the Computer Management snap-in to create a custom MMC console

Computer Management consists of a single window with two panes:

Left pane

Displays a treelike structure of different nodes called the console tree. The root node identifies the snap-in involved (Computer Management) and displays which computer is currently being managed (local computer). Beneath the root node are three containers (System Tools, Storage, and Services and Applications) whose only purpose is to group together the nodes under them according to function or usagethese nodes themselves being either leaf nodes (nodes that can't contain other nodes) or further containers.

Right pane

Also called the details pane. What is displayed in this pane depends entirely on which node is selected in the left pane of the console tree. For example, if you select Event Viewer under System Tools in the left pane, the right pane displays a simple list showing the various logs that are managed by this tool. The details pane can also contain more complex elements such as multiple subpanes, graphic elements, or web pages, depending on the node selected in the console tree.

Besides the other usual Windows gadgets (titlebar, control gadget, sizing gadgets, status bar), there is also a toolbar displayed in the console window. This toolbar is context-sensitive, meaning that it changes depending on which node you select in the console tree or which object you select in the details pane. The toolbar typically includes several drop-down menus such as Action and View, usually providing the same set of options you obtain in the shortcut menu when you right-click on a node in the console tree or an object in the details pane.

The real power of the MMC, however, resides in the capability of creating your own custom MMC consoles. Custom consoles can contain any snap-ins you wish and can be arranged into a console tree in any fashion you desire . Some of the reasons you might want to create custom consoles include:

• Creating a console that can be used to manage the resources on more than one computer at a time (the preconfigured administrative tool called Computer Management can connect to only one computer at a time)

• Creating a console that can be used to manage a limited subset of resources on a computer and then assigning this console to a junior-level administrator

• Creating a console with multiple windows arranged just the way you like it

• Creating a console with shortcuts to frequently used nodes and objects to facilitate easy administration of those nodes and objects

Default Consoles

Table 4-30 lists the various preconfigured consoles ( .msc files) installed on WS2003. Some of these files are present only when certain optional Windows components like DHCP or DNS are installed. All of these are found in the \System32 folder except:

comexp.msc

\system32\Com

iis.msc

\system32\inetsrv

mscorcfg .msc

\system32\Microsoft.NET\Framework\version

Table 4-30. WS2003 .msc files

File	Console
acssnap.msc	QoS Admission Control
appsrv.msc	Application Server
asman.msc	Authorization Manager
certmgr.msc	Certificates
certsrv.msc	Certification Authority
certtmpl.msc	Certificate Templates
ciadv.msc	Indexing Service
comexp.msc	Component Services
compmgmt.msc	Computer Management
dcpol.msc	Domain Controller Security Policy
devmgmt.msc	Device Manager
dfrg.msc	Disk Defragmenter
DFSgui.msc	Distributed File System
dhcpmgmt.msc	DHCP
diskmgmt.msc	Disk Management
dnsmgmt.msc	DNS
domain.msc	Active Directory Domains and Trusts
dompol.msc	Domain Security Policy
dsa.msc	Active Directory Users and Computers
dssite.msc	Active Directory Sites and Services
eventvwr.msc	Event Viewer
faxserv.msc	Fax Service Management
filesrv.msc	File Server Management
fsmgmt.msc	Shared Folders
gpedit.msc	Group Policy Object Editor
ias.msc	Internet Authentication Service
iis.msc	Internet Information Services
lusrmgr.msc	Local Users and Groups
mscorcfg.msc	.NET 1.1 Configuration
ntmsmgr.msc	Removable Storage
ntmsoprq.msc	Removable Storage Operator Requests
perfmon.msc	Performance
rrasmgmt.msc	Routing and Remote Access
rsadmin.msc	Remote Storage
rsop.msc	Resultant Set of Policy
secpol.msc	Local Security Settings
services.msc	Services
tapimgmt.msc	Telephony
tscc.msc	Terminal Services Configuration
tsmcc.msc	Remote Desktops
winsmgmt.msc	WINS
wmimgmt.msc	Windows Management Infrastructure (WMI)