Lab answer key: Managing Windows Server

Note: An interactive lab simulation is available that allows you to click through this lab at your own pace. You may find slight differences between the interactive simulation and the hosted lab, but the core concepts and ideas being demonstrated are the same.

Exercise 1: Implementing and using remote server administration

Task 1: Install Windows Admin Center

  1. Connect to SEA-ADM1, and if needed, sign in as CONTOSO\Administrator with a password of Pa55w.rd.
  2. On SEA-ADM1, select Start, and then select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

  3. In the Windows PowerShell console, enter the following command, and then press Enter to download the latest version of Windows Admin Center:

    Start-BitsTransfer -Source https://aka.ms/WACDownload -Destination "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\WindowsAdminCenter.msi"

  4. Enter the following command, and then press Enter to install Windows Admin Center:

    Start-Process msiexec.exe -Wait -ArgumentList "/i $env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\WindowsAdminCenter.msi /qn /L*v log.txt REGISTRY_REDIRECT_PORT_80=1 SME_PORT=443 SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION=generate"

    Note: Wait until the installation completes. This should take about 2 minutes.

    Note: After installation completes, you may encounter the error message ‘ERR_Connection_Refused’. If this occurs, restart SEA-ADM1 to correct the issue.

Task 2: Add servers for remote administration

  1. On SEA-ADM1, start Microsoft Edge, and then go to https://SEA-ADM1.contoso.com.

    Note: If the link does not work, on SEA-ADM1, open File Explorer, select Downloads folder, in the Downloads folder select WindowsAdminCenter.msi file and install manually. After the install completes, refresh Microsoft Edge.

    Note: If you get NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID error, select Advanced on the Edge browser page, at the bottom of page select Continue to sea-adm1-contoso.com (unsafe).

  2. When prompted, in the Windows Security dialog box, enter the following credentials, and then select OK:

    • Username: CONTOSO\Administrator
    • Password: Pa55w.rd
  3. Review the New in this release pop-up window and select Close in its upper-right corner.
  4. Review the All connections page and note that it includes the sea-adm1.contoso.com entry.
  5. On the All connections page, select + Add.
  6. In the Add or create resources pane, on the Servers tile, select Add.
  7. In the Server name text box, enter sea-dc1.contoso.com.

  8. Ensure that the Use another account for this connection option is selected, enter the following credentials, and then select Add with credentials:

    • Username: CONTOSO\Administrator
    • Password: Pa55w.rd

    Note: After performing step 7, if an error message that says You can add this server to your list of connections, but we can’t confirm it’s available. appears, select Add. In the All Connections pane, select sea-svr1.contoso.com, and then select Manage as. In the Specify your credentials dialog box, ensure that the Use another account for this connection option is selected, enter the Administrator credentials, and then select Continue.

    Note: To perform single sign-on, you would need to set up Kerberos constrained delegation.

Task 3: Configure Windows Admin Center extensions

  1. On SEA-ADM1, in the upper-right corner of the Microsoft Edge window displaying Windows Admin Center, select the Settings icon (the cog wheel).
  2. In the left pane, select Extensions. Review the available extensions.

  3. Select the Security (Preview) extension, and then select Install. The extension will install and Windows Admin Center will refresh.

    Note: If the Security (Preview) extension is not available, choose another Microsoft extension.

  4. In the details pane, select Installed extensions and verify that the list includes the extension you just installed.
  5. On the top menu, next to Settings, select the drop-down arrow, and then select Server Manager.
  6. On the Server connections page, select the sea-dc1.contoso.com link.

  7. Ensure that Use another account for this connection option is selected, select the Use these credentials for all connections, enter the following credentials, and then select Continue:

    • Username: CONTOSO\Administrator
    • Password: Pa55w.rd
  8. To install the DNS PowerShell tools, in the left pane, in the list of Tools, select DNS, and then select Install. The tools will take less than a minute to install.
  9. Select the Contoso.com zone and review the list of its DNS records.

Task 4: Verify remote administration

  1. On SEA-ADM1, in Windows Admin Center, in the left pane, in the list of Tools, select Overview. Note that the details pane of Windows Admin Center displays basic server information and performance monitoring.
  2. In the left pane, in the list of Tools, scroll down and review the basic administration tools available. Select Roles & features and note which roles and features are listed as installed and which ones are available to install. Scroll down, select the Telnet Client checkbox, and then select + Install at the top of the pane.
  3. In the Install Roles and Features pane, select Yes and wait for the message confirming that Telnet Client was installed successfully.
  4. At the very bottom of the left pane, below the list of Tools, select Settings.
  5. In the Settings section on the right side, select Remote Desktop.
  6. In the Remote Desktop section, select the option Allow remote connections to this computer checkbox, and then select Save.
  7. In the left pane, in the list of Tools, select Remote Desktop.
  8. In the Remote Desktop pane, select the Automatically connect with the certificate presented by this machine checkbox, and then select Connect.
  9. When prompted, select Confirm, and then select Connect.
  10. Verify that you successfully connected via Remote Desktop to SEA-DC1 within the Windows Admin Center interface.
  11. Select Disconnect.
  12. Close the Microsoft Edge window.

Task 5: Administer servers with Remote PowerShell

  1. On SEA-ADM1, switch to the PowerShell console session.

  2. In the Windows PowerShell console, enter the following command, and then press Enter to start a PowerShell Remoting session to SEA-DC1:

    Enter-PSSession -ComputerName SEA-DC1

  3. From the [SEA-DC1] prompt, enter the following command and press Enter to display the status of the Application Identity service (AppIDSvc):

    Get-Service -Name AppIDSvc

    Note: Verify that the service is currently stopped.

  4. From the [SEA-DC1] prompt, enter the following command and press Enter to start the Application Identity service:

    Start-Service -Name AppIDSvc

  5. From the [SEA-DC1] prompt, enter the following command and press Enter to display the status of the Application Identity service (AppIDSvc):

    Get-Service -Name AppIDSvc

    Note: Verify that the service is currently running.

Results

After completing this exercise, you will have installed Windows Admin Center and connected it to the servers in your lab environment. You performed a number of remote management tasks including installing a feature as well as enabling and testing Remote Desktop connectivity. Finally, you used PowerShell Remoting to check the status of a service and then to start it.