Windows Server management

Windows Server administration requires knowledge of the processes and tools to get the most out Microsoft's server operating system. This Windows Server management topic center provides tutorials and troubleshooting advice in key areas, such as network security, and the Core Server and Nano Server minimal server deployment options.

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June 12, 2018 12 Jun'18
Adobe zero-day fix precedes June Patch Tuesday

Adobe closed a zero-day vulnerability last week, which Microsoft added to its June Patch Tuesday updates. Administrators have a lighter workload, with about 50 exploits to address.
April 10, 2018 10 Apr'18
Windows out-of-band patches overshadow April Patch Tuesday

Microsoft delivered out-of-band security patches to address the Total Meltdown and malware engine exploits as a precursor to its regularly scheduled April Patch Tuesday fixes.
March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18
Intel microcode updates complicate admin patching duties

March Patch Tuesday adds several more mitigations for the Spectre and Meltdown exploits, this time for 32-bit server and client operating systems.
March 08, 2018 08 Mar'18
IT shops find their reasons to upgrade to Windows Server 2016

Selected technical features and technical support twilight inspires more Windows Server 2008 and 2012 IT shops to upgrade to Windows Server 2016.

Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content

How to build a Packer image for Azure

Packer is an open source tool that automates the Windows Server image building process to give administrators a consistent approach to create new VMs. Continue Reading
Windows Admin Center (formerly Project Honolulu)

Windows Admin Center, formerly Microsoft Project Honolulu, is a browser-based utility that manages Windows Server and client operating systems, hyper-converged clusters, and failover clusters. Continue Reading
How do I avoid Windows Defender compatibility issues?

Microsoft offers a free antimalware tool for client and server systems, but administrators need to tune the layers of protection to avoid problems. Continue Reading

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

Test your Storage Spaces Direct hyper-converged system smarts

Windows Server 2016 took Microsoft into the HCI game, with hyper-convergence features based on Storage Spaces Direct, the upgrade from Windows Server 2012's Storage Spaces feature. Continue Reading
Azure IaaS vs. PaaS: Find the right service to reduce costs

Ready to migrate on-premises workloads to the cloud? Administrators should question their assumptions before diving in with Azure IaaS and consider the benefits of PaaS. Continue Reading
Which Windows Server deployment features work best with HCI?

There are features in Windows Server 2016 that are specific to hyper-converged infrastructure, but many of the more basic functions also can be used to customize and improve HCI. Continue Reading

Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.

Failover cluster quorum considerations for Windows admins

Microsoft introduced Cloud Witness in Windows Server 2016, which adds a new wrinkle to its quorum model for failover clusters, but it might not be a good fit for some enterprises. Continue Reading
Manage Windows Server 2016 licensing cost with VMware DRS rules

VMware DRS offers a strategy to mitigate and delay the costs of Windows Server 2016. Use DRS rules to manage groups of hosts with different licenses and to limit licensing costs. Continue Reading
Enable resource metering in Hyper-V to collect usage data

Easily monitor resource utilization for your Hyper-V VMs by first enabling the resource metering feature and then collecting data with a few PowerShell commands. Continue Reading

We’ve gathered up expert advice and tips from professionals like you so that the answers you need are always available.

How do you reconnect a Hyper-V virtual switch to your VMs?

Save time by using PowerShell commands to reconnect your VMs to a new Hyper-V virtual switch. Different commands can access single VMs or many VMs whether they are local or remote. Continue Reading
How do you extract an ISO file before booting a VM?

Take advantage of PowerShell commands to clear ISO files from your VMs before booting and ensure their configuration is set to boot from the virtual hard drive, not the ISO. Continue Reading
Retrieve a Hyper-V event log with the Get-EventLog cmdlet

Use the Get-EventLog PowerShell cmdlet with the desired parameters to retrieve a Hyper-V event log. This command gets errors and warnings and exports them as a CSV file. Continue Reading