Using the Windows Small Business Server 2011 Console

The Windows SBS Console is an administrative tool, first introduced in Windows SBS 2008, which replaces the Server Management Console from Windows SBS 2003. Unlike Server Management, Windows SBS Console is not a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in; it is a standalone application that groups together many of the basic server management and monitoring functions that require separate applications in Windows Server 2008 R2.

Note:

Windows SBS Console does not replace the standard Windows Server 2008 R2 tools; it merely supplements them. While Windows SBS Console includes many of the tools that administrators use most often, the various Windows Server 2008 R2 utilities offer many more advanced functions.

1. Starting Windows SBS Console

When you log on to Windows SBS 2011 for the first time after the installation, the Windows SBS Console window opens by default and displays the interface shown in Figure 1. You can also start the program at any time by selecting Start > Administrative Tools > Windows SBS Console, and then clicking Yes in the User Account Control dialog box.

You might notice that the Administrative Tools group also contains a Windows SBS Console (Advanced Mode) shortcut. Selecting this shortcut opens a version of the Windows SBS Console that includes links to other Windows Server 2008 R2 tools, such as the Active Directory Users And Computers, DHCP, and DNS Manager Consoles.

Tip:

In addition to running the Windows SBS Console application on the server, you can access it from remote locations. From another computer on the local network, you can use the Remote Desktop Connection client to access the server and start Windows SBS Console. You can also use the Remote Web Workplace (RWW) site to access the server from anywhere on the Internet. The address for your RWW site is http://remote.domain_name.com, where http://domain_name.com is the name of your Internet domain.

2. Using the Windows SBS Console Interface

The Windows SBS Console has seven main pages represented by seven buttons at the top of the window. Clicking Home displays a page, different in appearance from the other six, which consists of two task panes and a status area. Each of these two panes has an arrow button on the right. Clicking the down arrow on the open pane minimizes it and moves it to the bottom, so that the other pane can open and take its place, as shown in Figure 2.

The other six pages in the console consist of tabbed lists of operating system elements on the left, as shown in Figure 3, and a context-sensitive task list on the right, which you can use to perform specific actions.

The functions found in the main pages of the Windows SBS Console are as follows:

• Home

  • Getting started tasks Contains a list of post-installation tasks to perform on your server

  • Frequent tasks and community links Contains links to the console’s most frequently used functions and to Windows SBS resources on the Internet

  • Network essentials summary Contains status displays for the servers on your network, along with links to appropriate pages with more information

• Users and groups

  • Users Contains a list of the user accounts you have created in your domain and enables you to create new user accounts and manage existing ones

  • User roles Enables you to create and manage templates that simplify the process of creating user accounts

  • Groups Contains a list of the Windows SBS security and distribution groups in your domain and enables you to create new groups and manage group memberships

• Network

  • Computers Contains a list of the computers on your network and enables you to add new computers and monitor existing ones

  • Devices Contains a list of shared print and fax devices on the network, and enables you to manage existing devices and share additional ones

  • Connectivity Contains a list of Windows SBS network and Internet resources and enables you to manage their properties

• Shared folders and web sites

  • Shared folders Contains a list of the shared folders on the network and enables you to create new shares and manage existing ones

  • Web sites Contains a list of the intranet and Internet websites for the organization and enables you to manage their properties and permissions

• Backup and server storage

  • Backup Contains a list of the scheduled backup jobs for the server and enables you to configure the jobs, check their status, and restore files from backups

  • Server storage Contains a list of the server’s storage volumes and enables you to move specific data stores to other locations

• Reports Contains a list of the Windows SBS reports that the system is configured to generate and enables you to view the reports and create new ones

• Security

  • Security Contains a list of the security mechanisms on the server, and enables you to check their status and view their properties

  • Updates Contains a list of the updates downloaded by Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), tracks their status, and enables you to deploy or decline them