Windows #002: Smart Setup Guide

Updating the server
Administering the system remotely
Chapter 4
58
Administering the system remotely
When a server is running normally, you can connect to the server over the network and
administer it using tools such as Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI),
Terminal Services Remote Desktop for Administration, Microsoft Management Console
(MMC), Telnet, Microsoft Script Host, and other third-party tools:
• WMI: A management infrastructure in Windows that supports monitoring and
controlling system resources through a common set of interfaces and provides a
logically organized, consistent model of Windows operation, configuration, and
status.
• Terminal Services: The underlying technology that enables Remote Desktop,
Remote Assistance, and Terminal Server.
• MMC: A framework for hosting administrative tools called snap-ins. A console might
contain tools, folders or other containers, World Wide Web pages, and other
administrative items.
• Telnet: A protocol that enables an Internet user to log on to and enter commands on
a remote computer linked to the Internet, as if the user were using a text-based
terminal directly attached to that computer. Telnet is part of the TCP/IP suite of
protocols. The term telnet also refers to the software (client or server component) that
implements this protocol.
When a server is not functioning normally, you must access the server without relying on
the network. you must establish a secure connection through a phone line or serial port,
or through an additional network connection (possibly on a secondary network).
For servers equipped with the proper firmware, Emergency Management Services
provides functionality that you can use to administer a server remotely. Except for
hardware maintenance and replacement, all administrative functions that you can
accomplish locally are also available remotely. This includes starting your system and
performing system-recovery tasks.
Emergency Management Services consists of components that are standard features of
Windows Server 2003, and to which console redirection functionality has been added.
Emergency Management Services also includes a remote-management console that is
unique to it: Special Administration Console (SAC). You access this console from a
remote system using terminal emulation software such as telnet, PuTTY, and
HyperTerminal.
Special Administration Console (SAC)
Special Administration Console (SAC) is the primary Emergency Management Services
command-line environment hosted by Windows Server 2003. It is separate from the
command-line environment and provides different functionality.
Because SAC is available early in the boot process, you can use it to manage the server
during normal system operation and initiation. You can also use it when the system is in
Safe Mode and during GUI-mode Setup. When Emergency Management Services is
enabled, SAC remains active as long as the kernel is running.