Microsoft did a great job with Server Manager in Windows Server 2012. It is truly a cross-server enterprise-scope tool. Server Manager does a great job of managing both the Server Core and GUI-based versions of Windows Server 2012 individually or in groups. It mostly uses PowerShell, which means you can write the PowerShell commands yourself of course.
For those of us who prefer a GUI management console, keyboard shortcuts to various Server Management components are useful. Many of the keyboard shortcuts are both unique to Server Manager and different than Windows Server 2008.
Here are my favorites:
Active Control Area | Control Group | Keyboard Shortcut |
Role and group thumbnails | Roles and Server Groups tile | Alt+R |
Console header controls | Refresh | F5 |
Back button in the address bar | Alt+Left arrow | |
Forward button in the address bar | Alt+right arrow | |
Notifications area, open Task Details dialog box | Alt+N | |
Manage menu | Alt+M | |
View menu | Alt+V | |
Zoom in | Ctrl+Plus | |
Zoom out | Ctrl+Minus | |
Display console at 100% | Ctrl+0 (zero) | |
Tiles on role, group, or Local Server pages | Local Server page Properties tile | Alt+P |
Role, group, or local server page page Events tile | Alt+E | |
Role, group, or local server page Services tile | Alt+R | |
Role, group, or local server page Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) tile | Alt+B | |
Role, group, or local server page Performance tile | Alt+O | |
Role, group, or local server page Roles and Features tile | Alt+A | |
All Servers page Servers tile | Alt+A | |
Local Server Properties tile | Computer name | Alt+C |
Last installed updates | Alt+L | |
Domain or Workgroup | Alt+D | |
Windows Update | Alt+W | |
Last checked for updates | Alt+S | |
Remote management | Alt+R | |
Windows Firewall | Alt+F | |
Remote Desktop | Alt+K | |
Windows Error Reporting | Alt+G | |
NIC Teaming | Alt+T | |
Wired Ethernet connection | Alt+O | |
IE Enhanced Security Configuration | Alt+Y | |
Time zone | Alt+Z | |
Product ID | Alt+U | |
Events, Services, BPA, Performance, and Roles and Features tiles | Tasks menu | Alt+T |
Filter control | Alt+F | |
Query control | Alt+Q | |
Save queries | Alt+S |
I hope at least one of these shortcuts helps you out!
Mike Danseglio -CISSP / CEH
Interface Technical Training – Technical Director and Instructor
