May 31, 2023

Installing Windows Admin Center on Windows Server 2022 with Desktop Experience and Server Core

By Roger Carvalho

In this post, we will explore the installation process of Windows Admin Center on Windows Server 2022 with Desktop Experience and Server Core. Windows Admin Center is a powerful management tool that provides a modern and streamlined interface for managing Windows Server environments.

Windows Admin Center is a browser-based management tool that allows system administrators to centrally manage Windows Server environments. It provides a modern and intuitive interface, replacing the traditional management consoles such as Server Manager and MMC (Microsoft Management Console). With Windows Admin Center, you can manage local and remote servers from a single pane of glass, making it an indispensable tool for administrators.

On this page:

Core Functionalities of Windows Admin Center
Installation Types
Supported Operating Systems
Management target: Supported operating systems
Installing Windows Admin Center (Gateway server) on Windows Server with desktop experience
Installing Windows Admin Center (Gateway server) on Server Core
Basic Configuration and Quick Walkthrough
Adding connections to Windows Admin Center
Bottom Line

Let’s begin.

Core Functionalities of Windows Admin Center

Server Management: Windows Admin Center offers a comprehensive set of management tools to handle various server tasks, including managing roles and features, configuring network settings, monitoring performance, and managing storage and virtual machines.
Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) Management: Windows Admin Center simplifies the management of hyper-converged infrastructure, allowing administrators to manage storage, networking, and virtual machines in an integrated manner.
Azure Integration: Windows Admin Center provides seamless integration with Azure services, allowing administrators to manage Azure resources, configure hybrid scenarios, and monitor Azure virtual machines.
PowerShell and Command-Line Integration: Windows Admin Center offers support for PowerShell and command-line management, enabling administrators to leverage their scripting and automation skills.

Installation Types

Local client	Gateway server	Managed server	Failover cluster
Install on a local Windows 10 client that has connectivity to the managed servers. Great for quick start, testing, ad-hoc or small scale scenarios.	Install on a designated gateway server and access from any client browser with connectivity to the gateway server. Great for large-scale scenarios.	Install directly on a managed server for the purpose of remotely managing the server or a cluster in which it’s a member node. Great for distributed scenarios.	Deploy in a failover cluster to enable high availability of the gateway service. Great for production environments to ensure resiliency of your management service.

Supported Operating Systems

You can install Windows Admin Center on the following Windows operating systems:

Platform	Installation mode
Windows 11	Local client
Windows 10	Local client
Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel	Gateway sever, managed server, failover cluster
Windows Server 2016	Gateway sever, managed server, failover cluster
Windows Server 2019	Gateway sever, managed server, failover cluster
Windows Server 2022	Gateway sever, managed server, failover cluster

Management target: Supported operating systems

You can manage the following Windows operating systems using Windows Admin Center:

Version	Manage node via Server Manager	Manage via Cluster Manager
Windows 11	Yes (via Computer Management)	N/A
Windows 10	Yes (via Computer Management)	N/A
Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2022	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2019	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2016	Yes	Yes, with latest cumulative update
Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2012 R2	Yes	Yes
Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2	Yes	Yes
Windows Server 2012	Yes	Yes
Azure Stack HCI 21H2 and higher	Yes	Yes

Installing Windows Admin Center (Gateway server) on Windows Server with desktop experience

For the purpose of writing this post, we have installed Windows Admin Center (Gateway server) on Hyper-V hosted a virtual machine running Windows Server 2022 with desktop experience, you can follow our post Step-By-Step: How to Install, Set up, and Configure Windows Server 2022 to install similar system. If you do not have Hyper-V already installed in your environment, our other post Step-By-Step: Turning on Hyper-V on Windows 11 can guide you through that. You do not necessarily need a Hyper-V virtual machine to complete the Windows Admin Center installation, any either physical or virtual system running Windows Server might fit the requirements.

1. On a browser in the Windows Server where you want to install Windows Admin Center Gateway server, visit "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/windows-admin-center", click "Download Windows Admin Center" to download the installer program
2. Once the installation file finishes downloading, click to open it
3. Read and accept the terms and click "Next"
4. Select the best options about sending diagnostic data to Microsoft and click "Next"
5. Select if you want to get updates for Windows Admin Center through Microsoft Update, it is recommended to enable it so Windows Admin Center is kept more secure and up-to-date
6. On "Install Window Admin Center on Windows Server" screen, click "Next"
7. Accept or change the Windows Admin Center options and click "Next"
8. Accept of change the Windows Admin Center options for service network port and SSL certificate, then click "Install"
9. Windows Admin Center will install, please be patient
10. Once the installation completes, you can click the presented link to access Windows Admin Center, click "Finish" to close the installation program
11. Windows Admin Center will be launched on the browser, enter your administrative credentials for this system and click "OK"
12. When Windows Admin Center opens, you can click "Read what's new" to get to know it better or click "X" to close the Welcome page
13. Windows Admin Center will automatically update the installed extensions, click "OK" when it finishes. If you see a notification saying the machine needs to be rebooted, proceed with it, then log in back to Windows Server and relaunch Windows Admin Center
14. Click the link representing your system to access it, note the "[Gateway]" information in front of the computer name
15. You now see system overview of your Windows Admin Center
16. Click "Settings" to configure basic settings of your system
17. On the "Tools" menu you find links to access the configuration of several functionalities of your Window Server now acting as a Windows Admin Center Gateway server
18. By clicking "PowerShell", you are able to access a remote console to run commands directly on the host serving as Windows Admin Center Gateway server

Installing Windows Admin Center (Gateway server) on Server Core

For the purpose of writing this post, we have installed Windows Admin Center (Gateway server) on Hyper-V hosted a virtual machine running Windows Server 2022 (Server Core), you can follow our post Step-By-Step: How to Install, Set up, and Configure Windows Server 2022 to install similar system. If you do not have Hyper-V already installed in your environment, our other post Step-By-Step: Turning on Hyper-V on Windows 11 can guide you through that. You do not necessarily need a Hyper-V virtual machine to complete the Windows Admin Center installation, any either physical or virtual system running Windows Server might fit the requirements.

1. Log into the Windows Server Core where you want to install Windows Admin Center Gateway server, type "15" and press "Enter" to access the command line
2. Typing "powershell" and pressing "Enter" will ensure you are running a PowerShell console
3. Type "cd + DirectoryToSaveInstallationProgram" to change the current working directory to a destination where you want to download the Windows Admin Center installation program, and type "Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing -Uri "https://aka.ms/wacdownload" -OutFile .wac.msi" and then press "Enter". Download will start as you can see in the blue status label
When the download of installation program completes, type the command "msiexec /i wac.msi /qn /L*v log.txt SME_PORT=443 SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION=generate" (change the SME_PORT and SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION if needed) and press "Enter" to run the installation

Warning 1: Installing Windows Admin Center will restart the WinRM service, which will sever all remote PowerShells sessions. It is recommended that you install from a local Cmd or PowerShell. If you are installing with an automation solution that would be broken by the WinRM service restarting, you can add the parameter "RESTART_WINRM=0" to the install arguments, but WinRM must be restarted for Windows Admin Center to function.

Warning 2: Don't invoke msiexec from PowerShell using dot-slash relative path notation (like, .\WindowsAdminCenterInstallerName.msi). That notation isn't supported, the installation will fail. Remove the .\ prefix or specify the full path to the MSI.
5. When the installation completes, on a browser of a system that can reach that Windows Server Core, browse to its IP address or FQDN (if you have DNS resolution in place). Do not forget to specify the port if you have chosen a different port than 443. Your browser might say that site is not private/safe, if you have used a self-signed certificate for the installation. Click "Advanced"
6. Click the link to continue/proceed visiting the your just installed Windows Admin Center
7. Enter your administrative credentials for the Windows Server Core where you installed Windows Admin Center Gateway server and click "OK"
8. When Windows Admin Center opens, you can click "Read what's new" to get to know it better or click "X" to close the Welcome page
9. Windows Admin Center will automatically update the installed extensions. You will see a notification saying the Windows Admin Center Gateway server machine needs to be rebooted
10. Click the link representing your Windows Admin Center Gateway server to access it
11. Click "Restart" to reboot it as requested
12. Click "Yes" to confirm restarting your Windows Admin Center Gateway server host
13. When your Windows Admin Center Gateway server machine is back up, refresh your browser session
14. Click again the link representing your Windows Admin Center Gateway server to access it
15. You now see system overview of your Windows Admin Center Gateway server
16. Click "Settings" to configure basic settings of your system
17. On the "Tools" menu you find links to access the configuration of several functionalities of your Windows Admin Center Gateway server
18. By clicking "PowerShell", you are able to access a remote console to run commands directly on the host serving as Windows Admin Center Gateway server

Basic Configuration and Quick Walkthrough

1. Click the cogwheel icon to open Settings of Windows Admin Center
2. On "Account" tab, you check status of registration with Azure
3. On "Language/Region" tab, you can change "Language" e "Regional format" options
4. On "Personalization" tab, you can choose "Light mode" or "Dark mode" for system colors
5. On "Suggestions" tab, you can enable/disable categories of suggestions provided by Windows Admin Center
6. On "Advanced" tab, you can enable/disable "Developer Guide" e configure "Console log level"
7. On "Performance Profile" tab, you can configure how Windows Admin Center collects managed systems' performance data
8. On "Access" tab, you can register Windows Admin Center gateway server with Azure, enable authentication based on Azure Active Directory and manage groups that are allowed to access and manage Windows Admin Center
9. On "Diagnostic & feedback" tab, you can define how much diagnostic data you want to share with Microsoft
10. On "Extensions" tab, "Available extensions" section, you can view and install available extensions
11. On "Extensions" tab, "Installed extensions" section, you can view/uninstall installed extensions
12. On "Extensions" tab, "Feeds" section, you can view/add/remove Extensions package feeds
13. On "General" tab, you can configure "Session expiration" options
14. On "Internet Access" tab, you can define how much access to the internet is given to Windows Admin Center
15. On "Proxy" tab, you can configure proxy settings for outbound traffic of Windows Admin Center
16. On "Register" tab, you can register your Windows Admin Center Gateway server with Azure
17. On "Shared Connections" tab, you can connect to Servers, Windows PCs, Servers Clusters or Azure VMs to be managed through Windows Admin Center
18. On "Updates" tab, you can check if Windows Admin Center is up to date and perform an update if needed

Adding connections to Windows Admin Center

1. Click "Windows Admin Center" to go back to its Home Page
2. Click "+ Add"
3. Click the respective "Add" button to add Servers, Windows PCs, Servers Clusters or Azure VMs. We are connecting a Windows Server
4. Enter IP address of FQDN (if you have DNS resolution in place) of the system you want to add, select between either the Windows account you are logged in or enter administrative credentials for the system you are connecting to Windows Admin Center, then click "Add with credentials"
5. System will be labelled using "Found name", unless you check the checkbox to add it using exactly the name you entered in the "Server name" field, click "Add" to complete
6. Windows Admin Center notifies you if the new connection was added successfully, click the just added managed system
7. You see that system's overview information, notice the URL stating that system's label within the Windows Admin Center
8. By clicking "PowerShell", you are able to access a remote console to run commands directly on that computer
9. On "Settings" tab, "Remote Desktop" section, you can configure, for example, that managed system's Remote Desktop configuration. Let's enable it by selecting "Allow remote connections to this computer" and clicking "Save"
10. Now, clicking "Remote Desktop" under "Tools" menu, allows us to Remote Desktop to that managed system
11. As we have added a Windows Server Core host, only the SConfig console is displayed, systems with Desktop experience would allow a full Remote Desktop session
12. You can click "Disconnect" to terminate the Remote Desktop connection

Bottom Line

Windows Admin Center is a powerful management tool that simplifies the administration of Windows Server environments. With its modern interface and comprehensive set of management functionalities, Windows Admin Center enhances productivity and streamlines day-to-day operations. By following the installation steps outlined in this post, you can set up Windows Admin Center on Windows Server 2022, whether with Desktop Experience or Server Core, and take advantage of its rich feature set to efficiently manage your servers.

Remember, Windows Admin Center is a continuously evolving tool, with new features and improvements being introduced regularly. Stay updated with the latest releases to leverage the full potential of Windows Admin Center for your server management needs.

Tagswindows-server-core tools windows-admin-center windows-server