Now let us try to connect to the AD LDS Instance CONTOSO using ADSI Edit. Click on Start - Search “ADSI Edit” and open it. Right Click on ADSI Edit Folder (on the left pane) and choose Connect To. Fill the following values and Click OK. If the connection is successful, we will be able to browse the Directory CN=MRS,DC=CONTOSO,DC=COM. Microsoft Advertising Editor: Campaign management tool Save time and improve the performance of your search marketing campaigns. When you download Editor for Windows or Mac, you'll get an intuitive and simple desktop application that streamlines your PPC campaign management — online or offline. To install specific RSAT tools on Windows 10 October 2018 Update or later Starting with Windows 10 October 2018 Update, RSAT is included as a set of 'Features on Demand' right from Windows 10. Do not download an RSAT package from this page. Instead, just go to 'Manage optional features' in Settings and click 'Add a feature' to see the list. ADSIEdit.msc is not a standard tool installed for Windows Server 2012R2. If you want this tool, you need to install the AD management tools feature. This has nothing to do with ConfigMgr though.
-->This article describes the tools that are available in Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows.
Original product version: Windows 10, version 1909, Windows 10, version 1903, Windows 10, version 1809. Windows 7 Service Pack 1. Windows Server 2019. Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number: 2693643
Introduction
RSAT enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server from a computer that is running Windows 10 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1.
You can't install RSAT on computers that are running Home or Standard editions of Windows. You can install RSAT only on Professional or Enterprise editions of the Windows client operating system. Unless the download page specifically states that RSAT applies to a beta, preview, or other prerelease version of Windows, you must be running a full (RTM) release of the Windows operating system to install and use RSAT. Some users have found ways of manually cracking or hacking the RSAT MSU to install RSAT on unsupported releases or editions of Windows. This behavior is a violation of the Windows end-user license agreement.
Installing RSAT is similar to installing Adminpak.msi in Windows 2000-based or Windows XP-based client computers. However, there's one major difference: in Windows 7, the tools aren't automatically available after you download and install RSAT. Enable the tools that you want to use by using Control Panel. To enable the tools, click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs and Features, and then click Turn Windows features on or off.
In the RSAT releases for Windows 10, tools are again all enabled by default. You can open Turn Windows features on or off to disable tools that you don't want to use for Windows 7.
For RSAT in Windows 7, you must enable the tools for the roles and features that you want to manage after you run the downloaded installation package.
Note
You can't do the following changes for RSAT in Windows 8 or later versions.
If you have to install management tools in Windows Server 2012 R2 for specific roles or features that are running on remote servers, you don't have to install additional software. Start the Add Roles and Features Wizard in Windows Server 2012 R2 and later versions. Then, on the Select Features page, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, and then select the tools that you want to install. Complete the wizard to install your management tools.
Download locations for RSAT
RSAT for Windows 10 platform and tools support matrix
Remote Server Administration Tools Technology | Description | Manages technology in Windows Server 2012 R2 | Manages technology in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview and Windows Server 2012 R2 |
---|---|---|---|
Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) tools | AD CS tools include the Certification Authority, Certificate Templates, Enterprise PKI, and Online Responder Management snap-ins. | √ | √ |
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) tools and Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) tools | AD DS and AD LDS tools include the following tools: - Active Directory Administrative Center - Active Directory Domains and Trusts - Active Directory Sites and Services - Active Directory Users and Computers - ADSI Edit - Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell - Tools such as
| √ | |
Best Practices Analyzer | Best Practices Analyzer cmdlets for Windows PowerShell | √ | √ |
BitLocker Drive Encryption Administration Utilities | Manage-bde , Windows PowerShell cmdlets for BitLocker, BitLocker Recovery Password Viewer for Active Directory | √ | √ |
DHCP Server tools | DHCP Server tools include the DHCP Management Console, the DHCP Server cmdlet module for Windows PowerShell, and the Netsh command-line tool. | √ | √ |
DirectAccess, Routing, and Remote Access | - Routing and Remote Access management console - Connection Manager Administration Kit console - Remote Access provider for Windows PowerShell - Web Application Proxy | √ | √ |
DNS Server tools | DNS Server tools include the DNS Manager snap-in, the DNS module for Windows PowerShell, and the Ddnscmd.exe command-line tool. | √ | √ |
Failover Clustering tools | Failover Clustering tools include Failover Cluster Manager, Failover Clusters (Windows PowerShell cmdlets), MSClus, Cluster.exe, Cluster-Aware Updating management console, Cluster-Aware Updating cmdlets for Windows PowerShell | √ | √ GUI tools support Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview and Windows Server 2012 R2. Only PowerShell tools work in Windows Server 2012. |
File Services tools | File Services tools include the following tools: - Share and Storage Management tools - Distributed File System tools
- File Server Resource Manager tools
- Services for NFS Administration tools - iSCSI management cmdlets for Windows PowerShell - Work Folders Management tools | √ | √ The Share and Storage Management snap-in is deprecated after the release of Windows Server 2016. Storage Replica is new in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, and won't work in Windows Server 2012 R2. |
Group Policy Management tools | Group Policy Management tools include Group Policy Management Console, Group Policy Management Editor, and Group Policy Starter GPO Editor. | √ | √ Group Policy has some new features in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview that aren't available on older operating systems. |
Hyper-V tools | Hyper-V tools include the Hyper-V Manager snap-in and the Virtual Machine Connection remote access tool. | Hyper-V tools aren't part of Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10. These tools are available as part of Windows 10. You don't have to install RSAT to use the tools. The Hyper-V Manager console for Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview doesn't support managing Hyper-V servers running Server 2008 or Server 2008 R2. | Hyper-V in Windows 10 can manage Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 R2. |
IP Address Management (IPAM) Management tools | IP Address Management client console | √ IPAM tools in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 can't be used to manage IPAM running in Windows Server 2012 R2. | √ IPAM tools in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10 can't be used to manage IPAM running in Windows Server 2012 R2. |
Network Adapter Teaming, or NIC Teaming | NIC Teaming management console | √ | √ |
Network Controller | Network Controller PowerShell module | Not available | √ |
Network Load Balancing tools | Network Load Balancing tools include the Network Load Balancing Manager, Network Load Balancing Windows PowerShell cmdlets, and the NLB.exe and WLBS.exe command-line tools. | √ | √ |
Remote Desktop Services tools | Remote Desktop Services tools include: - Remote Desktop snap-ins - RD Gateway Manager - tsgateway.msc - RD Licensing Manager - licmgr.exe - RD Licensing Diagnoser - lsdiag.msc Use Server Manager to administer all other RDS role services except RD Gateway and RD Licensing. | √ | √ |
Server for NIS tools | Server for NIS tools include an extension to the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, and the Ypclear.exe command-line tool | These tools aren't available in RSAT for Windows 10 and later releases. | |
Server Manager | Server Manager includes the Server Manager console. Remote management with Server Manager is available in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012. | √ | √ |
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) Server tools | SMTP Server tools include the SMTP snap-in. | These tools aren't available in RSAT for Windows 8 and later releases. | |
Storage Explorer tools | Storage Explorer tools include the Storage Explorer snap-in. | These tools aren't available in RSAT for Windows 8 and later releases. | |
Storage Manager for Storage Area Network (SAN) tools | Storage Manager for SAN tools include the Storage Manager for SAN snap-in and the Provisionstorage.exe command-line tool. | These tools aren't available in RSAT for Windows 8 and later releases. | |
Volume Activation | Manage Volume Activation, vmw.exe | √ | √ |
Windows System Resource Manager tools | Windows System Resource Manager tools include the Windows System Resource Manager snap-in and the Wsrmc.exe command-line tool. | √ WSRM has been deprecated in Windows Server 2012 R2. Tools for managing WSRM aren't available in RSAT for Windows 8.1 and later releases of RSAT. | |
Windows Server Update Services tools | Windows Server Update Services tools include the Windows Server Update Services snap-in, WSUS.msc, and PowerShell cmdlets. | √ | √ |
References
This week started interesting, a customer where we are building a new environment experienced a complete disaster as their current environment went down. As I was first on the site I heard people talk about that they couldn’t use “the environment”, so I rushed up and took a look at what was wrong and to start the troubleshooting. At the time I logged on, less than 10% of the desktops were still available and 90% was in provisioning (missing) or deleting (missing) state.
The environment was in a state that no one knew which information about the virtual machines (linked clones) was correct. Composer had some info, vCenter had some info and the connection servers ADAM database(s) had some info. Unfortunately no one trusted what was having the correct info, vCenter – if they would have the issue was resolved fast. Now I needed to troubleshoot and fix stuff.
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So we have a classic no one trusts anyone and I needed to get 250 desktops up and running asap. Together with VMware we went through the environment and first tried to get a picture of what was happening. It took in total about 10 hours to get everything up and running so I thought perhaps it is good to share what we did and what we used.
It will be a short blog but I hope you will get the info you need if something like this happens to you.
Tools we used
We used the following tools / commands etc;
- ADSI Edit – read about how here – link –
- ViewDBCHK – found in the bin folder of the connection server from version 6 up.
- Notepad++ – Read the composer and connection server log files
- RepAdmin – check on replication status and remove orphan replication partners
- View Administrator console – remove virtual machines
I think that is what I used, it’s a combination of things you need. Let me talk you through the most important ones.
RepAdmin
We saw pretty soon that we had a replication issue which was the source of the issue, Composer was getting mixed messages from connection servers but not all information was consistent so it freaked out. We started with looking in the log files but soon after we went to some of the connection servers and look at repadmin to see what it was doing.
The following command show the status: repadmin.exe /showrepl localhost:389 DC=vdi,DC=vmware,DC=int
Download Adsi Edit Tool Windows 10
So we noted that one of the servers was having a bad time and was out of sync, it was showing a access denied on replication. To fix that we removed the software, so VMware View Connection server and the AD LDS Instance VMwareVDMDS software. Also make sure you remove the Role from the Server manager. Once the software is gone you need to remove it from the ADAM database otherwise the rest still thinks it is there.
With the command, vdmadmin.exe -S -r -s connection_server_nameyou remove the server from the ADAM database. You need to run this command from the other server. The name you enter is not the FQDN but the hostname.
After this you reinstall the Connection server software, we did, and run the first command again to check the status. That was part 1, now the environment got the right information again from all servers. Now we needed to get those 250 desktops available again because still the information was wrong on both sides.
From here on you work with ADSI Edit and VIEWDBCHK to troubleshoot.
VIEWDBCHK
There is a new tool to help you troubleshoot, not that new but somehow new. If you run version 5.3 or newer it is available on the connection server. It is one of the hidden gems of VMware that you can’t miss in these cases. Before we had this tool we needed to work with ADSI Edit and that was no fun (actually it was but that is my sick mind).
So VIEWDBCHK it is, you have a couple of option to run it but there are two you need to remember to debug and fix.
The command ViewDBChk –scanMachines will scan your environment and all you desktop pools to see if there are desktops with errors. It will only report so it is nice to run and see what it gives. We had 139 desktop with errors and 110 that were in such a state even ViewDBchk had no idea what to do with them 🙂
after you run it you are asked if you want to disable provisioning of a pool, if you answer “y” or “n” it will just end, you need to answer “yes” or “no”.
The next command ViewDBChk –scanMachines –limit 10 –force will help you actually clean up the mess. The limit of 10 is set so that is will only delete 10 machines and end again, you can put a higher number there but I think it is better to do thing is small numbers. The –Force will not ask you for deletion with will delete desktops in error state.
Adsi Download Windows 10
There are more options, look for them here – link –
You need to run this multiple times, it will find more desktops with errors every time. We ran this tool perhaps 20 times before we got no desktops with errors found.
ADSI Edit
The last tool we used is ADSI Edit, before I wrote that you don’t need ADSI Edit anymore and that ViewDBchk will help you. Well that’s partly true, it will fix 95% of your desktops by deleting them but that 5% will not be detected as it is a unknown state. For those desktops we still revert to ADSI Edit.
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Connect to the environment by enteringConclusion
After all these steps VMware is fixing it self, the bad desktops that were in missing state have been deleted and new ones were created. Those new ones did conflict with the ones already in vCenter but at this time VMware knew which desktop was the right one, so the vCenter desktop was deleted and recreated and the environment was slowly coming back to life. I hope this article helps you when you encounter something like this, troubleshooting is cool with the right tools.