Using Remote Server Administration Tools

You can manage remote servers from any computer running Windows Server 2012 R2; all the required tools are installed by default. However, administrators have found it most efficient to use their client computers to manage servers remotely (especially with the introduction of cloud-based services).

To manage Windows servers from a workstation, you must download and install the Remote Server Administration Tools package for the version of Windows running on your workstation from the Microsoft Download Center at http://www.microsoft.com/download.
Remote Server Administration Tools is packaged as a Microsoft Update file with an .msu extension, enabling you to deploy it easily from File Explorer, from the command prompt, or by using Software Distribution in a GPO. When you install Remote Server Administration Tools on a workstation running Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, all the tools are activated by default, unlike in previous versions that required you to turn them on by using the Windows Features control panel. You can still use the control panel to turn selected features off, however.When you launch Server Manager on a Windows workstation, there is no local server and there are no remote servers to manage until you add some. You add servers by using the same process described in Objective 1.2.
Your access to the servers you add depends on the account you use to log on to the workstation. If an “Access denied” message appears, you can connect to the server using another account by right-clicking it and, from the shortcut menu, selecting Manage As to display a standard Windows Security dialog box, in which you can supply alternative credentials.