Some more things you can do in PowerShell after you’ve migrated from Server 2003 to Server 2012 R2

While most cmd.exe utilities that you may have used in a Server 2003 environment are still around in Server 2012 R2, depending on how you measure it, we’re close to, at, or slightly past the point where you can do everything in PowerShell that you used to do from the command prompt.

One of the big advantages in jumping from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2 is that there is a greater variety in what you can accomplish with PowerShell today than what you could have accomplished if you were trying to use it to manage a new server running Windows Server 2008 back when the OS was released.

Manage DNS Servers

If you’ve ever used dnscmd.exe to manage a Windows Server 2003 DNS server, you’ll know that it isn’t the most intuitive utility in the world. PowerShell on Windows Server 2012 R2 gives you the option of managing a DNS server through the DNS Server Cmdlets in a way that is far more intuitive. You can see a list of all the DNS server cmdlets (including some that work on Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016) at the following address: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj649850.aspx

Managing DHCP Servers

Managing DHCP servers from the command line in Windows Server 2003 could also be an exercise in frustration. PowerShell now has cmdlets that allow you to do everything, from adding scopes, leases, reservations and classes through to backing up and restoring a DHCP server’s settings. You can learn more about DHCP server cmdlets at: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj590751%28v=wps.630%29.aspx

Managing Active Directory

Managing Active Directory from the Windows Server 2003 command line was another experience that kept many Windows Administrators firmly wedded to their GUI based toolkit. The PowerShell cmdlets around Active Directory administration are some of the most fully featured available. You can learn more about them by consulting the following link: https://technet.microsoft.com/library/hh852274%28v=wps.630%29.aspx