Finding the Exchange Server 2013 Management Tools

Q: I have installed Exchange Server 2013 but I can't find the management tools--where are they?

A: Exchange Server 2013 shifts to a close alignment with Microsoft's public cloud offering, Office 365, which is completely managed via the web. Almost all Exchange management is now performed via the Exchange Administration Center (EAC), which is enabled by default on Exchange Server 2013 and accessed using the https:///ecp address. The EAC is an update to Exchange Control Panel (ECP) in Exchange 2010, hence the ECP virtual directory.

When you connect to the EAC site, you will see the familiar Outlook Web Access authentication form, but once you authenticate with an Exchange administrator account you will be redirected to the EAC site (see screen shot below). If your on-premises Exchange 2013 installation is also connected to an Office 365 deployment, the management site can perform both on- and off-premises management.

For any management tasks you can’t perform through EAC, the Exchange 2013 PowerShell cmdlets are still installed for management via Exchange Management Shell (EMS), and the Exchange Toolbox is also available locally on the server, providing template management, a queue viewer to check on mail flow, and a connectivity analyzer.

Exchange 2013 ECP