Manage Windows Server 2012 from Windows 7

Q:How can I manage Windows Server 2012 from a Windows 7 client?

A: The Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for the management of Windows Server 2012 are available only for Windows 8, which means they can't be installed on a Windows 7 desktop. Still, this doesn't mean you can't use Windows 7 or even Windows XP as the desktop OS.

Since Windows Server 2008, Remote Desktop Services has included the ability to publish applications. This means an application can run in a session on a server OS and ONLY the application window shows on the user's desktop, completely integrated with other local applications so it appears as if the application is running locally and can be displayed in the local Start menu, etc.

You can extend this capability to management applications--and thus you can enable the publishing of Windows Server 2012 administration tools to Windows 7. The process is actually quite simple and offers a great end-user experience. Here's what you do:

I've recorded the whole process in the video below, "Manage Windows Server 2012 with Windows 7," also viewable at the Windows IT Pro YouTube site.

Server Manager "Running" on Windows 7

You can see Server Manager "running" on Windows 7 in the screen shot above.To learn more about Server Manager, you might want to also check out "New Features in Windows Server Manager 2012."