Applies To: Windows Server 2008 , Windows Server 2012

You can use Server Manager to perform some management tasks on remote computers. To manage a computer remotely by using Server Manager, you connect Server Manager to a remote computer in the same manner you would connect Microsoft Management consoles (MMCs) for other technologies.

Remote Management Scenarios

The following remote management scenarios are supported from Server Manager in Windows Server.

Server to server

Server Manager on a full installation of Windows Server can be used to manage roles and features that are installed on another server that is running Windows Server.

Server to Server Core

Server Manager on a full installation of Windows Server can be used to manage roles and features that are installed on a Server Core installation of Windows Server .

Client to server

Server Manager is installed as part of Remote Server Administration Tools on a computer that is running Windows® 7. This can be used to manage roles and features on a computer that is running either the full or Server Core installations of Windows Server .

You must be a member of the Administrators group on computers that you want to manage by using Server Manager.

To add remote workgroup servers to Server Manager

For remote connections in a Workgroup to Workgroup/Domain scenario, the remote computer must be added to the trusted hosts list on the source computer. Otherwise you will receive the error: "WinRM Negotiate authentication error"

On Client Computer open Command Prompt window with elevated user rights.

Run the command:

winrm set winrm/config/client @{TrustedHosts="RemoteComputerName"}

Or by PowerShell:

Set-Item wsman:localhostClientTrustedHosts Server01 -Concatenate -Force

Workgroup to Workgroup/Domain

For remote connections in a Workgroup to Workgroup/Domain scenario, if a user is not logged on by using the source computer’s built-in administrator account, the following WinRM registry key must be configured to allow remote access from the source computer. This change is required because of a User Account Control (UAC) limitation on non-administrator accounts that are members of the Administrators group. To change this registry key, run the following command on the source computer at a command prompt that is opened with elevated user rights.

reg add HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem /v LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Or by PowerShell:

New-ItemProperty -Name LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy -path HKLM:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem -propertyType DWord -value 1

By default, WinRM allows for a maximum of five connections to a remote computer to be active per user. To increase the limit, run the following command on the source computer, in which X represents the number of connections that you want to allow, at a command prompt that is opened with elevated user rights.

winrm s winrm/config/winrs @{MaxShellsPerUser="X"}