BS(HONS) Information Technology

Semester 3rd

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Dated: 29-12-2016

Topic: Interface of Windows Server 2012R2

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Interface of Windows Server 2012R2

Short introduction of windows server 2012R2;

Windows Server 2012 R2 was released on October 18, 2013. It was unveiled on June 3,
2013 at TechEd North America. .According to Windows Server 2012 R2 datasheet published on
May 31, 2013, there are four editions of this operating system: Foundation, Essentials, Standard
and Datacenter. As with Windows Server 2012, the Datacenter and Standard editions are feature
identical, varying only based on licensing (particularly licensing of virtual instances). The
Essentials edition has the same features as the Datacenter and Standard products, with some
restrictions.

A further update, formally designated Windows Server 2012 R2 Update, was released in
April 2014, a cumulative set of security updates, critical updates and updates.

Windows Server 2012 R2 is succeeded by Windows Server 2016.

There are two interfaces of windows 2012 server r2

1. GUI

2. Core server

GUI:

A type of interface in which the user communicates with the operating system by using a visual
environment is called graphical user interface. It consists of windows, menus, icons and pointers.
The user can select commands from menus and select icons by using the pointing device like
mouse. Mouse is used frequently in graphical user interface.

It can be also described as;

GUI is a program interface that takes advantage of the computer's graphics capabilities
to make the program easier to use. Well-designed graphical user interfaces can free the user
from learning complex command languages. On the other hand, many users find that they work

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more effectively with a command-driven interface, especially if they already know the command
language.

Here we are going to discuss the GUI interface of the windows server 2012R2. The interface of
server 2012R2 is metro interface.

The interface of windows server 2012R2 looks like as

Windows server 2012R2 is built on the windows 8 technology. The GUI of the
server is made as the Windows’ 8 interface. It includes a Windows Start Button. That
was not present in the server 2012.The Start menu is replaced by the Start Screen. Start
screen contain the Tiles of the applications instead of the icons of the applications.
When we press on windows’ Button. We get a Start screen which contains the tiles of
the programs. When we press the windows’ Button we get a desktop screen.

Start Screen Desktop Screen

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Let us see on the Start screen, here we can see, the first tile is of server manager
program and the second is of PowerShell. The 4th tile is of Computer and the last Tile which we
can see on the Start Screen is of the Desktop.

If you want to add some new programs to the Start Screen in the form of tiles
than press windows’ logo key. After it, move the cursor of the mouse at the bottom of the Start
Screen, then right click on screen. A bar will appear, where “All apps” button will appear. Click

on it, all apps of the system will appear.

Suppose if you want to place wordpad on the screen than Locate the app, than right
click on the app and a bar will appear which contain different options. You have to select the 1 st
option “ Pin To Start “ . in this way wordpad will go on Start Screen .

If you want to add notepad also than repeat the same process for Notepad, after locating the
notepad app. Then back on the Start Screen.

2-Windows' Administrative Tools

While clicking through this story you may have noticed that Windows' Administrative Tools are
nowhere to be found. They are now accessible through the Server Manager. Simply open the
Server Manager and click on the Tools menu, as shown above. Most of the administrative
tools you are already familiar with should appear on this menu. Keep in mind that the actual
listed tools depend on which roles and features are installed on the server.

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3-Power shell

What is shell?
Shell is user interface provided to users to interact with the system. it might be the Gui
or cli.

Windows Power shell is a shell developed by micro soft for purposes of task
automation and configuration management. Based on .Net frame work .

First version of it was introduced in 2006 for windows xp.

The latest version of power shell is 5.0

Example:

In windows server 2012, you can use the server configuration tool (Sconfig.cmd) to
configure and manage several common aspects of server core installations. you must be
a member of the administrators group to use the tool. Sconfig.cmd is available in the
minimal server interface and in server with a Gui mode.

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And hit the enter.

4-Server manager:
What does Server Manager do?
Server Manager is an expanded Microsoft Management Console (MMC) that allows you to view
and manage virtually all of the information and tools that affect your server's productivity.
Commands in Server Manager allow you to install or remove server roles and features, and to
augment roles already installed on the server by adding role services.
Server Manager makes server administration more efficient by allowing administrators to do the
following by using a single tool:

 View and make changes to server roles and features installed on the server.

 Perform management tasks associated with the operational life cycle of the server, such
as starting or stopping services, and managing local user accounts.

 Perform management tasks associated with the operational life cycle of roles installed on
the server.

 Determine server status, identify critical events, and analyze and troubleshoot
configuration issues or failures.

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 Install or remove roles, role services, and features by using a Windows command line.

There are some steps to add roles and features:

1.

2.
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In Server Manager, click Manage and then select Add Roles and Features to start toadd Roles
and Features.

3. On the Select installation type screen, select Role-based or feature-based installation.

4. Select the target server.

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5. Select the role which you install for example we select remote access which we want to
install on server.

6. Select the feature which is present in roles of server for example we select XPS views.

7. Select the role service to install for remote access, for example we select direct access
and VPN.

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9 8. Select the roles services to install for web server as you know I think these are by default.

9. Click on the destination server automatically if required and then select the install tab.

10. After do this, remote access is installed and added in dashboard.

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1-The Windows shut-down option and logging out

In window server 2008, there were options to log out or shut down the server that were found
on the Start menu, but window server 2012 does not have a Start menu.

If you want to log out or lock the server console, go to the Metro interface and click on your
login name, which will be displayed in the upper right corner. When you do, Windows will
provide you with options to log out or to lock the console,

In the Windows Server 2012 UI, if you want to shut down the server, you will need to move your
mouse all the way to the upper right corner of the metro interface. Doing so will cause Windows
to display three icons along the right side of the screen. The Settings icon (the icon at the
bottom) is shaped like a gear. Click this icon and Windows will display a number of different icons
related to the server's general behavior. One of these icons is the Power icon, which you can use
to shut down the server.

Questions…??
1. What is server? Describe about interface of server 2012R2? (2)
2. Describe briefly about GUI interface? (3)
3. How we can power off our Server System? (2)
4. What is PowerShell? Write about it and its Functionality? (2)
5. What is server manager? Describe 4 roles and Features of server manager…? (6)

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References;
• https://mizitechinfo.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/simple-step-convert-server-core-to-gui-
in-windows-server-2012-r2/

• http://www.technig.com/convert-server-core-to-full-gui-and-vice-versa/

• http://www.microsoft.com

• Search engines…..
11
1. Wikipidea.com

2. Google.com

Note: If you can’t see the better view of the pictures than you can expand it
according to your wish. Thank you.

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