Update: RSAT is ready for download.
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The Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) Beta is now available for participants of the Windows Beta program. This tool set will replace the famous Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools Pack aka Adminpak. It allows you to remotely manage a Windows server without logging on via RDP.
If you installed Vista on your desktop you probably ran into the same problem like countless other Windows admins. The Administration Tools Pack doesn't work properly on Vista. There is a workaround, but it won't solve all problems. You won't believe it, but the articles I wrote about this issue still belong to the most often accessed ones on this blog. More than 60,000 frustrated Windows admins read these posts so far. So I have to say thank you to Microsoft. 😉
Sometimes I wonder whether this issue is one of the reasons for the slow Vista adoption. I suppose many Windows administrators got the impression that Vista is not yet ready for prime time. I mean if even Microsoft's own management tools don't work, then it's no wonder that third party vendors have problems, too.
It is amazing that even one year after Vista's release, there is still no official new version for the Adminpak tools. And RSAT will probably only work on Vista SP1. Many admins will take this as another hint that a major rollout of Vista RTM is too risky. Why can't Microsoft offer these tools for the current Vista version?
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try RSAT for Vista SP1 yet. It is a bit difficult to get into this beta program, somehow. Usually, I don't have problems with such things since I am also working part time as an IT journalist for German magazines. Microsoft recently invited me to Redmond for a presentation of Windows Server 2008. They would have paid my flight from Germany to the US, but when I asked them for a copy of Vista SP1 Beta they were not able to help me.
It seems to me that Microsoft is a bit nervous about Vista. Why don't they want journalists to report about this service pack? Perhaps, even more organizations might postpone their Vista rollout then?
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If you are curious about RSAT and don't belong to the privileged beta testers, you might want to check out my review of RSAT for Windows Server 2008.
It’s not that surprising they haven’t released the admin tools yet, they did the same thing with XP when it came out, IIRC. You had to wait for the 2003 admin tools a year and a half later, which you needed to admin Windows 2000 Server. At least Exchange 2007 came out around the same time so you’ve got some sort of Exchange admin tool, although there is no Exchange 2003 admin tool for Vista.
Steve, I really hope it won’t take so long this time. The articles I wrote about the Vista-Adminpak-issue belong to the most popular on 4sysops. I think Microsoft is making a big mistake here.
Windows 2008 was RTM’d the day after Michael’s comments.
Vista SP1 has already been RTM’d and will be available (cross your fingers) March 18th for general consumption.
Yet no sign of RSAT?
Any updates here?
PS: The only way to connect to HyperV Manager seems to be a tool called VMConnect. This tool is not supported when run over TS from the 2008 HyperV Server and the RSAT will supposedly contain the client, but the RSAT is strictly for Vista. So how does the lowly admin running XP connect to HyperV VMs?
RSAT didn’t show up in my RSS feeds so far. I will certainly post something about it when I hear that it is released.
RSAT is available on the microsoft download site now, I haven’t had much time to test it and for some reason it didn’t give me mi GPMC console back
Caleb, thanks. I just posted something about it.