This is the last article of my 3-part blog post series for facilitating experienced Windows system administrators to get productive on Windows Server 2012 with a keyboard and a mouse as the input device. Part 1 and Part 2 are focusing on basic user operations with the new Metro UI. To conclude the series, here are two important facts that one should know when running Windows Server 2012.

Again, I want to underscore that Windows Server 2012 is designed with cloud computing in mind, and together with System Center 2012 as the foundation of Microsoft private cloud solutions. For those who are working for becoming a Microsoft private cloud expert, it is imperative to master Windows Server 2012 and System Center 2012 to develop technical depth in implementing and operating of a private cloud.

11. Wireless Support
The same with Windows Server 2008, a default installation of Windows Server 2012 does not add the wireless feature. In addition to network connectivity, wireless should also be considered as a security setting in corporate security policies applicable to a production server. To acquire wireless capability, go through Add Roles and Features wizard in Server Manager to add the feature as shown below.

A best practice to manage this setting is according to your corporate security policy with a GPO, such that wireless capability of a server is defined, predictable, and consistent in a target environment.

Worth mentioning here is that, Windows Server 2012 supports wireless in Hyper-V, while Windows Server 2008 does not. The following depicts that Hyper-V Virtual Switch Manager now recognizes both the physical and the wireless network connectivity in a typical OS instance with an onboard wire and a wireless connections.

And with the employment of a wireless connection in Virtual Switch Manager, Windows Server 2012 automatically creates logical bridging devices and displayed them in Network and Sharing Center as the screen capture shown below.

12. Error Message: "Not accessible - Verify earlier versions of Windows run the Management WTR package"

When adding an earlier version of Windows server to manage in Server Manager of Windows Server 2012, the operation may fail with the error message as shown below. This is due to an inconsistency of the management framework among versions of Windows servers.

To resolve the issue, run as administrator on a target Windows server to:

1. Install .NET Framework 4
2. Apply the corresponding version of Windows Management Framework Targeted Release (WTR) package for the target server
3. Configure Server Manager remote management by using Windows PowerShell with the following:
   • Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
   • Configure-SMRemoting.ps1 -force -enable

There is some reference of similar Server Manager remote management issues. However, James Bannan also has a blog post summarizing this scenario well.  Notice once the above three items are implemented, a server will become online, while not with performance counters started. On the Server Manager UI, right-click the target server to start performance counters and the server becomes online and manageable, as shown below:

Additional Resources:

• • Free eBooks of Microsoft Virtualization Solutions
  • Recommended readings for becoming a private cloud expert
  • Trying System Center 2012
  • Microsoft Virtual Academy private cloud track

[To Part 1, 2]

[This is a cross-posting from http://aka.ms/yungchou.]

• Sitecore Web CMS Earns "Works with Windows Server 2008" Certification
• Is Windows Server 2012 cloud ready?
• SPAMfighter Exchange Module Compatible with Windows Server 2008
• Getting Productive with Windows Server 2012 (Part 2)
• Getting Productive with Windows Server 2012 (Part 1)