How to Configure Windows Server 2016 Windows Admin Center

Windows Admin Center is a modern, browser-based management platform developed by Microsoft that brings together a comprehensive set of tools for managing Windows Server 2016 and later versions. It can be installed on a Windows Server or a Windows 10/11 workstation and provides a unified console for managing individual servers, clusters, hyper-converged infrastructure, and Azure hybrid connections. Windows Admin Center complements and in many ways supersedes Server Manager for environments where a modern web-based UI is preferred over traditional MMC-based consoles.

This guide walks through downloading and installing Windows Admin Center on Windows Server 2016, configuring it for multi-server management, navigating its tools, and setting up role-based access control.

Download Windows Admin Center

Windows Admin Center is a free download from the Microsoft website. Download the MSI installer to the target server using PowerShell:

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://aka.ms/WACDownload" -OutFile "C:TempWindowsAdminCenter.msi"

Verify the file downloaded successfully:

Get-Item "C:TempWindowsAdminCenter.msi" | Select-Object Name, Length, LastWriteTime

Step 1: Install Windows Admin Center

Run the MSI installer with the following command for a gateway installation on port 443. This mode makes WAC available to all users on the network rather than only the local user:

msiexec /i C:TempWindowsAdminCenter.msi /qn /L*v C:TempWACInstall.log SME_PORT=443 SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION=generate

The SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION=generate parameter creates a self-signed certificate automatically. For production, replace this with SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION=installed and provide a certificate thumbprint:

msiexec /i C:TempWindowsAdminCenter.msi /qn /L*v C:TempWACInstall.log SME_PORT=443 SSL_CERTIFICATE_OPTION=installed SME_THUMBPRINT=YourCertificateThumbprint

After installation completes, verify the service is running:

Get-Service -Name ServerManagementGateway

Step 2: Open the Firewall

Create an inbound firewall rule to allow HTTPS traffic on the configured port:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Windows Admin Center" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443 -Action Allow

Step 3: Access the Web Interface

Open a browser on any machine on the network and navigate to the gateway URL:

https://GatewayServerName

Accept the self-signed certificate warning (or install the certificate in the trusted root store on client machines to avoid the warning). Sign in with your domain administrator credentials. The WAC home page shows all connections you have added.

Step 4: Add Servers to Windows Admin Center

Click Add in the top left corner and select Server. Enter the server name or IP address. WAC will attempt to connect using the currently logged-in credentials. If different credentials are required for the target server, expand the Use another account option and enter them.

Once added, the server appears on the home page. Click it to open a dashboard showing CPU and memory graphs, drive capacity, network status, and top processes for that server.

Step 5: Explore the Management Tools

Each connected server provides a left-hand navigation panel with dozens of management tools. Key tools include:

Overview provides real-time CPU, memory, and network graphs plus the ability to restart or shut down the server. PowerShell opens a full PowerShell terminal session to the remote server directly in the browser. Roles and Features replicates the Add Roles and Features wizard from Server Manager. Events provides an Event Viewer interface filtering by log and severity. Processes shows a real-time process list with CPU and memory consumption. Services allows starting, stopping, and configuring Windows services. Storage shows disk configuration and allows managing volumes and storage spaces. Firewall shows current firewall rules and allows adding or modifying them. Updates shows pending Windows Updates and allows installing them.

Step 6: Configure Role-Based Access Control

Windows Admin Center supports Just Enough Administration (JEA) for role-based access control. Administrators can grant users access to specific tools without giving them full administrative rights on the managed servers. From the WAC Settings gear icon, navigate to Access to configure gateway users and gateway administrators.

Gateway administrators have full control over WAC configuration. Gateway users can connect to servers but cannot change WAC settings. For granular per-tool access, configure JEA roles on the managed servers using PowerShell DSC or custom JEA endpoint files.

Step 7: Update Windows Admin Center

Windows Admin Center checks for updates automatically. You can also check manually from the Settings menu under Gateway then Updates. When an update is available, download and install the new MSI, which performs an in-place upgrade while preserving your connection settings and configuration.

Uninstalling Windows Admin Center

Remove Windows Admin Center using the standard Windows installer mechanism:

msiexec /x C:TempWindowsAdminCenter.msi /qn

Windows Admin Center on Windows Server 2016 represents the direction Microsoft is moving for server management tools — a modern, extensible, browser-based console that works alongside existing tools rather than replacing them. For environments already standardizing on PowerShell and remote management, Windows Admin Center provides a polished GUI layer that teams of all skill levels can use effectively.