Windows Server 2008 Remote Management cannot connect

Question

I have Windows Server 2008 R2 running on a remote machine, with Windows 7 Ultimate as my client machine.

I followed the instructions here (http://www.petri.co.il/remote-management-in-windows-server-2008-r2.htm) to set up remote management.

However, when I open Server Manager > Action > Connect to Another Computer and enter my remote servers IP address, I get the following error

Connecting to a remote server failed with the following error: The WinRM client cannot process the request.

I am used to managing Linux servers, where a simple host/user/password combination usually suffices. Is there something fundamental about Windows Server remote management I am missing here?

Thanks in advance for any help/tips/pointers :-)

Solution

EDIT The thing you were trying to set up is a tool to manage multiple servers on one server, not to remotely manage your server.

It's not really clear what you are trying to do... Manage your server from your client, or manage your client from your server?

But if you want to manage your server from your client, then you need to setup Remote Desktop access:

On your sever

Then click OK

On your client

• Open Remote Desktop Connection
  • Either Start > Run > type mstsc enter
  • or navigate Start > All Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection
• Type IP adress of the server
• Connect
• You probably have to authenticate

Comments

[Richard de Wit]

The Server Manager is actually a tool to be run on servers. If you want to modify something on the server, do it on the server itself, which you now can do easy with Remote Desktop.

[Richard de Wit]

You're welcome. I know it's not that easy to get into Windows servers when you're used to Linux servers..

[Chris McKeown]

@GeenHenk The Server Manager console is an MMC snapin like any other, and it can indeed be used to remotely manage other 2008 Servers withou having to remote desktop in. I think this is what the original question was getting at. It can be run from a Windows 7 client with the Remote Server Administration Tools pack installed.

[james]

Is there a straightforward guide to connecting Server Manager from a Windows 7 client to a Windows Server 2008 SP2 machine? Remote Desktop works fine for this purpose, but it would be great to not need a full desktop for basic management

[Chris McKeown]

I've personally not come across one, but then I've not looked either. Why not just create your own MMC console and add the snapins that are relevant to what you need to do on the remote server? You'll probably find that will work without any tweaking at all, provided there are no firewalls blocking the traffic.

[james]

I downloaded RSAT with the expectation of being able to do just that yet it wouldn't connect for various reasons. Hopefully I'll find a solution out there that's as simple as Remote Desktop, but only requires the use of RSAT Server Manager

[james]

I have Hyper-V Manager on my Windows 7 Machine. In my hosts file I have an entry that maps SERVER-VPS to my servers IP address. When I try and connect, I get "Cannot connect to the RPC service on computer [IP Address]. Make sure your RPC service is running". I followed the instructions at archive.msdn.microsoft.com/HVRemote (both workgroup?) yet I am still unable to connect. What, in your experience, would be a starting place for me to look at?