Microsoft has released the RSAT for Windows 8.1. This is the toolkit you will install on administrators’ Windows 8.1 PC to manage Windows Server 2012 R2 (WS2012 R2) and older.
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8.1 Preview includes Server Manager, Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins, consoles, Windows PowerShell cmdlets and providers, and command-line tools for managing roles and features that run on Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview. In limited cases, the tools can be used to manage roles and features that are running on Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008. Some of the tools work for managing roles and features on Windows Server 2003.
EDIT: The link for this package from the below support matrix still points to the RSAT Preview. I guess it will get updated soon. The link was updated (reused) to the GA bits.
There are a few important support notes:
- The IP Address Management (IPAM) console should not be used (not supported) to manage WS2012.
- The WS2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 PowerShell cmdlets should not be used to manage WS2012. It is not blocked, but it is not supported. It is supported to manage WS2012 Hyper-V using the Hyper-V GUI tools (FCM and Hyper-V Manager) from RSAT for Windows 8.1.
- To manage WS2012 iSCSI target using PowerShell on Windows 8.1 then you must import the WS2012 (RSAT for Windows 8) PowerShell module.
Yes, I agree; This is very messy.
A support matrix for RSAT for Windows 8 and RSAT for Windows 8.1 has also been posted.
You’ll not that some tools are not in RSAT for Windows 8.1, and some are specifically listed as deprecated:
- SMTP Server Tools: Not included.
- Storage Explorer Tools: Not included.
- Storage Manager for Storage Area Network (SAN) Tools: No included.
- Windows System Resource Manager Tools: Deprecated and not in WS2012 R2.