Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012: Windows PowerShell Web Access

First published on TECHNET on Nov 05, 2012

Day 14 is upon us!  In today’s post, we are going to take a look at the new feature in Windows Server 2012 called PowerShell Web Access.

What is PowerShell Web Access?  Glad you asked!

Windows PowerShell Web Access is a new feature in Windows Server 2012 that acts as a Windows PowerShell gateway, providing a web-based Windows PowerShell console that is targeted at a remote computer.  It enables IT Pros to run Windows PowerShell commands and scripts from a Windows PowerShell console in a web browser, with no Windows PowerShell, remote management software, or browser plug-in installation necessary on the client device.  All that is required to run the web-based Windows PowerShell console is a properly-configured Windows PowerShell Web Access gateway, and a client device browser that supports JavaScript and accepts cookies.

Examples of client devices include laptops, non-work personal computers, borrowed computers, tablet computers, web kiosks, computers that are not running a Windows-based operating system, and cell phone browsers.  IT Pros can perform critical management tasks on remote Windows-based servers from devices that have access to an Internet connection and a web browser.

Here is diagram with a high overview of how PowerShell Web Access works:

Supported desktop computer browsers

• Windows Internet Explorer for Microsoft Windows 8.0, 9.0, and 10.0
• Mozilla Firefox 10.0.2
• Google Chrome 17.0.963.56m for Windows
• Apple Safari 5.1.2 for Windows
• Apple Safari 5.1.2 for Mac OS

Minimally-tested mobile devices or browsers

• Windows Phone 7 and 7.5
• Google Android WebKit 3.1 Browser Android 2.2.1 (Kernel 2.6)
• Apple Safari for iPhone operating system 5.0.1
• Apple Safari for iPad 2 operating system 5.0.1

We could go on and on about the new PSWA, but this blog is just to wet your appetite.  To give you a little jump start with PSWA, here is the three-step process for setup and configuration.

Step 1: Installing Windows PowerShell Web Access

Step 2: Configuring the gateway

Step 3: Configuring authorization rules and site security

This concludes our post for today.  For more information on PSWA, check out the following link:

Use the Web-based Windows PowerShell Console

Come back tomorrow to learn more about the new Server Manager.

-AskPerf blog Team