Server Manager in Windows Server® 2008 offers a command-line tool, ServerManagerCmd.exe, to enable users to perform automated installations or removals of roles, role services, and features. ServerManagerCmd.exe options enable users to view logs of its operations and to run queries to display lists of roles, role services, and features that are both installed and available for installation on a computer.
ServerManagerCmd.exe can be used with an XML answer file to expedite repetitive automated installations or removals of roles or features. For more information about the answer file that you can use with ServerManagerCmd.exe, see Creating an Answer File for Server Manager Commands.
The ServerManagerCmd.exe command
The Server Manager command-line installation accepts parameters to install or to remove one role, role service, and feature per command instance. When you want to install or to remove more than one role, role service, or feature on a server by using a single command instance, use an XML answer file. For more information about the answer file that you can use with ServerManagerCmd.exe, see Creating an Answer File for Server Manager Commands.
Note
ServerManagerCmd.exe can be executed from within any directory on the server's local drives. You must be a member of the Administrators group on the server on which you intend to install or to remove software.
Important
Because of security restrictions imposed by User Account Control, you must run ServerManagerCmd.exe in a Command Prompt window opened with elevated privileges. To do this, right-click the Command Prompt executable file, or the Command Prompt object on the Start menu, and then click Run as administrator.
Displays a list of all roles, role services, or features installed and available for installation on the server. You can also use the short form of this parameter, -q.
To save the query results to an XML file, specify an XML file to replace query.xml.
You can also set the following option:
-logPath <log.txt>
Specifies a name and a location for the log file, other than the default, %WINDIR%\temp\servermanager.log.
-inputPath <answer.xml>
Installs or removes the roles, role services, or features specified in the answer file, an XML file represented by answer.xml. You can also use the short form of this parameter, -p, instead of -inputPath.
Saves installation results to an XML file represented by result.xml. You can also use the short form of this parameter, -r. You cannot use the -resultPath and the -whatIf in the same instance of ServerManagerCmd.exe.
-restart
Added to the -install option, restarts the computer automatically when installation is complete, if restarting is required by the roles or the features installed.
-whatIf
Displays any operations specified for the -install option. You can also use the short form of the -whatIf parameter, -w. You cannot use the -resultPath parameter and the -whatIf parameter in the same instance of ServerManagerCmd.exe.
-logPath<log.txt>
Specifies a name and a location for the log file, other than the default, %WINDIR%\temp\servermanager.log.
-install <Id>
Installs the role, role service, or feature specified by Id. See "Role, role service, and feature command identifiers" in this topic for a complete list of the role, role service, or feature identifiers from which you can choose to specify for Id. The identifiers are not case-sensitive.
Multiple roles, role services, and features can be installed simultaneously.
You can also set the following options:
-setting <setting name>=<setting value>
Specifies required settings for the installation. See "Role, role service, and feature command identifiers" in this topic for a complete list of available settings. This parameter can be specified multiple times so that multiple roles, role services, and features can be installed simultaneously.
-allSubFeatures
Specifies the installation of all subordinate services and features along with the parent role, role service, or feature named in the -install command's Id parameter.
Note
Note that some role containers do not have a command line identifier to enable the installation of all role services. This is the case when role services cannot be installed in the same instance of the Server Manager command. For example, the Federation Service role service of Active Directory Federation Services and the Federation Service Proxy role service cannot be installed by using the same Server Manager command instance.
-resultPath<result.xml
Saves installation results to an XML file represented by result.xml. You can also use the short form of this parameter, -r. You cannot use the -resultPath parameter and the -whatIf parameter in the same instance of ServerManagerCmd.exe.
-restart
Added to the -install command, restarts the computer automatically when installation is complete, if restarting is required by the roles or features installed.
-whatIf
Displays any operations specified for the -install command. You can also use the short form of the -whatIf parameter, -w. You cannot use the -resultPath parameter and the -whatIf parameter in the same instance of ServerManagerCmd.exe.
-logPath<log.txt>
Uses -logPath to specify a name and a location for the log file, other than the default, %WINDIR%\Temp\Servermanager.log.
-remove <Id>
Removes the role, role service, or feature specified by Id. See "Role, role service, and feature command identifiers" in this topic for a complete list of the role, role service, and feature identifiers from which you can choose to specify for Id. The identifiers are not case-sensitive.
You can also set the following options:
-resultPath
Role, role service, and feature command identifiers
The tables in this section match roles, role services, or features available in Windows Server 2008 with the command identifiers you must use with ServerManagerCmd.exe to install or to remove them.
Role and Role Service command identifiers
Role and Role Service command identifiers
Command value
Notes
DHCP Server
DHCP
The DHCP Server role should be installed with default settings.
Print Services
Print Server
Internet Printing
LPD Service
Print-Server
Print-Services
Print-Internet
Print-LPD-Service
During removal of this role in the Server Manager user interface (UI), you are prompted to delete instances of printers configured on the server. By default, these instances are preserved, which is the default behavior of command-line removal of the Print Services role.
Terminal Services
Terminal Server
TS Licensing
TS Gateway
TS Web Access
TS Session Broker
Terminal-Services
TS-Terminal-Server
TS-Licensing
TS-Gateway
TS-Web-Access
TS-Session-Broker
Because Terminal Services settings can be configured after installing the role, you are not required to specify Terminal Services settings in the command-line answer file.
Active Directory Domain Services
Active Directory Domain Controller
Identity Management for UNIX
Server for Network Information Service
Password Synchronization
(No command)
ADDS-Domain-Controller
ADDS-Identity-Management
ADDS-NIS
ADDS-Password-Sync
After installing Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), you must run the dcpromo command to promote the server to a domain controller.
Removing the AD DS role while the computer is operating as a domain controller fails. You must first demote the domain controller to a standard domain member.
DNS Server
DNS
None
File Services
Distributed File System (DFS)
DFS Namespace
DFS Replication
File Server Resource Manager
Services for Network File System
Windows Search Service
Windows Server 2003 File Services
File Replication Service
Indexing Service
(No command)
FS-DFS
FS-DFS-Namespace
FS-DFS-Replication
FS-Resource-Manager
FS-NFS-Services
FS-Search-Service
FS-Win2003-Services
FS-Replication
FS-Indexing-Service
You cannot install or remove the File Services container by using the Server Manager command line. You can install or remove the File Services container only by using the Server Manager UI. Note that, for this reason, there is no command ID available to represent the File Services container.
Because you can configure File Services settings after installing the role, you are not required to specify File Services settings in the Server Manager command-line answer file.
Note that Services for Network File system is not part of the File Services role on computers running Windows Server® 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems.
Web Server (IIS)
Internet Information Services
Common HTTP Features
Static Content
Default Document
Directory Browsing
HTTP Errors
HTTP Redirection
Application Development
ASP.NET
.NET Extensibility
ASP
CGI
ISAPI Extensions
ISAPI Filters
Server Side Includes
Health and Diagnostics
HTTP Logging
Logging Tools
Request Monitor
Tracing
Custom Logging
ODBC Logging
Security
Basic Authentication
Windows Authentication
Digest Authentication
Client Certificate Mapping Authentication
IIS Client Certificate Mapping Authentication
URL Authorization
Request Filtering
IP and Domain Restrictions
Performance
Static Content Compression
Dynamic Content Compression
Management Tools
IIS Management Console
IIS Management Scripts and Tools
Management Service
IIS 6 Management Compatibility
IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility
IIS 6 WMI Compatibility
IIS 6 Scripting Tools
IIS 6 Management Console
FTP Publishing Service
FTP Server
FTP Management Console
Web-Server
Web-WebServer
Web-Common-Http
Web-Static-Content
Web-Default-Doc
Web-Dir-Browsing
Web-Http-Errors
Web-Http-Redirect
Web-App-Development
Web-Asp-Net
Web-Net-Ext
Web-ASP
Web-CGI
Web-ISAPI-Ext
Web-ISAPI-Filter
Web-Includes
Web-Health
Web-Http-Logging
Web-Log-Libraries
Web-Request-Monitor
Web-Http-Tracing
Web-Custom-Logging
Web-ODBC-Logging
Web-Security
Web-Basic-Auth
Web-Windows-Auth
Web-Digest-Auth
Web-Client-Auth
Web-Cert-Auth
Web-Url-Auth
Web-Filtering
Web-IP-Security
Web-Performance
Web-Stat-Compression
Web-Dyn-Compression
Web-Mgmt-Tools
Web-Mgmt-Console
Web-Scripting-Tools
Web-Mgmt-Service
Web-Mgmt-Compat
Web-Metabase
Web-WMI
Web-Lgcy-Scripting
Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console
Web-Ftp-Publishing
Web-Ftp-Server
Web-Ftp-Mgmt-Console
None
Active Directory Federation Services
Federation Service
Federation Service Proxy
Web Agents
Claims-aware Agent
Windows Token-based Agent
(No command)
ADFS-Federation
ADFS-Proxy
ADFS-Web-Agents
ADFS-Claims
ADFS-Windows-Token
Active Directory Federation Services should be installed with default settings.
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services
ADLDS
None
Application Server
Application Server Core
Web Server Support
COM+ Network Access
TCP Port Sharing
Windows Process Activation Service Support
HTTP Activation
Message Queuing Activation
TCP Activation
Named Pipes Activation
Distributed Transaction Support
Incoming Remote Transactions
Outgoing Remote Transactions
WS-Atomic Transaction Support
Application-Server
AS-AppServer-Core
AS-Web-Support
AS-Ent-Services
AS-TCP-Port-Sharing
AS-WAS-Support
AS-HTTP-Activation
AS-MSMQ-Activation
AS-TCP-Activation
AS-Named-Pipes
AS-Dist-Transaction
AS-Incoming-Trans
AS-Outgoing-Trans
AS-WS-Atomic
If you install the WS-Atomic Transaction Support role service, you should also configure it to use a self-signed certificate.
Active Directory Certificate Services
Certification Authority
Certification Authority Web Enrollment (not installable by using the command line)
Online Certificate Status Protocol
Microsoft Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (not installable by using the command line)
(No command)
ADCS-Cert-Authority
AD-Certificate
ADCS-Online-Cert
Certification Authority and Online Certificate Status Protocol can be installed by using the Server Manager command-line interface. Other role services for Active Directory Certificate Services cannot be installed by using the Server Manager command line.
Fax Server
Fax
Fax Server should be installed with default settings.
Network Policy and Access Services
Network Policy Server
NPAS Routing and Remote Access Services
Remote Access Service
Routing
Health Registration Authority
NPAS
NPAS-Policy-Server
NPAS-RRAS-Services
NPAS-RRAS
NPAS-Routing
NPAS-Health
Because Network Policy and Access Services settings can be configured after installing the role, you are not required to specify Network Policy and Access Services settings in the command-line answer file.
Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS)
Rights Management Server
Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) cannot be installed by using the Server Manager command line.
None
UDDI Services
UDDI Services Web Application
UDDI Services Database
UDDI Services is not installable by using the Server Manager command line.
You cannot install UDDI Services by using the Server Manager command-line because complex database settings are required during UDDI Services setup.
Windows Deployment Services
WDS
None
Feature command identifiers
Features
Command Value
Notes
Failover Clustering
Failover-Clustering
Network Load Balancing
NLB
Desktop Experience
Desktop-Experience
.NET Framework 3.0 Features
.NET Framework 3.0
XPS Viewer
Windows Communication Foundation Activation Components
HTTP Activation
Non-HTTP Activation
NET-Framework
NET-Framework-Core
NET-XPS-Viewer
NET-Win-CFAC
NET-HTTP-Activation
NET-Non-HTTP-Activ
Note that the command-line syntax for .NET Framework 3.0 Features does not contain the "." character before NET.
Windows System Resource Manager
WSRM
Wireless Networking
Wireless-Networking
Windows Server Backup
Backup
WINS Server
WINS-Server
Remote Assistance
Remote-Assistance
Simple TCP/IP Services
Simple-TCPIP
Telnet Client
Telnet-Client
Telnet Server
Telnet-Server
Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications
Subsystem-UNIX-Apps
RPC over HTTP Proxy
RPC-over-HTTP-Proxy
SMTP Server
SMTP-Server
LPR Port Monitor
LPR-Port-Monitor
Storage Manager for SANs
Storage-Mgr-SANS
BITS Server Extensions
BITS
Message Queuing
Message Queuing Services
Message Queuing Server
Directory Service Integration
Message Queuing Triggers
HTTP Support
Multicasting Support
Routing Service
Windows 2000 Client Support
Messaging Queue DCOM Proxy
MSMQ
MSMQ-Services
MSMQ-Server
MSMQ-Directory
MSMQ-Triggers
MSMQ-HTTP-Support
MSMQ-Multicasting
MSMQ-Routing
MSMQ-Win2000
MSMQ-DCOM
Windows Process Activation Service
Process Model
.NET Environment
Configuration APIs
WAS
WAS-Process-Model
WAS-NET-Environment
WAS-Config-APIs
Windows Internal Database
Windows-Internal-DB
BitLocker Drive Encryption
BitLocker
Multipath I/O
Multipath-IO
Internet Storage Naming Server
ISNS
Removable Storage
Removable-Storage
TFTP Client
TFTP-Client
SNMP Services
SNMP Service
SNMP WMI Provider
SNMP-Services
SNMP-Service
SNMP-WMI-Provider
Services for Network File System
NFS-Services
Services for Network File System is only available as a feature on computers running Windows Server® 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems.
Internet Printing Client
Internet-Print-Client
Peer Name Resolution Protocol
PNRP
Connection Manager Administration Kit
CMAK
Remote Server Administration Tools
Role administration tools
Active Directory Certificate Services
Web Server (IIS)
Terminal Services
TS RemoteApp
TS Gateway
TS Licensing
Feature administration tools
Failover Clustering
Network Load Balancing
RSAT
RSAT-Role-Tools
RSAT-ADCS
RSAT-Web-Server
RSAT-TS
RSAT-TS-RemoteApp
RSAT-TS-Gateway
RSAT-TS-Licensing
RSAT-Feature-Tools
RSAT-Clustering
RSAT-NLB
Windows PowerShell
PowerShell
Group Policy Management
GPMC
Quality Windows Audio Video Experience
Qwave
Remarks
ServerManagerCmd.exe does not support configuration or management of roles and features, after those are installed. Role and feature installations completed by using ServerManagerCmd.exe use default settings. To modify role or feature settings, to perform role administration tasks, or to view status or events for roles and features, you should use the Windows GUI–based Server Manager console. You might need to open other management snap-ins for your role that cannot be opened from within the Server Manager window.
Note
Although role and feature installations are secure by default, you should use the Server Manager console to modify any default settings to conform to security policies in your enterprise. ServerManagerCmd.exe cannot be used to install and to configure applications other than Windows Server 2008 roles, role services, or features. ServerManagerCmd.exe is not supported on computers running a Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008. ServerManagerCmd.exe cannot be used for installation or removal of roles, role services, or features on remote computers.
Examples
The following are examples of how Server Manager commands are used.
Installing a role without an answer file
The following shows the ServerManagerCmd.exe syntax for installing Web Server (IIS) and all its role services. The administrator exports the results of the installation to an XML file called WebServer.xml. The administrator has also instructed Server Manager to restart the computer automatically when installation is complete, if required by the role.
Removing features by using an answer file and the ServerManagerCmd.exe command
An administrator is using the following command to repurpose several servers by removing a number of features. Commands for the features to be removed are provided in an answer file named RemoveAllTelnet.xml. The administrator has added the -whatIf option to the command to display the command operations specified in the Removalresults.xml answer file, and show if any software that is dependent on the items specified for removal in the answer file was also removed.