Jump to content

Microsoft Management Console: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Citation bot (talk | contribs)
Bots
5,421,302 edits
Added date. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Whoop whoop pull up | Category:Microsoft application programming interfaces | #UCB_Category 17/133
 
(182 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Component of Microsoft Windows}}
[[Image:Microsoft Management Console.png|thumb|275px|MMC on [[Windows Server 2003]], running Computer Management snap-in]]
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
The '''Microsoft Management Console''' (MMC) is a component of modern [[Microsoft Windows]] [[operating system]]s that provides system administrators and advanced users with a flexible interface through which they may configure and monitor the system. Most of Microsoft's administration tools included with both Windows itself, and [[Windows Server System]] products are implemented as MMC "snap-ins". Third-parties can also implement their own snap-ins using the MMC [[application programming interface]]s published at [[MSDN]].
{{Infobox software
| name = Microsoft Management Console
| logo = Microsoft Management Console Icon.png
| logo_size = x64px
| screenshot = Microsoft Management Console - Device Manager.png
| screenshot_size = 300px
| caption = Windows Management Console running in [[Windows 11]], with [[Device Manager]] snap-in loaded
| developer = [[Microsoft]]
| operating system = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| license = Proprietary
| genre = System configuration application
}}
[[File:Microsoft Management Console (Windows 2000).png|thumb|Snap-ins listed in the management console]]
'''Microsoft Management Console''' ('''MMC''') is a component of [[Microsoft Windows]] that provides system administrators and advanced users an interface for configuring and monitoring the system. It was first introduced in 1998 with the Option Pack for [[Windows NT 4.0]] and later came pre-bundled with [[Windows 2000]] and its successors.


== Common snap-ins ==
== Snap-ins and consoles ==
The management console can host [[Component Object Model]] components called ''snap-ins''. Most of Microsoft's administration tools are implemented as MMC snap-ins. Third parties can also implement their own snap-ins using the MMC's [[application programming interface]]s published on the [[Microsoft Developer Network]]'s web site.
The most prolific MMC is ''Computer Management'', which appears in the Administrative Tools folder in the [[Control Panel (Windows)|Control Panel]]. Computer Management is actually a collection of MMC snap-ins, including the [[Device Manager]], [[Disk defragmenter]], [[Internet Information Services]], Disk Management, Event Viewer, Local Users and Groups, Shared Folders, and other tools. Computer Management can also be pointed at another Windows machine altogether, allowing for monitoring and configuration of other computers on the local network that the user has access to.


Snap-ins are registered in the <code>[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT]\{[[Globally Unique Identifier|CLSID]]}</code> and <code>[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MMC\Snapins]</code> [[Windows Registry|registry]] keys. A snap-in combined with MMC is called a ''management saved console'',<ref>Mitch Tulloch. ''Windows Server 2003 in a Nutshell''. O'Reilly Media; 1st edition (August 2003). p. 288. {{ISBN|978-0596004040}}.</ref> which is a file with .msc extension and can be launched using this syntax: <code>mmc path \ filename.msc [/a] [/64] [/32]</code>.
Other MMC consoles in common use include:
* [[Microsoft Exchange Server]] administration console
* [[Active Directory]] user and group, domain trust, and site consoles
* [[Group Policy]] management, including the Local Security Policy console included on all [[Windows 2000]] and later systems
* Services console, for managing Windows services
* Performance console, for monitoring system performance and metrics
* [[Event Viewer]], for monitoring system and application events


== Version History ==
=== Common snap-ins ===
The most prolific MMC component, Computer Management, appears in the "Administrative Tools" folder in the [[Control Panel (Windows)|Control Panel]], under "System and Security" in Category View. Computer Management actually consists of a collection of MMC snap-ins, including the [[Device Manager]], [[Windows Disk Defragmenter|Disk Defragmenter]], [[Internet Information Services]] (if installed), [[Logical Disk Manager|Disk Management]], [[Event Viewer]], Local Users and Groups (except in the home editions of Windows), [[Network share|Shared Folders]], Services snap-in, for managing [[Windows services]], Certificates and other tools. Computer Management can also be pointed at another Windows machine altogether, allowing for monitoring and configuration of other computers on the local network that the user has access to.
* MMC 1.0, shipped with [[Windows NT 4.0]] Option Pack.

* MMC 1.1, shipped with [[Microsoft SQL Server|SQL Server]] 7.0 and [[Microsoft Systems Management Server|Systems Management Server]] 2.0, and also made available as a download for [[Windows 9x]] versions and [[Windows NT]]. New features:[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/mmc/mmc/what_s_new_in_mmc_version_1_1.asp?frame=true]
Other MMC snap-ins in common use include:
**Snap-in taskpads
* [[Microsoft Exchange Server]] (up to version 2010)
**Wizard-style property sheets
* [[Active Directory]] Users and Computers, Domains and Trusts, and Sites and Services
**Ability to load extensions to a snap-in at run-time
* [[Group Policy]] Management, including the Local Security Policy snap-in; included on all versions of Windows 2000 and later (Home editions of Microsoft Windows disable this snap-in)
**HTML Help support
* Performance snap-in, for monitoring system performance and metrics
* MMC 1.2, shipped with [[Windows 2000]]. New features:[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/mmc/mmc/what_s_new_in_mmc_version_1_2.asp?frame=true]

**Support for [[Windows Installer]] and [[Group Policy]]
== Version history ==
**Filtered views
* MMC 1.0, shipped with Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack.
**Exporting list views to a text file
* MMC 1.1, shipped with [[Microsoft SQL Server|SQL Server]] 7.0 and [[Microsoft Systems Management Server|Systems Management Server]] 2.0, and also made available as a download for [[Windows 9x]] and [[Windows NT]]. New features:<ref>{{cite web |title=What's New in MMC Version 1.1 |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/mmc/mmc/what_s_new_in_mmc_version_1_1.asp?frame=true |access-date=February 13, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110743/http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=%2Flibrary%2Fen-us%2Fmmc%2Fmmc%2Fwhat_s_new_in_mmc_version_1_1.asp%3Fframe%3Dtrue |archive-date=March 11, 2007 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2018|reason=failed bot fix}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
**Persistence of user-set column layouts (i.e. widths, ordering, visibility and sorting of lists)
** Snap-in taskpads
* MMC 2.0, shipped with [[Windows Server 2003]]. New features:
** Wizard-style property sheets
**Operating system-defined visual styles
** Ability to load extensions to a snap-in at run-time
**Automation object model, allowing the capabilities of an MMC snap-in to be used programmatically from outside MMC itself (e.g. from a script)
** HTML Help support
**64-bit snap-ins
* MMC 1.2, shipped with Windows 2000. New features:<ref>{{cite web |title=Microsoft API and reference catalog |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/mmc/mmc/what_s_new_in_mmc_version_1_2.asp?frame=false |date=2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910092310/https://msdn.microsoft.com/library?url=%2Flibrary%2Fen-us%2Fmmc%2Fmmc%2Fwhat_s_new_in_mmc_version_1_2.asp%3Fframe%3Dfalse |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |website=Microsoft Developer Network |access-date=February 25, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
**Console Taskpads
** Support for [[Windows Installer]] and [[Group Policy]]
**View Extensions
** Filtered views
**[[MUI|Multilanguage User Interface]] help files
** Exporting list views to a text file
* MMC 3.0, shipped with Windows Server 2003 R2, and has a download available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. New features:
** Persistence of user-set column layouts (i.e. widths, ordering, visibility and sorting of lists)
**Support for developing snap-ins with the [[.NET framework]], including [[Windows Forms]]
* MMC 2.0, shipped with [[Windows XP]] and [[Windows Server 2003]]. New features:
**Reduced amount of code required to create a snap-in
** Operating system-defined visual styles
**Improved debugging capabilities
** Automation object model, allowing the capabilities of an MMC snap-in to be used programmatically from outside MMC itself (e.g. from a script)
**Asynchronous user interface model (MMC 3.0 snap-ins only)
** [[64-bit]] snap-ins
** Console Taskpads
** View Extensions
** [[Multilanguage User Interface]] help files
* MMC 3.0, shipped with Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows XP SP3<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=68c48dad-bc34-40be-8d85-6bb4f56f5110&DisplayLang=en Download details: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506093528/http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=68c48dad-bc34-40be-8d85-6bb4f56f5110&DisplayLang=en |date=May 6, 2008 }}</ref> and every subsequent versions of Windows up to Windows 11. Also downloadable for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1. New features:<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms692750(VS.85).aspx
|title=What's New in MMC 3.0
|work=MSDN
|date=October 10, 2016
|publisher=Microsoft
}}</ref>
** A new "Actions pane", displayed on the right-hand side of the MMC user interface that displays available actions for currently-selected node
** Support for developing snap-ins with the [[.NET Framework]], including [[Windows Forms]]
** Reduced amount of code required to create a snap-in
** Improved debugging capabilities
** Asynchronous user interface model (MMC 3.0 snap-ins only)
** True Color Icon Support (Windows Vista Only)
** New Add/Remove Snap-in UI
** [[Data Execution Prevention|DEP]] is always enforced. All snap-ins must be [[Data Execution Prevention|DEP]]-aware.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa480152.aspx#appcomp_topic34
|title=The Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Developer Story: Application Compatibility Cookbook
|work=MSDN
|publisher=Microsoft
|access-date=June 11, 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421122427/http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa480152.aspx#appcomp_topic34
|archive-date=April 21, 2008
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 42: Line 78:
* [[Microsoft Windows]]
* [[Microsoft Windows]]
* [[Windows PowerShell]]
* [[Windows PowerShell]]

* [[Emergency Management Services]] (EMS)
== References ==
{{Reflist}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnanchor/html/mmc.asp Microsoft Management Console documentation] at the Microsoft Developer Network
* [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/system-management-components/what-is-microsoft-management-console Microsoft Management Console documentation]
*[http://support.microsoft.com Microsoft Support Knowledge Base]
*[http://kbfind.com kbfind.com] - for browsing the Microsoft Support KB (Knowledge Base)
*[http://kbAlertz.com kbAlertz.com] - for tracking Microsoft KB updates
*[http://www.eventid.net EventID Microsoft KB Search]
*[http://www.splunk.com Splunk Knowledgebase]
*[http://www.securemycompany.com Event Log Collection Software]


{{Windows Components}}
[[Category:Windows components|Management Console]]
[[Category:Microsoft APIs|Management Console]]
[[Category:System administration]]
[[Category:Partitions managers]]


[[de:Microsoft Management Console]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Management Console}}
[[Category:Windows components]]
[[nl:Microsoft Management Console]]
[[Category:Microsoft application programming interfaces]]
[[Category:System administration]]
[[Category:Windows 2000]]

Latest revision as of 21:18, 20 November 2024

Microsoft Management Console
Developer(s)Microsoft
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypeSystem configuration application
LicenseProprietary
Snap-ins listed in the management console

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is a component of Microsoft Windows that provides system administrators and advanced users an interface for configuring and monitoring the system. It was first introduced in 1998 with the Option Pack for Windows NT 4.0 and later came pre-bundled with Windows 2000 and its successors.

Snap-ins and consoles

[edit]

The management console can host Component Object Model components called snap-ins. Most of Microsoft's administration tools are implemented as MMC snap-ins. Third parties can also implement their own snap-ins using the MMC's application programming interfaces published on the Microsoft Developer Network's web site.

Snap-ins are registered in the [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT]\{CLSID} and [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MMC\Snapins] registry keys. A snap-in combined with MMC is called a management saved console,[1] which is a file with .msc extension and can be launched using this syntax: mmc path \ filename.msc [/a] [/64] [/32].

Common snap-ins

[edit]

The most prolific MMC component, Computer Management, appears in the "Administrative Tools" folder in the Control Panel, under "System and Security" in Category View. Computer Management actually consists of a collection of MMC snap-ins, including the Device Manager, Disk Defragmenter, Internet Information Services (if installed), Disk Management, Event Viewer, Local Users and Groups (except in the home editions of Windows), Shared Folders, Services snap-in, for managing Windows services, Certificates and other tools. Computer Management can also be pointed at another Windows machine altogether, allowing for monitoring and configuration of other computers on the local network that the user has access to.

Other MMC snap-ins in common use include:

  • Microsoft Exchange Server (up to version 2010)
  • Active Directory Users and Computers, Domains and Trusts, and Sites and Services
  • Group Policy Management, including the Local Security Policy snap-in; included on all versions of Windows 2000 and later (Home editions of Microsoft Windows disable this snap-in)
  • Performance snap-in, for monitoring system performance and metrics

Version history

[edit]
  • MMC 1.0, shipped with Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack.
  • MMC 1.1, shipped with SQL Server 7.0 and Systems Management Server 2.0, and also made available as a download for Windows 9x and Windows NT. New features:[2]
    • Snap-in taskpads
    • Wizard-style property sheets
    • Ability to load extensions to a snap-in at run-time
    • HTML Help support
  • MMC 1.2, shipped with Windows 2000. New features:[3]
    • Support for Windows Installer and Group Policy
    • Filtered views
    • Exporting list views to a text file
    • Persistence of user-set column layouts (i.e. widths, ordering, visibility and sorting of lists)
  • MMC 2.0, shipped with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. New features:
    • Operating system-defined visual styles
    • Automation object model, allowing the capabilities of an MMC snap-in to be used programmatically from outside MMC itself (e.g. from a script)
    • 64-bit snap-ins
    • Console Taskpads
    • View Extensions
    • Multilanguage User Interface help files
  • MMC 3.0, shipped with Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows XP SP3[4] and every subsequent versions of Windows up to Windows 11. Also downloadable for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1. New features:[5]
    • A new "Actions pane", displayed on the right-hand side of the MMC user interface that displays available actions for currently-selected node
    • Support for developing snap-ins with the .NET Framework, including Windows Forms
    • Reduced amount of code required to create a snap-in
    • Improved debugging capabilities
    • Asynchronous user interface model (MMC 3.0 snap-ins only)
    • True Color Icon Support (Windows Vista Only)
    • New Add/Remove Snap-in UI
    • DEP is always enforced. All snap-ins must be DEP-aware.[6]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Mitch Tulloch. Windows Server 2003 in a Nutshell. O'Reilly Media; 1st edition (August 2003). p. 288. ISBN 978-0596004040.
  2. ^ "What's New in MMC Version 1.1". Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2006.[dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Microsoft API and reference catalog". Microsoft Developer Network. 2016. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  4. ^ Download details: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview Archived May 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "What's New in MMC 3.0". MSDN. Microsoft. October 10, 2016.
  6. ^ "The Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Developer Story: Application Compatibility Cookbook". MSDN. Microsoft. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Microsoft_Management_Console&oldid=1258649873"