Topic Last Modified: 2011-04-12

This topic describes the administrative tools for Microsoft Lync Server 2010.

The administrative tools are installed by default on each Lync Server 2010 server. Additionally, you can install the administrative tools on other computers, such as dedicated administrative consoles. For procedures to install the administrative tools, see Install Lync Server Administrative Tools. For procedures to open the tools to perform management tasks, see Open Lync Server Administrative Tools.

Ensure that you review infrastructure, operating system, software, and administrator rights requirements before you install or use the Lync Server administrative tools. For details about infrastructure requirements, see Administrative Tools Infrastructure Requirements. For details about operating system and software requirements to install the Lync Server 2010 administrative tools, see Server and Tools Operating System Support, Additional Software Requirements, and Additional Server Support and Requirements. The user rights and permissions required to install and use the tools are described in Administrator Rights and Permissions Required for Setup and Administration.

The administrative tools consist of the following:

You can manage your deployment by primarily using Topology Builder and Lync Server Control Panel.

Deployment Wizard

You must use the Lync Server Deployment Wizard included on the installation media to install all administrative tools onto a computer on which you have not already installed Lync Server. During the administrative tools installation process, the Lync Server Deployment Wizard is installed locally along with the other tools so that you can later use it to install files for additional components or remove files for components that you do not want on the computer.

For details about how to run the Lync Server Deployment Wizard for the first time from the Lync Server 2010 installation media, see Install Lync Server Administrative Tools.

Topology Builder

For details about deployment tasks that you can you perform by using Topology Builder, see the Deployment documentation for each server role.

Lync Server Control Panel

You can use Lync Server 2010 Control Panel to perform most of the administrative tasks required to manage and maintain Lync Server 2010.For details about administrative tasks you can perform by using Lync Server 2010 Control Panel, see Lync Server Control Panel.

Lync Server Management Shell

In Lync Server 2010, the Lync Server Management Shell provides a new method for administration and management. Lync Server Management Shell is a powerful management interface, built on the Windows PowerShell command-line interface, that includes a comprehensive set of cmdlets that are specific to Lync Server 2010. With Lync Server Management Shell, you gain a rich set of configuration and automation controls. Topology Builder and Lync Server Control Panel both implement subsets of these cmdlets to support management of Lync Server 2010. The Lync Server Management Shell includes cmdlets for all Lync Server 2010 administration tasks, and you can use the cmdlets individually to manage your deployment. For details, see Lync Server Management Shell documentation or the command-line help for each cmdlet.

Logging Tool

The Lync Server Logging Tool facilitates troubleshooting by capturing logging and tracing information from the product while the product is running. You can use the tool to run debug sessions on any Lync Server server role. For details about the Logging Tool, see the Lync Server 2010 Logging Tool documentation on the TechNet Library at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=199265.

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