The tools are part of Microsoft's Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows 7 RC (Build 7100). Users can download versions for x86- or x64-based systems here.
Microsoft cautions that the tools are just for testing and not designed for production environments.
RSAT lets IT administrators "manage roles and features" on Windows Server 2008 R2 RC via remotely located PCs running Windows 7 RC. The tools support both server core and full installations of Windows Server 2008 R2 RC.
It's also possible to use the tools to remotely manage "some roles and features" in Windows Server 2008 or 2003, according to Microsoft's product description. One exception is that the new tools can't be used with a server core implementation of Windows Server 2003.
Microsoft provides some caveats in its release notes for RSAT. Earlier versions of the tools -- including the Administration Tools Pack for Windows Server 2003 and 2000 and RSAT for Vista -- should be uninstalled before installing this one. IT pros should install just one copy of RSAT per computer, Microsoft warns.
After installing the tools, you may have to turn on "Hyper-V Tools" from the Control Panel in Windows 7 RC, as explained in this blog post by John Howard, senior program manager of the Hyper-V team. You also have to configure the server to enable remote management.
RSAT for Windows 7 RC includes Microsoft's Server Manager plus various role and feature admin tools. IT pros can remotely administer roles for Active Directory, Hyper-V, terminal services, and DHCP and DNS servers. The feature tools include support for BitLocker password recovery, group policy management and Windows resource management.
