CodePlex offers invaluable open source tools for Windows admins

It’s no secret that not all software is designed as it should be. Thankfully, for Windows admins, a wealth of tools can be found to bridge the gap between what our software can do and how we’d like it to perform. And some of the best of these tools can be had for free, as any perusal of the CodePlex open source project hosting website will show.

In the past year, I’ve run into two software limitations that left me frustrated. The first involved the complexity of Windows Server 2008 Server Core’s setup and configuration. The second was the lack of a GUI for Exchange RBAC (Role Based Access Control), or at least a simple way to know what cmdlets and parameters matched with each role and, by extension, role group. Freel tools from the CodePlex site provided answers to both of these problems, and there are thousands of other valuable tools available to solve your software headaches, if only you know where to look and what to look for.

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As with any open source project hosting site, developers and admins can use Microsoft’s CodePlex to create new open source projects to share with the world, join existing open source projects in search of assistance, or simply download the free tools to enjoy the benefits of open source code.

Here are a few of the valuable tools I’ve come to rely on from CodePlex, each of which shows how important this open source resource is to Windows admins.

Core Configurator

A quick search for Server Core on CodePlex will lead you to Core Configurator, a fine tool that has already received more than 27,000 downloads. There are a couple of versions available (Version 1.1 is for Server 2008), and the code has been updated as recently as Sept. 6. For anyone who has worked with Server Core’s command-line configuration, it’s easy to see why Core Configurator is so popular. Don’t get me wrong — I love the command line as much as the next person, but the purpose of Server Core is to minimize the overall attack surface for a server, not create migraines in administrators. Core Configurator lets you configure the server through an easy-to-use GUI. The project is led by Andew Auret and Tony Ison, from Microsoft UK.

Exchange 2010 RBAC Manager

Recommended to me by Ian Hameroff and Jim Lucey of the Exchange Team at Microsoft, Exchange 2010 RBAC Manager has proved an invaluable tool. RBAC is new to Exchange 2010, and the broad application of permissions through built-in role groups is excellent. But when creating new roles and role groups, which are typically built off existing “parent” roles, it’s essential that you know what entries — cmdlets and parameters — are attached to the roles you are building off. I went looking for a simple informational tool, but this one goes beyond providing the details, allowing you to edit RBAC settings through the GUI. It’s a must-have tool for any Exchange admin working with RBAC on Exchange 2010.

PowerShell Management Library for Hyper-V

PowerShell gurus are always looking for more PowerShell tools and toys. By doing a quick PowerShell search through the cloud tags, I found all sorts of extensions, scripts, remoting tools, and more. I found a PowerShell script that helps me manage my Hyper-V virtual machines by allowing you to stop, start, save, suspend, shut down, and snapshot a virtual machine. I found an incredible script that does a full SharePoint Services or MOSS backup. Most impressive was a full PowerShell Management Library for Hyper-V.

There are thousands of different downloads, so it’s impossible to discuss each one or know what will appeal to you the most. But you’ll find that anything and everything is in the works. Developer resources are a big part of the site, but so is lighter fare, including games, widgets, gadgets, and so forth.

To learn more about Microsoft and open source, you can find out what projects are in the works and note various resources that are available at the Microsoft Open Source Resource Center.

This article, “CodePlex offers invaluable open source tools for Windows admins,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of J. Peter Bruzzese’s Enterprise Windows blog and follow the latest developments in business software and Windows at InfoWorld.com.