After installing the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) on Windows 7 or Windows 8, in addition to the popular Active Directory Users and Computers and Group Policy Management Console, you will gain access to the Active Directory Administrative Center.
Active Directory Administrative Center provides network administrators with an enhanced Active Directory data management experience and a rich graphical user interface (GUI). Administrators can use Active Directory Administrative Center to perform common Active Directory object management tasks (such as user, computer, group, and organization units management) through both data-driven and task-oriented navigation.
The Active Directory Administrative Center was introduced with Windows Server 2008 R2. It can be installed on Windows 7 SP1 which mirrors the Server 2008 R2 version or on Windows 8, which mirrors the Server 2012 version. It was introduced in January 2009 through an AD Documentation Team blog post.
With the release of Server 2012, the documentation has been updated.
- Introduction to Active Directory Administrative Center Enhancements (Level 100)
- Advanced AD DS Management Using Active Directory Administrative Center (Level 200)
The AD Admin Center works well for multiple domains and allowing access to other administrative tasks. It is installed with the Remote Server Administration Tools and might make some of your tasks much easier. Check it out and the above documentation to see if it will help you out in your management of Active Directory objects.