Final answer:
Enabling the Windows Firewall by default on Windows 2012 R2 impacts remote management tools by blocking them unless firewall rules are set to allow specific traffic. Administrators need to configure inbound rules to allow these tools to connect to the server. Improper configuration can obstruct remote administrative tasks.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Windows Firewall is enabled by default in Windows 2012 R2, it can impact remote management tools by blocking unsolicited inbound traffic to the server. To allow these tools to function correctly, administrators usually need to configure the firewall to allow inbound traffic on specific ports that these tools use. For example, Remote Desktop requires port 3389, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) uses ports 135 and 445, PowerShell Remoting requires port 5985 for HTTP and 5986 for HTTPS. Without proper configuration, remote management access to the server can be restricted.
By setting up inbound rules in the firewall settings, this allows authorized remote management tools to communicate with the server. This often involves defining scope options to restrict remote access to a limited number of IP addresses or subnets for security purposes. If the rules are not set up properly, it can impede system administration tasks that are often carried out remotely for Windows servers.