A. Microsoft Management Console (MMC) - previously known by the code name "Slate" is Microsoft's new interface for machine and application management and allows the user to create a custom console with "snap-ins" loaded. MMC provides a shell with no functionality, a 'snap-in' provides the functionality, such as DNS management, and while a number of default console configurations will be supplied with certain snap-in's pre loaded you will be able to create your own console with one or more snap-ins loaded.
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A custom console with the Group Policy Editor, Services and Disk Management
Snap-in loaded.
The main MMC window has the 'Console' menu which is used to add and remove snap-ins to the console and to also save the configuration to enable you to reload any useful snap-in combinations.
Future Microsoft applications, such as Exchange 6.0 (Platinum) will use MMC snap-ins instead of normal applications and other software providers will follow suit with snap-ins for most application management interfaces.
The MMC is core in Windows 2000 and was first seen in NT 4.0 with Option Pack 4, Internet Information Server 4.0 and Service Pack 4's Security Configuration Editor.
The latest version of the MMC for Windows NT 4.0 can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/MANAGEMENT/MMC/download.htm.