Active Directory Administration with Windows PowerShell

Windows PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language that can help information technology (IT) professionals control system administration more easily and achieve greater productivity.

The Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell in Windows Server 2008 R2 is a Windows PowerShell module (named ActiveDirectory) that consolidates a group of cmdlets. You can use these cmdlets to manage your Active Directory domains, Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) configuration sets, and Active Directory Database Mounting Tool instances in a single, self-contained package.

In Windows Server 2000/2003/2008, administrators used a variety of command-line tools and Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins to connect to their Active Directory domains and AD LDS configuration sets to monitor and manage them. The Active Directory module in Windows Server 2008 R2 now provides a centralized experience for administering your directory service.

For installation and other details, check out the entire document on TechNet here.