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Digest of 'Understanding Remote Control Options in SMS 2003'

Based on Microsoft Webcast 9th May 2002

 

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  Remote Control in SMS 2003 is basically the same as in previous versions with some additional features and performance improvements:

In General

  • There are no differences in behaviour between RC for the Standard and Mobile clients.  On mobile clients RC is always installed as part of the msi package but only active on those machines where the administrator has enabled it.
  • Can now use a locally compiled MOF file to set RC configuration on a per machine basis.  C.f. SMS 2.0 where this was a site wide setting - it applied to all boxes or none. (Except for a difficult kludge which created its own problems)
  • Remote.exe supports additional logging features
  • Don't need to be a local user on target mc for RC just be in permitted viewer list, have Remote Control permission on the Collection.
  • Only non-administrators need to be explicitly added to the Permitted Viewers list
  • Ports
    SMS 1.2 Ports 1761-1764
    SMS 2.0 RTM Ports 1761-1764
    SMS 2.0 Sp1 and Above 2701-2704

Performance

  • RC Client only uses TCP.  Admin Console continues to support previous protocols.
  • Name resolution entirely through conventional DNS\WINS mechanism.  No need to reference SMS DB to check IP address. Particularly important in short lease duration DHCP clients.
  • RC Drivers (Keyboard/Mouse stuffing) now routinely passed through Windows Hardware Quality Lab to minimise system incompatibility issues.
  • Special check box indicating perm required if win98. This beacuse can control security through Permitted Viewers list for NT4 and above but no such control for Win9x.
  • Compression/Decompression speeds improved
  • Screen transfer improved

SMS Admin Console Now Includes the Ability to Launch:

  • Remote Assistance for Windows XP/.NET Server only. 
  • Terminal Services for Windows NTŪ 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows XP/.NET Server

Remote Assistance

  • SMS Admin Console must be on XP\.Net box
  • User always required to grant permission for incoming unsolicited request.  (Default RA behaviour outside SMS's control)
  • Full Control, None and View only options
  • Can Configure Remote Assistance interaction:
        Manage Remote Assistance- allows you to configure the target XP/.Net mc's RA settings remotely
        Override Remote Assistance user settings - ie sms will win even if user has set settings via their own Control Panel applet
  •  RA in XP has 2 modes. Unsolicited and User Requested. SMS uses unsolicited i.e. AD HOC request to user to RA their machine
  •  SMS Permitted Viewers list is used for Unsolicited RA access
  • At all times any Group Policy could be used either locally or through a domain Group Policy to override the SMS configuration.

Terminal Services

  • Target system must have TS installed
  • Nothing additional required on SMS administrator computer. i.e. SMS Admin Console contains TS Client
  • Not Win2k Pro
  • In Windows XP called 'Remote Desktop' instead of Terminal Services.
  • Start TS session with same credentials as currently logged on user at Target In Windows XP system causes connection to that user session. ie. SMS Admin has same desktop as current user.  Start TS Session using different credentials and SMS Admin gets completely new desktop.
  • Windows .NET Server supports ability to chose whether to connect to target user session and have same desktop or start a new one regardless of SMS Admin Console's credentials.
  • At all times any Group Policy could be used either locally or through a domain Group Policy to override the SMS configuration.