Managing Remote Windows NT/2000 Servers

The following sections provide information that will help you effectively manage Remote Management sessions on Windows NT/2000 servers:

• Initiating Remote Management Sessions
• Managing a Remote View Session
• Managing a Remote Control Session
• Viewing the Audit Log for Remote Management Sessions
• Improving the Remote Management Performance
• Unloading and Reloading the Remote Management Agent

Initiating Remote Management Sessions

You have several options for initiating a Remote Management session from ConsoleOne. They include the following:

• Initiating the Remote Management Session from within ConsoleOne
• Initiating Remote Management Sessions from the eDirectory/NDS Namespace
• Initiating Remote Management Sessions from the Atlas Namespace

Initiating the Remote Management Session from within ConsoleOne

1. In ConsoleOne, click Tools > Remote Management > Windows.

2. In the Remote Management dialog box, enter the IP address or the DNS name of the managed server.

3. Enter the agent password.

4. Select the Remote Management operation that you want to initiate with the managed server.

5. Click OK.

Initiating Remote Management Sessions from the eDirectory/NDS Namespace

You can start a Remote Management session from the eDirectory (NDS) namespace (in ConsoleOne) using one of the following methods:

1. In ConsoleOne, click Tools > Remote Management > Windows.

2. In the Remote Management dialog box, enter the IP address or the DNS name of the managed server.

3. Enter the agent password.

4. Select the Remote Management operation that you want to initiate with the managed server.

5. Click OK.

You can also use the following procedure:

1. In ConsoleOne, select a managed server.

2. Click Tools > Remote Management > Windows.

3. In the Remote Management dialog box, select the IP address of the managed server from the Agent drop-down list.

   The IP address of the selected managed server will be automatically populated to the Agent drop-down list.

4. Enter the agent password.

5. Select the Remote Management operation that you want to initiate with the managed server.

6. Click OK.

You can also use the following procedure:

1. In ConsoleOne, right-click a managed server.

2. Click Remote Management > Windows.

3. In the Remote Management dialog box, select the IP address of the managed server from the Agent drop-down list.

   The IP address of the selected managed server will be automatically populated to the Agent drop-down list.

4. Enter the agent password.

5. Select the Remote Management operation that you want to initiate with the managed server.

6. Click OK.

Initiating Remote Management Sessions from the Atlas Namespace

Before initiating a Remote Management session from the Atlas namespace (in ConsoleOne), make sure that the NetWare^® Management Agent^TM (NMA) is installed and the Discovery discovers the network topology.

To initiate the Remote Management session:

1. In ConsoleOne, right-click a managed server.

2. Click Actions > click Remote Control or Remote View.

3. Select the IP address and enter the agent password.

   The IP address of the selected managed server will be automatically populated to the Agent drop-down list.

4. Click OK.

Managing a Remote View Session

After you have initiated a Remote Management session and selected Remote View as the operation, you have several options to help you view the managed server.

• Controlling the Display of the Viewing Window
• Using the Viewing Window Accelerator Keys
• Defining a Custom Accelerator Key Sequence
• Stopping a Remote View Session from the Managed Server

Controlling the Display of the Viewing Window

You can regulate the display of the Viewing window through using the control options.

To enable the control options:

1. Click the Remote Management Agent icon, located at the top left corner of the Viewing window.

2. Click Configure.

3. To enable the use of accelerator keys on the management console, select Enable Accelerator Keys.

4. To use the 16-color palette on the managed server during the Remote Management session, select 16 Color Mode.

   Selecting 16 Color Mode will enhance the Remote Management performance.

5. To suppress the wallpaper displayed on the managed server's desktop, select Hide Wallpaper.

6. To save the Control Parameter settings, click the Save on Exit check box.

   The saved settings will be implemented in the next Remote View session.

7. Click OK.

Using the Viewing Window Accelerator Keys

You can use accelerator keys to assign the shortcut keys to the control options and also to control the display of the Viewing window. Default accelerator key sequences are assigned to each accelerator key option. The Accelerator Keys dialog box displays the default key sequence in the edit field of each accelerator key option. You can define a custom accelerator key sequence to change the default sequence. For more information, see Defining a Custom Accelerator Key Sequence .

To enable the Accelerator Keys option:

1. Click the Remote Management Agent icon, located at the top left corner of the Viewing window.

2. Click Configure.

3. Select Accelerator Keys Enable.

4. Click OK.

To open the Accelerator Keys dialog box:

1. Click the Remote Management Agent icon, located at the top left corner of the Viewing window.

2. Click Accelerator Keys.

The following table explains the Accelerator Key options you can during the Remote View session:

Defining a Custom Accelerator Key Sequence

The default keystrokes assigned to the accelerator key options are displayed in the edit field to the right of each accelerator key option in the Accelerator Keys dialog box. You can change the accelerator key sequence and define a custom accelerator key sequence if you do not want to use the default keystroke.

To define a custom accelerator key sequence:

1. Click the Remote Management Agent icon, located at the top-left corner of the Viewing window.

2. Click Accelerator Keys.

3. Click the edit field of the accelerator key option where you want to define a custom accelerator key sequence.

4. Press the new accelerator key sequence.

5. Click OK.

IMPORTANT:  The shift keys are left-right sensitive, and are indicated in the Control Options dialog box as Lshift and Rshift.

Stopping a Remote View Session from the Managed Server

You can stop a Remote View session from the managed server using any of the following methods:

• Right-click the Remote Management Agent icon and click Terminate RC/RV Session.
• Close the Visible Signal window displayed on the top right corner of the managed server desktop.
• Press the keystroke that you have defined for the Stop Viewing option in the Accelerator Keys dialog box.

Managing a Remote Control Session

After you have initiated a Remote Management session and selected Remote Control as the operation, you can control the managed server from the management console to provide user assistance and to help resolve server problems. With remote control connections, the remote operator can go beyond viewing the managed server to taking control of it.

You can effectively manage a Remote Control session by performing the following tasks with the Viewing window control options, the Viewing window toolbar buttons, and the Remote Management Agent icon options:

• Controlling the Display of the Viewing Window
• Using the Viewing Window Accelerator Keys
• Using the Toolbar Buttons on the Viewing Window
• Enabling the Wallpaper on the Managed Server
• Enhancing the Remote Control Performance Over a Fast Link or a Slow Link
• Using the Remote Management Agent Icon
• Obtaining Information About Remote Management Sessions
• Stopping a Remote Control Session from the Managed Server

Controlling the Display of the Viewing Window

You can control the display of the managed server by using the Viewing window control options.

To enable control options:

1. Click the Remote Management Agent icon, located at the top left corner of the Viewing window.

2. Click Configure.

3. Select the control options you want to enable for the remote session.

   The following table explains the options you can use to control the display of the Viewing window.

   Option	Description
   Warn Before Screen Blanking	Informs the user at the management console before the managed server screen is blanked.
   Enable Accelerator Keys	Enables the accelerator keys on the management console so that you can change the default accelerator key sequences during the remote session.
   16 Color Mode	Forces the use of 16-color palette on the managed server during a Remote Management session. This enhances the Remote Management performance. Use this option only if you are performing the Remote Management session over a slow WAN.
   Hide Wallpaper	Suppresses any wallpaper displayed on the managed server. This option is enabled by default. If you want to display the wallpaper on the managed server during a Remote Control or Remote View session, disable this option.
   System Key Pass	Passes Alt-key sequences on the management console to the remote Windows NT/2000 server. During a Remote View session, the System Key Pass-Through option is not enabled.
   Network Type	If the managed server resides over a LAN, selecting the Fast Links option will accelerate the Remote Management performance. If the managed server is connected over a dial-up link, selecting the Slow Links option will accelerate the Remote Management performance.

4. To save the Control Parameter settings, click the Save on Exit check box.

   The saved settings will be implemented in the next Remote Control session.

Using the Viewing Window Accelerator Keys

You can use accelerator keys to assign shortcut keys to the control options and also to control the display of the Viewing window. Default accelerator key sequences are assigned to each accelerator key option. The Accelerator Keys dialog box displays the default key sequence in the edit field of each accelerator key option. You can define a custom accelerator key sequence to change the default sequence. For more information, see Defining a Custom Accelerator Key Sequence .

To enable the Accelerator Keys option:

1. Click the Remote Management Agent icon, located at the top left corner of the Viewing window.

2. Click Configure.

3. Select Enable Accelerator Keys.

To open the Accelerator Keys dialog box:

1. Click the Remote Management Agent icon, located at the top left corner of the Viewing window.

2. Click Accelerator Keys.

The following table explains the Accelerator Key options you can use to control the display of the Viewing window:

Using the Toolbar Buttons on the Viewing Window

The following table describes the toolbar options in the Viewing window:

You can define a custom key sequence if you do not want to use the default key sequence. For more information, see Defining a Custom Accelerator Key Sequence .

Enabling the Wallpaper on the Managed Server

When the remote operator initiates a Remote Control session, any wallpaper displayed on the desktop of the managed server will be suppressed. This feature reduces the response time from the managed server for requests from the management console because less traffic is generated over the network while the wallpaper is suppressed.

You can configure the control parameter for this option to change the default settings and enable the display of the wallpaper on the managed server. When you terminate the Remote Control session, the suppressed wallpaper will be restored.

To enable the display of suppressed wallpaper on the managed server:

1. Click the Remote Management Agent icon, located at the top left corner > click Configure.

2. Deselect the Hide Wallpaper option.

Enhancing the Remote Control Performance Over a Fast Link or a Slow Link

The Remote Control performance, especially over a slow link, has been enhanced through using improved compression.

The performance during a Remote Control session over a slow link or a fast link varies depending on the network traffic. For better response time, try one or more of the following strategies:

• Deselect the Hide Wallpaper option on the managed server in the Control Parameters dialog box.
• Assign color settings on the management console higher than the managed server or assign the same color settings for the management console and the managed server.
• Deselect the Enable Pointer Shadow option before starting the Remote Control or Remote View session.

To deselect Enable Pointer Shadow:

1. From the Windows desktop, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > double-click Mouse.

2. Click Pointers > deselect Enable Pointer Shadow.

Using the Remote Management Agent Icon

You can manage a remote session from the managed server using the Remote Management Agent icon options. By default, the Remote Management Agent icon will be displayed in the system tray of the Windows NT/2000 servers. This icon indicates that the Remote Management Agent is loaded on the managed server.

The user at the managed server can right-click the Remote Management Agent icon and choose from the following options:

Setting Up a Password for the Managed Server

The user at the managed server can set an agent password. This password will override the password set by the administrator during the ZfS Remote Management installation.

To set the agent password:

1. From the managed server, right-click the Remote Management Agent icon.

2. Click Security > Set Password.

   Use a password of ten or fewer alphanumeric characters. The password is case-sensitive and cannot be blank.

After the completion of the Remote Management session, you can clear the agent password. If you clear the agent password, the remote operator cannot perform the Remote Management operations.

To clear the agent password:

1. On the managed server, right-click the Remote Management Agent icon.

2. Click Security > Clear Password.

Obtaining Information About Remote Management Sessions

Using the Information window, the user at the managed server can view details about the session, such as who is accessing the managed server for a remote session, the security settings, and the protocol in use for the remote session.

To view information about remote sessions:

1. On the managed server, right-click the Remote Management Agent icon.

2. Click Information.

3. Click the General tab to view the general information and the Security tab to view the security information.

After you have opened the Information window, you can view different kinds of information about remote sessions on the managed server. See the following sections for details:

• Obtaining General Information
• Obtaining Security Information

Obtaining General Information

The following table explains the general information you can obtain about Remote Management sessions from the Information window:

Obtaining Security Information

The Security Information dialog box displays information based on the Remote Control and Remote View sessions.

Stopping a Remote Control Session from the Managed Server

You can stop a Remote Control session from the managed server using any of the following methods:

• Right-click the Remote Management Agent icon and click Terminate RC/RV Session.
• Close the Visible Signal window displayed on the top right corner of the managed server desktop.
• Press the keystroke that you have defined for the Stop Viewing option in the Accelerator Keys dialog box.

Viewing the Audit Log for Remote Management Sessions

ZfS records log information on a Windows NT/2000 managed server.

To view the audit log for Remote Management sessions:

1. Click Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer.

2. Click Log > Application.

3. Double-click the event associated with the source Remote Management Agent.

To view only the events pertinent to the Remote Management Agent, choose Remote Management Agent from the source drop-down list in the Filter dialog box.

Improving the Remote Management Performance

The following instructions will help in improving the Remote Management performance:

• Set the managed server screen resolution to either 640x480 or 600x800.
• On Windows 2000, deselect the Enable Pointer Shadow option for optimal performance.

  To deselect Enable Pointer Shadow:

  • From the Windows desktop, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > double-click Mouse.
  • Click Pointers > deselect Enable Pointer Shadow.

• The speed of the management console depends upon the processing power of the client machine. We recommended that you to use single-processor client with a Pentium* III, 500MHz (or later).
• At the managed server, use a plain background. Do not set a wallpaper pattern.
• If the Task manager is opened at the target machine, you can close it or minimize it.
• Make sure that the scrolling texts (such as the debug windows) and animations are not active on the managed server.
• Make sure to minimize or close the dialog boxes that are not in use.
• Use the Page Up and Page Down keys for scrolling through the contents.
• To perform any operations at the managed server, if possible, use the toolbar options instead of menu options.
• To maximize remote management visibility, set the management console screen resolution higher than the managed server resolution.
• If the optimization driver is disabled, set the color settings at managed server to 256 bit.
• To maximize the Remote Management performance over WAN, do the following at the managed server:
  • Set the color mode of the managed server to 16 color.
  • Select the Slow Link Option.

Unloading and Reloading the Remote Management Agent

The following sections explain how you can use the Remote Management Agent during remote sessions:

• Unloading the Remote Management Agent
• Reloading the Remote Management Agent

Unloading the Remote Management Agent

You can unload the Remote Management Agent during a remote session. When you unload the Remote Management Agent, the remote session stops. To start another remote session, you will need to reload the Remote Management Agent. For more information, see Reloading the Remote Management Agent .

To unload the Remote Management Agent from a Windows NT managed server:

1. From the Control Panel, double-click Services.

2. Click Novell ZFS Remote Management Agent > Stop.

To unload the Remote Management Agent from a Windows 2000 managed server:

1. From the Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools.

2. Double-click Services.

3. Click Novell ZFS Remote Management Agent > Stop.

IMPORTANT:  You will be able to stop the Remote Management Agent on Windows NT/2000 only if you have the rights to stop the service.

Reloading the Remote Management Agent

During ZfS installation, the Remote Management Agent is installed on the managed server and started automatically when the managed server starts up. If you shut down the Remote Management Agent during a remote session, the remote session stops. To start another remote session, you need to reload the Remote Management Agent on the managed server.

To reload the Remote Management Agent on Windows NT:

1. From the Control Panel, double-click Services.

2. Click Novell ZFS Remote Management Agent > Start.

IMPORTANT:  You will be able to load the Remote Management Agent on Windows NT only if you have the rights to start the Windows NT service.

To reload the Remote Management Agent on Windows 2000:

1. From the Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools.

2. Double-click Services.

3. Click Novell ZFS Remote Management Agent > Start.

IMPORTANT:  You will be able to load the Remote Management Agent on Windows 2000 only if you have the rights to start the service.