Product Details
Product Rating
AdderLink IP
Avocent DSR 1021
Citrix GoToAssist
Famatech Remote Administrator
Ideal Administration
LANDesk Management Suite
Laplink Gold 12
NetSupport DNA
PC-Duo Enterprise
Raritan Dominion KX232
SonicWALL Global Management System
Symantec pcAnywhere
Unicenter Remote Control
The Landesk Management Suite, with its established reputation, is worth serious consideration, and is our Best Buy – as long as you can meet its system requirements. Our Recommended product is Ideal Administration from PointDev, which can manage any medium-sized Windows network while needing minimal resources.
Remote administration tools (2005)
Being in two places at once is what all grumpy users really want from their IT people. But it is possible, says Ian Parsons, with remote administration
Remote Administration, which in its early days usually meant nothing more than remote control software, now includes a whole range of tools to help manage the hardware and software used in company networks.
As networks continue to grow in size and complexity, the tools used to manage them have had to develop new capabilities to keep up. The administrative functions have also grown in scope to include management tasks as well as support activities. The nature of the modern network also influences the administrative functions needed.
A typical LAN will contain many desktop systems, with a few servers providing file and print services, and perhaps a few databases, but this may also be part of a larger company WAN. These networks tend to be fairly dynamic, with a wide mix of hardware and software that changes frequently.
However, the LAN may simply contain a number of servers, perhaps providing web and database services for an internet-based e-commerce application or as part of a company's secure installation. An ISP installation will have similar characteristics. The hardware and software in these installations tends to be stable, with few changes over time. The company LAN or WAN would need the more complex admin tools to track the hardware and software inventories, but a server network would likely need reliable remote access.
A server network often provides crucial services to an organization's function, so a timely response to any problems that occur is essential. Although a company might be able to cope with the loss of its internal accounting system for a few days, losing its customer service system or its website for the same length of time could be a disaster.
A hardware-based keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) switch, which allows the use of multiple units from one control point, could be a primary choice for these systems. These devices can also provide support in a worst-case situation, since they sometimes offer dial-up connections as well as network access, and can control power strips and network devices such as managed switches.
KVM solutions are also useful where operating systems other than Windows are being used, such as Unix, Linux or NetWare. A site that operates a mix of servers and network devices would probably be able to meet its needs with a combination of KVM switches and remote management software.
The increasing use of virtual private networks (VPNs) allows the software to view both local and remote systems as being on the same network, using the same global security throughout. This can also help to make the network more secure, since fewer ports need to be open in firewalls, providing fewer opportunities for remote exploits. There is also less need for a dial-up facility.
All the software tested required Windows, and are generally expected to administer only Windows servers, although a few would also talk to Mac and Linux systems. Apart from the Sonicwall Global Management System, however, none of them could control network devices such as routers or firewall appliances.
How we tested them
There is no way to make a direct comparison between the software and hardware products on offer, as they address different issues. The hardware solutions are aimed at servers and other critical network devices, and their primary purpose is to allow a remote administrator the same level of control that would be available from a local console, while maintaining adequate security against unauthorized access.
We used a network of PCs running Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 98/ME and Windows 2000 Server, connected through a managed switch supporting 10/100 Base-T connections.
All the systems were patched to the latest levels, and the workstations ran anti-virus software from different vendors. At least one of the anti-virus products, which used heuristic detection methods as well as virus signatures, considered some of the software products to be trojans, and refused to allow the installation to continue.
Performance measurement posed some problems, since the products differed widely in terms of capabilities and intended use.
Where possible we carried out simple file transfers of very large files and measured the time taken, producing an average transfer rate. Where the systems offered inventory scanning, we checked the results against the actual configurations, and where the system offered software update and patching facilities we measured the time taken to complete the tasks.
We looked for facilities that system administrators could reasonably expect to use to assist them in their normal activities, such as managing user accounts, transferring files, gathering statistics and troubleshooting a server. We also looked at the products' security capabilities, and features beyond the basic remote control function.
