Remote Control

NAVIGATION  Modules > Systems > All Systems > select a system > Manage > Remote Control

SECURITY  Remote Control > Use IT Glue Passwords

SECURITY  Remote Control > Allow 1-Click access

Remote Control enables you to connect to all your monitored Windows systems and control any console or remote session. This article describes the process to do so.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN  For this feature to be available, the managed system must be powered on and checking in to your VSA 10 platform.

Overview

VSA 10 supports two different methods by which you can connect to a target system. Console sessions allow you to take control of the computer as if you were sitting in front of it. Remote Desktop sessions permit you to collaborate with users currently active on the machine. While connected to the remote system, you can also transfer files to and from it.

Prerequisites

Before you can remotely control an endpoint, both the managed system and the computer you'll be using to control it must meet the following requirements:

  • On your local computer: You'll need to download and install the Remote Desktop Client on the computer you'll be using for your remote control sessions. Installers for supported systems are available in your VSA 10 instance at Administration > Onboarding > Downloads.

  • On the managed system: The system to which you're connecting must have remote control enabled. Refer to the Enable Remote Control on a managed system section of this article for further details.

How to...

You can enable remove access to a system at the agent or policy level. Policy settings will always take precedence over individual agent settings and are more convenient, as you can apply them to multiple machines at once.

To learn how to permit VSA 10 remote control access to an endpoint, choose a workflow to continue.

  1. In the left navigation menu of your VSA 10 instance, navigate to Administration > Configuration > Policies.

  2. Select the policy and profile of the system you'd like to manage.

  3. Scroll to the Details section of the profile's Configuration pane.

  4. In the Remote Desktop row, select the Enable option.

  5. Click Save.

  6. Proceed to the Connect to a system via Remote Control section of this article to continue.

  1. On the system you'd like to control, launch the VSA X Manager application.

  2. Navigate to System > Remote Control.

  3. Select the Enable Remote Control option.

  4. In the Remote Control Settings section, configure the actions that the VSA agent should take upon receiving a remote control request.

  5. Click Apply.

  6. Proceed to the Connect to a system via Remote Control section of this article to continue.

Establishing the connection

You can launch a remote control session for a managed system from the All Systems page. To do so, perform the following steps.

  1. To access the All Systems page, in the left navigation menu of your VSA 10 instance, click Systems > All Systems.

  2. The page will load. You'll see a list of all of your managed endpoints, grouped by organization.

  1. Enter a partial or whole system name in the search field at the top of the page. As you type, you'll notice that the managed systems list begins to filter to only those endpoints with attributes matching your search criteria. You can apply additional criteria to your search by selecting options from the Filter by list.

  2. Click any search result to populate the endpoint's extended details and management options in the system details pane.

  3. Scroll down to the Manage section and click the Remote Control option.

  4. The system details pane will pivot to the Remote Control launchpad for the selected system. Select the connection method you'd like to use. Refer to Remote Control connection options for definitions.

You can use the following connection methods to reach a managed system via Remote Control.

NOTE  Availability of connection options may vary depending on your VSA 10 permissions and current remote activity on the target endpoint.

Feature Definition
Share the Console Session Connects to a console session already established by another system administrator
Launch a new VSA X RDP Session

Initiates a Remote Desktop session via the VSA X Agent using local or stored 1-Click credentials
Launch a new Session using the Microsoft RDP Client

Launches Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection app to connect to the selected system; requires local credentials and the local or external IP address of the target endpoint
Share Other Active Sessions

Join a remote session already underway; connection protocols vary depending on the type of session in progress

IMPORTANT  If you do not receive any prompts from your browser or remote control window does not appear after selecting a connection method, ensure that both the managed system and your local computer meet the requirements described in the Prerequisites section of this article.

  1. VSA 10 will launch the remote control session and connect to the managed system via the selected method.

    • If you connected to the endpoint via a VSA X protocol, a remote control window will open on your computer, providing access to management tools and a condensed view of the target system's desktop. Refer to Remote session tools.

    • If you connected via Microsoft RDP, you'll have access to the Remote Desktop user experience. Refer to Microsoft's How to use Remote Desktop article.

Remote session tools

When you connect to a session established via a VSA X protocol, you'll notice a toolbar that appears at the top of the remote control window. This toolbar provides you with quick access to the following session management features:

Menu Option Definition
Commands Ctrl+Alt+Del Inject the Windows Ctrl+Alt+Del keyboard command into supported operating systems
Paste as Keystrokes

Injects the current contents of the local clipboard into the remote session as keystrokes
Input as Keystrokes

Opens a modal on your local machine that enables you to construct a custom string to be sent to the remote session as keystrokes
File Transfer Opens an FTP modal enabling background transfer of files to and from the remote system
Chat

Launches a chat window on your local computer and the remote machine to facilitate communication with other active users
Settings Smart Sizing Automatically scales the viewport to an optimal resolution for viewing the remote content
Disable Wallpaper Hides the wallpaper on the target system for the duration of the session
Input Restrictions Provides options for blocking the remote user's keyboard and mouse input and blanking the remote display
Session health Displays real-time information about the session's round-trip time (RTT)
Use hardware acceleration Leverage hardware acceleration, if available, to render the content in the remote control window
Screen options Enables you to throttle the remote control window's rendering engine between Best quality, Balanced, and Best speed
Screen Scaling Provides management options for upscaling the view of the remote computer's desktop in the remote control window
1-Click Injects saved 1-Click credentials into the current session
Feedback Opens a feedback survey enabling you to rate the quality of the session connection and provide comments for the VSA product management team
Collapses the management toolbar
Expands the viewport to the dimensions of the current display
Closes the management toolbar