Desktop Management

Managing several, geographically distributed desktops is now possible using MSPCenterPlus. Remote Agents are installed on the desktops that need management from a central location. Deploying remote agents automates the complete desktop management life cycle ranging from a simple configuration to complex software deployment. With its network-neutral architecture, the administrator can easily manage any windows networks like Active Directory, Workgroup, or other directory services. Desktop Management automates regular desktop management activities like installing software, patches, and service packs, standardize the desktops by applying uniform configurations etc. To avoid IP conflicts, Desktop Management identifies the devices using their hostname instead of IP address.

How it Works

1. Central Server is installed in the Network Operations center
2. The Remote Agents are installed in the remote desktops to be managed
3. The Central Server collects all desktop management requests
4. The Agent contacts (i) every 5 minutes once to find out from the Central if it has any management tasks on the desktop on which it is installed, like installing a patch or service pack and (ii) 30 seconds once.
   
5. It performs the task and on completion, exits.

Trouble Shooting Tips
Even if you install agents some times the UI shows that the agent has been installed successfully but the agent wouldn't have been installed. This will occur if the below path is not available in the windows machine in which the agent is installed.
%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%system32\WBEM

Consider the following steps to resolve the problem

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. On the Advanced tab click on Environment Variables.
3. Under System Variables double-click the Path environment variable.
4. Type the path (%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%system32\WBEM).    Note: If other system variables appear do not delete them.
5. Click on OK in the Environment variables window.
6. Click on OK in the System properties window.