Remote Assistance is a feature that was introduced in Windows XP that enables a user on one computer to remotely view and even take control of the desktop environment of another user's computer. The interaction between the two computers is initiated either through an invitation or through an offer of assistance from one user to the other. For organizations that have deployed Windows XP in their desktop environment, Remote Assistance is a valuable tool for help desk departments. Many service calls that once required a visit to the end user to resolve a problem can now be resolved interactively through a Remote Assistance session. Carrying the functionality forward, the Remote Assistance tool is also available to Windows Server 2003. Whereas Remote Assistance is a valuable tool for the help desk in a desktop environment, it becomes a valuable collaborative tool for system administrators in the server environment. Using Remote Assistance, an administrator of one server can request or offer remote assistance to an administrator of another server. The two administrators can then collaboratively resolve server configuration issues in real time through the same GUI on the server in question without having to be physically at the server. This section describes how to configure and use the Remote Assistance tool to carry out collaborative remote administrative sessions on Windows Server 2003 servers. Requirements for Remote AssistanceTo take advantage of Remote Assistance, both machines engaging in a collaborative session must be running either the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 operating system. Additionally, both machines must be connected via a common network. What makes Remote Assistance so flexible is that the common network can be the Internet. If the collaborative session is initiated by one administrator sending an invitation to the other administrator, the computer sending the invitation must be able to transfer a file. The file can be transferred through e-mail, or automatically through the Help and Support Center, which uses Outlook Express or Windows Messenger. The file can also be saved and transferred by any other means of transferring a file. If the collaborative session is initiated by an offer to assist, thus bypassing the invitation, then both computers must be in the same domain or be members of two trusting domains. Additional configurations are necessary for a machine to accept Remote Assistance offers, which will be discussed later in the section. To use Remote Assistance in Windows Server 2003, it must be enabled. For security purposes, it is disabled by default. To enable Remote Assistance, perform the following steps:
Sending a Remote Assistance InvitationThis section steps through the process by which a collaborative session is initiated through an invitation for Remote Assistance. The invitation can be sent in one of three ways:
Remote Assistance If an e-mail client has not yet been configured, Remote Assistance attempts to help the Novice configure it. To change the e-mail client that Remote Assistance uses, in Control Panel, double-click Internet Options, and on the Programs tab, change the e-mail setting to the appropriate e-mail client. Some e-mail clients that do not support Simple MAPI will not appear as an option in the Internet Options Control Panel program. To invite another administrator for Remote Assistance by sending a file, perform the following steps:
After the Expert Takes Control After the Expert takes control, the Remote Assistance session responds to both users' inputs. As a result, the mouse might behave erratically if both the Expert and Novice are attempting to control the session. If the Novice stops control, the Remote Assistance session continues and the Expert can still see the Novice's desktop. |