Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 User Manual

0 (0)
Apple Remote Desktop
Administrator’s Guide
Version 3.1
K
Apple Computer, Inc.
© 2006 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Apple
Remote Desktop software may reproduce this
publication for the purpose of learning to use such
software. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted for commercial purposes, such as selling
copies of this publication or for providing paid for
support services.
The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.,
registered in the U.S. and other countries. Use of the
“keyboard” Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial
purposes without the prior written consent of Apple
may constitute trademark infringement and unfair
competition in violation of federal and state laws.
Apple, the Apple logo, AirPort, AppleScript, AppleTalk,
AppleWorks, FireWire, iBook, iMac, iSight, Keychain, Mac,
Macintosh, Mac OS, PowerBook, QuickTime, and Xserve
are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the
U.S. and other countries.
Apple Remote Desktop, Bonjour, eMac, Finder, iCal, and
Safari are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems
Incorporated.
Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and
other countries, licensed exclusively through
X/Open Company, Ltd.
019-0835/11-13-06
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3

Contents

Preface 9 About This Book
10
Using This Guide
10
Remote Desktop Help
10
Notation Conventions
11
Where to Find More Information About Apple Remote Desktop
Chapter 1 13 Using Apple Remote Desktop
13
Administering Computers
15
Deploying Software
18
Taking Inventory
21
Housekeeping
23
Supporting Users
23
Providing Help Desk Support
25
Interacting with Students
27
Finding More Information
Chapter 2 28 Getting to Know Remote Desktop
28
Remote Desktop Human Interface Guide
29
Remote Desktop Main Window
31
Task Dialogs
32
Control and Observe Window
33
Multiple-Client Observe Window
34
Report Window
35
Changing Report Layout
36
Configuring Remote Desktop
36
Customizing the Remote Desktop Toolbar
36
Setting Preferences for the Remote Desktop Administrator Application
37
Interface Tips and Shortcuts
Chapter 3 39 Installing Apple Remote Desktop
39
System Requirements for Apple Remote Desktop
40
Network Requirements
40
Installing the Remote Desktop Administrator Software
41
Setting Up an Apple Remote Desktop Client Computer for the First Time
4
Contents
41
Upgrading the Remote Desktop Administrator Software
42
Upgrading the Client Software
42
Method #1—Remote Upgrade Installation
43
Method #2—Manual Installation
43
Upgrading Apple Remote Desktop Clients Using SSH
44
Creating a Custom Client Installer
46
Considerations for Managed Clients
46
Removing or Disabling Apple Remote Desktop
46
Uninstalling the Administrator Software
47
Disabling the Client Software
48
Uninstalling the Client Software from Client Computers
Chapter 4 49 Organizing Client Computers Into Computer Lists
49
Finding and Adding Clients to Apple Remote Desktop Computer Lists
50
Finding Clients by Using Bonjour
51
Finding Clients by Searching the Local Network
51
Finding Clients by Searching a Network Range
52
Finding Clients by Network Address
53
Finding Clients by File Import
53
Making a New Scanner
54
Making and Managing Lists
54
About Apple Remote Desktop Computer Lists
55
Creating an Apple Remote Desktop Computer List
55
Deleting Apple Remote Desktop Lists
55
Creating a Smart Computer List
56
Editing a Smart Computer List
56
Creating a List of Computers of from Existing Computer Lists
57
Importing and Exporting Computer Lists
57
Transferring Computer Lists from Apple Remote Desktop 3 to a New Administrator
Computer
58
Transferring Remote Desktop 2 Computer Lists to a New Remote Desktop 3
Administrator Computer
58
Transferring Old v1.2 Computer Lists to a New Administrator Computer
Chapter 5 60 Understanding and Controlling Access Privileges
60
Apple Remote Desktop Administrator Access
62
Setting Apple Remote Desktop Administrator Access Authorization and Privileges
Using Local Accounts
63
Apple Remote Desktop Administrator Access Using Directory Services
63
Creating Administrator Access Groups
66
Enabling Directory Services Group Authorization
66
Apple Remote Desktop Guest Access
67
Apple Remote Desktop Nonadministrator Access
Contents
5
68
Virtual Network Computing Access
69
Command-Line SSH Access
69
Managing Client Administration Settings and Privileges
70
Getting an Administration Settings Report
70
Changing Client Administrator Privileges
Chapter 6 72 Setting Up the Network and Maintaining Security
72
Setting Up the Network
73
Using Apple Remote Desktop with Computers in an AirPort Wireless Network
74
Getting the Best Performance
74
Maintaining Security
76
Remote Desktop Authentication and Data Transport Encryption
76
Encrypting Observe and Control Network Data
77
Encrypting Network Data During Copy Items and Install Packages Tasks
Chapter 7 78 Interacting with Users
79
Controlling
79
Controlling Apple Remote Desktop Clients
80
Control Window Options
81
Switching the Control Window Between Full Size And Fit-To-Window
81
Switching Between Control and Observe Modes
81
Sharing Control with a User
82
Hiding a User’s Screen While Controlling
82
Capturing the Control Window to a File
82
Switching Control Session Between Full Screen and In a Window
83
Sharing Clipboards for Copy and Paste
83
Controlling VNC Servers
84
Setting up a Non–Mac OS X VNC Server
85
VNC Control Options
86
Configuring an Apple Remote Desktop Client to be Controlled by a VNC Viewer
86
Observing
88
Changing Observe Settings While Observing
89
Changing Screen Titles While Observing
89
Viewing a User’s Account Picture While Observing
89
Viewing a Computer’s System Status While at the Observe Window
91
Shortcuts in the Multiple Screen Observe Window
91
Observing a Single Computer
92
Observing Multiple Computers
92
Observing a Computer in Dashboard
93
Sending Messages
93
Sending One-Way Messages
93
Interactive Chat
94
Viewing Attention Requests
6
Contents
94
Sharing Screens
94
Sharing a Screen with Client Computers
95
Monitoring a Screen Sharing Tasks
95
Interacting with Your Apple Remote Desktop Administrator
95
Requesting Administrator Attention
96
Canceling an Attention Request
96
Changing Your Observed Client Icon
Chapter 8 97 Administering Client Computers
97
Keeping Track of Task Progress and History
98
Enabling a Task Notification Script
99
Getting Active Task Status
99
Using the Task Feedback Display
99
Stopping a Currently Running Task
10 0
Getting Completed Task History
10 0 Saving a Task for Later Use
101 Creating and Using Task Templates
10 2 Editing a Saved Task
10 2 Installing Software Using Apple Remote Desktop
10 2 Installing by Package and Metapackage
10 4 Installing Software on Offline Computers
10 5 Installing by Using the Copy Items Command
10 6 Using Installers from Other Companies
10 6 Upgrading Software
10 8 Copying Files
10 8 Copy Options
11 0 Copying from Administrator to Clients
11 0 Copying Using Drag and Drop
111 Restoring Items from a Master Copy
113 Creating Reports
113 Collecting Report Data
11 4 Using a Task Server for Report Data Collection
11 5 Report Database Recommendations and Bandwidth Usage
11 6 Auditing Client Usage Information
11 8 Finding Files, Folders, and Applications
12 0 Comparing Software
121 Auditing Hardware
12 6 Testing Network Responsiveness
12 7
Exporting Report Information
12 8 Using Report Windows to Work with Computers
12 9 Maintaining Systems
12 9 Deleting Items
13 0 Emptying the Trash
Contents 7
13 0 Setting the Startup Disk
131 Renaming Computers
131 Synchronizing Computer Time
13 2 Setting Computer Audio Volume
13 3 Repairing File Permissions
13 3 Adding Items to the Dock
13 4 Changing Energy Saver Preferences
13 5 Changing Sharing Preferences for Remote Login
13 5 Setting Printer Preferences
13 7 Managing Computers
13 7 Opening Files and Folders
13 8 Opening Applications
13 9 Quitting Applications Without Logging Out the User
13 9 Putting a Computer to Sleep
14 0 Waking Up a Computer
14 0 Locking a Computer Screen
141 Displaying a Custom Picture on a Locked Screen
141 Unlocking a Computer Screen
14 2 Disabling a Computer Screen
14 2 Logging In a User at the Login Window
14 3 Logging Out the Current User
14 4 Restarting a Computer
14 4 Shutting Down a Computer
14 5 Starting Up a Computer
14 6 UNIX Shell Commands
14 6 Send UNIX Command Templates
14 8 Executing a Single UNIX Command
14 8 Executing Scripts Using Send UNIX Command
15 0 Built-in Command-Line Tools
Chapter 9 156 Automating Tasks
15 6 Working with the Task Server
157 Preliminary Planning for Using the Task Server
157 Setting Up the Task Server
15 8 Setting Up an Admin Console to Query the Task Server
15 9 Setting Up Clients to Interface with the Task Server
15 9 Using Automatic Data Reporting
160 Setting the Client’s Data Reporting Policy
161 Creating a Template Data Reporting Policy
161 Working with Scheduled Tasks
161 Setting Scheduled Tasks
162 Editing Scheduled Tasks
162 Deleting Scheduled Tasks
8 Contents
162 Using Scripting and Automation Tools with Remote Desktop
163 Using AppleScript with Remote Desktop
166 Using Automator with Remote Desktop
Appendix A 167 Icon and Port Reference
167 Client Status Icons
167 Apple Remote Desktop Status Icons
168 List Menu Icons
168 Task Status Icons
169 System Status Icons (Basic)
169 System Status Icons (Detailed)
17 0 TCP and UDP Port Reference
Appendix B 171 Report Field Definitions Reference
171 System Overview Report
174 Storage Report
17 5 USB Devices Report
17 5 FireWire Devices Report
17 5 Memory Report
17 6 Expansion Cards Report
17 6 Network Interfaces Report
17 8 Network Test Report
17 8 Administration Settings Report
17 9 Application Usage Report
17 9 User History Report
Appendix C 180 AppleScript Remote Desktop Suite
18 0 Classes and Commands for the Remote Desktop Application.
Appendix D 187 PostgreSQL Schema Sample
Index 18 9
9
Preface

About This Book

What Is Apple Remote Desktop?
Apple Remote Desktop is easy-to-use, powerful, open standards-based, desktop
management software for all your networked Macs. IT professionals can remotely
control and configure systems, install software, offer interactive online help to end
users, and assemble detailed software and hardware reports for an entire Mac network.
You can use Apple Remote Desktop to:
 Manage client computers and maintain, update, and distribute software
 Collect more than 200 system-information attributes for any Mac on your network
 Store the results in an SQL database and view the information using any of several
hardware or software reports
 Control and manage multiple computer systems simultaneously, making shutdown,
restart, and sending UNIX commands fast and easy
 Provide help and remote assistance to users when they encounter problems
 Interact with users by sending text messages, observing and controlling users’
screens, and sharing their screens with other client users
You can use Apple Remote Desktop to manage your client systems. IT administrators
use Remote Desktop in education and business to simplify and empower the
management of their organizations computer assets. For system administrators, Apple
Remote Desktop can be used to administer large numbers of servers, like a virtual
Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) sharing unit. In computer administration environments,
it’s the ideal solution for managing remote systems, reducing administration costs, and
increasing productivity.
Apple Remote Desktop can also be used by educators to facilitate instruction in
computer labs or one-on-one learning initiatives. Used in a classroom, Apple Remote
Desktop enhances the learning experience and allows teachers to monitor and control
students’ computers.
10 Preface About This Book

Using This Guide

The Apple Remote Desktop Administrator’s Guide contains chapters to help you use
Remote Desktop. It contains overviews and explanations about Apple Remote
Desktop’s features and commands. It also explains how to install and configure Apple
Remote Desktop on clients, how to administer client computers, and how to use
Remote Desktop to interact with computer users.
This guide is provided on the Apple Remote Desktop installation disc and on the Apple
Remote Desktop support website as a fully searchable, bookmarked PDF file. You can
use Apple’s Preview application or Adobe (Acrobat) Reader to browse the contents of
this guide as well as search for specific terms, features, or tasks.

Remote Desktop Help

Remote Desktop Help is available using Help Viewer. To open Remote Desktop Help,
choose Help > Remote Desktop Help. The help files contain the same information
found in this guide, and are useful when trying to accomplish a task when this guide is
unavailable.
Additionally, the Remote Desktop Help contains new information, corrections, and late-
breaking information about Apple Remote Desktop. The most up-to-date information is
available through Remote Desktop Help before it’s available on the web as an updated
PDF file.

Notation Conventions

This guide and Remote Desktop Help contain step-by-step procedures to help you use
Remote Desktop’s commands effectively. In many tasks shown in this manual and in
Remote Desktop Help, you need to choose menu commands, which look like this:
Choose Edit > Clear.
The first term after Choose is the name of a menu in the Remote Desktop menu bar.
The next term (or terms) are the items you choose from that menu.
Preface About This Book 11
Terminal Command Conventions
Commands or command parameters that you might type, along with other text that
normally appears in a Terminal window, are shown in this font. For example:
You can use the doit command to get things done.
When a command is shown on a line by itself as you might type it in a Terminal
window, it follows a dollar sign that represents the shell prompt. For example:
$ doit
To use this command, type “doit” without the dollar sign at the command prompt in a
Terminal window, then press the Return key.
Where to Find More Information About Apple Remote
Desktop
For additional information related to Apple Remote Desktop, try these resources.
You’ll find more information in the Apple Remote Desktop Read Me file and on the
Apple Remote Desktop website:
www.apple.com/remotedesktop/
You can find the most recent edition of the Apple Remote Desktop Administrator’s Guide at:
 the Apple Server Division Documentation page
www.apple.com/server/documentation/
 the Remote Desktop section of Apple.com, and
www.apple.com/remotedesktop/
 the Help Menu in the Remote Desktop application
Notation Indicates
monospaced font A command or other Terminal text
$
A shell prompt
[text_in_brackets] An optional parameter
(one|other) Alternative parameters (type one or the other)
underlined A parameter you must replace with a value
[...] A parameter that may be repeated
<anglebrackets>
A displayed value that depends on your configuration or settings
12 Preface About This Book
The Apple Remote Desktop Support website provides a database of technical articles
about product issues, use, and implementation:
www.apple.com/support/remotedesktop/
To provide feedback about Apple Remote Desktop, visit the feedback page:
www.apple.com/feedback/remotedesktop.html
For details about how to join the Apple Remote Desktop Mailing list, visit:
lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/remote-desktop/
To share information and learn from others in online discussions, visit the Apple
Remote Desktop Discussions Forum:
discussions.info.apple.com/appleremotedesktop/
For more information about PostgreSQL go to:
www.postgresql.org
For more information about using Apple products for IT professionals go to:
apple.com/itpro/
1
13
1 Using Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop helps you keep Macintosh computers
and the software running on them up to date and trouble
free. And it lets you interact directly with Macintosh users to
provide instructional and troubleshooting support.
This chapter describes the main aspects of Apple Remote Desktop’s administration
and user interaction capabilities and tells you where to find complete instructions for
using them.

Administering Computers

Apple Remote Desktop lets you perform a wide range of client hardware and software
administrative activities remotely, from an administrator computer (a computer on
which administrator software resides):
 Keep users’ software up to date by using Apple Remote Desktop to deploy software
and related files to client computers.
 Create reports that inventory the characteristics of client computer software and
hardware.
 Use Apple Remote Desktop’s remote administration capabilities to perform
housekeeping tasks for client computers.
14 Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop
You can administer client computers individually, but most Apple Remote Desktop
features can be used to manage multiple computers at the same time. For example, you
may want to install or update the same applications on all the computers in a particular
department. Or you may want to share your computer screen to demonstrate a task to
a group of users, such as students in a training room.
To manage multiple computers with a single action, you define Apple Remote Desktop
computer lists. A computer list is a group of computers that you want to administer
similarly. Computer lists let you group and organize computers for administration.
Setting up computer lists is easy; you simply scan the network or import the identity of
computers from files.
A particular computer can belong to more than one list, giving you a lot of flexibility
for multicomputer management. A computer can be categorized by its type (laptop,
desktop), its physical location (building 3, 4th floor), its use (marketing, engineering,
computing), and so forth.
Once you’ve set up computer lists, you can perform most of the computer
administration activities described next for groups of client computers.
Marketing department Engineering department
Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop 15

Deploying Software

Apple Remote Desktop lets you distribute software and related files to client computers
from your Apple Remote Desktop administrator computer or from a computer running
Mac OS X Server.
Distributing Installer Packages
You can distribute and automatically install packages in .pkg and .mpkg formats.
Apple Remote Desktop lets you install software and software updates on one or more
client computers without user interaction or interruption, or even if no user is logged
in. After installation, Apple Remote Desktop erases the installer files. If the computers
need to be restarted, as they do following an operating system update, you can restart
them from Apple Remote Desktop.
Xserve cluster node Marketing department Engineering department
Deploy
install packages
(.pkg or .mpkg)
Network
install images
NetBoot
images
Deploy UNIX
shell scripts
Set startup
partition
Administrator
computer
Mac OS X Server
Deploy
configuration files
Deploy
drag-and-drop
application folders
16 Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop
For example, you can use Apple Software Update to download an iCal update or an
operating system update to a test computer. If the update works as expected and
introduces no compatibility issues, copy the installer package to the administrator
computer to distribute to computers that need upgrading. Note that this approach
conserves Internet bandwidth, because only one copy of the package needs to be
downloaded.
You can also use Apple Remote Desktop to deploy new versions of computational
software to Xserve computers in a cluster node.
You can use the PackageMaker tool (included on the Apple Remote Desktop
installation CD and with Apple’s developer tools) to create your own installer packages,
such as when you want to:
 Distribute school project materials or business forms and templates
 Automate the installation of multiple installer packages
 Deploy custom applications
Before performing remote installations, you can send an Apple Remote Desktop text
message to notify users, perhaps letting them know that you’ll be using Apple Remote
Desktop to lock their screens at a particular time before you start the installation.
Using Network Install Images
You can also distribute and install software, including the Mac OS X operating system,
by using Network Install images.
On Mac OS X Server, use the Network Image Utility to create a Network Install image.
You can create the image by cloning a system that’s already installed and set up, or by
using an installation disc or an image downloaded using Apple Software Update. If you
choose to auto-install, you won’t have to interact with each computer. On the Apple
Remote Desktop administrator computer, set the startup disk of remote client systems
to point to the Network Install image, and then remotely reboot the clients to initiate
installation.
Before initiating installations that require computers to be restarted afterwards, send
an Apple Remote Desktop text message to client users to notify them of a pending
installation. For example, tell users you’ll log them off at 5:00 p.m. to install an
operating system update.
Using NetBoot Images
Another kind of system image you can create using Mac OS X Server is a NetBoot
image. Like a Network Install image, a client computer uses NetBoot images to start up.
Unlike a Network Install image, the boot software is not installed on the client system.
Instead, it resides on a remote server. It is recommended you use a NetBoot image that
has Apple Remote Desktop installed and configured. Otherwise, administering the
computer using Apple Remote Desktop after starting up from NetBoot is impossible.
Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop 17
Client computers that boot from a NetBoot image get a fresh system environment
every time they start up. For this reason, using NetBoot images is useful when a
particular computer is shared by several users who require different work environments
or refreshed work environments, or when you want to start a new experiment or use a
different computing environment in a cluster node.
You can use Apple Remote Desktop to set the startup disks of client systems to point to
the NetBoot image, and then restart the systems remotely using Apple Remote
Desktop. Users can also choose a NetBoot image for startup by using the Startup Disk
pane of System Preferences. With just a few clicks you can reconfigure all the
computers in a lab or cluster without having to manually restart and configure each
computer individually.
Distributing Preference Files
Managed computers often require a standard set of preferences for each instance of an
application. Use Apple Remote Desktop to distribute preference files when you need to
replace or update application preferences. For example, you can copy a standardized
preference file to the currently logged in user’s Library/Preferences folder.
Using UNIX Shell Scripts
You can use Apple Remote Desktop to distribute and run UNIX shell scripts on client
computers.
For example, a script can mount an AFP server volume, from which it downloads a disk
image to client computers. The script might also download an installer package and
then perform a command-line installation.
On an Xserve in a cluster node, you could also run a script that mounts an Xserve RAID
disk designed for high throughput and then downloads large data sets for processing.
You can also use Apple Remote Desktop to distribute AppleScript files that automate
PDF workflows, or job instructions for computational clusters.
Distributing Drag-and-Drop Applications
You can distribute and install self-contained (drag-and-drop) applications by copying
them to one or more client computers. Use this approach, for example, to distribute
application updates.
Verifying Installations
To check whether an installation has been completed successfully, use Apple Remote
Desktop’s remote control capabilities.
For example, you can start an application remotely, or search for particular files. You can
also use the File Search report to verify that all files for an application are installed
correctly.
18 Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop

Taking Inventory

Apple Remote Desktop lets you capture data describing the attributes of client
computers, then generate reports based on the data.
You specify how often you want to capture data, the data you want to capture, and the
computers you want to profile. You can collect data just before generating a report if
you need up-to-the-minute information. Or you can schedule data to be collected by
Apple Remote Desktop at regular intervals and stored in its built-in SQL (Structured
Query Language) database for use on an as-needed basis.
You can also specify where you want the database to reside—on the local
administrator computer, or on a server where the Apple Remote Desktop administrator
software is installed and always running, so data can be captured on an ongoing basis.
Using the collected data, Apple Remote Desktop generates reports tailored to your
specifications.
Xserve cluster node Marketing department Engineering department
Administrator
computer
Mac OS X Server
ARD SQL
database
ARD SQL
database
SQL tools
Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop 19
File Search Report
Use the File Search report to search client systems for specific files and folders and to
audit installed applications.
This report can help you find out how many copies of a particular application are in use
so you don’t violate license agreements.
Spotlight File Search
Use the Spotlight Search report to search Tiger client systems for specific files and
folders. The information in the report is updated as files matching your search change
on the client systems.
Software Version Report
Use the Software Version report to make sure that all users have the latest application
versions appropriate for their systems.
Software Difference Report
Use the Software Difference report to detect application versions that are out of date,
nonstandard, or unacceptable. You can also learn whether a user has installed an
application that shouldn’t be installed.
System Overview Report
The System Overview report makes visible a wide variety of client computer
characteristics. Using this report, you can review information about a client’s AirPort
setup, computer and display characteristics, devices, network settings, system
preferences, printer lists, and key software attributes.
There are numerous uses for this report, such as identifying problems or verifying
system configurations before installing new software, or determining how many
devices of a particular type (such as scanners) are in a particular lab.
Hardware Reports
Several reports provide details about particular hardware used by client computers—
storage, FireWire devices, USB devices, network interfaces, memory, and expansion
cards.
Use these reports to determine, for example, which computers need more memory,
which computer has the fastest processor speed, and how much free space is left on a
particular disk.
20 Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop
Administration Settings Report
Use the Administration Settings report to determine which Apple Remote Desktop
administrator privileges are enabled or disabled for you in the Sharing pane of System
Preferences on individual client computers.
User History Report
Use the User History report to show you who has logged in to a client, how they
logged in, and for how long.
Application Usage Report
Use the Application Usage report to find out which applications have been running on
your client computers and who ran those applications.
Network Test Report
A Network Test report helps you measure and troubleshoot the communication
between your administrator computer and your client computers. The Network
Interfaces report might also help troubleshooting network hardware issues.
Use this report to help identify reasons for network communication problems that
could affect Apple Remote Desktop. For example, if you’re unable to copy items to
particular client computers from the administrator computer, you may find you have a
bad connection to the computers. Using this information can help you isolate the
problem to a particular cable or hub.
Generating Your Own Reports
Because the Apple Remote Desktop database is in standard SQL format, you can also
use your favorite SQL scripts to query, sort, and analyze the collected data. In addition,
you can export data from the database into a file so you can import it for viewing in a
different program, such as a spreadsheet application.
Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop 21

Housekeeping

Apple Remote Desktop provides several ways to remotely control client computers for
housekeeping activities, which you can conduct using one or more Apple Remote
Desktop windows.
Xserve cluster node Marketing department Engineering department
Administrator
computer
Execute UNIX
shell script
Restart/
shutdown/sleep
Remote screen
control
Empty
Trash
Set startup
partition
Send text
notification
Mac OS X Server
NetBoot
images
22 Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop
Managing Power State
Use Apple Remote Desktop to control the power state of client computers.
For example, you may need to have all computers turned off during maintenance of a
power generation unit or during a holiday shutdown. You can send an Apple Remote
Desktop text message reminding users to shut down their computers at a particular
time. Any computers still running when you need to start maintenance can be
detected and shut down remotely with Apple Remote Desktop.
Locking Computer Screens
You can lock the screens of client computers for specified durations when you don’t
want the computers to be used. For example, you may need to perform network
maintenance and want to make sure computers don’t use the network for a few hours.
You can display custom pictures or text messages on locked computer screens to let
users know when the computers are available again.
Reclaiming Disk Space
Periodically empty the Trash on client computers to conserve disk space.
Automating Periodic Maintenance
Use AppleScript and UNIX shell scripts to automate periodic maintenance, such as
checking permissions or deleting log files.
Controlling Screens
Use Apple Remote Desktop’s remote screen control to perform activities on the
desktop of Xserve computers, or use graphical applications on them. Apple Remote
Desktop replaces the need for KVM (keyboard-video-mouse) switches for accessing
Xserve computers without a monitor attached.
You can also remotely control a user’s computer to help determine reasons for slow
performance or other problems.
Changing Startup Disks
Change the startup disk of a client computer to perform diagnostic or troubleshooting
activities.
For example, start up a computer using a server-based NetBoot image that’s been
set up for troubleshooting. When you’re finished, reset the startup disk to the original
boot volume.
Managing Shared Computers
On computers that are shared among users, check for files that need to be deleted,
close applications, log users off, or perform other activities needed to prepare
computers for the next users.
Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop 23

Supporting Users

Apple Remote Desktop lets you interact with users from your administrator computer
in these ways:
 Provide help: respond to users who need help by using Apple Remote Desktop to
receive user requests and to remotely diagnose and fix problems.
 Interact: conduct instructional interactions with students in a school or corporate
training environment—from controlling or observing student screens to sharing your
screen with all your students in order to perform a demonstration.

Providing Help Desk Support

When a user is having trouble, Apple Remote Desktop provides several ways to interact
with the user and his or her computer to diagnose and fix the problem.
Marketing department Engineering department
Administrator
computer
Use
text chat
Control, observe, and
share screens
Copy
items
24 Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop
Requesting Help
A user can discreetly notify you of a problem by sending a request for help using an
Apple Remote Desktop text message.
Users initiate requests using the commands in the menu that appears when they click
the Apple Remote Desktop icon in the menu bar. A notification on the administrator
computer alerts you to the message, and you can use several techniques to obtain
more information and troubleshoot the problem.
Chatting with the User
Conduct two-way Apple Remote Desktop text communication with the user to obtain
more information.
Screen Monitoring
Use Apple Remote Desktop to observe the user’s screen if you need more details to
understand the problem.
Screen Controlling
Use Apple Remote Desktop to control the user’s screen in order to diagnose and fix the
problem. You may have unlimited control, or a user can grant you temporary guest
access so you can control the computer only during troubleshooting.
There are two levels of control available. You can take complete control of the user’s
computer, or you can share control of the keyboard and mouse with the user.
Screen Sharing
If the problem is caused by incorrect actions by the user, share your screen with the
user as you demonstrate the correct way to perform the action.
Using Reports
Use hardware and software reports as diagnostic tools to determine whether the client
computer setup is part of the problem. For example, if a user can’t save his or her work,
the storage report can help you determine whether it’s a disk space issue.
Deploying New Software or Files
If software or configuration settings are part of the problem, use Apple Remote
Desktop to copy new configuration files, installer packages, or other items to client
computers.
Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop 25

Interacting with Students

Apple Remote Desktop helps instructors teach more efficiently by letting them interact
with student computers individually or as a group.
Using Text Messages
Send Apple Remote Desktop text messages to communicate with students.
For example, notify them that a classroom activity will start soon or that they have
ten minutes to finish an examination.
Monitoring Student Computers
View student computer screens on your computer, so you can monitor student
activities or assess how well they’re able to perform a particular task. You can also
monitor the applications running on any student’s computer.
Sharing Screens
Display your screen or a student’s screen on other student computers for training and
demonstration purposes.
Classroom
Administrator
computer
One-to-one
help desk support
Broadcast
text messages
Lock
screens
Log out
students
Observe and
share one or
multiple screens
Control
screen
Distribute
items electronically
Open applications
or files
26 Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop
Controlling Screens
Show students how to perform tasks by controlling their screens from your computer,
opening applications and using files as required.
Locking Screens
Lock student screens to prevent students from using their computer when you want
them to focus on other activities.
Terminating Computer Use
Remotely log students out or shut down their computers at the end of a class or
school day.
Distributing and Collecting Files
Distribute handouts electronically, at a time that won’t disrupt class activities or when
they’re needed for the next class activity, and collect homework files.
Automating Website Access
Open a webpage on all student computers. Drag a URL from Safari to your desktop,
then copy it to student computers and open it in Safari. You can also copy files and
open them in the appropriate applications on student computers.
Providing One-to-One Assistance
Provide help when a student needs it, conducting private and discreet computer-to-
computer interactions.
Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop 27

Finding More Information

You’ll find detailed instructions for performing the tasks highlighted in this chapter—
and more—throughout this manual.
Additional information is available at several Apple websites:
 For information about NetBoot and Network Install, download the system imaging
administration guide at:
www.apple.com/server/documentation/
 You can find the Software Delivery Guide on the Apple Developer Connection
website at:
developer.apple.com/referencelibrary/
To learn more about See information for Starting on page
Remote Dekstop interface Window and icon functions page 28
Computer lists Creating computer lists page 49
Apple Remote Desktop
administration
Administrator privileges
Administrator computers
page 60
Controlling screens Controlling page 79
Observing screens Observing page 86
Deploying software Installing software
Upgrading software
page 102
Distributing files Copying files page 108
Taking inventory Data collection options
Auditing software
Auditing hardware
Network responsiveness
Customizing reports
Exporting report data
page 113
Client use reporting User login accounting
Application usage
page 116
Housekeeping tasks Deleting items
Emptying the Trash
Setting startup volumes
Renaming computers
Sleeping and waking
Locking screens
Logging users out
Restart and shutdown
page 129
Automating tasks Configuring data gathering
Scheduling tasks
Using UNIX shell scripts
page 156
2
28

2 Getting to Know Remote Desktop

Remote Desktop is the administrator application for Apple
Remote Desktop. Its attractive interface is powerful, yet
simple to use. Remote Desktop’s interface is customizable,
allowing you to get the information you want quickly, the
way you want it.
This chapter contains screenshots and short descriptions of Remote Desktop’s interface,
as well as detailed instructions for customizing the appearance and preferences of the
application. You will learn about:
 “Remote Desktop Human Interface Guide” on page 28
 “Configuring Remote Desktop” on page 36
 “Interface Tips and Shortcuts” on page 37

Remote Desktop Human Interface Guide

The following sections give basic information about the human interface of Remote
Desktop, Apple Remote Desktop’s administrator application.
 “Remote Desktop Main Window” on page 29
 “Task Dialogs” on page 31
 “Control and Observe Window” on page 32
 “Multiple-Client Observe Window” on page 33
 “Report Window” on page 34
 “Changing Report Layout” on page 35
Chapter 2 Getting to Know Remote Desktop 29

Remote Desktop Main Window

The main window of Remote Desktop has a customizable toolbar, groups of lists, tasks,
and scanners on the left, and the main window area to the right. “List Menu Icons” on
page 168 contains icons seen in the list menu of the main window.
A All Computers list: The All Computers list is a list of all client computers that you plan to
administer. It includes all the clients you have authenticated to, as well as the client computers
that you plan to authenticate to. Computers need to be in the All Computers list before you can
command or administer them. If you have a 10-client license, the All Computers list can contain
only 10 computers.
B Apple Remote Desktop computer lists: A list of computers you create to group computers in
ways that are convenient for you. Any list is a subset of the client computers in the All
Computers list. If you add a computer directly to a computer list, it is added automatically to the
All Computers list as well.
C Smart computer lists: A smart computer list is a list of computers which is a subset of the client
computers in the All Computers list that meet a predetermined criteria. Smart Computer lists
update themselves based on your criteria compared to the contents of the All Computers list.
D Group folders: Groups are tools to help you organize all your possible lists, tasks, and scanners.
Groups look like folders, and can be collapsed to hide the group contents.
E Saved tasks: Saved tasks are listed in the left portion of the main window. They have the icon of
the type of task and have a user-changeable name.
F Scanner: Scanners find clients to add to the All Computers list. You can make new scanners and
customize them for your needs. See “Making a New Scanner” on page 53.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
I
H
K L
J
30 Chapter 2 Getting to Know Remote Desktop
G Task server list: This lists tasks delegated to the Task Server, rather than run those run directly
from the application. When all the target computers have come online and participated in the
task, the task is labeled as complete.
H Active tasks list: This list shows all tasks that are currently running or scheduled and
uncompleted.
I History list: The History list shows a list of most recently run tasks, as defined in the Remote
Desktop preferences. You can inspect each task by double-clicking it. Once a task is completed
(whether successfully or not) it is moved to the History list.
J Task status icon: These icons represent the current state of a task. See “Task Status Icons” on
page 168.
K Client status icon: Icon representing the current state of a client computer. See “Client Status
Icons” on page 167.
L Customizable toolbar: The toolbar can be fully customized with icons of your most-used Apple
Remote Desktop features.
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