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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 9
Release Notes ................................................................................................................. 11
Contacting ZOHO Corporation ......................................................................................... 22
How Desktop Central Works? .......................................................................................... 24
INSTALLATION & SETUP ...................................................................................... 32
System Requirements ...................................................................................................... 33
Installing Desktop Central ................................................................................................ 36
Working with Desktop Central .......................................................................................... 38
Installing Service Pack ..................................................................................................... 40
Licensing the Product....................................................................................................... 41
Understanding the Client UI ............................................................................................. 43
Setting Up Desktop Central .............................................................................................. 46
Configuring Desktop Central for Windows Vista / 2008 / Windows 7............................................. 47
Defining the Scope of Management ............................................................................................... 48
Adding Domain/Workgroup ....................................................................................................... 49
Managing computers in LAN ..................................................................................................... 53
Managing Computers in Wide Area Networks (WAN) .............................................................. 55
Managing computers with Mac OS ........................................................................................... 71
Configuring Agent Settings ............................................................................................................. 74
Configuring Mail Server .................................................................................................................. 76
Configuring Help Desk Integration.................................................................................................. 77
Integrating Desktop Central with ServiceDesk Plus ....................................................................... 78
Configuring Service Desk Plus ................................................................................................. 79
Integrating Asset Data............................................................................................................... 80
Logging Help Desk Requests as Tickets .................................................................................. 83
Deploying Software Applications .............................................................................................. 86
Complete UI Integration with ServiceDesk Plus ....................................................................... 89
Generating an Authentication Key ............................................................................................ 92
Managing Custom Scripts .............................................................................................................. 95
Configuring Server Settings ............................................................................................................ 97
Creating Custom Groups ................................................................................................................ 98

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Configuring Deployment Templates ............................................................................................. 100
Configuring Remote Access to the Database in Desktop Central ................................................ 102
Personalizing the Client ................................................................................................................ 105
Migrating Desktop Central Server ................................................................................................ 107
User & Role Management ............................................................................................................ 109
Setting Up Software Deployment ................................................................................................. 114
Configuring Software Repositories ......................................................................................... 115
Managing Software Packages ................................................................................................ 119
Software Deployment Templates ............................................................................................ 126
Setting Up Patch Management..................................................................................................... 128
Patch Management for Closed Network ................................................................................. 129
Configuring Proxy Server ........................................................................................................ 131
Configuring Vulnerability DB Synchronization ........................................................................ 132
Configuring Automated Patch Deployment ............................................................................. 133
Configuring System Health Policy ........................................................................................... 138
Enabling Patch Approval Process ........................................................................................... 139
Decline Patches ...................................................................................................................... 140
Setting Up Asset Management ..................................................................................................... 142
Scan Systems for Inventory .................................................................................................... 143
Manage Software Licenses ..................................................................................................... 145
Create Software Groups ......................................................................................................... 147
Manage Software Category .................................................................................................... 148
Configure Prohibited Software ................................................................................................ 149
Configure E-Mail Alerts ........................................................................................................... 152
Schedule Inventory Scanning ................................................................................................. 153
Setting Up User Logon Reports.................................................................................................... 154
Setting Up Active Directory Reports ............................................................................................. 155
USER GUIDE ......................................................................................................... 156
Software Installation ....................................................................................................... 157
Installing MSI-based Applications for Users ................................................................................. 158
Installing EXE-based Applications for Users ................................................................................ 159
Installing MSI-based Applications for Computers......................................................................... 160
Installing EXE-based Applications for Computers ........................................................................ 161
Uninstalling MSI-based Applications for Users ............................................................................ 162
Uninstalling EXE-based Applications for Users............................................................................ 163
Uninstalling MSI-based Applications for Computers .................................................................... 164
Uninstalling EXE-based Applications for Computers ................................................................... 165
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Patch Management ........................................................................................................ 166
Patch Management Architecture .................................................................................................. 167
Patch Management Life Cycle...................................................................................................... 170
Scan Systems for Vulnerability ..................................................................................................... 172
Installing Missing Patches ............................................................................................................ 173
Patch Views .................................................................................................................................. 174
Viewing Applicable Patches .................................................................................................... 175
Viewing Latest Patches ........................................................................................................... 178
Viewing Missing Patches ........................................................................................................ 180
Viewing Installed Patches ....................................................................................................... 182
Viewing Supported Patches .................................................................................................... 183
Viewing Healthy Systems........................................................................................................ 184
Viewing Vulnerable Systems................................................................................................... 185
Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems ....................................................................................... 186
Viewing Patch Reports ................................................................................................................. 187
Viewing Vulnerable Systems Report ....................................................................................... 188
Viewing Vulnerable Patches Report ....................................................................................... 189
Viewing Supported Patches Report ........................................................................................ 190
Hardware and Software Inventory .................................................................................. 191
Software Metering......................................................................................................................... 192
Viewing Computer Details ............................................................................................................ 197
Viewing Hardware Details ............................................................................................................ 198
Viewing Software Details .............................................................................................................. 199
Viewing Inventory Alerts ............................................................................................................... 201
Viewing Inventory Reports ............................................................................................................ 202
Hardware Inventory Reports ................................................................................................... 203
Software Inventory Reports..................................................................................................... 205
License Compliance Reports .................................................................................................. 207
Windows Tools............................................................................................................... 210
System Tools ................................................................................................................................ 211
Creating and Scheduling Tasks .............................................................................................. 212
Viewing and Modifying the Tasks ........................................................................................... 216
Viewing Task History............................................................................................................... 217
Remote Desktop Sharing ............................................................................................................. 218
Prerequisites for Sharing Computers Remotely ..................................................................... 219
Remote Desktop Sharing: Configuring Settings ..................................................................... 227
Connecting to Remote Desktop .............................................................................................. 234
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File Transfer ............................................................................................................................ 238
Troubleshooting Tips ............................................................................................................... 239
System Manager........................................................................................................................... 241
Chat .............................................................................................................................................. 243
Troubleshooting Tips ............................................................................................................... 245
Wake on LAN................................................................................................................................ 247
Remote Shutdown Tool ................................................................................................................ 251
Windows Configurations ................................................................................................ 256
User Configurations ...................................................................................................................... 257
Configuring Alerts .................................................................................................................... 258
Executing Custom Scripts ....................................................................................................... 260
Configuring Display Settings ................................................................................................... 262
Mapping Network Drives ......................................................................................................... 264
Setting Environment Variables ................................................................................................ 266
Managing Files and Folders .................................................................................................... 268
Redirecting User-Specific Folders .......................................................................................... 272
Installing Software - MSI & EXE Packages............................................................................. 275
Configuring Internet Explorer Settings .................................................................................... 281
Configuring IP Printer .............................................................................................................. 283
Launching Applications ........................................................................................................... 285
Displaying Message Box ......................................................................................................... 287
Configuring MS Office Settings ............................................................................................... 289
Configuring Outlook Settings .................................................................................................. 291
Setting Path ............................................................................................................................. 294
Managing Permissions ............................................................................................................ 295
Configuring Power Options ..................................................................................................... 299
Configuring Registry Settings.................................................................................................. 302
Securing USB Devices ............................................................................................................ 306
Configuring Security Policies .................................................................................................. 313
Configuring Shared Network Printer ....................................................................................... 315
Managing Shortcuts ................................................................................................................ 317
Computer Configurations .............................................................................................................. 321
Redirecting Common Folders ................................................................................................. 323
Executing Custom Scripts ....................................................................................................... 325
Setting Environment Variables ................................................................................................ 327
Managing Files and Folders .................................................................................................... 329
Configuring Windows XP Firewall ........................................................................................... 333
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Configuring General Computer Settings ................................................................................. 335
Managing Windows Local Groups .......................................................................................... 337
Installing Patches .................................................................................................................... 340
Installing Software - MSI & EXE Packages............................................................................. 343
Installing Windows Service Packs .......................................................................................... 349
Configuring IP Printer .............................................................................................................. 352
Launching Applications ........................................................................................................... 354
Displaying Legal Notices ......................................................................................................... 356
Displaying Message Box ......................................................................................................... 358
Setting Path ............................................................................................................................. 360
Managing Permissions ............................................................................................................ 361
Configuring Registry Settings.................................................................................................. 365
Securing USB Devices ............................................................................................................ 368
Creating Configurations to Secure USB Devices.................................................................... 370
Scheduling Tasks .................................................................................................................... 375
Configuring Security Policies .................................................................................................. 379
Managing Shortcuts ................................................................................................................ 381
Configuring Windows Services ............................................................................................... 385
Managing Windows Local Users ............................................................................................. 387
Configuring Collections ................................................................................................................. 391
Defining Targets ........................................................................................................................... 392
Managing Configurations and Collections .................................................................................... 396
Viewing System Uptime Report .................................................................................................... 399
Viewing Configuration Reports ..................................................................................................... 401
Configuration Templates .............................................................................................................. 402
Computer Configuration Templates ........................................................................................ 404
User Configuration Templates ................................................................................................ 407
USB - Audit .................................................................................................................... 409
User Logon Reports ....................................................................................................... 410
Viewing User Logon Reports ........................................................................................................ 411
General Reports ...................................................................................................................... 412
Usage Reports ........................................................................................................................ 413
History Reports ....................................................................................................................... 414
Active Directory Reports ................................................................................................ 416
Active Directory User Reports ...................................................................................................... 417
Active Directory General User Reports ................................................................................... 418
User Account Status Reports .................................................................................................. 420
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Password Based User Reports ............................................................................................... 422
Privileged User Accounts ........................................................................................................ 424
Logon Based User Reports ..................................................................................................... 425
Active Directory Computer Reports .............................................................................................. 426
General Computer Reports ..................................................................................................... 427
Server Based Reports ............................................................................................................. 430
Computer OS Based Reports ................................................................................................. 431
Active Directory Group Reports .................................................................................................... 432
Active Directory General Group Reports ................................................................................ 433
Active Directory Group Type Reports ..................................................................................... 435
Member Based Reports .......................................................................................................... 436
Active Directory Organization Unit Reports .................................................................................. 438
Active Directory General OU Reports ..................................................................................... 439
OU Child Based Reports ......................................................................................................... 440
Active Directory Domain Reports ................................................................................................. 442
General Domain Reports ........................................................................................................ 443
Container Based Reports ........................................................................................................ 445
Active Directory GPO Reports ...................................................................................................... 446
General GPO Reports ............................................................................................................. 447
GPO Link Based Reports ........................................................................................................ 449
Inheritance Based Reports...................................................................................................... 450
GPO Status Based Reports .................................................................................................... 451
Special GPO Reports .............................................................................................................. 453
Custom Reports ............................................................................................................. 454
Creating Custom Reports ............................................................................................................. 455
Custom Query Report ................................................................................................................... 456
Making Help Desk Requests .......................................................................................... 459
Mobile Device Management ........................................................................................... 460
Setting up MDM ............................................................................................................................ 462
iOS .......................................................................................................................................... 463
Creating APNs Certificate ................................................................................................... 465
Renew APNs Certificate ...................................................................................................... 469
Device Authentication ......................................................................................................... 472
Enroll iOS devices ............................................................................................................... 473
Android .................................................................................................................................... 483
MDM Device Authentication ................................................................................................ 485
Enroll Android Devices ........................................................................................................ 487
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BYOD ............................................................................................................................................ 508
Profile Management ..................................................................................................................... 529
MDM Creating Profiles ............................................................................................................ 531
MDM Creating Groups ............................................................................................................ 533
MDM Associating Profiles to Groups ...................................................................................... 535
MDM Associating Profiles to Devices ..................................................................................... 536
MDM -Verifying Profile Deployment Status............................................................................. 537
Configuration Profiles for iOS.................................................................................................. 538
MDM - Passcode ................................................................................................................. 539
MDM - Restrictions .............................................................................................................. 540
MDM - WiFi ......................................................................................................................... 543
Enterprise Settings .............................................................................................................. 544
MDM - VPN ......................................................................................................................... 545
MDM - Email........................................................................................................................ 546
MDM - Exchange Active Sync ............................................................................................. 548
MDM - LDAP ....................................................................................................................... 550
MDM - CalDav ..................................................................................................................... 551
MDM - Subscribed Calendars ............................................................................................. 552
MDM - CardDav .................................................................................................................. 553
MDM - Web Clips ................................................................................................................ 554
MDM - App Lock.................................................................................................................. 555
MDM - Global Proxy Settings .............................................................................................. 556
APN ..................................................................................................................................... 557
Configuration Profiles for Android ........................................................................................... 558
App Management ......................................................................................................................... 563
MDM Creating App Repository ..................................................................................................... 565
MDM Distributing Apps to Devices ............................................................................................... 570
MDM Verifying App Deployment Status ....................................................................................... 571
BYOA ............................................................................................................................................ 572
Asset Management ....................................................................................................................... 574
MDM Scan Devices ................................................................................................................. 575
MDM Viewing Device Information ........................................................................................... 576
MDM - Reports ........................................................................................................................ 577
MDM - Security Management ....................................................................................................... 578
APPENDIX ............................................................................................................. 579
Interpreting Error Messages ........................................................................................... 580
FAQs ............................................................................................................................. 584
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Security Policies............................................................................................................. 588
Security Policies - Desktop ........................................................................................................... 590
Security Policies - Control Panel .................................................................................................. 591
Security Policies - Explorer ........................................................................................................... 594
Security Policies - Internet Explorer ............................................................................................. 596
Security Policies - Network ........................................................................................................... 599
Security Policies - System ............................................................................................................ 601
Security Policies - Task Scheduler ............................................................................................... 603
Security Policies - Windows Installer ............................................................................................ 604
Security Policies - Start Menu and Taskbar ................................................................................. 605
Security Policies - Microsoft Management Console ..................................................................... 607
Security Policies - Computer ........................................................................................................ 611
Windows System Tools .................................................................................................. 612
Check Disk Tool............................................................................................................................ 613
Disk Cleanup Tool ........................................................................................................................ 614
Disk Defragmenter Tool ................................................................................................................ 615
Data Back up and Restore ............................................................................................. 616
Scheduling Data Backup ................................................................................................ 617
Dynamic Variables ......................................................................................................... 620
Limitations...................................................................................................................... 623
Known Issues ................................................................................................................ 624
Glossary......................................................................................................................... 625

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Introduction

ManageEngine® Desktop Central

Desktop administration is a never-ending job. Configuration requests ranging from simple Drive
Mapping configuration to software installation keep the administrators on their toes. With increasing
requests and a growth in the number of desktop, it becomes more difficult to keep up with escalating
demand on limited manpower.

Desktop Central enables configuring and managing desktop from a single point. With the pre-defined
configuration options, administrators can perform almost all the regular desktop administration /
management activities with ease. The ability to execute custom script gives complete administration
control over the desktop. The Web-based user interface allows for applying the configuration to a
single or group of desktop using a powerful filtering capability.

Desktop Central ensures that the configurations are applied to the desktop and the status is made
available to the administrator to provide an end-to-end configuration experience.

In addition to the remote configuration options, it also provides you with an automated patch
management system that helps you to manage and apply Windows patches and hot fixes.

The Inventory Management module provides the hardware and software details of the devices in the
network. In enables you to manage the software licenses and detect any unauthorized software that
are being used.

Remote Desktop Sharing enables you to gain access to a desktop in the network to be controlled
remotely.

Desktop Central provides the complete history of the configurations applied to the users, computers,
and by configuration types in the form of reports that can be used for auditing the deployed
configurations.

In addition to the configurations reports, it also provides Active Directory reports for Sites, Domains,
Organization Units, Groups, Computers, etc., which gives you a complete visibility into the Active
Directory.

The User Logon Reports provides an up-to-date user logon details like the logon time, logoff time,
logon computer, reported logon server, etc. It maintains the history of the logon details that can be
used for auditing purposes.

Mobile Device Management provides system administrators, a complete control over managing the
mobile devices using iOS and Android operating system. You can enroll devices and push apps,

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impose policies & restrictions, scan the devices for hardware and software inventory details. You can
also impose security commands on the devices as and when required.

The following sections will help you to get familiar with the product:

1. Getting Started: Provides you the details of system requirements, product installation and
startup.
2. Configuring Desktop Central: Helps you to customize our product to suit your working
environment.
3. Windows Configurations: A step-by-step guide to define and deploy configurations to remote
Windows users and computers.
4. Configuration Templates: Provides the details of configuration templates and helps you to
define configurations from Templates
5. Software Installation: Helps you to install Windows software to the users and computers of the
domain from remote.
6. Patch Management: Details the steps involved in managing the Windows Patches and hot
fixes. It helps you to automate the patch management process.
7. Hardware and Software Inventory: Guides you to collect the hardware and software inventory
details of your network and view the reports.
8. Mobile Device Management: Helps you to manage mobile devices using iOS and Android
operating system.
9. Active Directory Reports: Helps you to view the reports of the Active Directory components.
10. Windows Tools: Provides the list of Windows tools like Preventive Maintenance Tools,
Remote Tools, etc., and the steps in using them.
11. User Logon Reports: Helps you get an up-to-date- details of the user logon and history.
12. Appendix: This section includes, Interpreting Error Messages, Knowledge Base, FAQs,
Known Issues and Limitations of Desktop Central, and Glossary.

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Release Notes

1. Release Notes for 8.0.0


2. Release Notes for 7.0.1
3. Release Notes for 7.0.0
4. Release Notes for 6.0.3
5. Release Notes for 6.0.2
6. Release Notes for 6.0.0
7. Release Notes for 5.0.0
8. Release Notes for 4.0.5
9. Release Notes for 4.0.4
10. Release Notes for 4.0.3
11. Release Notes for 4.0.2
12. Release Notes for 4.0.1
13. Release Notes for 4.0.0
14. Release Notes for 3.0.1
15. Release Notes for 3.0.0

Release Notes for 8.0.0

Enhancements

1. Support for MS SQL Database has been included


2. The image format of the screenshot attachments sent using the Help Desk Requests
from Desktop Central icon in system tray is made configurable.
3. Support for user environment variables in Custom Script has been introduced.
4. 'Show deployment progress' and 'Skip deployment' options introduced in
Install/Uninstall software configuration.
5. Configurations deployed to an OU or Active Directory Group will automatically be
applied to any new computers/users that gets added to that OU or group
6. Option to deploy configurations immediately has been included for computer
configurations.
7. Option to exclude specific USB device instance from being blocked has been
included.
8. Option to exclude computers based on the processor type has been included.
9. Option to save an existing configuration as a new configuration has been included.
10. Apply Always Option is enabled for Power Management,Shared Network Printers,File
Folder Operations,Services,Firewall and Permission Management Configurations.

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11. File Folder Configuration has been enhanced to support copying files via HTTP to
make them work across WAN.
12. Templates for disabling automatic updates for Adobe Reader,Adobe Shockwave,Java
and Microsoft Reboot Notification on specific computers have been added.
13. Deployment Options like deployment time, reboot policies, etc., can now be saved
and loaded from templates for software, patch and servicepack deployments.
14. Remote Control initiated computer's IP audit is introduced in Action Log Viewer.
15. Remote Control now has the functionality of prompting even the user is not logged in
or the computer is locked.
16. Administrators can also configure the color quality for the remote connections to
optimize the bandwidth. The color quality and compression level can be set at the
remote office level, which will be common for all the computers in that remote office.
17. Support for viewing User Access Control (UAC) dialogs of the remote computers has
been included in Remote Control. This is applicable only for client computers running
Windows Vista or Windows 7 OS.
18. Remote Control will now provide the history of remote connections established using
Desktop Central with the duration of each sessions.
19. Remote Control has been enhanced with an option to connect with "View Only"
mode.
20. Option to make User Confirmation permanent has been included in Remote Control.
21. Software Metering is a new functionality introduced. This can be used to get the
software usage for the selected applications.
22. Inventory Alert notifications has been enhanced to include the ability to customize the
alert messages.
23. Software License Management has been enhanced to include the ability to add
multiple license purchases and to associate a license to a resource.
24. Disk Usage report now includes a detailed view to get the drive specific usage
statistics.
25. Software Metering engine has been optimized to address the performance issues.
26. Option to disable Software Metering feature has been included.
27. A new report to view the computers running specific services has been included.
28. SM Bios reported version details are included in the Inventory, Computer Hardware
Details.
29. Automatic retrieval of warranty information for Lenovo computers has been included.
30. Option to specify the DNS name of the Distribution Server along with its IP Address
while creating a remote office has been included.
31. SoM page has been enhanced to include Agent Installation, Uninstallation and Last
Upgraded time.
32. Moving Desktop Central installation from one computer to the other is made easy with
the option to provide the details of the new computer in the user interface.
33. Automatic synchronization of computers between Active Directory and SoM has been
included to detect the deleted and newly added computers.

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34. Introduced a new feature called Scheduled Reports which enables you to receive
query reports, custom reports and predefined reports in specific formats and a at a
specific time.
35. Ability to automatically scan to fetch the systems' warranty has been included for Dell,
HP and Toshiba computers.
36. Reports based on system warranty has been included under Inventory Reports.
37. HTTP Software Repository location for packages in software deployment can be
changed.
38. Automated Patch Deployment has been enhanced to improve performance.
39. Patch Management has been enhanced to include an option to mark a patch as
"Approved", "Decline", etc., in Download Patches, All Supported Patches and Latest
Patches Views.
40. Memory usage during Patch Deployment has been optimized.
41. Option to download a patch again in the Download Patches View has been added.
42. Option to schedule an Automated Patch Deployment task on a specific day of the
week in a month has been included.
43. Long lived TCP connections are used to enhance on-demand actions.
44. Windows 7 (x86 and x64) Service Pack 1 and Windows 2008 R2 (x64) Service Pack
1 is Supported.
45. IP scope feature is introduced ,which can auto change Agents Remote Office setting
on the client computer according to the Scope defined in Desktop Central.

Bug Fixes

1. Issue in recreating the agents even when there is no change in agent properties has
been fixed.
2. Application error in dcconfig.exe during user logoff has been fixed.
3. Black screen when sending screenshot attachment from agent tray icon helpdesk
issue is fixed.
4. Issue in remote control service getting crashed while closing a remote session has
been fixed
5. Issue in registering the Desktop Central Agent as a windows service after agent up-
gradation has been fixed.
6. Issue in displaying the wrong execution status when the patch or the configuration is
not applicable in one or more computers has been fixed.
7. Issue in order of deploying configuration as Collection is fixed.
8. Issue in repeatedly processing the user configuration when multiple users login to a
computer has been fixed.
9. Issue in showing the correct update time in the execution status view of the
configurations has been fixed.
10. Issue in applying configuration has been fixed.
11. Issue in adding target computers/users from a remote office where the length of
remote office name exceeds 50 characters has been fixed.
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12. Issue in deploying Software and Patches when the installation option is selected as
"Install during Startup" has been fixed.
13. Issue in connecting to a remote computer having multiple IP Addresses has been
fixed.
14. Support for capturing/rendering the transparent windows in Remote Control has been
included.
15. Issue in establishing remote connections from Inventory and Patch views has been
fixed.
16. The issue related to upgrading agents in remote office names that contain Latin
alphabets has been fixed.
17. Issue in taking Remote Control of Windows 2003 Server that has an active Remote
Desktop Connection has been fixed.
18. Issue in high memory usage in software metering has been fixed.
19. Issue with Microsoft Office 2010 product key fetch is fixed.
20. Issue in modifying the license details of the software when the software name
contains an '&' character has been fixed.
21. Issue in displaying the hard disk details of computers running non-English versions of
Windows OS has been fixed
22. Issue in showing negative values in Physical Memory for a computer when flash
memory is detected has been fixed.
23. When a prohibited software that is awaiting administrators approval is disabled (not
prohibited), the users where it was detected earlier will continue to see the warning
on every logon. This has been fixed.
24. Issue in sending test email while creating a scheduled report has been fixed.
25. Issue in scheduled prohibited software report has been fixed.
26. Issue in showing a wrong login time in User Logon History reports has been fixed.
27. Issue in deleting the software install-able from the client computers after successful
installation of the software has been fixed.
28. Issue in listing folders with special characters (apostrophe and comma) in network
browser has been fixed.
29. Issue in showing the Managed Computers in the Scan Systems and All Managed
Systems view under the Patch Management has been fixed.
30. Issue in Automate Patch Deployment has been fixed.
31. Issue in showing a wrong start time of the "Automated Patch Deployment" task in the
email notification has been fixed.
32. Issue in showing Patch Deployment status as "Reboot Pending" even if the system
has been restarted has been fixed.
33. Issue in patch download due to transaction timeout has been fixed.
34. Issue in retrying Automated Patch Deployment tasks has been fixed.
35. Distribution Server service startup issue has been fixed.

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Release Notes for 7.0.1

Enhancements

1. Desktop Central Server performance has been optimized.


2. Free Edition limit extended to manage up to 25 computers.
3. Support for scheduled backup of the database used by Desktop Central has been
added.
4. Role based administration has been introduced. You can define roles specifying the
modules and access levels, which can be delegated to users.
5. In Define Target Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 have
been added in the exclude OS list.
6. Custom group filter has been added for 'Software Usage by Computer' report.
7. Computer Name column added in e-mail alerts of Prohibited Software/New Hardware
Detected/New Software Detected.
8. Computer Details view enhanced to include the system details like installed Windows
Services, local users and groups in that computer.
9. Exclude Custom Groups option has been added for Auto-Uninstallation of Prohibited
Software.
10. User Notification before Auto-Uninstallation of Software has been added.
11. "Logged On Users" column included in Inventory Reports.
12. Asset Data from Desktop Central can now be integrated with ManageEngine
ServiceDesk Plus.
13. The Computer Details view of the Inventory Reports will now include the Serial
Numbers of Monitor and Hard Disk.
14. License Management enhanced with the ability to attach license files and invoices to
the software. You will also be able to add license details of software that are not
detected in your network.
15. System Vulnerability Summary will now include additional system details like the
operating system, service pack version, etc.
16. Support for deploying patches for Non-Microsoft applications has been included.
17. You will now be able to specify the type of updates with the severity levels while
adding the Automated Patch Deployment task.
18. Vulnerability Summary, which includes the application and missing patch information,
of the computer can now be exported to PDF/CSV/XLS formats.
19. 'Manager' column has been added in 'All User Accounts' Report under AD Reports
category.
20. Option to create and save Custom Query Reports has been included.
21. Remote Office agent communication (Distribution Server / Direct Communication) can
now be modified from the SoM page.
22. Remote Office details can now be imported using a CSV file.
23. Inclusion of Alerts for Distribution Server.

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24. Apache web server has been integrated to improve the performance for large network
of computers.
25. Support for deploying File and Shared Printer Configurations to Windows Vista,
Windows 2008 and Windows 7 computers have been added.

Bug Fixes

1. Issue with Non-English Computer names displayed in Network Browser is fixed.


2. Issues related to Active Directory computers with names exceeding 15 characters
have been fixed.
3. 'java.lang.Exception: NetBIOS and DC name cannot be null' issue while clicking on
the workgroup name in SoM page has been fixed.
4. Issue with selecting all computers while adding computers in SoM has been fixed.
5. Issue in displaying computer message box on Vista and above has been fixed.
6. Issue in showing a pop up in Windows 2000 computers stating non-availability of a
DLL file has been fixed.
7. Remote Office names sorted in filters.
8. Issue in installing agents on Vista and above when UAC is enabled has been fixed.
9. Agent side fix for inventory scanning.
10. Issue with Microsoft Office 2007 Productkey fetch is fixed.
11. Prompt User issue in Remote Control has been fixed for Multiple User Login of
Vista/2008 Server/Windows 7.
12. Issue in Schedule Vulnerability Update is fixed.
13. Issue in Reboot Policy during Patch installation is fixed.
14. Issue in deploying the patches that have dependent patches has been fixed in the
Automated Patch Deployment process.
15. Time interval issue in Filter has been fixed for all reports.
16. Number of characters allowed in the NOTES field of AD Reports has been increased.

Release Notes for 7.0.0

Enhancements

1. Distribution Server introduced to reduce the bandwidth consumption in managing


computers across WAN
2. Support to block/unblock specific USB Devices included
3. Desktop Central internationalized to manage computers running non-English version
of operating systems
4. Support for Windows 2008, Windows Vista, and 64-bit included
5. Power Management Reports has been introduced.
6. Ability to create Custom Reports has been included
7. Automatic Patch Deployment enhanced with the ability to define multiple tasks.

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8. Install / uninstall silent switches of popular software now comes pre-filled
9. Option to automatically uninstall the prohibited software from the managed computers
has been included.
10. Support for applying user configurations when you switch from one user to another
has been included for Windows Vista and Windows 2008.
11. Custom group creation has been enhanced by listing the computers/users in a tree
view with search and filter options.
12. Option to enable/disable trimming of column values in reports has been included
13. IP Printer and Shortcut configurations can now be deployed to computers.
14. A new report "Software Product Key" has been added under Inventory module.
15. Support for viewing Remote Desktops from Firefox 3.0 and above has been included.

Bug Fixes

1. Desktop Central Server performance has been optimized.


2. Desktop Central agent binaries have been digitally signed.
3. Issue in deploying patches in bulk has been fixed.
4. Issues in Drive Mapping and Folder Redirection Configurations have been fixed.
5. Issue in updating the patch database manually has been fixed.
6. Issue in downloading patches and service packs has been fixed.
7. Issues with dynamic variables has been fixed.
8. Issue while deploying configurations with multiple targets has been fixed.
9. Issues related to child domain networks has been fixed
10. Issue in showing duplicate listing of computers in the SoM page has been fixed.

Release Notes for 6.0.3

1. Adding multiple packages while defining an install software configuration is introduced.


2. Introduced MS-Office Patching Support and service pack installation.
3. Commercial Software Grouping is introduced in Inventory module.
4. Provision added to terminate Windows Remote Desktop connection and establish connection
with Remote Control of Desktop Central.
5. Introduced Connect with IP option in Remote Control.
6. Ctrl+Alt+Del for Vista OS is handled in Remote Control.
7. Introduced IP range in the Define target Section of Configurations.
8. Sending AD Reports by E-Mail is introduced.
9. Introduced Rebranding Option to change Desktop Central logo.
10. Added 64-Bit OS Support for Inventory, Patch Management, Software Deployment and
Remote control.
11. Added Windows 2008 OS support for Desktop Central Agents.
12. Provision to change E-Mail domain for Help Desk emails is added.

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Release Notes for 6.0.2

1. Support for managing computers across WAN included.


2. In software deployment, environment variable support is added for the network paths, pre,
post installation scripts. Eg: %ProgramFiles% --> C:\Program Files
3. Support for establishing remote connection from Mozilla has been added.
4. Options to lock/unlock remote computers and to black-out remote monitors have been added
in Remote Desktop Sharing.
5. Scheduled installation is added in Patch deployment configuration.
6. Prohibited Software Report is added in Inventory.
7. Export PDF option is included In Computer Details of Inventory Management.
8. Provision added to delete an already defined message box through message box
configuration.
9. Option added to apply configurations on every logon/bootup.
10. Automatic detection of Windows Firewall and adding necessary exceptions (required for
Desktop Central server) is handled.

Release Notes for 6.0.0

1. Support for Windows Workgroup added


2. Support for configuring desktop in multiple domains has been added.
3. Support for creating custom groups of users and computers has been added. The groups can
then be chosen as target for deploying configurations/patches/software.
4. Wake on LAN tool included.

Release Notes for 5.0.0

1. Hardware and Software Inventory module included.


2. Support for installing EXE packages in addition to MSI
3. Support for Configuration Templates Added.

Release Notes for 4.0.5

1. Microsoft Non Security Patches are supported for deployment.


2. Provided an option to delete the failed download patches from patch configuration download
status page. Also, provided an option to deploy from download status page.
3. "Fix on Errors" option for Check Disk system tool is added.
4. Provision to define SoM with individual computers.
5. Added multiple OUs support in SoM definition.

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Release Notes for 4.0.4

1. Provision added for multiple user login in Desktop Central with different access roles.
2. Folder Redirection configuration has been enhanced to copy the local folder contents to the
redirected folder.
3. ActiveX Component used for Desktop Sharing is signed for security reasons.
4. Active Directory Reports loading performance has been improved.
5. Status update and additional filtering options have been added for "Install Software"
configuration.

Release Notes for 4.0.3

1. System Tools that can be scheduled on multiple client machines have been added.
2. New configurations, File and Folder Operations and Permission Management, have been
added
3. Patch Management enhanced to include support for installing service packs of Microsoft
products.

Release Notes for 4.0.2

1. Active Directory Reports enhanced to include over 90+ granular reports of the individual
components.
2. Included User Logon Tracking Reports for an up-to-date user logon details with history.
3. Ability to schedule report update interval has been included.
4. Enhanced Remote Desktop Sharing with the ability to change the screen resolution.
5. New look and feel for better usability.

Release Notes for 4.0.1

1. Ability to connect to remote desktops through web browser using Remote Desktop Sharing.
2. Added Power Management configuration to define and apply power schemes to the client
computers.
3. Option for instant and manual installation of agent software on the client computers.
4. Option to uninstall agent software from client computers.
5. Number of users, computers, and container details are added in Resource Browser.
6. Improved usability of Add configuration and SoM page screens.
7. Issues related to persisting Active Directory computer details in database is fixed.

Release Notes for 4.0.0

1. Patch Management module included - enables automatic detection of the required patches,
download and install in the affected systems.

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2. Computer configurations to manage windows local groups, users, and to install patches have
been included.
3. Scheduler configuration has been added to schedule tasks for users.
4. Reports relating to Patch Management have been included.
5. Ability to view and audit the tasks executed using Desktop Central has been added.

Release Notes for 3.0.1

1. Configuration based reports have been enhanced with more details.


2. Provision to remember view settings like the page size, sort order etc. across logins.
3. Overall usability is enhanced for the product.
4. Provision to change the admin credential alone in Scope Of Management (SOM) settings
page.
5. Issues in Active Directory reports with large number of users is fixed.
6. Issues with multiple ip addresses given in target exclude is fixed.
7. Issue with creating shortcut in User Quick Launch Bar is fixed.

Release Notes for 3.0.0

The key features of this release are:

1. Ability to define configurations for users and computers in the Windows 2000/2003 domain
from a central point.
2. Out-of-the-box configurations include Alerts, Message Boxes, MS Office, Display, Outlook,
Drive Mapping, Path, Environment Variable, Registry Settings, Folder Redirection, Security
Policies, Internet Explorer, Shared Printer, IP Printer, Shortcut, Launch Application, Windows
Installer, Firewall, Services, Legal Notice, Custom Scripts, and Common Folder Redirection.
3. Ability to run custom scripts to get complete administration control over the domain.
4. Multiple configurations can be defined and deployed to users or computers simultaneously
using Collections.
5. Ability to define selective targets for applying the configurations. Targets can be either single
user/computer or all users/computers belonging to a Site, Domain, OU, or Groups.
6. Ability to view the status of the deployed configurations from the Desktop Central client.
7. Ability to suspend, modify, and redeploy defined configurations.
8. Comprehensive reports for the defined configurations and other Active Directory components.

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Contacting ZOHO Corporation

1. ZOHO Corp.
2. Sales
3. Technical Support

ZOHO Corp. Headquarters

Web site www.zohocorp.com


Zoho Corporation
4141, Hacienda Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94588 USA
Phone: +1-925-924-9500
Fax : +1-925-924-9600
E-mail: info@manageengine.com
Zoho Corporation Private Limited
DLF IT Park, Block 7, Ground floor, No. 1/124,
Shivaji Garden, Nandambakkam Post,
Mount PH Road, Ramapuram
Chennai 600 089
Corporate Office Phone: +91-44-22707070
Fax: +91-44-22707172
E-mail: info@manageengine.com
Zoho Corporation Pte Ltd
C/o Cananex Singapore Pte Ltd
Block 1003 Bukit Merah Central #05-23
Inno-Center, Singapore 159836
Main Line : 63344486
Fax: 62819188
Mobile: 97552882
Contact Person: Ong Yang Peng
Email: yangpeng.ong@cananex.com.sg

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Sales

You can buy ManageEngine Desktop Central from anywhere in the world. To buy our product contact
us in the following ways:

1. Fill out our sales request form to receive a call from our sales personnel
2. Send us an e-mail at sales@manageengine.com
3. Call the ZOHO Corp. headquarters or send us a fax. The numbers are as follows:

1. Phone: +1-925-924-9500
2. Fax: +1-925-924-9600

Technical Support

One of the value propositions of ZOHO Corp. is excellent support to its customers. During the
evaluation phase the support program is extended to you free of charge. Please send your technical
queries to desktopcentral-support@manageengine.com.

Use the following support format while sending e-mails to the support team:

1. Edition of the product (Free, Standard, Professional, or Enterprise Edition)


2. Version of the operating system you are using. For example, Windows 2003.
3. Version of the browser you are using. For example, Firefox 1.5 or Internet Explorer 5.5.
4. Details of the problem
5. Steps to reproduce the problem

Alternatively, you can select the Support tab from the client window. It has the following options that
will allow you to contact us:

1. Request Support: Submit your technical queries online


2. Need Features: Request for new features in Desktop Central
3. User Forums: Participate in a discussion with other Desktop Central users
4. Contact Us: Speak to our technical team using the toll free number 1-888-720-9500

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How Desktop Central Works?

ManageEngine Desktop Central is a Web-Based windows desktop administration software that helps
administrators to effectively manage the desktops from a central point. It provides Configurations,
Inventory Management, Patch Management, Service Pack Installation, Software Installation, Desktop
Sharing, System Tools, Active Directory Reports and User Logon Report.

• Desktop Central LAN Architecture


• Desktop Central WAN Architecture
• Desktop Central Mobile Device Management Architecture

Desktop Central LAN Architecture

The figure below depicts the Desktop Central Architecture. The details of the individual components
are given below:

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Fig: Desktop Central Architecture for LAN

Server Component

Desktop Central Server is located at the enterprise (customer site) is responsible for performing
various Desktop Management activities. It pushes the Desktop Central agent to the client machines,
deploys configurations, initiates scanning for Inventory and Patch Management, and generates
reports of the Active Directory Infrastructure Components to effectively manage the desktops in the
enterprise network. It is advised to keep the Desktop Central server always running to carry out the
day-to-day Desktop Management activities. All these actions can be initiated from a web-based
administration console in a few simple clicks.

Agent Component

Desktop Central Agent is light-weight software that gets installed in the client systems that are being
managed using Desktop Central. It acts as a worker to carry out the operations as instructed by the
Desktop Central Server. It is also responsible for updating the Desktop Central Server with the status
of the deployed configurations. The
agent periodically pulls the instructions from the Desktop Central Server and executes the tasks. The
agent contacts the server at the following intervals:

1. For user-specific configurations - during user logon and every 90 minutes thereafter till the
user logs out of the computer.
2. For computer-specific configurations - during system startup and every 90 minutes thereafter
till the system is shutdown.

Patch Database

The Patch Database is a portal in the ManageEngine site, which hosts the latest vulnerability
database that has been published after a thorough testing. The Desktop Central Server periodically
synchronizes this information and scans the systems in the enterprise site to determine the missing
patches. Subsequently, the patches are installed to fix the vulnerabilities.

The communication between the Desktop Central Server and the Patch Database is through the
Proxy Server or a direct connection to internet. The required patches will be downloaded from
Microsoft website and stored locally in the Desktop Central Server before deploying the patches to the
client computers. Hence, each client computer (agent) will take the patch binaries from the Desktop
Central Server.

Web Console

1. Provides a central control point for all the desktop management functions.

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2. Can be accessed from anywhere: LAN, Remote Offices, and Home through Internet/VPN.
3. No separate client installations are required.

Active Directory

For Active Directory based Domain setup, the Desktop Central Server queries the Active Directory to
generate out-of-the-box reports for Sites, Domains, Organization Units, Groups, Computers, etc.,
which gives you a complete visibility into the Active Directory.

Ports Used by Desktop Central

Ports to be opened on the Agent

To enable remote installation of the Agent, you should open these ports, these ports may not be
required post agent installation.

• 135 : Used to enable remote administration.


• 139 & 445 : Used to enable sharing of files and printers.

Ports to be opened on the Server

• 8020: Used for agent-server communication and to access the Web console
• 8383: Used for secured communication between the agent and the Desktop Central server
• 8443: Used for the Remote Control feature with secured communication
• 8444: Used for the Remote Control feature
• 8031: Used to transfer files in a secure mode while accessing a remote computer using Remote
Control
• 8032: Used to transfer files while accessing a remote computer using Remote Control
• 8027: Used to complete on-demand tasks like inventory scanning, patch scanning, remote
control, remote shutdown and moving agents from one remote office to another

Desktop Central WAN Architecture

Desktop Central supports managing Computers in a distributed setup like branch/remote offices and
for mobile users (eg. Sales Persons). The figure below depicts the Desktop Central Architecture for
managing computers in WAN. The details of the individual components are given below:

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Fig: Desktop Central WAN Architecture

Advantages

• Simple, fast, and an affordable solution for your desktop management needs.
• Low bandwidth utilization
• Network-neutral desktop management.
• No separate VPN infrastructure is required.
• Secured communication between the Server and the Agent.
• Centralized management of computers from a single console.

Server Component

Desktop Central Server has to be installed in your LAN (say, the head office) and has to be configured
as an EDGE device. This means that the designated port (default being 8020 and is configurable)
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should be accessible through Internet. You need to adopt necessary security standards to harden the
OS where the Desktop Central Server is installed. Agents from all the remote locations report to this
Desktop Central Server.

The Server acts as a container to store the configuration details and, upon request, provide the
instructions to the agents. It is advised to keep the Desktop Central server always running to carry out
the day-to-day Desktop Management activities.

Distribution Server Component

Desktop Central Distribution Server is light-weight software that is installed in one of the computers in
the Branch Offices. This agent will communicate with the Desktop Central Server to pull the
information for all the computers in that branch. The agents that reside in the branch office computers
will contact the Distribution Server to get the information available to them and process the requests.

• Low bandwidth utilization as only one agent will contact the Server periodically
• Pulls the configuration details, software packages, patches to be installed, etc., from the Desktop
Central Server and makes it available for the rest of the computers in the branch.
• Supports secured mode of communication (SSL/HTTPS) with the Server.
• Distribution Server installation is one-time and subsequent upgrades will be automatically
performed.

Agent Component

Desktop Central Agent is light-weight software that is installed in the client systems that are being
managed using Desktop Central. It acts as a worker to carry out the operations as instructed by the
Desktop Central Server.

• Unobtrusive light-weight component.


• Can either be installed manually or through the logon script in all the computers that are being
managed using Desktop Central. However, for computers in the local LAN, the agents will be
automatically installed.
• Agent installation is one-time and subsequent upgrades will be automatically performed.
• For computers in the same LAN as that of the Desktop Central Server, the agent will periodically
connect to the Server to PULL the configurations available for them, deploys them and updates
the status back to the Server.
• For computers in Branch Offices, the agent will contact the Master Agent to PULL the
configurations available for them, deploys them and updates the status back to the Server.

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Web Console

• Provides a central control point for all the desktop management functions.
• Can be accessed from anywhere: LAN, Remote Offices, and Home through Internet/VPN.
• No separate client installations are required.

Ports Used by Desktop Central

Ports to be Opened on the Agent

To enable remote installation of the Agent, you should open these ports, these ports may not be
required post agent installation.

• 135 : Used to enable remote administration.


• 139 & 445 : Used to enable sharing of files and printers.

Ports to be Opened on the Server

• 8020: Used for agent-server communication and to access the Web console
• 8383: Used for secured communication between the agent and the Desktop Central server
• 8443: Used for the Remote Control feature with secured communication
• 8444: Used for the Remote Control feature
• 8031: Used to transfer files in a secure mode while accessing a remote computer using Remote
Control
• 8032: Used to transfer files while accessing a remote computer using Remote Control
• 8027: Used to complete on-demand tasks like inventory scanning, patch scanning, remote
control, remote shutdown and moving agents from one remote office to another.

Ports to be Opened on the Distribution Server

• 8021: Used for communication between the agents in Remote Offices and the Distribution Server
• 8384: Used for secured communication between the agents in Remote Offices and the
Distribution Server

Desktop Central Mobile Device Management Architecture

Desktop Central MDM simplifies the work of administrators by using a single console to manage
desktops, laptops, servers, and mobile devices. Desktop Central MDM can be used to deploy
configuration settings, security commands and retrieve asset data over-the-air (OTA).

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Fig : Desktop Central - MDM Architecture

All Communications from Desktop Central to the mobile device will be routed through intermediate
services such as APNs for iOS devices and GCM for android devices. A live TCP connection is
maintained for intermediate service. APNs & GCM acts an intermediate wake up service to wake up
the device whenever an action is triggered to be performed from the Desktop Central. Managed
mobile device communicates with Desktop Central to receive the instructions and report back the
status and data. For the above setup to work, the following should be done

Assuming users' mobility, Desktop Central Server should be reachable via public IP address. If you
are installing Desktop Central Server in the LAN, add an entry in your external router to route the
requests to your public IP to the internal IP of the computer where Desktop Central Server is installed.
If all the devices managed are within the LAN, this requirement is not needed.

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Ports Details

Ports that needs to be opened at Desktop Central Server

• 8383 - Used for secured communication between the agent and the Desktop Central
Ports that needs to be opened for managing iOS devices
• 2195 - Should be open for the Desktop Central Server to reach the APNs. Host address:
gateway.push.apple.com (Outbound port).
• 5223 - If the mobile device connects to the internet through the WiFi, then this port should be
opened. For better security, you can restrict these connections on the IP range 17.0.0.0/8. If all
the managed devices have access to cellular data network, this requirement is not needed
(Outbound port).

Ports that needs to be opened for managing Android devices

Port numbers 5228, 5229, 5230 should be open on the fire wall, If the mobile device connects to the
internet through WiFi.

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Installation & Setup

This sections guides you in installing Desktop Central and performing the required configurations.
Setting up Desktop Central can only be done by users with administrative privileges in Desktop
Central.

The following sections describes how to get started with Desktop Central.

• System Requirements
• Installing Desktop Central
• Working with Desktop Central
• Installing Service Pack
• Licensing the Product
• Understanding the Client UI
• Setting Up Desktop Central
• Setting Up Mobile Device Management

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System Requirements

1. Hardware Requirements for Desktop Central Server


2. Hardware Requirements for Distribution Server
3. Hardware Requirement for Desktop Central Agent
4. Software Requirements

Hardware Requirements for Desktop Central Server

No. of Computers Processor RAM Hard Disk


Managed
Space
Upto 250 Computers Single processor Intel P4 ~1.5 GHz 1 GB 2 GB*
251 to 500 Computers Single processor (Intel P4 or Xeon 2.0 Ghz 2 GB 2 GB*
(Dual Core), 800+ Mhz FSB, 4 MB cache)
501 to 1000 Computers Single processor (Intel Xeon ~2.4 Ghz 4 GB 3 GB*
Dual Core, 800+ Mhz FSB, 4MB cache)
1001 to 3000 Computers Dual processor (Intel Xeon ~2.0 Ghz Dual 4 GB 5 GB*
Core, 1000 Mhz FSB,4 MB cache)
3001 to 5000 Computers Dual Processor (Intel Xeon processors 6+ 20 GB (HDD speed
Quad-Core at 2 ~ 3 GHz, 1000+ MHz GB @ 7200 ~ 10,000
FSB, 4 MB Cache) @ rpm)
667
Mhz.
ECC
5001 to 10000 Computers Quad Processor (Intel Xeon processors 8+ 50 GB (HDD speed
Quad-Core at 2 ~ 3 GHz, 1000+ MHz GB @ 7200 ~ 10,000
FSB, 4 MB Cache) @ rpm)
667
Mhz.
ECC

* May dynamically grow according to frequency of scanning

When managing computers above 1000, it is advisable to install Desktop Central on a Windows 2003
Server Enterprise Edition

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Hardware Requirements for Distribution Server

No. of Computers Processor RAM Hard Disk


Reporting to the Space
Distribution Sever
Upto 250 Computers Single processor Intel P4 ~1.5 GHz 512 1 GB*
MB
251 to 500 Computers Single processor Intel P4 ~1.5 GHz 1 GB 2 GB*
501 to 1000 Computers Single processor (Intel P4 or Xeon 2.0 Ghz 2 GB 2 GB*
(Dual Core), 800+ Mhz FSB, 4 MB cache)

* Hard disk space may grow depending on the number of software and patches that are deployed.

Hardware Requirements for Desktop Central Agent

Hardware Recommended
Processor Intel Pentium
Processor Speed 1.0 GHz
RAM 512 MB
Hard Disk Space 30 MB*

* May dyanamically grow depending on the operations performed on the client computer

Software Requirements

Supported Platforms

ManageEngine Desktop Central supports the following Microsoft Windows operating system versions:

Desktops

1. Windows 2000 Professional


2. Windows XP Professional
3. Windows Vista
4. Windows 7

Servers

1. Windows Server 2000


2. Windows Server 2003
3. Windows Server 2008
4. Windows Server 2008 R2

and Terminal Clients

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Supported Browsers

ManageEngine Desktop Central requires one of the following browsers to be installed in the system
for working with the Desktop Central Client.

1. Internet Explorer 5.5 and above


2. Netscape 7.0 and above
3. Mozilla Firefox 1.0 and above

Preferred screen resolution 1024 x 768 pixels or higher

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Installing Desktop Central

• Supported Operating Systems


• Pre-Requisites for Installing Desktop Central Server
• Ports Used by Desktop Central Server
• Installing Desktop Central Server
• Uninstalling Desktop Central Server

Supported Operating Systems

Desktop Central can be installed on computers running the following operating systems (both 32-bit
and 64-bit):

1. Windows 2000 Professional


2. Windows XP Professional
3. Windows Vista
4. Windows 7
5. Windows 2000 Server
6. Windows 2003 Server
7. Windows 2008 Server
8. Windows 2008 R2 Server
9. Virtual Servers (VM Ware)
10. Windows 2008
11. MaC version

Pre-requisites for Installing Desktop Central Server

1. Desktop Central has to be installed in any of the operating systems mentioned above. It can
either be installed on the Domain Controller or in any Workstation/Server in the network.
2. Ensure that the hardware requirements are met in accordance to the number of computers
being managed using Desktop Central.
3. It is recommended to have a Static IP Address for the computer where Desktop Central
Server is installed. This is because, the agents installed in the client computers
communicates with the Desktop Central Server using this IP Address.
4. You should install the product as an administrator, since the product is installed and run as an
Windows Service.

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Ports Used by Desktop Central Server

Desktop Central Server uses the following ports:

1. TCP Port 8020 - Used for HTTP communication between the server and the agent
2. TCP Port 8383 - Used for HTTPS communication between the server and the agent (Secure)
3. TCP Port 8443 - Used for Remote Desktop Sharing (Secure)
4. TCP Port 8444 - Used for Remote Desktop Sharing
5. TCP Port 8031 - Used for File Transfer (Secure)
6. TCP Port 8032 - Used for File Transfer

If you are running any third party firewall in the computer where Desktop Central Server is being
installed, open these ports by configuring the firewall. If you are running Windows Firewall, these ports
can also be automatically be opened in the firewall from the SoM page (post installation) from the
Desktop Central Console.

Installing Desktop Central Server

Desktop Central is distributed in the EXE Format. Run the self-extracting EXE with an Install Shield
program for installation and follow the instructions provided. The installation wizard will guide you
through a series of instructions like the installation directory, web server port, etc. You can either
install the product with the default values or can change the values as required. If you are changing
the web server port (default is 8020), ensure that you open the appropriate port in the firewall.

Upon successful installation of the product, all the required components like the web server, database
server, etc., are automatically installed.

Uninstalling Desktop Central Server

It is recommended to uninstall the agent from the client computers prior to uninstalling the product. If
the client computers are in the same LAN as that of the Desktop Central Server, the agents can be
uninstalled from the SoM page of the Desktop Central Console. However, the agent in the remote
office computers have to be removed manually. Refer to the online Knowledge base for the steps to
remove the agent from remote office computers.

To uninstall Desktop Central, select Start --> Programs --> ManageEngine Desktop Central -->
Uninstall.

If you have uninstalled the product before removing the agents and if you wish to remove later, refer
to the online knowledge base for steps.

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Working with Desktop Central

1. Starting Desktop Central


2. Launching Desktop Central Client
3. Steps to Perform after Initial Login
4. Stopping Desktop Central

Starting Desktop Central

To start Desktop Central, select Start --> Programs --> ManageEngine Desktop Central --> Start
Desktop Central

On starting the Desktop Central, the client is automatically launched in the default browser.

The following processes are started along with the Desktop Central:

1. java.exe - Desktop Central Server


2. postgres.exe - Database Server
3. wrapper.exe - For system tray operations

When Desktop Central is started in Windows XP / Windows 2003 machines with firewall enabled,
Windows will pop up security alerts asking whether to block or unblock the the following programs as
shown in the images below:

1. Java(TM) 2 Platform Standard Edition binary - Java.

You should Unblock these programs to start Desktop Central.

Fig: Java Alert


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Launching the Desktop Central Client

To launch the Desktop Central client,

1. open a Web browser and type http://hostname:8020 in the address bar. Here the hostname
refers to the DNS name of the machine where Desktop Central is running.
2. Specify the user name and password as admin in the respective fields and click Login.

Steps to Perform after Initial Login

When you login to Desktop Central for the first time, perform the following steps:

1. Define the scope of management - Scope can be limited to a small set of computers or the
whole domain.
2. Define and apply configurations to either users or computers. The applied configurations will
take effect during user logon for user configurations and during reboot for computer
configurations.
3. View the status if the configurations applied to the users/computers.
4. Setup Software Deployment Module
5. Setup Patch Management Module
6. Setup Inventory Management
7. Configure AD Reports Update Interval and Enable User Logon Reports

Stopping Desktop Central

To stop Desktop Central, select Start --> Programs --> ManageEngine Desktop Central --> Stop
Desktop Central

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Installing Service Pack

Desktop Central periodically provides Service Packs which provide new features (requested by the
customers), fixes for certain bugs and document updates in the form of HTML files. Service Packs can
be downloaded from the Web site, and updated into ManageEngine Desktop Central using the
Update Manager tool.

Note: Ensure that no application is running when applying the Service Pack. This prevents
any files used by the application from being over-written. For example if the Desktop Central
is running, stop the server and then install the service pack.

Important: You should login to the computer with the Domain Administrator credential as specified in
the Scope of Management to install a Service Pack.

The steps to apply a Service Pack are as follows:

1. Stop Desktop Central Server.


2. Start Update manager by executing the script UpdateManager.bat file located in <Desktop
Central Home>/bin directory.
3. Click Browse and select the Service Pack file (.ppm) to be installed. Click Install to install the
Service Pack.
4. You can go through the Readme file of the Service Pack by clicking the Readme button.

Note: On clicking Install, the tool checks whether there is enough space for the installation of
the service pack. If there is no enough space, the tool informs you about the lack of space.
You must clear the space and then proceed with the installation.

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Licensing the Product

Desktop Central is available in four variants- Free, Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions

Download the product from the Website.

The Free Edition, Standard Edition, Professional Edition and Enterprise Edition, come packaged
as a single download. During the evaluation phase, the Enterprise Edition is installed, and can be
evaluated for 30 days. After 30 days, it is automatically gets converted to the Free Edition, unless the
Standard/Professional/Enterprise Edition license is purchased. Given below is the comparison
matrix of the features available in the various editions:

Feature Standard Professional Enterprise Free


Edition**
Software Deployment
Patch Management
Asset Management
Remote Control
Service Pack Deployment
Windows Configurations
USB Device Management
Power Management
System Tools
User Logon Reports
Active Directory Reports ***
Managing Desktops Across WAN
Manage Desktops of Roaming Users
Multi-Technician Support
Distribution Server for Bandwidth Optimization
Mobile Device Management

** Free Edition can be used to manage up to 25 desktops.

*** Granular reports on Active Directory are not available in the Free Edition.

For purchasing the license or for any pricing related queries, please contact
sales@manageengine.com.

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To upgrade from a Trial/Free Edition to Standard/Professional/
Enterprise Edition

1. When you purchase the product, the license file will be sent through e-mail, which can be
used to upgrade the product.
2. Click the License link available in the top right corner of the Desktop Central client. This
opens the License details of the product.
3. Click the Upgrade Now link and select the license file received from ManageEngine using the
Browse button.
4. Click Upgrade button to upgrade.

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Understanding the Client UI

1. Tabbed Pane
2. Quick Links
3. Left Pane
4. Content Pane

Desktop Central client presents complex desktop management information to administrators in a


clear, well organized, and easily understandable manner. The Client is a multi-pane interface with
tabs and quick links on the top pane, tab-specific links on the left pane, and object-specific views on
the right pane. The home page looks similar to the one shown below:

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Tabbed Pane

Tabs provides easier navigation between various modules/features of Desktop Central. Each tab
represent a specific module/feature in Desktop Central. The content of the left pane varies depending
on the tab selected. The following are the tabs present in the product:

1. Home: The home tab provides a quick summary of the configurations defined in the form of
charts. Apart from the configuration summary, it also provides Inventory summary and the
health/patch status of the network.
2. Configurations: The configurations tab provides the core functions of the product. It has links
to define configurations and collections and view the defined configurations based on the type
and status.
3. Patch Mgmt: This provides the details of the available and missing patch details along with
options to install them.
4. Software Deployment: Provides options to create MSI and EXE package repository, which
can then be used to deploy software to the windows machines in the network.
5. Inventory: Provides the details of the software and hardware inventory of the network. It
allows you to manage software licenses and prohibited software.
6. Tools: The Tools tab provides ability to share a remote desktop and control it through a Web
browser. You can also schedule a task to run various system tools like Disk Defrag, Check
Disk, and Disk Cleanup on different machines in the network.
7. Reports: The reports tab provides a comprehensive reports of the defined configurations
based on users, computers, and type. It also provides ready-made reports of the Active
Directory components. For more details about the available reports, refer to Viewing Reports
topic.
8. Admin: The admin tab helps you to customize the product to your environment. It helps you
to define the scope of management, manage inactive users in your domain, manage
MSI/EXE files and scripts, apart from other personalization options. For further details, refer to
Configuring Desktop Central section.
9. Support: The support tab helps you to reach us for your needs, such as getting technical
support, requesting new features, participating in user discussions, and so on. It also provides
self-diagnostic details about the product.

Apart from the tabs, it also has the following links on the top right corner:

1. Contact Us: To reach us to support, feedback, sending logs, joining web conference to
troubleshooting, etc.
2. Personalize: To customize the skin, password, and session expiry time.
3. License: To upgrade to the licensed version of the software and to view the license details.
4. About Us: To view the product version details.
5. Help: To view the product help documentation.
6. Sign Out: To sign out the client.

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Quick Links

Quick links enables you to navigate to the frequently used pages instantly.

Left Pane

The navigation links in left pane enables navigation across the various features in the tab. The left-
side navigation links changes dynamically according to the tab selected.

Content Pane

The content pane displays the specific view of the currently selected item from the tabbed pane, quick
links or the left pane.

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Setting Up Desktop Central

After installing Desktop Central, the administrator has to setup the various modules in Desktop
Central by making the required configurations.

Note: The steps/configurations described in this section can only be performed by users
with administrative privileges in Desktop Central.

Follow the links to learn more:

1. Configuring Desktop Central for Windows Vista / 2008


2. Working with the Scope of Management
3. Configuring Agent Tray Icon Settings
4. Configuring Mail Server
5. Configuring Help Desk Integration
6. Managing Custom Scripts
7. Configuring Server Settings
8. Creating Custom Groups
9. Personalizing the Client Settings
10. Authenticating Users via Active Directory
11. Migrating Desktop Central Server
12. User Administration
13. Setting Up Software Deployment
14. Setting Up Patch Management
15. Setting Up Asset Management
16. Setting Up User Logon Reports
17. Setting Up Active Directory Reports

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Configuring Desktop Central for Windows Vista / 2008 /
Windows 7

This is applicable only if you install Desktop Central Server in Windows Vista, Windows 2008
or Windows 7.

For running Desktop Central Service in Windows Vista, Windows 2008 or Windows 7 operating
systems, you need to specify user credentials with administrative privileges. This is not required for
other operating systems like Windows XP, 2003 Server, etc.

Specifying Admin User Credentials for Windows Vista / Windows 2008 / Windows 7.

When you install Desktop Central server in Windows Vista / Windows 2008 / Windows 7 and start, the
Desktop Central client will show a page asking for the user credentials with administrative privileges
on that computer. Specify the user name and password of an user account that has administrative
privileges on the computer where Desktop Central Server is installed. The user specified here can be
either a domain user or a local user with admin privileges.

It is recommended to set the password of the user specified here to "Password Never Expires".
When the password of this user changes, Desktop Central Server will not be able to start as the
credentials will fail.

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Defining the Scope of Management

After successful installation, the first thing you do is to define the Scope of Management(SoM) to use
the features of Desktop Central. The SoM refers to the list of computers that are managed using
Desktop Central. The managed computers can be from Active Directory, Workgroup, or any other
directory service like Novell eDirectory. The managed computers can be either in the same LAN or in
any remote location that are connected through VPN or Internet.

Following the Scope of Management section, you can proceed with:

1. Adding Domain/Workgroup
2. Managing computers in LAN
3. Managing computers in WAN
4. Managing Computers with MAC OS

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Adding Domain/Workgroup

A windows network is typically based on Windows Active Directory, Workgroup, or Novell eDirectory.
When you install desktop Central in your network, it automatically discovers all the domains and
workgroups available in your network. Novell eDirectory based network are discovered and managed
as workgroups in Desktop Central.

Discovering Domains / Workgroups

To view the discovered domains/ workgroups or to initiate the discovery, select Admin tab --> Scope
of Management (SoM) --> Add Computers. This will discover all the available domains and
workgroups and list them under Discovered Networks.

Adding Domains

Domain can be added in Desktop Central in two ways:

1. From the auto-discovered list available in the SoM --> Add Computers page by clicking the
Edit link corresponding to the domain.
2. By Manually adding the domain - If for some reason, one or more domains are not
discovered, you can use the Add Domain link available in the same page to add domains
manually.

Both the above options will open the Add Domain dialog for accepting the following information:

Parameter Description Type


Domain Name of the domain. This is usually the netbios or the pre-2000 Mandatory
Name name of the domain
Network Type Select "Active Directory" option Mandatory
Domain User This should be the domain user name that has administrative Mandatory
Name privileges in all the computers of that domain. It is recommended to
have a dedicated domain admin user account for Desktop Central
whose password policy is set to "Never Expire"
Password Password of the domain admin user Mandatory
AD Domain The DNS name of the Active Directory Domain Mandatory
Name
Domain The name of the domain controller. If you have multiple domain Mandatory
Controller controllers, provide the name of the domain controller that is
Name nearest to the computer where Desktop Central Server is installed

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If you have problems in adding the domains, refer to our online knowledge base for possible reasons
and solutions.

Adding Workgroups

Similar to domains, Workgroups can be added in Desktop Central in two ways:

1. From the auto-discovered list available in the SoM --> Add Computers page by clicking the
Edit link corresponding to the workgroup.
2. By Manually adding the workgroup- If for some reason, one or more workgroups are not
discovered, you can use the Add Domain link available in the same page to add workgroups
manually.

Both the above options will open the Add Domain dialog for accepting the following information:

Parameter Description Type


Domain The name of the workgroup Mandatory
Name
Network Type Select "Workgroup" option Mandatory
Admin User A common user name which has administrative privileges in all the Mandatory
Name computers within that workgroup. It is recommended to have a
dedicated user account for Desktop Central whose password policy
is set to "Never Expire"
Password The password of the common admin user Mandatory
DNS Suffix This is required to uniquely identify a computer within a workgroup. Optional
For example, if you have a computer with the same name in two
different workgroups, the DNS suffix is used to identify it uniquely

If you have problems in adding the workgroups, refer to our online knowledge base for possible
reasons and solutions.

Note: Computers in Novel eDirectory based network are managed as Workgroups in


Desktop Central.

Changing the Domain or Workgroup Credentials

Desktop Central establishes a remote connection to the managed computers to perform the various
Desktop Management activities like agent installation / upgradation, patch/inventory scanning, and
remote desktop sharing, which requires an admin credential. The credential provided when adding a
domain/workgroup is used for this purpose. When the username/password provided while adding the
domain/workgroup has changed later due to password expiry or other reasons, you need to update

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the correct credentials from the Admin tab --> SoM page to avoid getting "Access Denied" errors
while performing any remote operations.

To update the credentials, click the Edit Credentials button available in the SoM page. Select the
Domain/Workgroup from the select box, update the username/password and click Update Domain
Details.

SoM Policy

Synchronizing computers from Active Directory will help you find the computers that are newly added,
but or not managed in Desktop Central and the computers that have been deleted from the Active
Directory. This helps you to quickly add or remove computers from being managed using Desktop
Central.

The synchronization will happen at a specified time everyday and can be configured to notify you
whenever a change is detected. You can also initiate the sync option as and when required with sync
only modified data and sync all option. Sync only modified data will list only the changes that has
happened after the previous sync. So the computers which are added or removed after the previous
sync will be listed here. Sync all option can be used to get the complete list of all the computers that
has been added or removed in the active directory.

To enable synchronization follow the steps below:

1. Select SoM --> AD Sync tab


2. Click AD Sync Settings link from the right, below the AD Sync tab.
3. Select Enable AD Sync
4. Specify the time at which the sync should happen. The time should be specified in 24 hour
format and the sync will happen at the same time everyday.
5. Click Choose Domains/OUs to select the domains and OUs that you would like to sync. This
will only list the domains and OUs for which the credentials have been specified.

Note: If you do not see all the domains, you should check and specify the credentials first
from SoM --> Computers --> Edit Credential.
6. If you wish to be notified on any change, select "Enable Email Notification" and specify the
"To Address", subject and message.
7. Click Save

Next Steps

The next step is to add and install the agent in the client computers that have to be managed using
Desktop Central. The following sections will detail the steps:

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1. Managing Computers in LAN - To add and install the agent in the client computers from the
same LAN where Desktop Central Server is installed
2. Managing Computers in WAN - To add and install the agent in the client computers from
remote locations like branch offices and mobile users.

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Managing computers in LAN

Desktop Central installs an agent in all the client computers that have to be managed using Desktop
Central. The agent properties can also be customized prior to installing the agents. For details on
customizations, refer to Configuring Agent settings.

Installing Agents

Installing Agents from Desktop Central Console

1. The client computers can be added from Admin tab --> SoM --> Add Computers
button. This will list the domains and workgroups that have been added.
2. Click the Select Computers link pertaining to a domain/workgroup. This opens the
Select Computers dialog listing all the available computers of the domain/workgroup.
3. Select the computers that have to be managed using Desktop Central and click OK.
You can also manually specify the computer names instead of choosing them from
the list. The selected computers gets added to the Selected Computers table in the
Add Computers view.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for adding computers from multiple domains/workgroups.
5. Select the "Start Agent Installation Immediately" check box to install the Desktop
Central agents in the selected computers immediately. When this option is not
selected, the computers are only added. You need to install the agents later to
manage them.
6. Select the Configure Agent Settings option for configuring the agent properties and
post installation actions.
7. Click Done to add the selected computers. All the selected computers gets added to
the Scope of Management.

The Scope of Management page will list all the computers that are being managed by Desktop
Central along with the status of the agent installation and the agent version.

Agents can also be installed at a later stage, by selecting the computers from Admin --> SoM
page and clicking the Install Agent button from the Desktop Central Console

If you have problems in installing the agents, refer to our online knowledge base for possible
causes and solutions.

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Installing Agents Using Windows GPO

Agent installation through the console might fail due to various reasons like some security
restrictions, firewall configurations, etc. There is a possibility that even after trying the
resolutions provided in the online knowledge base, the installation can still fail. In such cases,
you can install the agents with a startup script using Windows GPO. The agents gets installed
during the next computer startup.

Refer to the online knowledge base for the steps to install the agents using Windows GPO

Installing Agents Manually

You can also install the agents manually, by downloading the agent program from:

http://<host name>:<port number>/agent/DesktopCentralAgent.msi

where,

<host name> refers to the machine running Desktop Central and

<port number> refers to the Web port to access the client, the default being 8020.

Double-click the msi file to install the agent manually.

Uninstalling Agents

To uninstall the agents from the computers, select the desktops from the list and select
Uninstall Agent from the Actions box.

Removing the Computers

To remove the computers from the list, select the computers and select Remove Computer
from the Actions box. The Desktop Central agents have to be uninstalled prior to removing a
computer from the scope.

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Managing Computers in Wide Area Networks (WAN)

A WAN is a computer network that enables communication across a large area that could include
communication across cities, states and countries. Most companies operate from a head office,
located in a city, and have branch offices located in other areas within the city, the state, the country
or even in another country. These branch offices are known as remote offices.

As a system administrator, you must do the following:

1. Ensure that the computers in the head office and branch offices are monitored efficiently
2. Manage computers of roaming or mobile users who connect to the network using the Internet

One of the main challenges that you could face, while managing computers in a WAN, are with the
bandwidth allocated. There could be bandwidth issues that reduce the speed of data-transfer between
computers at the head office and those at the branch office. This could result in costs associated with
bandwidth utilization.

Managing Computers Across a WAN

There are two options to manage computers, across a WAN, using Desktop Central. The option that
you choose depends on the number of computers you are going to manage at your remote office. The
options available, enable you to use either of the following:

1. Distribution servers and WAN agents: It is recommended that you use this option if you are
managing more than 10 computers in a remote office.
2. WAN agents only: It is recommended that you use this option if you are managing less than
10 computers in a remote office.

Using Distribution Servers and WAN Agents

A distribution server is a server that is located in a remote office. This server communicates with the
Desktop Central server, which is located at the head office, to get information; for example information
about configurations to deploy. It synchronizes its repositories, related to configurations, patches,
service packs and software applications, with those located in the Desktop Central server. This takes
place at specific intervals.

WAN agents are installed in computers in a remote office. After the synchronization, between the
distribution server and the Desktop Central server is complete, the WAN agents will download
information related to patches, service packs and software applications to be deployed, from the
distribution server. This information is downloaded locally using the LAN in the remote office.

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Desktop Central's technology related to distribution servers helps you plan and control bandwidth
utilization (including associated costs) for your remote office. This technology addresses bandwidth-
related issues, improves the efficiency and the level of control that network managers and
administrators can use while managing computers in remote locations.

Before you start managing computers in a remote location you are required to do the following:

1. Add a remote office


2. Deploy a distribution server to a remote office
3. Deploy WAN agents to computers managed using the distribution server

Adding a Remote Office (with a distribution server)

Before you can start managing computers in a remote office, you are required to add a remote office
and create a distribution server. To add a remote office and create a distribution server using your
Desktop Central server, follow the steps given below:

1. Select Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
3. Select the Remote Offices tab
4. Click Add Remote Office
5. Enter a name for the remote office
6. In the Desktop Central Server Details section, specify the IP address and port numbers for
the Desktop Central server

The IP address is already entered in the given field. Change this address only
if you have a secondary IP address for the Desktop Central server. The
information for the HTTP and HTTPS ports are already entered (8020 and
8030 respectively). Change the port numbers if you have specified ports other
than these while installing the Desktop Central server.

7. In the Communication Details section, select Through Distribution Server.


8. In the Distribution Server Details section, enter the following information:
1. Domain NetBios name
2. Computer name
3. IP address of the computer on which the distribution server will be installed

It is recommended that you have a dedicated computer as your distribution


server. This computer should have a static IP address. This will ensure that
you have hassle-free communication between the WAN agents and the
distribution server.

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1. DS FQDN/DNS Name (optional)
2. HTTP and HTTPS port numbers for the distribution server

The HTTP and HTTPS ports are used for communication between the WAN
agents and the distribution server. The default ports of the distribution server
8021 (HTTP) and 8384 (HTTPS). You can use different ports if required.

1. Replication interval time

The replication interval time is the interval at which the distribution server
synchronizes its repositories with those in the Desktop Central server. The
default interval is two minutes. However you can customize the replication
interval if required.

1. Data-transfer rate

9. In the Distribution Server/WAN Agent to Desktop Central Server Communication section,


check the following check boxes:
1. Enable Secured Communication (HTTPS)
2. Proxy Configuration. Enter information about the proxy host, user name and
password.
10. In the computers to be managed section, add the computers that you want to manage using
the distribution server. To add computers to be managed, follow the steps given below:

1. Select the required domain or workgroup

2. Select the required organization units or computers

3. Click Add

If you know the name or the IP address of the computers that you want to
manage in the remote location, add them in the given field using commas.

11. Click Add

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You have added a remote office and created a distribution server. You are now required to deploy this
distribution server to a specific remote office.

Deploying Distribution Servers To Remote Offices

After you have added a remote office and created a distribution server, you are taken back to the
Remote Offices tab view in the Scope of Management page. In the Managed Computers column,
against the name of the remote office you have created, the status will be Agent is not installed. You
are required to deploy and install the distribution server in the required remote office.

To deploy a distribution server to the required remote office, follow the steps given below:

1. Select Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
3. Select the Remote Offices tab
4. In the Download Agent column, against the remote office you added, click the Download
WAN Agent + Distribution Server icon
5. Save the .zip file in the computer on which you want to install the distribution server

You are required to login as the administrator, on the computer in which you
want to install the distribution server, to save the required file in it.

6. Extract the contents of the zip file


7. Open a command prompt. To open a command prompt, follow the steps given below:

a. Click start>Run

b. Enter cmd

c. Click OK

8. Navigate to the working folder (this is the folder which you have extracted the .zip file in). For
example: C:\Remote-Office\dssetup
9. Run the command setup.bat
10. Select option 1 to deploy the distribution server

You have deployed the distribution server to the required remote office. Refer to the Agent Installation
section for information on how to install WAN agents.

Deploying WAN Agents in Computers in Remote Offices

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You are required to install WAN agents in the computers you want to manage, in a remote office,
using a distribution server. A WAN agent can be installed:

1. While deploying a distribution server


2. After deploying a distribution server

Deploying WAN agents while deploying a distribution server

To deploy a WAN agent while deploying a distribution server, follow the steps given below:

a. Open a command prompt. To open a command prompt, follow the steps given below:

a. Click start>Run

b. Enter cmd

c. Click OK

b. Navigate to the working folder (this is the folder which you have extracted the .zip file
in, while deploying the distribution server). For example: C:\Remote-Office\dssetup
c. Specify which computers the WAN agents have to be installed in by editing the
computers.txt file
d. Run the command setup.bat file
e. Select option 2
f. Specify the administrator's user name and password when prompted

This can be a domain administrator or a user who has administrator privileges


in all the computers where WAN agents have to be installed. The user name
should be prefixed with the name of the domain or the workgroup.

For example, the user name of an administrator who is deploying WAN agents
in computers, which are in the zohocorp domain, could be
zohocorp\administrator.

You have deployed both the distribution server and WAN agents to computers in a remote
office.

Deploying WAN agents after deploying a distribution server

To deploy a WAN agent after deploying a distribution server, follow the steps given below:

a. Open a command prompt. To open a command prompt, follow the steps given below:

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a. Click start>Run

b. Enter cmd

c. Click OK

b. Navigate to the working folder (this is the folder which you have extracted the .zip file
in, while deploying the distribution server). For example: C:\Remote-Office\dssetup
3. Specify which computers the WAN agents have to be installed in by editing the computers.txt
file
4. Run the command setup.bat
5. Select option 3
6. Specify the administrator's user name and password when prompted

This can be a domain administrator or a user who has administrator privileges


in all the computers where WAN agents have to be installed. The user name
should be prefixed with the name of the domain or the workgroup.

For example, the user name of an administrator who is deploying WAN agents
in computers, which are in the zohocorp domain, could be
zohocorp\administrator.

You have deployed WAN agents to computers in a remote office.

Using WAN Agents Only

When you manage less than 10 computers, typically, there are no bandwidth-related issues. In such
cases, you can manage computers in your remote office using WAN agents only.

Before you start managing computers in a remote office using WAN agents only, you are required to
do the following:

1. Add details of a remote office (single remote office or multiple remote offices)
2. Install WAN agents in the computers in the remote office

Adding a Remote Office (without a distribution server)

If you are managing in branch/remote offices, you need to add the details of the branch/remote offices
and generate Desktop Central Agent for each of your branch/remote office. This agent has to be
installed in the managed computers of that branch. To add the details of the remote offices, follow the
steps below:

1. Select Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
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3. Select the Remote Offices tab

You will see a list of all the remote offices that are added. In that list, you will
see a remote office which is called Local Office. This is related to the LAN
where the Desktop Central server is located. The remote office Local Office is
added by default.

4. Click Add Remote Office


5. Enter a name for the remote office
6. In the Desktop Central Server Details section, specify the IP address and port numbers for
the Desktop Central server. You can also enter the DNS of the server.

This IP Address should be common for all the Remote offices and will be used
by the agents in the remote office computers to contact the Desktop Central
server. If this IP Address is changed, the agent MSI for remote offices will be
recreated. You need to reinstall the agents in all the remote computers.

7. In the Communication Details section, select Direct Communication.


8. In the WAN Agent to Desktop Central Server Communication section, do the following:
a. Specify the communication interval

The communication interval is the interval at which the WAN agents in the
computers in the remote office, contact the Desktop Central server for
information. The default communication interval is two minutes. However, this
value can be configured if required.

b. Check the following check boxes:


a. Enable Secured Communication (HTTPS)
b. Proxy Configuration. Enter information about the proxy host, user name and
password.

9. In the computers to be managed section, add the computers that you want to manage using
the distribution server. To add computers to be managed, follow the steps given below:

a. Select the required domain or workgroup

b. Select the required organization units or computers

c. Click Add

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If you know the name or the IP address of the computers that you want to
manage in the remote location, add them in the given field using commas.

10. Click Add

You have added a remote office.

Adding Multiple Remote Offices

You can add multiple remote offices simultaneously by importing details of the remote offices, using
the CSV import option.

To add multiple remote offices simultaneously, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
3. Click the Remote Offices tab
4. Click Import Remote Offices
5. Click Choose File and select the required CSV file
6. Click Import

You have imported multiple remote offices simultaneously. These will be listed in the Remote Offices
tab.

Information about CSV files

This section gives you information about CSV files.

File specifications

1. The first line of a CSV file is the header specifying the column names.
2. The Remote Office name is a mandatory field and all the other fields are optional. If left blank, the
default values will be added to those fields.

Column names and descriptions

1. REMOTE_OFFICE_NAME: Name of the remote office


2. POLLING_INTERVAL: Communication Interval / Replication Interval based on the
Communication Type. The default value is 2 minutes
3. SERVER_IP:The IP Address of the Desktop Central server, which is accessible from the
computers in the remote office.

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4. HAS_DS - The values can be Yes or No. Yes means that the communication type is through the
distribution server. If newly added (or the previous values are present in case of modification),
the default value is No. If the value is Yes, the following columns are mandatory:
5. DS_DOMAIN_NAME: Name of the Netbios domain in the distribution server
DS_NAME: Name of the computer in which the distribution server will be installed
DS_IP: IP Address of the computer in which the distribution server will be installed
DS_PORT: HTTP port through which the distribution server and the WAN agents communicate
DS_HTTPS_PORT: HTTPS port through which the distribution server and the WAN agents
communicate
6. PROTOCOL: The mode of communication between distribution server, WAN agents and the
Desktop Central server. The default is HTTP.
7. HAS_PROXY - The values can be Yes or No. Yes means the communication between the
distribution server or WAN agents to the Desktop Central server takes place through the proxy
server. If newly added (or the previous values are present in case of modification), the default
value is No. If the value is Yes, the following columns are mandatory:
8. PROXY_SERVER:Name or IP address of the proxy server
9. PROXY_PORT: Proxy port number
10. PROXY_USER:User name used to acces the proxy server
11. PROXY_PASSWORD: Password of the proxy user account.
12. COMPUTERS: Names of the computers in the remote office. If more than one computer is
specified, it should be within double-quotes. Example: "john,jerry"

Sample CSV Formats

1. REMOTE_OFFICE_NAME,POLLING_INTERVAL,HAS_DS,DS_DOMAIN_NAME,DS_NAME,
DS_IP,DS_PORT,DS_HTTPS_PORT,PROTOCOL,HAS_PROXY,PROXY_SERVER,PROXY
_PORT,PROXY_USER,PROXY_PASSWORD,COMPUTERS
2. RO_1,2,yes,zohocorpin,DSserver1,192.168.1.227,8021,8384,http,yes,web
proxy,80,admin,admin,"test,mathi,karups"
3. RO_2,3,yes,zohocorpin,DSserver2,192.168.1.232,8021,8384,http,no
4. RO_3,10,yes,zohocorpin,DSserver3,192.168.1.222,8021,8384,https,yes,web-
proxy,80,admin,admin
5. RO_4,30,yes,zohocorpin,DSserver4,192.168.1.233,8021,8384,https,no
6. RO_5,2,no,,,,,,http,yes,web-proxy,80,admin,admin
7. RO_6,3,no,,,,,,http,no
8. RO_7,33,no,,,,,,https,yes,web-proxy,80,admin,admin
9. RO_8,35,no,,,,,,https,no

Editing Remote Office Parameters

The method of importing CSV files also has an option where you can edit the details of a remote
office. Assume that you want to change the name of the proxy server for your remote offices. You
don't have to manually edit the proxy details of each and every remote office. You can do this by
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creating a CSV file that contains only the remote office name and the parameter that needs to be
updated. For example,

REMOTE_OFFICE_NAME,PROXY_SERVER
RO_1, web-proxy1
RO_2, web-proxy2

Installing Agents in Computers in Remote Offices

You can install agents in computers in remote offices in:

1. Single computers
2. Multiple computers

Desktop Central agents have to be manually downloaded and installed in


computers in remote offices. ffice computers. To install an agents in multiple
computers in the same location, you can use the command line tool that is
provided.

Installing Agents in a Single Computer

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
3. Click Download Agent

Ensure that you have downloaded the agent with the respective remote office
name.

4. Install the agent in the required computer in a specific remote office, manually
5. Extract the .zip file to a directory
6. Open a command prompt. To open a command prompt, follow the steps given below:

a. Click start>Run

b. Enter cmd

c. Click OK

7. Change the directory to <Extracted_Dir>/directsetup


8. Execute the following command:

%systemroot%\\system32\msiexec.exe /i DesktopCentralAgent.msi ENABLESILENT=yes /qn

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You have installed an agent in a single computer in a specific remote office

Installing Agents in Multiple Computers

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
3. Click Download Agent

Ensure that you have downloaded the agent with the respective remote office
name.

4. Install the agent in the required computer in a specific remote office, manually
5. Extract the .zip file to a directory
6. Add all the names of the computers in which the agent has to be installed in the
computernames.txt file

Each computer name should be entered in a separate line.

7. Open a command prompt. To open a command prompt, follow the steps given below:

a. Click start>Run

b. Enter cmd

c. Click OK

8. Change the directory to <Extracted_Dir>/directsetup


9. Run the command setup.bat
10. Specify the user name and password of the administrator, when prompted

This can be a domain administrator or a user who has administrator privileges


in all the computers where WAN agents have to be installed. The user name
should be prefixed with the name of the domain or the workgroup.

For example, the user name of an administrator who is deploying WAN agents
in computers, which are in the zohocorp domain, could be
zohocorp\administrator.

You have installed the agent in multiple computers in a remote office.

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The logs.txt file is located in <Extracted_Dir>/directsetup. It has the details
about

the errors you face during installation, if any.

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Modifying Remote Office Details

If you require to change the mode of communication between the WAN Agents and the Desktop
Central server, you can modify the remote office details and make the necessary changes. For
example, if you have chosen the direct communication mode for a remote office and you want
communication to take place through the distribution server, you can modify the details of the remote
office.

To modify the details of the remote office, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
3. Click the Remote Offices tab
4. In the Action column, click the modify icon against the required remote office
5. Change the required parameters
6. Click Modify

If you have changed the mode of communication from direct communication


to communication through the distribution server, you need to re-install and re-
start the distribution server in the specified computer. The changes will be
implemented only after you complete this task.

However, even if you have not completed this task, you can still deploy the
configurations, patches, and software applications to the specific remote
computer.

You have modified details of a remote office.

Moving Computers Across Remote Offices

You can move computers across remote offices. For example, if you are moving from remote office to
another you are required to add your computer to the WAN in that remote office.

Scenario

Each remote office has its own agent. Assume that you are moving from remote office A to
remote office B. You must do the following when you are moving computers across remote
offices:

1. Move the computer physically


2. Make the settings to move the computer from one remote location to another in the user
interface (UI)

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The sequence of operations, mentioned above, will depend on whether you have a proxy
connection or not.

When the agent does not use a proxy connection

When the agent does not use a proxy connection to communicate with the Desktop Central
server, you can physically move your computer from remote office A to remote office B, the
agent from remote office B gets installed in your computer. As there is no proxy connection, it
can communicate with the Desktop Central server.

When the agent uses a proxy connection

When the agent uses a proxy connection to communicate with the Desktop Central server, you
must make the settings to move the computer from one remote office to another, in the UI,
before you physically move your computer.

To move computers across remote offices, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
3. In the Computers tab, select the required computers
4. In the Move To list, select the name of the remote office to which you want to move your
computer to

You can create a new remote office with or without a distribution server. To
create a new remote office with a distribution server, refer to the Adding a
Remote Office (with a distribution server) section. To create a new remote
office without a distribution server, refer to the Adding a Remote Office
(without a distribution server) section.

You have created a request to move computers across remote offices. If the office you are moving to
is a local office (LAN), the computers that you have specified will be moved immediately. This is
because the Desktop Central server can contact the agent in the computer, that you have requested
to move, immediately. However, if the office you are moving to is a remote office (WAN), the
computers that you have specified will be moved only when the agent (in the specified computers)
contacts the Desktop Central server agent during the two-minute communication interval.

If the agent does not contact the Desktop Central server within the time
interval, the request will be removed from the Desktop Central server. You will
then have to create a new request.

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Adding an IP Scope

Desktop Central has different agents for different locations, for example a local office agent will not be
the same as the remote office agent. Similarly every remote office has different agents as well. When
you are managing computers one or more remote locations, you can have a defined set of IP ranges
for different offices. This enables the Desktop Central Server to identify the agents with respect to the
IP range.

So whenever a computer is moved from a local office to a remote location, IP scope is used to
automatically detect and deploy the respective WAN agent. Desktop Central will check for the change
in the IP address periodically and will deploy the appropriate agents whenever a change is detected.

If there is no movement or a rare chance of moving computers between


remote offices, you do not need to define an IP Scope for your remote offices.
In this case, you can move your computers, if required, by using the Move to
list in the Computers tab in the Scope of Management page. For more
information, click here.

When a computer (or a laptop) is transferred to a new remote office, a new IP address is
automatically assigned to that computer (or laptop) by the DHCP server in the remote office network.
The Desktop Central agent then determines whether the new IP address, that was assigned, is within
the IP range of the new remote office. You can add an IP Scope for remote offices as well as local
offices.

If you are moving computers only between specific remote offices, you should
assign an IP Scope only for those remote offices.

To add an IP Scope, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Scope of Management
3. Click the IP Scope tab
4. Click Add Scope
5. In the Select Remote Office list, click the required remote office name
6. Select either of the following types of IP Scope:

1. IP Address Range: Enter the start and end IP addresses


2. Subnet: Enter the subnet mask and subnet IP address

7. Click Save

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You have added an IP Scope.

You can add more than one IP Scope to a remote office. To add more than
one IP Scope, follow the steps from step number 4.

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Managing computers with Mac OS

Desktop Central can be used to manage computers with Mac operating Systems. Desktop
Central has separate agents to manage Mac computers.

Supporting Mac OS

Desktop Central currently supports the following Mac versions:

 10.6 Snow Leopard


 10.7 Lion

Note: Desktop Central currently supports managing Mac OS with Intel Processor

Configuring Mac Agent Settings

Desktop Central has different agents for windows and Mac computers. Mac agents will not be
created by default. You can create Mac agents by configuring the settings in the scope of
management. This will help you automatically create Mac agents for the local office and the
remote offices. To Configure the Mac agent settings follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Agent Settings link available under Global Settings.
3. Select Mac Agent Settings tab
4. Click on the check box to automatically create agents for managing Mac computers.
Enabling the option to create Mac agents automatically will create agents for all the
existing remote offices as well the any new remote office that is created
subsequently.
5. Select the domain or the workgroup to group Mac computers (this is virtual grouping
and will not impact on its functions).
6. Click Save to create Mac agents.

Mac agents can be download from the SoM page.

Installing Mac Agents

Mac agents can be installed manually in the computers that need to be managed. Agents can
be installed manually in every computer or through SSH. To install the agent, log-in into the
computer as an administrator and follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click on Scope of Management link under Global Settings.

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3. Click on Download Agent link

You will have a drop down list, from which you can choose and download the appropriate agent. If the
managed computers are in the same LAN, download Mac local agent. If the managed computers
are in remote locations, download agents appropriately. Follow the steps mentioned below to install
the agents manually,

1. Login into the Mac computer as administrator and navigate to the location where the agent is
downloaded.
2. Extract the zip file and locate DesktopCentral_MacAgent.pkg and serverinfo.plist file.
3. Double click to install the agent.
4. Enter administrators password when prompted to complete installation.

Installing Mac Agents Using SSH

Installing Mac agents in computers can be done easily through SSH. Using a Mac computer you can
remotely connect to other computers and install the Mac agents. To know about installing agents
follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Login into the Mac computer as administrator


2. Download the Mac agent.
3. Copy the downloaded Mac agent
 Open the terminal
 Navigate to the location where the agent is downloaded.
 Type scp DCMacAgent.zip adminusername@hostname: to copy the agent to the target
computer.
 Where adminusername - administrator user name of the remote computer
 hostname - local host name of the remote computer
 Agent is copied in the location ~/Users/adminusername in target computer
4. Install the agent in the remote computer
 To login into the target computer using SSH type ssh adminusername@hostname
 Navigate to the location where the agent is copied, Unzip the agent zip file by typing unzip -
oq DCMacAgent.zip
 Install the agent using the command sudo installer -
pkg DesktopCentral_MacAgent.pkg -target /
 Enter the administrator password when prompted to complete agent installation.

Once the agents are installed successfully, the Mac computers will be listed in the SoM page
in the Desktop Central web console.

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Uninstall Mac agents

To uninstall the agents from the computers, follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Login into the computer as administrator and open the terminal.


2. Navigate to the directory /Library/DesktopCentral_Agent/uninstall
3. Type sudo chmod 744 uninstall.sh, and enter administrator password when
prompted.
4. Type the command sudo ./uninstall.sh, this command removes all the files
except logs.

Supported Features

Desktop Central currently supports the following features for Mac computers.

Features supported in the Inventory Module

 Hardware and software inventory reports


 Managing software License
 Managing Software Category
 Alerting by email for every hardware or software changes.

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Configuring Agent Settings

Desktop Central installs an light-weight non-intrusive agent on the computers that have to be
managed using Desktop Central. You have an option to configure the settings for these agents.

Agent General Settings

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Agent Settings link available under Global Settings.
3. The General Settings tab is selected by default. You can specify the following from here:
1. Server IP Address - The IP Address of the computer where Desktop Central server
is installed is displayed here. The agents residing in the client computers
communicate to the Desktop Central server using this IP Address. Desktop Central
automatically detects the server IP Address whenever Desktop Central Server is
started. If you wish to automatically detect and save the IP Address, select the
Automatically detect and save the IP Address change option. You can also
enter the DNS name of the Server.
2. Enable Secured Communication - Select this option, if the communication between
the Agent and the Desktop Central Server should be secured (HTTPS)
3. Disable Uninstallation Option in Control Panel - Selecting this option will ensure
that users do not uninstall the Desktop Central Agents from their computer.
4. Perform Patch Scanning - Select this option if Patch Scanning has to be initiated
immediately after the agent installation. If this option is not selected, Patch Scanning
will only happen when it is scheduled or when On Demand scanning is initiated.
5. Perform Inventory Scanning - Select this option if Inventory Scanning has to be
initiated immediately after the agent installation. If this option is not selected,
Inventory Scanning will only happen when it is scheduled or when On Demand
scanning is initiated.
6. Enable Firewall Settings - Desktop Central requires the Windows Firewall running in
the client computers to be configured for using all its features. Select this option to
configure the firewall for enabling Remote Administration, DCOM, File and Printer
Sharing, and Simple File Sharing in Windows XP.
4. Click Save Changes.

Agent Tray Icon Settings

Desktop Central provides an option to display the Agent Icon in the System Tray of all the managed
computers. The users can perform the following actions using the system tray:

1. Initiate Patch Scanning


2. Initiate Inventory Scanning
3. Pull and apply configurations that are available to them
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4. Send requests to Help Desk for specific needs.
5. When User Logon Reports is enabled, the user will be able to view his/her login history.

Follow the steps below to configure the Tray icon settings:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Agent Settings link available under Global Settings.
3. Select the Agent Tray Icon tab and specify whether to display the icon in the system tray of
the managed computers. When choosing this option, you can choose the following:
1. Show Patch, Inventory, and Configuration Menus
2. Show Last Logon Details
3. Show Information Balloons While Processing Configurations, Patch Scanning and
Inventory Scanning
4. Click Save
Changes

Configuration Settings

When a computer is added to the OU / Active Directory, all configurations that were deployed to the
group will automatically get applied to the newly added computers. Configuration settings will help you
to specify the time when and how often should Desktop Central look for the newly added computers
and deploy the configuration. This can be customized as per the options mentioned below.

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click Configuration Settings
3. Under Auto-detect OU/Group changes and Apply Configuration, click the checkbox to
configure the settings.

1. Enable "Detect and Apply Configurations at every System Startup or User


Logon" to apply configurations to computers during user logon and system startup.
2. If you choose to enable the configurations at scheduled time, then the change
detection will happen at the nearest refresh cycle and the configurations will be
applied after the specified time subsequently .
4. Click Save Changes.

Note : If the configurations are applied to a Custom Group/OU/Active Directory, the newly added
computers will have all the configurations applied to it automatically. Whereas, if any computer is
removed from the Active Directory / OU/ Custom Group, the applied configurations will not be
removed automatically.

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Configuring Mail Server

Desktop Central has an option to send a notification by email when the patches are downloaded and
are ready to be installed. Email Alerts are also sent for notifying the Inventory related events. To send
email, the mail server has to be configured. Follow the steps given below to specify the mail server
details:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Mail Server Configuration link. This opens the Configure Mail Server Settings
page.
3. Specify the name and port of the mail server.
4. Email Type : Indicates the type of mail email despatching (For example: SMTP, SMTPS).
5. TSL Enabled : Option to enable Transport Layer Security (TLS).
6. If it requires authentication, select the Requires Authentication check box and specify the user
name and password.
7. Click Save to save the configuration.

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Configuring Help Desk Integration

Desktop Central provides an option to integrate with Help Desk. With this, users will be able to send
their help desk queries and requirements so that they are attended by help desk professionals.

Steps to Integrate with Help Desk

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Help Desk Settings link available under Global Settings.
3. The Help Desk Settings tab is selected by default.
4. Specify the "To Email addresses" of the help desk.
5. Specify the "From Email domain" if the windows network domain is different from the email
domain name.
(for example if the Windows domain is mycompany.com and your email domain is
myemaildomain.com)
6. Enter the email subject prefix which will be prefixed to all the tickets that has been created
from the help desk ticket.
7. Specify the file format type, so that the end user will be notified to attach the screen shot in
the correct format.
8. Click OK to save the changes.

When you integrate with Help Desk, the users will have an additional menu as "Send Help Desk
Requests" in the Agent icon that is shown in the system tray of the managed computers. It may be
noted that the Agent Tray icon should have been configured to be shown to get this working.

Customizing the Ticket Subjects and Messages

Desktop Central has a set of pre-defined request templates that will be available under the Tickets
tab. The administrators has an option to modify the subject and messages to suit their need. This
helps them to automate the Help Desk Ticketing system based on the mail subject. To add or modify
a ticket, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Help Desk Settings link available under Global Settings.
3. Select the Tickets tab. This will list all the pre-defined ticket templates.
4. Click Add Ticket to add a new template or select a template and click Edit to modify.
5. Specify the Subject and the Message and click OK

The templates specified here will appear in the users' desktop when they click the Desktop Central
icon from the system tray.

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Integrating Desktop Central with ServiceDesk Plus

ServiceDesk Plus is a Web-based help desk and asset-management software. It enables you to
integrate your help-desk requests and assets to help you manage your IT infrastructure effectively.
You can integrate the following features of Desktop Central with ServiceDesk Plus:

1. Data related to hardware and software assets


2. Help-desk requests
3. Deploying software packages
4. Complete UI Integration - This makes you access all the features of Desktop Central from the
ServiceDesk Plus console.

Benefits

Integrating the features mentioned above with ServiceDesk Plus enables you to do the following:

1. Get comprehensive information about IT assets like hardware and software assets installed in
the computers in your network
2. Log service and configuration requests, made by users as tickets automatically
3. Install software packages from the ServiceDesk Plus console

Steps to Integrate

The pre-requisites and the steps for integration vary for every feature that you wish to integrate. The
links below will guide you through the integration:

1. Integrating Asset Data with ServiceDesk Plus


2. Automatically Log Help Desk Requests as Tickets in ServiceDesk Plus
3. Include Software Install / Uninstall option under the Actions menu of a Help Desk request in
ServiceDesk Plus
4. Make a complete UI integration between ServiceDesk and Desktop Central

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Configuring Service Desk Plus

Desktop and MDM plug-in can be installed in the same computer where Service DeskPlus has been
installed. Desktop and MDM plug-in should be installed in the same computer where Service
DeskPlus is running. Follow the steps mentioned below to install Desktop and MDM plug-in:

1. Double click to install the Desktop and MDM plug-in exe to start installation .
2. Click Next in the installation shield
3. Click Yes to accept the license agreement
4. The storage will be located under ManageEngine > Service Desk by default.
5. Click Next to continue or Browse to change the storage location.
6. Specify the port number as 8020
7. Click Next to complete installation. This will take a few minutes for the files get extracted.
8. Once the installation has completed, you can also enter your name and email address to
register for technical assistance.

You can now see Desktop and MDM menu available in the Service DeskPlus window. All you need to
do now is configure the Service DeskPlus settings. To configure the Service DeskPlus settings follow
the steps mentioned below:

1. Click Desktop Central menu on the Service DeskPlus


2. Click Admin Settings and Choose General Settings
3. Select Service DeskPlus Settings
4. Server Name and Port Number will be pre filled
5. Select the Communication type as HTTP or HTTPS
6. Click and Generate Authentication Key. Refer to this, to know about generating
authentication key.
7. Click to enable the features that you wanted to be integrated
8. Click Save to save the changes.

Desktop Central and MDM plug-in is ready to be used.

See also: Integrating ServiceDesk Plus with Desktop Central, Deploying Software
Applications, Sending HelpDesk Requests as Tickets

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Integrating Asset Data

Desktop Central scans the computers in your network periodically and collects data related to
hardware and software assets that are installed. Information related to hardware and software
applications is updated by Desktop Central. This data is synchronized with ServiceDesk Plus.

If both Desktop Central and ServiceDesk Plus scan the computers in your network for data related to
hardware and software assets the existing information will be overwritten with the latest information.

Prerequisites

Before you integrate details about assets with ServiceDesk Plus, you must ensure the following:

1. Ensure that the build numbers conform to the details given below:
1. Desktop Central: Professional Edition, Build number 70017 or later versions
2. ServiceDesk Plus: Professional Edition, Build number 7601 or later versions
2. Run both Desktop Central and ServiceDesk Plus in your network
3. Manage all the computers in your network using Desktop Central

Integrating Desktop Central with ServiceDesk Plus

To integrate ServiceDesk Plus with Desktop Central, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click ServiceDesk Plus Settings
3. In the ServiceDesk Plus Settings section, check the Enable ServiceDesk Plus Integration
checkbox
4. In the Service Desk Server Plus Details section, specify the following details about the
ServiceDesk Plus Server:

1. IP address/DNS name
2. Port number
3. Required communication protocol

1. In the Features to Integrate section, select IT Asset Data checkbox


2. Click Save

If you select HTTPS mode of communication, Select the Product Type :If you are using an
standalone installation of ServiceDesk Plus product, select the ServiceDesk Plus option. If you
wish to integrate with the ServiceDesk module within IT360 product, select IT360 option.

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you must provide the SSL certificate of ServiceDesk Plus. copy the file "sdp.keystore" located
in <ServiceDesk Plus Installation Home>/server/default/conf directory to your local computer
and Browse to select this file here.
If you are using IT360 product with HTTPS communication enabled, copy the file "it360.keystore"
located in <IT360 Installation Home>/servicedesk/server/default/conf directory to your
local computer and Browse to select this file here.
If you are using a third-party SSL certificate, like GoDaddy, you need to provide the keystore file
that you have generated.

If you are using a third-party SSL certificate, you must also provide information regarding the alias
name you provided when generating the keystore file and the password for the keystore.

Checking the third party SSL keystore alias name and password

Ensure that the keystore alias name and the keystore file password are correct when using a third-party SSL certificate
in your ServiceDesk Plus installation.

Determining the password required to access the keystore file

To determine the password required to access the keystore file, follow the steps
given below:

1. Navigate to the server.xml file. The path


is<ServiceDesk_Home>\server\default\deploy\jbossweb-tomcat50.sar
2. Determine the value of the parameter keystorepass

You have determined the password required to access the keystore file. You can use
this password to determine the alias name of the keystore.

Determining the alias name of the keystore file

To determine the alias name of the keystore file, follow the steps given below:

1. Using the command prompt, navigate to <ServiceDesk_Home>\jre\bin


2. Execute keytool -list -v -keystore
<ServiceDesk_Home>\server\default\conf\sdp.keystore -storepass
<ServiceDesk KeyStore File Password>

You will find the alias name of the keystore file here.

Note : If you are using a PFX Certificate File, then Specify the "asc" as ServiceDesk
Keystore Alias Name

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See also: Integrating ServiceDesk Plus with Desktop Central, Deploying Software
Applications, Sending HelpDesk Requests as Tickets

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Logging Help Desk Requests as Tickets

Desktop Central enables you to contact their support team by logging help desk requests. This feature
can be integrated with ServiceDesk Plus. Integrating this feature with ServiceDesk Plus enables you
to log helpdesk-related requests in ServiceDesk Plus as tickets using Desktop Central.

You can also use predefined templates available in the Tickets tab to send requests. These templates
comprise of predefined messages. You can modify the subject and content of these messages as
required and send the tickets as requests using the tray icon of Desktop Central. You can also add
tickets if required.

Benefits

The benefits include the following:

1. Submit requests without logging in


2. Send requests using predefined templates and can even attach screenshots automatically.
3. Use customizable subject lines to configure the HelpDesk application and enable automatic
assignment of tickets
4. Configure settings in Desktop Central to log the following asset-related alerts as tickets in
ServiceDesk Plus. These include alerts related to:
1. Recently added hardware
2. Commercial software applications that have recently been installed or uninstalled
3. Prohibited software applications that have recently been installed
4. Software compliance issues related to expired licenses or under licensed software
applications

Prerequisites

Before you begin logging helpdesk-related requests as tickets or sending them using e-mail, you must
ensure the following:

1. Ensure that the build numbers conform to the details given below:
2.
1. Desktop Central: Professional Edition, Build number 70133 or later versions
2. ServiceDesk Plus: Version 8.0 or later versions
3. Run both Desktop Central and ServiceDesk Plus in your network
4. Manage all the computers in your network using Desktop Central

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Logging Help Desk Requests & Alerts as Tickets in ServiceDesk Plus

To log help desk requests and alerts from Desktop Central as tickets in ServiceDesk Plus, follow the
steps given below:

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click ServiceDesk Plus Settings
3. In the ServiceDesk Plus Settings section, check the Enable ServiceDesk Plus Integration
checkbox
4. In the Service Desk Server Plus Details section, specify the following details about the
ServiceDesk Plus Server:
1.
1. IP address/DNS name
2. Port number
3. Required communication protocol

5. In the Features to Integrate section, select Log Help Desk Requests as Tickets checkbox
6. Click Save

If you select HTTPS mode of communication, Select the Product Type :If you are using an
standalone installation of ServiceDesk Plus product, select the ServiceDesk Plus option. If you
wish to integrate with the ServiceDesk module within IT360 product, select IT360 option.

you must provide the SSL certificate of ServiceDesk Plus. copy the file "sdp.keystore" located
in <ServiceDesk Plus Installation Home>/server/default/conf directory to your local computer
and Browse to select this file here.
If you are using IT360 product with HTTPS communication enabled, copy the file "it360.keystore"
located in <IT360 Installation Home>/servicedesk/server/default/conf directory to your
local computer and Browse to select this file here.
If you are using a third-party SSL certificate, like GoDaddy, you need to provide the keystore file
that you have generated.

If you are using a third-party SSL certificate, you must also provide information regarding the alias
name you provided when generating the keystore file and the password for the keystore.

Checking the third party SSL keystore alias name and password

Ensure that the keystore alias name and the keystore file password are correct when using a third-
party SSL certificate in your ServiceDesk Plus installation.

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Determining the password required to access the keystore file

To determine the password required to access the keystore file, follow the steps
given below:

1. Navigate to the server.xml file. The path


is<ServiceDesk_Home>\server\default\deploy\jbossweb-tomcat50.sar
2. Determine the value of the parameter keystorepass

You have determined the password required to access the keystore file. You can use
this password to determine the alias name of the keystore.

Determining the alias name of the keystore file

To determine the alias name of the keystore file, follow the steps given below:

1. Using the command prompt, navigate to <ServiceDesk_Home>\jre\bin


2. Execute keytool -list -v -keystore
<ServiceDesk_Home>\server\default\conf\sdp.keystore -storepass
<ServiceDesk KeyStore File Password>

You will find the alias name of the keystore file here.

Note : If you are using a PFX Certificate File, then Specify the "asc" as ServiceDesk
Keystore Alias Name
See also:

Integrating ServiceDesk Plus with Desktop Central,


Integrating Asset Data,
Deploying Software Applications

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Deploying Software Applications

You can integrate the Software Deployment feature in Desktop Central with ServiceDesk Plus. This
allows you to create or use existing packages in the Desktop Central server to deploy software
applications. The ServiceDesk Plus server and the Desktop Central server are synchronized
automatically.

Prerequisites

Before you integrate details about assets with ServiceDesk Plus, you must complete the following
tasks:

1. Ensure that the build numbers conform to the details given below:
1. Desktop Central: Professional Edition, Build number 70133 or later versions
2. ServiceDesk Plus: Enterprise Edition, version number 8.0 or later versions
2. Run both Desktop Central and ServiceDesk Plus in your network
3. Manage all the computers in your network using Desktop Central

Enabling Software Deployment from ServiceDesk Plus

4. To enable software deployment from ServiceDesk Plus, follow the steps given below:
1. Click the Admin tab
2. In the Global Settings section, click ServiceDesk Plus Settings
3. In the ServiceDesk Plus Settings section, check the Enable ServiceDesk Plus
Integration checkbox
4. In the Service Desk Server Plus Details section, specify the following details about the
ServiceDesk Plus Server:
1. IP address/DNS name
2. Port number
3. Required communication protocol
5. In the Features to Integrate section, select Software Deployment checkbox
6. Generate and authentication key and provide it here.
7. Click Save
8.

If you select HTTPS mode of communication, Select the Product Type :If you are using an
standalone installation of ServiceDesk Plus product, select the ServiceDesk Plus option. If you
wish to integrate with the ServiceDesk module within IT360 product, select IT360 option.

you must provide the SSL certificate of ServiceDesk Plus. copy the file "sdp.keystore" located
in <ServiceDesk Plus Installation Home>/server/default/conf directory to your local computer
and Browse to select this file here.

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If you are using IT360 product with HTTPS communication enabled, copy the file "it360.keystore"
located in <IT360 Installation Home>/servicedesk/server/default/conf directory to your
local computer and Browse to select this file here.
If you are using a third-party SSL certificate, like GoDaddy, you need to provide the keystore file
that you have generated.

If you are using a third-party SSL certificate, you must also provide information regarding the alias name you provided
when generating the keystore file and the password for the keystore.

Checking the third party SSL keystore alias name and password

Ensure that the keystore alias name and the keystore file password are correct when using a third-party SSL certificate
in your ServiceDesk Plus installation.

Determining the password required to access the keystore file

To determine the password required to access the keystore file, follow the steps
given below:

1. Navigate to the server.xml file. The path


is<ServiceDesk_Home>\server\default\deploy\jbossweb-tomcat50.sar
2. Determine the value of the parameter keystorepass

You have determined the password required to access the keystore file. You can use
this password to determine the alias name of the keystore.

Determining the alias name of the keystore file

To determine the alias name of the keystore file, follow the steps given below:

1. Using the command prompt, navigate to <ServiceDesk_Home>\jre\bin


2. Execute keytool -list -v -keystore
<ServiceDesk_Home>\server\default\conf\sdp.keystore -storepass
<ServiceDesk KeyStore File Password>

You will find the alias name of the keystore file here.

Note : If you are using a PFX Certificate File, then Specify the "asc" as ServiceDesk
Keystore Alias Name

1. Configure Desktop Central Settings in ServiceDesk Plus:


• Click Admin --> Desktop Central Server Settings

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• Specify the details of the Desktop Central installation like Server Name/IP, Port and the
communication details.
• Click Save
2. Enable the option to display the install or uninstall software applications option in the Actions
menu option in ServiceDesk Plus. You can enable this option in the Service Catalog in the
Help Desk section in ServiceDesk Plus.

See also: Integrating ServiceDesk Plus with Desktop Central, Generating an Authentication
Key

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Complete UI Integration with ServiceDesk Plus

• Pre-requisites
• Steps to Integrate Desktop Central UI with ServiceDesk Plus
• Enabling Desktop Management Menu for ServiceDesk Plus Users
• Steps to Integrate Desktop Central MDM UI with ServiceDesk Plus
• Enabling Desktop Central MDM Menu for ServiceDesk Plus Users

Desktop Central UI can be completely integrated with ServiceDesk Plus giving ServiceDesk Plus
users complete access to desktop management functions.

Prerequisites

1. Ensure that the build numbers conform to the details given below:
2.
1. Desktop Central: Professional Edition, Build number 70242 or later versions
2. ServiceDesk Plus: Build Number 8017 or later versions
3. Run both Desktop Central and ServiceDesk Plus in your network
4. Manage all the computers in your network using Desktop Central

Steps to Integrate Desktop Central UI with ServiceDesk Plus

To integrate Desktop Central UI with ServiceDesk Plus, configure Desktop Central Server Settings in
ServiceDesk Plus

1. Click Admin --> Desktop Central Server Settings


2. Specify the details of the Desktop Central installation like Server Name/IP, Port and
the communication details.
3. Select the Enable Desktop Management Menu option.
4. Click Save

After configuring the Desktop Central Settings, ServiceDesk Plus users, will be able to see a Desktop
Management Menu in the ServiceDesk Plus UI

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Whenever a user is created in ServiceDesk Plus who has access to Desktop Management menu, the
same user will get created in Desktop Central as well.

Enabling Desktop Management Menu for ServiceDesk Plus Users

Having integrated the UI of Desktop Central with ServiceDesk Plus, the next thing you do is to enable
this menu for ServiceDesk Plus users. The Desktop Management menu, by default, will be visible to
all users with administrative privileges in ServiceDesk Plus (Build #8020 and above). However, when
you configure the Desktop Central Server settings, it will be visible only for whom the menu has been
enabled.

To enable the Desktop Management menu for users, follow the steps below:

You should login to ServiceDesk Plus as a user who has Administrator privileges in
ServiceDesk Plus.

1. From the ServiceDesk Plus Web console, select Admin --> Technicians
2. Click the user to whom you should enable Desktop Management menu.
3. Under the Login Details of the user, select "Enable to access Desktop Management
Functionality" option
4. Choose what privileges should the user have in Desktop Central:
1. Admin privilege will have access to all the features
2. Guest privilege will only have read-only access to Desktop Management functions.
5. Select the required privilege and click Save.
6. Repeat the above steps for every user to whom the Desktop Management menu has to be
enabled.

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You cannot enable the Desktop Management menu for yourself. You should ask a fellow
administrator to enable it for you.

Steps to Integrate Desktop Central MDM UI with ServiceDesk Plus

To integrate Desktop Central MDM UI with ServiceDesk Plus, follow the steps mentioned below;

1. Click Admin --> and select Desktop Central Server Settings


2. Click Enable MDM Menu.
3. Click Save

After enabling the MDM menu, ServiceDesk Plus users, will be able to see a MDM Menu in the
ServiceDesk Plus UI

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Generating an Authentication Key

When you want to install or uninstall software applications and log help desk requests as tickets using
ServiceDesk Plus, you are required to generate and enter an authentication key while integrating
Desktop Central with ServiceDesk Plus. You must make the following settings to generate an
authentication key:

1. Create a role in ServiceDesk Plus with permission to do the following:

1. Install or uninstall software applications using Desktop Central


2. Log help desk requests

2. Assign the role, you created, to a technician


3. Generate an API key

Steps to generate an Authentication Key

To generate an authentication key, follow the steps given below:

1. Creating a role with required permission


a. Login to the ServiceDesk Plus console
b. Click the Admin tab
c. In the Users section, click Roles
d. Click Add New Role
e. Enter the name of the role
f. Enter a description about the role
g. In the Advance Permission section, you have to enable required permissions
a. To enable auto-ticketing, select the Add checkbox available under
Requests.
b. To enable Software Deployment, select the Install/Uninstall Software
checkbox available under Assets
h. Click Save
2. Assigning the role that was created to a technician and generating the Authentication Key
.
a. Login to the ServiceDesk Plus console
b. Click the Admin tab
c. In the Users section, click Technicians
d. Click Add New Technician

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e. Enter the following information about the technician:

• Personal details
• Contact information
• Cost details
• Department details

f. Assign the required groups for the technician

The groups that you assign to the technician should have ticket-creation
permission in ServiceDesk Plus.

g. Select the required permissions

h. Check the Enable login for this technician checkbox. Enter the following details for
the technician:

• Login name
• Password
• Domain name

i. Select Enable Custom Privileges


j. Assign the role you created
k. In the API key details section, click Generate
l. Enter the date on which you want the key to expire
m. Click Generate

This key is entered when a technician key is required for Web service API
requests.

n. Click Save

You can also edit an existing technician's role and enable login.

4. Pasting the API key in Desktop Central


a. Login to the Desktop Central server
b. Click the Admin tab
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c. In the Global Settings section, click ServiceDesk Plus Settings
d. In the Authentication Details section, enter the API key you generated in the
ServiceDesk Plus console
e. Click Save

You have generated the API key using the ServiceDesk Plus console and entered it in the
ServiceDesk Plus settings in the Desktop Central server.

See also:

1. Sending HelpDesk Requests


2. Deploying Software Applications

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Managing Custom Scripts

1. Adding the Script Details


2. Modifying the Script Details
3. Removing the Script Details

Custom script files are used to configure the software settings, trigger events, etc in the computer of a
network. The custom script files can be batch (.bat), command (.cmd), Windows Script Host (WSH)
files. The WSH files includes the VBScript (.vbs), Java Script (.js), Perl (.php), REXX, and Python
files.

The important custom Script files can be stored in Inventory so that they can be used in future. The
custom scripts used in the Custom Script configuration are automatically added to the inventory. The
custom scripts available in the inventory can also be used while adding the Custom Script
Configuration.

Adding the Script Details

To add the script details to Desktop Central, follow these steps:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Script Repository link in the Admin Links pane. This invokes the Script
Repository page.
3. Click the Add Script button to invoke the Add Script page.
4. Select the script from local disk of the computer or from the shared network location using
one of the following options. This field is mandatory.
5. Click Browse to select the script either from the local machine or from the network based on
your choice above.
6. Enter the description for the script in the Description field.
7. Enter the arguments for the script in the Script Arguments field.
8. Click the Add button. You can find the script added to the table in the Script Details page.
9. Repeat steps 3 to 8 for adding more scripts.

Modifying the Script Details

To modify the Script details, follow these steps:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


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2. Click the Script Repository link in the Admin Links pane. This invokes the Script
Repository page.
3. Click the icon under the Actions column next to corresponding Script Name.
4. Follow the step 4 to step 6 of the Adding the Script Details procedure.
5. Click the Modify button.

Removing the Script Details

To remove the Script details, follow these steps:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Script Repository link in the Admin Links pane. The Script Repository page is
invoked.
3. Click the icon under the Actions column next to corresponding Script name. Click OK to
confirm deletion.

The script will be removed from the Script Repository table.

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Configuring Server Settings

Server settings like, Web server port, logging level, and other properties can be configured from here.
These settings are common to all the users using Desktop Central and not user-specific.

To configure server settings

To configure the server settings, select the Admin tab --> Server Settings link.

1. Click on the check box to enable the below listed features:


1. Select the "Start 'Desktop Central' automatically on machine bootup" check box if
you wish to start Desktop Central whenever the system is started.
2. Select the "Launch the client upon successful server startup" check box if you wish
to open the client whenever the Desktop Central Server is started.
3. Select the "Send Desktop Central Usage Statistics" check box if you wish to allow
Desktop Central to collect and share information about the usage of the product. This will
used as a feedback to enhance the product.
4. Select the "Share Commercial Software details to the community" check box if you
wish to update Desktop Central the list of software that you have marked as commercial.
5. Select the "Automatically mark software as commercial with shared community
details" check box if you wish to share the commercial software details to the Desktop
Central Community.
6. Select the "Enable Secure Login (Https)" option to enable https in the client.
7. Select the "Trim Column Values in Report" check box if you wish to trim the unwanted
space in the column values of report.
2. Specify the Notification server port number
3. From the Drop down select the current level for Log Settings as normal and debug.
4. Click the Save Changes button.

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Creating Custom Groups

Desktop Central provides an option to create custom group of computers and users, which can be
used to as targets for applying the configurations. The advantages of custom groups are:

1. You can have any number of custom groups to group computers and users of a specific
department. You can create this once and can use these groups as targets for deploying the
configurations.
2. You can add or remove users/computers from groups at any point of time.
3. Groups once created can be used in any number of configurations.

To create a custom group, follow the steps below:

1. Select the Admin tab


2. Click the Custom Groups link available under the Global Settings. This will list all the Custom
Groups that have been created.
3. Click the Create New Group button and specify the following values:
1. Specify a name for the custom group. This should be unique.
2. Select the Domain or the Workgroup from the list.
3. Select the Group Type as Computers or Users. This will list the available
computers/users in the selected domain.

Tip: By default, the users/computers will get displayed in Tree View. Use List View
link to view users/computers as a list. Manual entry of computers/users is possible
using Manual Input option.

4. Select the computers/users and move them to the Added list.


4. Click Submit to create the group.
1. Repeat step 3 & 4 for creating more groups.

List View

1. Click on the List View link for the users/computers to be displayed as a list.
2. Click on a particular alphabet to view the users/computers with names that begin with
alphabet specified. Use All link to list all the users/computers.
3. Click on the Sort link to sort the listed user/computer names.

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Ignore Prefix

You can use the "Ignore-Prefix" option in combination with your choice of alphabet. This will list all
users/computers that have the specified prefix and whose names begin with selected alphabet. For
example, the figure below shows a case where DC is specified in Ignore-Prefix and the alphabet
chosen is W. The resultant list therefore shows all the computers who have 'DC' as their prefix but
whose names begin with alphabet 'W'.

Manual Input Option

1. Click on the Manual Input tab for the users/computers to be manually added.
2. Specify a valid User/Computer in the text field.
3. Click on >> button to add the user/computer in the custom group.

Note: Incorrect User/Computer will not be added and the application will throw an
error. In that case, specify the correct User/Computer name and add it again.

4. Click on Create Group button to complete custom group creation.

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Configuring Deployment Templates

When you deploy a software or a patch using Desktop Central, you can specify multiple Deployment
Settings like when to install, whether the user can skip deployments, reboot policies, etc. These
deployment settings can be created as a template, which can then be used while defining the
configuration. There are several ways to create a deployment template:

1. While defining a configuration using the "Save as Template" link by providing a name for the
template
2. Create templates manually from Deployment Template page. You can reach the Deployment
Template page from the following places:
1. Admin --> Deployment Templates
2. Patch Mgmt --> Deployment Templates
3. Software Deployment --> Deployment Templates

Follow the steps below to create a template manually:

1. Navigate to the Deployment Template page from the Desktop Central client
2. Click Create Template
3. Specify a name for the template
4. Choose the required Install Option:
1. Install during computer startup: Select this option if the patches have to be deployed
during computer startup.
2. Install during 90 minutes refresh interval: Select this option if the patches have to be
installed after the computer startup when the next update happens (within 90
minutes)
3. Either of the above, whichever is earlier
4. when some configuration is deployed to a targeted computer, which is turned off and
comes back live to the network only after few days, still the patches will be deployed,
as per the install option, during the start up or during the refresh interval.
5. If you want the installation to happen only between a specified time of a day, you can specify
the Start and End time within which the deployment should begin. The Start Time can also be
greater than the End time - in such cases the End time is assumed to be on the following day.
For example, if you wish the deployment should happen between 10.00 PM and 4.00 AM, you
can specify the Start Time as 22:00:00 and End Time as 04:00:00
6. Specify whether the use can skip the deployment at a later time by selecting the "Allow Users
to Skip Deployment". When you do not select this option, the deployment will be forced and
the user will not have any control on the deployment.
7. If the deployment progress has to be shown to the users, select "Show deployment progress
in the client computers" option.

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8. Select the required Reboot Policy:
1. Do not reboot: Select this option if the client computers should not be rebooted after
installing the patches.
2. Force Reboot when the user has logged in: Select this option to force the user to
reboot the computer. Specify the time within which the client machines will be
rebooted and the message that has to be displayed in the client machines. This
option is applicable if the computer is turned on and even if there is no logged on
user, the computer will get restarted after the specified time.
3. Force Shutdown when the user has logged in: Select this option to force the user to
shutdown the computer. Specify the time within which the client machines will be
shutdown and the message that has to be displayed in the client machines.
4. Allow user to skip Reboot: Select this option to allow users to reboot later. Specify the
message that has to be displayed in the client machines.
5. Allow user to skip Shutdown:Select this option to allow users to shutdown later.
Specify the message that has to be displayed in the client machines.
9. Click Save to save the template

The templates thus created can be used to pre-fill the Deployment Settings while you define a
Software and Patch Configurations by choosing the required template from the list. You can also
change any specific settings after loading the data from the template (and also can save it as a new
template using the Save as Template link)

When you define the Software or Patch configuration, you will also have an additional option under
"Allow Users to Skip Deployment" as to whether they can skip it as long as they wish or the
installation should be forced beyond a specific date. When you specify a date and save it as a
Template, this date is not saved on the template.

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Configuring Remote Access to the Database in Desktop
Central

Desktop Central stores all the information in a database. For example, it comprises information about
computers, software applications that are installed, hardware that is installed and details about
patches.

You can access this database remotely to get certain information. For example, assume that you
require information from the database to help you to generate specific reports that are not readily
available and cannot be generated using the Custom Reports feature. You can access the database
used by Desktop Central to get this information.

The database is located in the Desktop Central server. You can access this database remotely.
However, not everyone has permission to access the database. Only administrators can grant access
to computers to connect to the database remotely.

When you are granted permission you can only read the information that is available in the database.

Granting or Revoking Access

This section applies only to administrators.

As an administrator, you may grant or revoke access for computers to access the database, in
Desktop Central, remotely. You should grant Read-only access. The user should not be given
permission to make changes to the database.

This access may be granted only to allow a user to gather information required to create reports that
are not readily available and cannot be created using the Custom Reports feature.

It is highly recommended that you check the usage status periodically and revoke the access to the
database from users who:

1. Do not require to access the database


2. Have access to the database but are not using it

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Steps

To grant or revoke remote access to the database in the Desktop Central server, follow the steps
given below:

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Remote DB Access
3. In the Remote Computer Name field, enter the name of the computer to which you want to
grant remote access

If the computer, from which a user is accessing the database remotely, is in a


domain that is different from that of the database, specify the computer name
along with its DNS suffix. For example, john.desktopcentral.com

4. In the Access Type section, select Grant or Revoke, as required


5. Click Save

You have granted or revoked remote access to the database in the Desktop Central server.

Connecting Remotely to the Database

You can use any ODBC tool like sqlyog to connect remotely to the database in the Desktop Central
server. Ensure that the computer from which you are trying to establish a remote connection has been
granted access before you try to connect to the database

Checking for Computers With Access

To view the list of the computers which have been granted access to connect remotely to the
database in the Desktop Central server, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Admin tab


2. In the Global Settings section, click Remote DB Access
3. Click the Computers that have been granted remote access link

You can now see a list of computers which have been granted access by the administrator to connect
remotely to the database in the Desktop Central server.

Details Required to Connect Remotely

You require the following details to connect remotely to the database in the Desktop Central server:

1. MYSQL / PGSQL Host Address: This refers to the name of the computer where the database
server is running. Unless the database server is running in another computer, the host
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address will be the same as that of the computer where the Desktop Central server is
installed and running.
2. Username: This refers to the username that you are required to enter to connect remotely to
the database.
The username to connect to the MYSQL database is root.
The username to connect to the PGSQL database is medc.
3. Password for MYSQL database : You do not have to enter a password.
Password for PGSQL database : enter medc as the password.
4. Port for : This refers to the port number that is required to connect to the database.
MYSQL port details- By default, the port number is 23306. If you have changed the number of
the port, specify it before trying to establish the connection to the database.
PGSQL port details - This refers to the port number that is required to connect to the
database. By default, the port number is 8028. If you have changed the number of the port,
specify it before trying to establish the connection to the database.
5. Database(s): This refers to the name of the database that you want to connect to remotely.
You should enter desktopcentral in this field.

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Personalizing the Client

Desktop Central provides users with the functionality to configure user accounts based on personal
priorities and requirements. The settings option enables you to change an existing password, set the
session time, select a theme etc.

These settings are user-specific and each user can have their own settings.

To personalize, select the Admin tab --> Personalize link.

To change the password

1. Enter the existing password in the Old Password field.


2. Enter the new password in the New Password field.
3. Enter the new password again for confirmation in the Confirm Password field.
4. Click the Save Changes button.

The new password get updated. Subsequently, you have to use the new password to login to the
client.

To set the session time

1. Select the session expiry time in hours from the Session Expiry Time combo box to the
desired value.
2. Click the Save Changes button.

The session expiry time gets updated.

To set the page refresh time

1. Specify the time in minutes at which the pages should get refreshed automatically.
2. Click Save Changes button.

To configure general settings

1. Select the "Show help card after deploying the configuration" check box if you wish to view
the help card after successful deployment of configurations.
2. Select the "Show help card throughout the product" option if you wish to view the help card
where ever applicable.
3. Select the "Save view settings" to retain the view per page settings in the reports.
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4. Click the Save Changes button.

To change the theme

1. Select the theme from the available options


2. Click Save Changes button.

Authenticating Users via Active Directory

Desktop Central Web Console is the management interface for performing various activities like
installing patches, installing/uninstalling software, imposing security restrictions and much more. If an
unauthorized person or a hacker gets access to this interface, it allows them to perform some
undesirable actions to the extent of taking control of remote computers/servers. While it is possible to
restrict users based on specific roles, it does not have any stringent password plocies in place to
make users change their passwords more frequently.

If you have an Active Directory based Windows Domain setup, you can make use of the Active
Directory's password policy work for you. You can set stringent password policy for your domain users
and make them login to Desktop Central using their domain username and password.

Making users authenticated via Active Directory is very simple. You just have to add your domain and
specify a domain user. The user will have to use their domain Logon name and Password to login to
Desktop Central.

Note: The user should have privileges to login to the domain from the computer where
Desktop Central Server is installed.

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Migrating Desktop Central Server

Migrating Desktop Central refers to moving the existing installation from one computer to another
without losing the data and configuration. There may be may situations where you would need to
migrate, like:

1. You have been evaluating the product in some test computer and you would like to move this
to a dedicated computer or server after you have decided to purchase it.
2. The disk space is running low and you wish to move this to a different computer.
3. You are upgrading the hardware.

The following are the sequence of operations that have to be performed when migrating Desktop
Central Server:

1. Copy the installation directory from the existing installation to the new set up
2. Register the Service in the new set up
3. Change the IP Address and DNS name of the Server in all the agents. This is not required if
there is no change in IP Address and DNS name.
4. If you are running database server separately, you should configure it to accept connections
from the new IP Address.

For step 3 above, you will provide the details of the new installation in the user interface here. For a
step-by-step instructions on migrating the installation, refer to this How To document in our website.

Do's

1. It is recommended that you provide the details of the new server in the user interface after
you have started the server in the new installation. This is to ensure that agents will be able to
contact the new server after picking up the information.
2. You should be running the Desktop Central Server in both the installations till all the agents
start reporting to the new server
3. The database server, if running remotely, should be configured to accept connections from
the new IP Address.

Dont's

1. You should not download and install the latest executable from our website and just replace
the database files. You should copy the entire installation from the old and move it to new.
2. You should not provide the details of the new server in the user interface, if you have not
copied the installation and started. This is because that the agents will not be communicating

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with the server at the old installation once it picks up this information. If you do not have the
Desktop Central server running at the IP Address specified here, the computers cannot be
managed.

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User & Role Management

1. Overview
2. Role Management
1. User-defined Role
2. Pre-defined Roles
3. User Management
1. Creating a User & Associating a Role
2. Modifying User details
3. Deleting a User

Overview

As an administrator, many a time you would have felt mundane routines spill over crucial attention-
seeking jobs of your network. Desktop Central answers this concern through its User & Role
Management module; delegating routine activities to chosen users with well-defined permission
levels. You can easily administer these users that need access to Desktop Central Product web client.

1. Role Management

Some of the most commonly used Roles are specified under Pre-defined Roles. However, you also
have the flexibility to define roles that best suit your requirements under the User-defined Roles and
grant appropriate permissions. Here's a brief on the Pre-defined and User-defined roles respectively:

User-defined Role

You can tailor-make any number of roles using Desktop Central and give them permissions of your
choice based on your personalized needs. These customized roles fall under the User-defined
category. For a better understanding let us quickly see how to create a User-defined Role in the
following section.

Defining a new Role

Follow the steps mentioned below to create a new User-defined role:

1. Select the Admin tab and click on User Administration. This opens the User Administration page.
2. Select the Role tab and click the Add Role button.
3. Specify the Role Name and a small description about it in the Define Role Section.
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4. You can define module-wise permission level for the Role in the Select Control Section. The
permission levels are broadly classified into:
Full Control - To perform all operations akin to Administrator role, for the specific module
Read Only - To only view the details in that module
No Access - To hide the module from the User
5. Click on Add button.

Note: The role you have just created will now be available in the Roles list of the user
creation module. Role deletion cannot be performed if that role is associated even with a
single User. However you can modify the permission levels for all User-defined roles.

Pre-defined Roles

You will find the following roles in the Pre-defined category:

1. Administrator
2. Guest
3. Technician
4. Auditor
5. Remote Desktop Viewer
6. IT Asset Manager
7. Patch Manager
8. Mobile Device Manager

Administrator Role: The Administrator role signifies the Super Admin who exercises full control,
on all modules. The operations that are listed under the Admin tab include:

1. Defining or modifying Scope of Management


2. Adding Inactive Users
3. Changing mail server settings
4. Changing proxy settings
5. Personalizing options like changing themes, setting session expiry, etc.
6. Scheduling vulnerability database update
7. Scheduling scan settings for Patch Management
8. Editing MSI or Script repository
9. Viewing Actions Logs of Desktop Central
10. Has write permission for the following, Inventory, Reports, Profiles and Apps in Mobile
Device Management.

Guest Role: The Guest Role retains the Read Only permission to all modules. A user who is
associated to the Guest Role will have the privileges to scan and view various information about
different modules, although making changes is strictly prohibited. Guest Role also has Read Only
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permission for viewing, MDM inventory details, reports, profiles and Apps of the mobile devices.

Technician Role: The Technician Role has a well defined set of permissions to do specific
operations. Users under the Technician role are restricted from performing all the operations listed
under the Admin tab. The operations that can be performed by users associated with the Technician
Role include:

1. Can define and deploy all types of configurations and collections.


2. Can view all the configurations including those created by other users, reports, etc.
3. Can suspend, modify, or re-deploy the configurations defined by them.
4. Can update the Vulnerability Database.
5. Can perform Scan operations on all modules.
6. Has write permission for the following, Inventory, Reports, Profiles and Apps in Mobile
Device Management.

Auditor: The Auditor role is specially crafted for Auditing Purposes. This role will help you grant
permissions to auditors view the details of software inventory, check for license compliance, etc.
Users with "Auditor Role" can also have read permission for MDM Reports.

Remote Desktop Viewer: The Remote Desktop Viewer Role will allow the users associated with it to
Invoke a Remote desktop connection and view details of users who had connected to a particular
system.

IT Asset Manager: The IT Asset Manager has complete access to the Asset Management module
and all the other features are inaccessible. IT Asset Manager can also view the Inventory details of all
the Mobile Devices.

Patch Manager: The Patch Manager role has complete access to the Patch Management module
and all the other modules/features are inaccessible.

Mobile Device Manager: Mobile Device Manager role has write permission for the
following, Inventory, Reports, Profiles and Apps in Mobile Device Management.

Privilege Guideline

Action Read Permission Write Permission

Configuration
Create Configuration **
Patch Mgmt.

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Action Read Permission Write Permission

Decline Patches
Automate Patch Deployment
System Health Policy
Install Patch / Service Pack
On Demand Scanning

Software Deployment

Add Package
Network Share
Install / Uninstall Software for Users / Computers

Inventory

Group Software
Manage Licenses
Configure Prohibited Software
Configure E-Mail Alerts
On Demand Scanning

Tools

Add System Tools Task


Schedule Wake on LAN
Immediate Remote Shutdown
Schedule Remote Shutdown

Remote Control

Edit Settings
Remote Desktop Sharing

Reports

Enable User Logon Reports Settings


AD Report - On Demand Synchronization

** Exceptions:

1. Install Patch / Service Pack Configurations can be defined only if Patch Write permissions are
available for both Configuration and Patch modules.
2. Install / Uninstall Software Configurations can be defined only if Write Permissions are
available for both Configuration and Software Deployment modules.

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2. User Management

Creating a User and Associating a Role

You can associate a User with a Role while creating a New User. To create a user follow the steps
mentioned below:

1. Login to Desktop Central client as an Administrator


2. Click the User Management link available under the Global Settings category.
3. This will list all the users that have been created. By default, it has admin and guest users in
Administrator and Technician roles respectively.
4. Click the Create New User link.
5. You have two modes of authenticating users into Desktop Central: From Active Directory or
Locally.
1. When you choose to authenticate a user via Active Directory, you should select the
domain and specify a user of that domain and their role. These users should use their
domain Logon Name and Password to login to Desktop Central Client.
2. When you choose the local authentication, specify the User Name, Password, and
Role
6. Optionally, you can also specify the Email Address and Phone Number of the user.
7. When you have specified the required details, click Create User.
8. The created user gets added to the User table.

Note: When you opt to authenticate a user via Active Directory, the user should have
privileges to login to the domain from the computer where Desktop Central Server is
installed.

Modifying User details

Desktop Central offers the flexibility to modify the role of users, to best suit your changing
requirements. You can do operations like Changing the User Role and Reset User Password at point
of time you feel you should.

Deleting a User

At times when you find a user's contribution obsolete, you can go ahead and delete the user from the
User List. The user so removed will no more exercise Module Permissions.

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Setting Up Software Deployment

The Software Deployment feature in Desktop Central enables you to deploy software remotely as well
as distribute software applications to users and computers in a Windows network. The settings that
you must make to use this feature are as follows:

1. Configure a software repository for a network share


2. Configure a software repository for an HTTP upload
3. Add and deploy software packages

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Configuring Software Repositories

A software repository is a storage location where you can store software packages. You can access
these software packages when required and install them on computers in your network. In Desktop
Central, there are two types of software repositories:

1. Network-share repository
2. HTTP repository

Network-share Repository

A network-share repository is used when you want to deploy a software application to multiple
computers in a network. It is recommended that you store the software package that you want to
deploy in a network share that is accessible from all the computers in the network. The software
application will be installed directly in the computers that you specify.

Most software applications have a single installation file like <setup>.exe or the <softwarename>.exe.
Other applications have more than one installable file, however, these files are located in the same
directory. Some complex applications, like Microsoft Office, have multiple installable files. Here each
installable file is located in a different directory. It is recommended that you deploy such applications
from a network share that is accessible from all the computers in your network.

Advantages

Using a network-share repository enables you to do the following:

1. Ensure that you do not have multiple copies of the same software application in your network
2. Fill the details of your network-share repository automatically whenever you add a package
3. Save your network bandwidth as executable files are not copied into the computers

Required Permissions

The network-share repository should have the Read and Execute permission for all the users and
computers in the network. You should set the permissions mentioned above for the group Everyone.
This ensures that the network-share repository is accessible from all the computers in the network.

However, ensure that you do not set the permissions to Read and Execute for all the users and
computers in the network when you want to do the following:

1. Restrict certain users from accessing the network-share repository directly

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2. Deploy a software application to users or computers across multiple domains or workgroups.

For example, assume that your network-share repository is in domain A and you deploy a
software application from this repository to a computer in domain B. You should ensure that
you do not set the permissions to Read and Execute for all the users and computers in the
network.
In such cases, you can provide user credentials that have the Read and Execute access to
the network-share repository in which the software package is stored. Desktop Central will
use these credentials to access the repository and deploy the software.

Creating a Network-share Repository

To create a network-share repository, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Software Deployment tab


2. In the Settings section, click Software Repository
3. Click the Create a Network Share option
4. Enter the path for the network share

If you do not enter a path for the network share, it will automatically be created
in the computer where Desktop Central server is installed.

5. Check the Accessing the Share using Credentials checkbox


6. Enter a username and password

1. If you are creating the network share on a domain computer, prefix


the domain name to the username. For example,
ZohoCorp\Administrator.
2. If you are creating the network share on a workgroup computer, prefix
the computer name to the username. For example,
<machinename>\DCAdmin.

7. Click Save

You have created a network-share repository.

HTTP Repository

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An HTTP repository is used to store executable files before you install them in computers in your
network. You can use this repository when you want to deploy software packages to computers using
the HTTP path. You can also change the location of the HTTP repository if required.

The HTTP repository is created automatically when you install Desktop Central. It is located in the
same folder as the Desktop Central server. For example, <Desktop Central
server>\webapps\DesktopCentral\swrepository. You can change the location of the repository if
required.

Advantages

Using an HTTP repository enables you to do the following:

1. Install software applications in computers that do not have access to a network-share


repository
2. Access computers when the computers are unable to access a network-share repository
because the required number of connections have been reached
3. Do not have to set any permissions when using an HTTP repository

Changing the Location of the HTTP Repository

To change the location of the HTTP repository, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Software Deployment tab


2. In the Settings section, click Software Repository
3. Click the HTTP Repository tab
4. Enter the path of the new location
5. Click Save

You have changed the location of the HTTP repository. If you are unable to change the location of the
HTTP repository, see Cannot Change the Location of the HTTP Repository

Network Share VS. HTTP Upload

While it is recommended that you have a common software repository, it is not mandatory. You also
have an option to upload the executable files in the Desktop Central server from where they are
copied into the computers before being deployed. Using this approach will increase your bandwidth
overhead as the executable files are copied into each of the computers.

Therefore, it is recommended that you use this approach when you are deploying software
applications to computers in a remote location. This is because, in most cases, when you deploy
software applications to computers in remote locations you do not have access to the respective
network-share repository.

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When you want to deploy software packages to computers in a LAN and WAN, create two packages
for the same software application. Store one set of packages in the network-share repository. These
will be deployed and installed in the computers in the LAN. Store the other set of packages in the
HTTP repository. These will be uploaded and deployed to the computers in the WAN.

When you want to install multiple packages you can zip them and upload. For more information, see
How to use the HTTP Path option to deploy software packages that have multiple executable files in
different directory structures?

There are a few exceptional scenarios where executable files are copied to computers in your network
when using network-share repository. This can happen when you do the following:

1. Choose the Copy Files/Folders option while defining a configuration to install software
applications
2. Are required to use user credentials to access the network-share repository
3. Use the Run As option while installing software packages as a user, other than the
administrator

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Managing Software Packages

• Adding MSI/EXE Packages


• Executing Scripts in Software installation
• Modifying MSI/EXE Packages
• Removing MSI/EXE Packages

Desktop Central enables you store the commonly used applications, which can be installed on to the
client machines as required. The common applications, which includes both MSI and EXE files, are
stored under the Software Packages Repository.

The software packages that are added to the repository can then be used while defining the Software
Installation Configuration.

Adding MSI/EXE Packages

Desktop Central allows you to add separate packages for MSI and EXE based software applications:

1. Adding an MSI Package


2. Adding an EXE Package

Adding an MSI Package

1. Click the Software Deployment tab. This invokes the Software Package
Repository page listing the details of the packages that have been added.
2. Click the Add Package button.
3. Select the Package type as MSI and specify the following details:

Parameter Description
Package
Package Name Name of the Software Package
Select the path Select any of the following:
type
Network Path: If the software has to be installed in computers in the same
LAN, select this option
HTTP Path: If the software has to be installed in computers in branch

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Parameter Description
offices over the VPN tunnel or internet, select this option

Add Files to When you select the HTTP Mode, you need to browse and select the
Upload installables, which will be uploaded to the Desktop Central Server
MSI File Name When you select the Network Path option, specify the name of the MSI
with network file with its complete network path. This path should have all the related
path files and should have necessary read & execute permissions.

Example: \\MyServer\MSIApps\Skype\skype.msi.
Advanced Options (optional)
Installer / Uninstaller Settings
MSI Root Path When you choose to copy the installables to individual computers before
installing the software, you need to specify the directory to be copied.
MST file name For applications that supports customizations prior to installation, you can
with Network customize the installation and specify it here.
path
For example, you can customize the MS Office 2003 installation by
specifying the license keys, choosing the components to install, etc.,
using the Microsoft Office Resource Kit Tools. After customization an
.MST file gets created. The MST file should also be placed in the network
share where all the other installation files are present. Specify the location
of the MST file with the network path here.

If you are using the copy option while deploying the application, the
location of the MST file specified here should be relative to the MSI Root
Path. If the MSI Root Path is displayed as \\MyServer\Shares\MSIApps
and your MST File is
in \\MyServer\Shares\MSIApps\Office2003\Custom.mst, specify the
location as Office2003\Custom.mst. Multiple mst files can be specified as
semi-colon separated. Please note that the relative path is required only if
you choose to copy the files to the individual computers before installing
the software. Else, you can specify the complete network path.
Install Arguments Application specific installation parameters can be specified here. For
to MSI example, for skype, you can specify parameters like installlevel=10. This
field can be left blank, if you do not have any application specific
arguments.
Uninstall Application specific installation parameters can be specified here. For
Arguments to example, REBOOT=ReallySuppress
MSI
Enable Logging Select this option to enhance the logging to troubleshooting the
for deployment errors.

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Parameter Description
troubleshooting
Disable Uninstall Select this option, if you do not want the users to remove the software
option in from Add/Remove Programs.
Add/Remove
Programs
Package Properties
Manufacturer Name of the software vendor
Version The software version
Language The software language version
Package Description of the software package
Description
Run Script before Installing Software
Script / Specify the commands or scripts that has to be executed before installing
Command Name the software. Refer to Executing Scripts in Software installation for more
details.
Arguments Specify the arguments for the pre-installation script, if any
Continue Select this option and specify the exit code to check for successful pre-
installation if the installation process before proceeding with the software installation. If the
exit code is pre-installation fails, the installation will abort.
Run Script after Installing Software
Script / Specify the commands or scripts that has to be executed after installing
Command Name the software. Refer to Executing Scripts in Software installation for more
details.
Arguments Specify the arguments for the post-installation script, if any.
Successful if the Select this option and specify the exit code to verify whether post
Exit Code is installation has been successful. If post-installation is not successful, the
software will not be uninstalled.
Run Script before Uninstalling Software
Script / Specify the commands or scripts that has to be executed before
Command Name uninstalling the software. Refer to Executing Scripts in Software
installation for more details.
Arguments Specify the arguments for the pre-uninstallation script, if any
Continue Select this option and specify the exit code to check for successful pre-
uninstallation if uninstallation process before uninstalling of the software. If the pre-
the exit code is installation fails, the uninstallation will abort.
Run Script after Uninstalling Software
Script / Specify the commands or scripts that has to be executed after uninstalling
Command Name the software. Refer to Executing Scripts in Software installation for more
details.
Arguments Specify the arguments for the post-uninstallation script, if any.
Successful if the Select this option and specify the exit code to verify whether post
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Parameter Description
Exit Code is uninstallation has been successful. If post-installation is not successful,
the software will not be re-installed.

3. Click Add Package. The package gets added to the table below.
4. Repeat steps 3 to 5 for adding more packages.

Adding an MSIEXEC/EXE/ISS/Command Package

1. Click the Software Deployment tab. This invokes the Software Package
Repository page listing the details of the packages that have been added.
2. Click the Add Package button.
3. Select the Package type as MSIEXEC /EXE/ISS/Command and
specify the following details:

Parameter Description
Package
Software Name Name of the Software Application.

Click on the Select from Pre-Defined Application link. This


opens the Select Application dialog. You can make your
selection from the pre-defined packages that are listed.
Alternatively, you can also select from the prompted list, while
typing the application name in the text field.
Select the path type Select any of the following:

Network Path: If the software has to be installed in computers


in the same LAN, select this option
HTTP Path: If the software has to be installed in computers in
branch offices over the VPN tunnel or internet, select this
option

Add Files to Upload When you select the HTTP Mode, you need to browse and
select the installables, which will be uploaded to the Desktop
Central Server
Installation Command with Specify the command to be executed in the client computers
switches/arguments for installing the application. The command specified here will
be "as such" executed in all the client computers. Make sure
that the path to the executables specified in the command is
relative to the EXE Root Directory specified above.

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Examples:

1. msiexec.exe \Skype\skype.msi /qn


2. googlesetup.exe /S
Uninstallation Command Specify the command to be executed in the client computers
with switches/arguments for uninstalling the application. The command specified here
will be "as such" executed in all the client computers. Make
sure that the path to the executables specified in the command
is relative to the EXE Root Directory specified above.

Example:Skype\uninstall.exe

If the uninstaller in the individual computers has to be invoked,


you can specify the complete path to the uninstaller. please
note that the uninstaller has to be in the same location in all the
client computers. You can use environment variables in the
path.

Examples:

C:\WINDOWS\ie7\spuninst\spuninst.exe /q

%SystemRoot%\ie7\spuninst\spuninst.exe /q
Advanced Options (optional)
Installer / Uninstaller Settings
EXE Root Path When you select the Network Path option, specify the shared
directory from where all the commands will be executed. This
directory should have access to all the executables that are
required to install the application.
Package Properties
Manufacturer Name of the software vendor
Version The software version
Language The software language version
Package Description Description of the software package
Run Script before Installing the Software
Script / Command Name Specify the commands or scripts that has to be executed
before installing the software. Refer to Executing Scripts in
Software installation for more details.
Arguments Specify the arguments for the script, if any
Continue installation if the Select this option and specify the exit code to check for
exit code is successful pre-installation process before proceeding with the
software installation. If the pre-installation fails, the installation

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will abort.
Run Script after Installing the Software
Script / Command Name Specify the commands or scripts that has to be executed after
installing the software. Refer to Executing Scripts in Software
installation for more details.

Arguments Specify the arguments for the script, if any


Successful if the Exit Code Select this option and specify the exit code to verify whether
is post installation has been successful. If post-installation is not
successful, the software will not be uninstalled.
Run Script before Uninstalling the Software
Script / Command Name Specify the commands or scripts that has to be executed
before uninstalling the software. Refer to Executing Scripts in
Software installation for more details.
Arguments Specify the arguments for the script, if any
Continue uninstallation if Select this option and specify the exit code to check for
the exit code is successful pre-uninstallation process before uninstalling of the
software. If the pre-installation fails, the uninstallation will abort.
Run Script after Uninstalling the Software
Script / Command Name Specify the commands or scripts that has to be executed after
uninstalling the software. Refer to Executing Scripts in Software
installation for more details.
Arguments Specify the arguments for the script, if any
Successful if the Exit Code Select this option and specify the exit code to verify whether
is post uninstallation has been successful. If post-installation is
not successful, the software will not be re-installed.

3. Click Add Package. The package gets added to the table below.
4. Repeat steps 3 to 5 for adding more packages.

Executing Scripts in Software Installation

Desktop Central allows you to execute scripts in the following cases:

• Prior to installing the software


• After installing the software
• Prior to uninstalling the software
• After uninstalling the software.

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The following needs to be ensured while you specify a script to be executed in any of the above
cases:

1. The scripting engine should also be specified in the Script/Command field. For example, if
you are specifying a vb script, say test.vbs, you should specify like this:
%SystemDrive%\Windows\cscript \\dc-win2k1\scripts\test.vbs. In this case the cscript should
be in the same location in all the client computers. Alternatively, you can also specify the
engine path in a network share like: \\dc-win2k1\Windows\cscript \\dc-win2k1\scripts\test.vbs
2. When you select the Copy option while defining the Install Software Configuration, the
following needs to be taken care:
1. When selecting None: the script file should be in the network share.
2. When selecting Copy file to client machines: the script should be in the network
share.
3. When selecting Copy folder to client machines: The script should be in the same
directory or sub-directory as that of the installation file and the path specified should
be relative path from that directory.
3. When using absolute path, use the environment variables instead of specifying the path
directly. For example, for c: use %SystemDrive%.

Modifying MSI/EXE Packages

To modify the MSI/EXE packages, follow these steps:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Software Repository link in the Admin Links pane.
3. Click the icon under the Actions column next to corresponding package.
4. Follow the step 4 and step 5 of the Adding MSI/EXE Packages procedure.
5. Click the Modify Package button.

Removing MSI/EXE Packages

To remove the MSI/EXE packages, follow these steps:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Software Repository link in the Admin Links pane.
3. Click the icon under the Actions column next to corresponding package. Click OK to
confirm deletion.

The package details will be deleted from the table.

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Software Deployment Templates

A template is a predefined format that can be applied. The Templates tab in the Software Deployment
section comprises of predefined applications that you can use to create packages automatically. This
functionality downloads binaries from the respective vendors' Web sites to create packages
automatically.

Prerequisites

Ensure that you complete the following tasks before automating the package-creation process using
the Templates tab:

1. Define valid proxy credentials


2. Provide access rights

Creating a package

You can create a single package or multiple packages from the Templates tab. To create a package,
follow the steps given below:

1. Click Software Deployment>Templates


2. Select the required application

Note: Select multiple applications to create multiple packages.

3. Click the Create Package button

Note: You can also use the Create Package link available against the package, under the
Action column. If the package creation type is manual, click learn more to know the
steps on how to create the package manually.

4. Enter the required proxy information


5. Click OK

You are required to confirm if you want to download the binaries related to the package you have
chosen. If you do not want to download the binaries, click Cancel.

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6. Click Yes

The download process of the respective binaries will begin. The download-process status will be
updated once the package creation is completed.

7. Click View packages

Note: You can click Close if you do not want to view the packages. You can
cancel the package-creation process. However, you can do this only while
creating multiple packages. Packages that have the Yet to Start status will be
canceled.

You have successfully created a package. The package can now be modified or deployed like
manually created packages.

Accessing the location of a package

When you create a package, you are required to download the package from the vendor's Web site.
You can access the executable link for each package location through the application details. To
access the executable links for the location of a package, follow the steps given below:

1. Click Software Deployment>Templates


2. Click the required application
3. In the Application Details window, click on the link against Location

Note: You must ensure that the URL of the executable link is added to the
exception list in the proxy server.

You can now re-create the package and deploy it.

These links will redirect you to the location from which the package is being downloaded. The
possibility of getting a download error reduces if the link is accessible. However, if you get an error
while trying to access the link, then you will get an error while trying to download the required binaries,
from the Desktop Central server. You should verify the functionality of the executable links for
packages only from the system on which the Desktop Central server is installed.

See also: Error While Downloading Binaries

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Setting Up Patch Management

This section will guide you through the configurations that have to be performed for managing patches
of Windows OS, MaC OS and other applications.

1. Configuring Proxy Server


2. Configuring Vulnerability DB Synchronization Interval
3. Configuring Automated Patch Deployment
4. Configuring System Health Policy
5. Declining Patches for Scan
6. Setting Up Patch Management in a closed network

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Patch Management for Closed Network

If the Desktop Central Server is installed in a closed network, like Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), where
the Server has no internet connection, the patch synchronization and automatic update is not
possible. The following steps will help you to manually download all the missing patches and update
them to the required computers.

1. Download and setup the Tool


2. Configure Proxy Settings
3. Update the Patch Database
4. Download the Required Patches

Download and setup the Tool

1. Download this zip and extract it on to a computer with an internet connection


2. Open the downloadMgr.prop file available within the extracted location and provide the
details of the proxy server, port and authentication details. You can ignore this step, if the
computer has a direct internet connection.
3. Specify the data base as mysql, mssql or pgsql.
4. Specify the value as "isPrivate= true"

Configure Proxy Settings

1. Click Admin Tab and select Proxy Settings


2. Choose No connection to Internet
3. Click OK to save changes.

Update the Patch Database

1. Go to the machine where you have extracted the downloadMgr.prop, Open a command
prompt and navigate to the extracted directory.
2. Execute the command: patchsync.bat -c updatedb.
3. This will update the latest patch information available at Zohocorp website to the local
computer. The update will take some time and after completion, the necessary information will
be updated in the updatedb directory.
4. Copy the updatedb directory to the Desktop Central Server to <Install
Directory>/conf/CRSData directory.
5. From the Desktop Central Web Console, click the Patch Mgmt tab and click Update
Now button. This will copy the necessary information from the updatedbdirectory to the
database. Now, the local database will have the latest patch information.
6. Now, scan the computers in the network to identify the missing patches.

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The next step is to download the missing patches from the computer with internet connection and
copy it back to this computer.

Download the Required Patches

1. To download the patches, you would first require the details of the missing patches. To get
this, go the Missing Patches view and click Export Missing Patches button. This will export
the details of the missing patches as downloadUrlJson.txt
2. Copy this file to the directory in the computer where you had extracted the zip.
3. Open a command prompt and execute the command: patchsync.bat -c dwnpatch -f
downloadUrlJson.txt
4. This will download all the missing patches to the store directory. Once all the files are
downloaded, copy the contents of the store directory and copy it to the Desktop Central
Server to <Install_Dir>/webapps/DesktopCentral/Store directory (this is the default location; if
this has been changed copy it o the appropriate location)
5. You should then update this information to the database so that all these patches are shown
in the Downloaded Patches view. To do this, open the Downloaded Patches view and
click Update Downloaded Patches button
6. All the manually downloaded patches will appear in the view from where you can deploy them
to the required computers.

You have successfully configured the patch management process in a closed network.

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Configuring Proxy Server

Desktop Central periodically updates the vulnerability database with that of the Central Patch
Repository that resides at Zoho Corp.'s site. Desktop Central uses this configuration to connect to the
internet to update the vulnerability database.

• Direct Connection to Internet


• HTTP Proxy Configuration
• FTP Proxy Configuration

Direct Connection to Internet

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Proxy Configuration link. This opens the Proxy Settings page.
3. Select the "Direct Connection to the Internet" option and click OK

HTTP Proxy Configuration

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Proxy Configuration link. This opens the Proxy Settings page.
3. Select the "Manual Proxy Configurations" option and specify the Proxy host, port, user name
and password of the HTTP Proxy.
4. Click OK to save the configuration.

FTP Proxy Configuration

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click the Proxy Configuration link. This opens the Proxy Settings page.
3. Select the "Manual Proxy Configurations" option.
4. Select Enable FTP option and specify the Proxy host, port, user name and password of the
FTP Proxy.
5. Click OK to save the configuration.

Ensure that you add the following to the exception list while you configure the
Proxy.

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Configuring Vulnerability DB Synchronization

The vulnerability or the patch database is a baseline against which the available and missing patches
in the machines are determined. The database is periodically refreshed with latest information and
placed in the Central Patch Repository. You can specify the interval at which the local vulnerability
database be updated with that of the Central Patch Repository. To configure the update interval,
follow the steps below:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.

2. Click the Schedule Vulnerability Update link to invoke the Vulnerability Update page.
3. The Enable Scheduler is selected by default. To disable scheduler, clear this option.
4. The default update time is 06.00 hrs on weekdays. To modify, select the update interval from
any of the following options:
• Daily - to update everyday. You need to specify the starting time and starting day.
• Weekly - to update on specific day(s) in a week. You need to specify the starting time and the
day(s) on which the update should happen.
• Monthly - to update on a specific day every month(s). You need to specify starting time,
select a day and select a month/months.
5. If you wish a mail to be sent upon successful update, select the Notify when Task Finishes
check box and provide the email address. You can specify multiple email addresses as
comma separated values.
6. Click Save Changes to save the configuration.

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Configuring Automated Patch Deployment

Desktop Central allows automating Patch Management at various levels. For example, Administrators
can:

1. Choose to scan the systems in the network to detect the missing patches.
2. Scan and download the missing patches.
3. Scan, download, and deploy the missing patches.

All the above operations can be done for specific set of target computers like few systems will only be
scanned, few other systems will be automatically patched and so on.

Follow the steps below to create scheduled tasks for automating patch management using Desktop
Central:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click Automate Patch Deployment link available under Patch Settings
3. Click Add Scheduled Task button and specify the following:
1. Specify a name for the task
2. Select the deployment option from any of the following:
1. Scan the Systems to Identify the Missing Patches: This is the default
option, which scans your network to detect the vulnerable applications.
2. Scan the Systems and Download the Missing Patches: Use this option to
detect the vulnerable systems/applications in your network and download the
corresponding fixes from the specific vendors website.
3. Download the Missing Patches and Draft the Patch Configuration: Use
this option to automatically download the missing patches from the specific
vendors website and create a draft of the Patch Configuration. Configure the
deployment settings.

Automatically Download and Deploy the Missing Patches: Use this option
to scan the systems periodically to identify the missing patches, download the
patches from the specific vendors website, and deploy the patches to the
computers. Configure the deployment settings.
4. Configure the deployment settings by specifying the following;
• Install Options: Time when the installation should take place, during
computer start up, refresh interval, or either of the above whichever is earlier.
• Install between time: The time interval when the installation should happen,
install between time interval should be more than 2 hours.

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• Deployment Policy: Whether to continue deployment even if some patches
cannot be downloaded.
• Skip Deployment: Allow users to skip deployment.
• Show Deployment progress: Show deployment progress in client
computers.
• Reboot policy: Whether to reboot the computer by forcing it or allow the user
to reboot later.
3. After selecting the required option, the next step is to schedule the frequency to scan
the systems. You have the following options to schedule:
1. Daily - to schedule the scan to run everyday. You need to specify the starting
time and starting day.
2. Weekly - to schedule the scan to run on specific day(s) in a week. You need
to specify the starting time and the day(s) on which the scan has to be run.
3. Monthly - to schedule the scan to run on a specific day every month(s). You
need to specify starting time, select a day and select a month/months.
4. If you wish a mail to be sent upon successful completion of the task, select
the Notify when Task Finishes check box and provide the email address.
You can specify multiple email addresses as comma separated values.
4. The next step is to select the target computers for which the above operations has to
be performed. The target chosen can be a whole domain, site, OU, Group or specific
computers. You can also exclude computers from the chosen targets based on
specific criteria.
5. After adding the required target computers, click Create Task.

Repeat the above steps to create more tasks.

Note: It is advisable to schedule the Vulnerability Database synchronization prior to scanning


the network systems so that the latest patch information will be available for comparison.

Managing the Scheduled Tasks

Automatic Patch Deployment can be customized, so that managing the tasks becomes more easy.
Every scheduled task can now be managed by;

• Modifying the task before deployment.


• Suspending the scheduled tasks that has been created.
• Viewing the status of the tasks.

Modifying the Status of Tasks

To modify the status of Automatic Patch Deployment Task, follow the steps mentioned below;

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1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.
2. Click Automate Patch Deployment link available under Patch Settings
3. Under Automate Patch Deployment view, click on the task for which you want to view the
status,
4. To Modify the status of task, against the task name click the icon to modify the task and
Save.

You have modified the status of the scheduled automated patch deployment task.

Note: Modifying a task is not recommended during the scheduled time (while scan initiated or
download is initiated). If you modify the task, the current schedule will be stopped and the
modified task will be executed only during the next scheduled time.

Suspend the Scheduled Automatic Patch Deployment Tasks

To suspend the Automatic Patch Deployment Task, follow the steps mentioned below;

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click Automate Patch Deployment link available under Patch Settings
3. Under Automate Patch Deployment view, click on the task for which you want to view the
status,
4. To suspend the task, click the icon to suspend the task and Save.

You have suspended the scheduled automated patch deployment task.

Note: Suspending a task will suspend all the activities of the task, like scanning, downloading
and deployment. So make sure whether you wanted to suspend all the activities including the
scheduler, before suspending a task.

Viewing the Status of Tasks

To view the status of Automatic Patch Deployment Task, follow the steps mentioned below;

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click Automate Patch Deployment link available under Patch Settings
3. Under Automate Patch Deployment view, click on the task for which you want to view the
status.

You can view the status of the scheduled automated patch deployment task.

You will find the following details;

• Summary
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• Scan Details
• Download Details
• System View
• Patch View

Summary

Task details: This view lists the details of the tasks like, task name, task created time,
modified time, deployment option, deployment policy etc, which are configured.

Task Scan Summary: This report lists the scan details of tasks like, total number of computers
scanned, list of computers where scan succeeded, list of computers where scan failed and list
of computers yet to be scanned. The report displayed here is as per the results of the previous
scheduler.

Patch Download Summary: This report lists the detailed summary of patches that are
downloaded. Patch download starts after the scanning gets completed which is ideally a couple
of hours after the scheduled time. Assume a task is scheduled at 10:00 AM, then the patch
scanning starts and gets the complete list of missing patches. Then the patch download starts
at 12:00.

Deployment Summary: This report lists the details of the deployment status. Deployment of
downloaded patches happens based on the deployment policy. If the policy is defined to deploy
the patches only after all the patches are downloaded, then the deployment starts only after all
the scheduled patches are downloaded successfully. If the policy is defined to deploy the
successfully downloaded patches, then which ever patch has been downloaded successfully,
those patches will be deployed and the failed patches will be deployed during the subsequent
deployment schedule.

Scan Details: You can find the detailed list of computers that are scanned successfully, computers in
which the scan process has failed and computers which are yet to be scanned.

Download Details: All the patches that has been downloaded successfully, yet to be downloaded
and download failed will be listed here. The patch download process starts two hours after the
scanning is initiated. You can also set the severity for the missing patches so that patches can be
deployed based as on the severity, while deployment.

System View: You can view the lists of computers based on the status of the task. This view will list
computers which for which scanning is completed, failed or yet to start. In case of computers scanning
being completed, then you can find the status of the patches that are downloaded, download failed,
and yet to download. The patch deployment status will also be listed as per computers in which the
deployment has been successful, deployment failed and yet to be deployed.

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Patch View: You can view the list of patches that has been downloaded as per the severity. Patches
that are yet to be downloaded and yet to be downloaded.

1. Tips and Tricks :

1. Deployment Settings - Install between time interval should be more than 2 hours.
2. You can deploy the patches which has been downloaded and drafted by clicking on
the Deploy button. So that the patch deployment is initiated from the draft mode.
3. Download Details - If you have configured your deployment policy, stating to "initiate
the deployment only if all the missing patches have been downloaded
successfully", then your deployment will fail even if one of the missing patch cannot
be downloaded. In such cases, you can delete the download failed patches, so that
the deployment process will be initiated for the patches which has been downloaded
successfully.
4. Download Details - You can select the patches for which the download has failed and
click in Download to retry the download process.

See Also: Patch Management Architecture, Patch Management Life Cycle, Scan Systems for
Vulnerability, Patch Reports

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Configuring System Health Policy

What is System Health Policy?

Desktop Central periodically scans the systems in your network to identify the missing patches. The
missing patches include both the operating system and application patches pertaining to that system.
Generally, patches are released with varying severities ranging from Low to Critical. Based on these
patch severities, Desktop Central classifies the system into three categories to quickly identify the
health status of the systems in the network.

How are the systems classified?

Based on the severity of the missing patches, the systems are categorized as Healthy, Vulnerable,
and Highly Vulnerable in Desktop Central. The default health policy is as below:

1. Healthy Systems are those that have up-to-date patches installed


2. Vulnerable Systems are those that have missing patches in "Moderate" or "Low" severity
levels.
3. Highly Vulnerable Systems are those that have missing patches in "Critical" or "Important"
severity levels.

Note: The patches that are declined will not be considered for arriving at the system health
status.

Customizing the Health Policy

Desktop Central allows you to customize this categorization by selecting the patch severity levels for
various health states as below:

1. Select the Admin tab.


2. Click the System Health Policy link available under Patch Settings.
3. Select the patch severity levels that are allowed for each states and click Save Changes.

Note: It may be noted that you will not be allowed to select the same patch severity in
different health states, i.e, if you select Low for Healthy Systems, you will not be allowed to
select Low option for Vulnerable and Highly Vulnerable states.

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Enabling Patch Approval Process

Desktop Central allows you to automate patch deployment from identifying the missing patches and to
deploy them on to the required computers. The automation is done irrespective of the patches and
applications. There might be cases where you would like to test a critical patch in few computers
before rolling it out to the entire network. In such cases, the Patch Approval Process comes handy.
When you enable the patch approval process, no patch will be deployed via Automated Patch
Deployment task unless the patches are approved for deployment. You can however deploy them
manually to test.

To enable Patch Approval Process,

1. Select Admin --> General Settings (available under Patch Settings)


2. Select the "Deploy patches only when they are approved" option and click Save

You can approve the patches from any of the patch views like Applicable Patches, Missing Patches,
or Installed Patches. To approve patches, select the required patches and click Mark As --> Approve
option.

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Decline Patches

Desktop Central allows administrators to configure the applications and patches that has to be
declined from scanning. The patches declined here will not be shown under the missing patches.
Administrators can choose to decline:

1. Specific missing patches for individual applications. (or)


2. Missing patches of an application as a whole.

To Decline Applications:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click Decline Patch link available under Patch Settings
3. Click on Declined Applications tab.
1. Select the Applications listed under Available Applications
2. Click on "Add App to Decline" button to move them under Declined Applications list.

Note : You can also revoke the declined patches by selecting the patches and clicking
Remove Declined App button.

3. Click Update. The patches of the Applications listed under Declined Applications will not be
scanned for, by Desktop Central.

To Decline Specific Patches:

1. Click the Admin tab to invoke the Admin page.


2. Click Decline Patch link available under Patch Settings
3. Click on Declined Patches tab.
1. Select patches listed under Available Patches. You can use the "Filter by product" to
view product wise patches.
2. Click on "Add Patch to Decline" button to move them under Declined Patches list.

Note : You can also revoke the declined patches by selecting the patches and clicking
Remove Declined Patch button.

3. Click Update. The patches listed under Declined Patches will not be scanned for, by
Desktop Central.

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See Also: Patch Management Architecture, Patch Management Life Cycle, Scan Systems for
Vulnerability, Patch Reports

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Setting Up Asset Management

This section will guide you through the configurations that have to be performed to manage the
software and hardware assets.

1. Scan System for Inventory


2. Manage Software Licenses
3. Create Software Groups
4. Manage Software Category
5. Configure Prohibited Software
6. Configure E-Mail Alerts
7. Schedule Inventory Scanning

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Scan Systems for Inventory

To get the inventory details of the systems, the following conditions have to be met:

1. The systems should be added in the Scope of Management


2. The systems have to be scanned at least once. You can also configure periodic scanning of
systems to get an updated information.
3. The systems to be scanned should have WMI Service running and DCOM enabled.

Steps to Enable DCOM

To Enable DCOM in Windows 2000 Computers

1. Select Start > Run


2. Type DCOMCNFG in the text field
3. Click OK.
4. Select Default Properties tab
5. Check the box "Enable Distributed COM in this machine"
6. Press OK

To Enable DCOM in Windows XP Computers

1. Select Start > Run


2. Type DCOMCNFG in the text field
3. Click OK
4. Expand Component Services > Computers > My Computer
5. Righe-click My Computer and select Properties
6. Select Default Properties tab
7. Check the box "Enable Distributed COM in this machine"
8. Press OK

Scan Systems Manually

To Scan the systems manually, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Scan Systems link from the left pane available under Actions / Settings.
3. This will list all the systems that are available under the Scope of Management. Select the
systems to be scanned for inventory and click San System. To scan all the systems, click
Scan All.

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The systems will be scanned and the status of the scanning gets updated under the Scan Status
column.

Troubleshooting Tips

1. If you do not find the system here, check whether you have added the system under the
Scope of Management
2. Check the Agent Status of all the systems; it should be "Agent Installed". For systems with the
status as "Not Installed" or "Agent Installation Failed", inventory scanning cannot be
performed. You need to reinstall the agents in these systems before scanning them for getting
the inventory details.
3. If you get an error as WMI Service is not running, start the WMI Service in the system and try
scanning again.
4. If you get an error as Asset Scanning is locked, contact desktopcentral-
support@manageengine.com
5. If you get an error as DCOM not enabled, enable DCOM and try scanning again.

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Manage Software Licenses

Managing Software Licenses is one of the important aspect of asset management that helps
enterprises in being compliant and in planning for additional purchases or during license renewals. In
managing the software licenses, you would expect to achieve the following:

1. Able to get their software compliant status


2. Add the details of their software purchases - both one time and additional purchases of the
same software
3. Should know the computers using those licenses.
4. Should be able to reallocate a license, if it is not used/required, to a different resource that
require them
5. Help them decide on software renewals and purchases.
6. Group different versions of the same software and manage their licenses as a single entity.

Add Software License Details

To Add/Edit Software License details for commercial software, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Manage Licenses link from the left pane available under Actions / Settings. This will
list the details of all the licenses that have been added. To add or edit the license detail, click
the Add License button.
3. Select the software from the list. You should have scanned the Windows systems at least
once to have the details of the software here. However you can also specify software that is
not in the list.
4. The manufacturer and the software version details are pre-filled and cannot be modified.
5. Specify the number of licenses purchased.
6. Specify the details to whom the software is licensed to (optional).
7. Specify the purchase and expiry date in the respective fields (optional).
8. Add the License file and the Invoice related to the license purchase, if required
9. Add comments, if required.
10. The next steps is to associate these licenses to the computers. This step is optional and is
used only for a logical reference.
1. Select the Installed Computers option to view only the computers that have this
software installed or Managed Computers to list all the computers that you are
managing using Desktop Central
2. Select the computer to which you wish to associate the license and move them to the
Associated computers list.
11. Click Save to update the license details.
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The details gets updated in the table below. It includes the following details:

1. Software Name: Name of the commercial software.


2. Manufacturer: The software manufacturer (vendor)
3. Licensed To: To whom the software is licensed.
4. Purchased: No. of licenses purchased
5. Installed: No. of licensed software copies that are installed in the network.
6. Purchased Date: The date of purchase.
7. Expiry Date: The date of expiry.
8. License Key: The Purchase license Key details.
9. License File: The file containing the license particulars for a particular software.
10. Invoice File: The file containing the Purchase information for a particular software.

You can filter the view based on the compliant status of the software like Under License, Over license,
Expired Software, etc.

Adding Additional Licenses

If you have purchased additional licenses for the same software and if you wish to update the
information, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Manage Licenses link from the left pane available under Actions / Settings. This will
list the details of all the licenses that have been added.
3. Click the Add More link from the Actions column of the software for which you want to add
additional licenses.
4. Specify the Number of licenses you have purchased along with the other details and click
Save.

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Create Software Groups

Desktop Central allows administrators to group software that have to be seen as a single group. For
example, if you have different versions of Microsoft Office installed in your network and you wish to
view all the Microsoft Office installations as a single software, you can group all the Microsoft Office
versions and create a group. This way it is very easy to manage your software licenses. You may
have to move all the paid software in your network to Commercial category prior to grouping them.

To create a new Software Group:

1. Click Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary.


2. Click Manage License under Actions / Settings
3. Click Group Software to list all the software groups that have been created. Click Add
Software Group to create a software group.
4. This opens the Add/Modify Software Groups dialog listing all the commercial software
installed in your network.
5. Specify a name for this group.
6. Select the software that you wish to group and move them to the Grouped Software list. The
software category and the prohibited status of the first software in the selected list will apply to
all the software of that group. You can change the position of the software in the selected list
by selecting the software and clicking the arrow button on the right.
7. After selecting the required software, click Save.

To modify a Software Group:

1. Click Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary.


2. Click Manage License under Actions / Settings
3. Click Group Software to list all the software groups that have been created.
4. Click the Edit icon from the Actions column of the group that you want to edit.
5. Add or remove the software from the group and click Save.

To delete a Software Group:

1. Click Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary.


2. Click Manage License under Actions / Settings
3. Click Group Software. This will list all the software groups that have been created.
4. Click the Delete icon from the Actions column of the group that you want to delete.

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Manage Software Category

Desktop Central allows you to categorize the software installed in your network in any of the pre-
defined categories. You also have an option to create your own categories and add software to it.

Desktop Central comes with the following pre-defined software categories: Accounting, Database,
Development, Driver, Game, Graphics, Internet, Multimedia, and Others. You can modify/delete or
assign software to these categories. You can also create your own category.

To add a new software category:

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Manage Software Category link from the left pane available under Actions /
Settings. This will list all the software categories that have been added, including the pre-
defined categories. Click the Create New Category to add a new category.
3. Specify a name for the category.
4. The details of the software available in your network is listed below. Select the software that
have to assigned to this new category and click >> button. This is optional. When you do not
select any software, an empty category gets created and you can assign software to this
category later.
5. Click Update. The new category gets added to the table below.

To modify a software category:

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Manage Software Category link from the left pane available under Actions /
Settings. This will list all the software categories that have been added, including the pre-
defined categories. Click the Edit icon from the Actions column of the category that you want
to edit.
3. Rename the category and/or add/remove software to/from this category and click Update.

To delete a software category:

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Manage Software Category link from the left pane available under Actions /
Settings. This will list all the software categories that have been added, including the pre-
defined categories.
3. Click the delete icon from the Actions column to delete individually or select the categories
that you wish to delete and click Delete Category.

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Configure Prohibited Software

1. Adding Prohibited Software


2. Removing Prohibited Software
3. Configuring Auto-Uninstalling Policy
4. Exclude Computers from Auto-Uninstallation of Software
5. Configuring Global Exclusion

Every organization prohibits employees from using certain software. Desktop Central helps prohibit,
usage of certain software in accordance to your company policies. Detecting such prohibited software
will help tackle compliance issues that might otherwise pop-up. Desktop Central provides an option to
add the list of software that are prohibited in the company. You can also configure and receive
notification through email and take the necessary action. The auto-uninstall feature allows you to
automatically remove the software within a specified time frame, once it is detected in the client
machine. However, you can also exempt certain computers from the auto-uninstallation routine.

Adding prohibited software

You can simply add the list of software that is prohibited in the company to be detected during the
regular scan cycles. Follow the steps given below to add a prohibited software to the list.

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Configure Prohibited Software link from the left pane available under Actions /
Settings. This will list the details of all the software that are already prohibited.
3. Click Add Prohibited Software. This is open the Add Prohibited Software dialog listing all the
software detected in the managed computers. You should have scanned the Windows
systems at least once to have the details of the software here.
4. Select the software that you wish to prohibit and move them to Prohibited List.

Note: In case you have grouped certain software and you are adding that Software Group
under the Prohibited Software List, then all the software in that group will be added.
5. After adding all the software, click Update. The software gets added to the prohibited list.

Removing prohibited software

To remove prohibited software, select the software and click Remove Prohibited Software. You can
select the software that you wish to remove from the prohibited list and click Remove Prohibited
Software to eliminate the selected software from the prohibited software list.
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Configuring the Auto-Uninstall Policy

Desktop Central's Auto-Uninstall Policy helps you to automatically uninstall the detected prohibited
software from the client machines. The uninstallation will happen during the subsequent refresh-cycle.
Follow the steps given below to configure the Auto-Uninstall Policy:

1. Select the Auto-Uninstall Policy tab.


2. Select Enable Automatic Uninstallation check box.
3. Specify the Maximum number of Software that can be uninstalled from a computer during the
subsequent refresh cycle.

Note: Increasing this number will cause high CPU usage during Uninstallation. If the detected
prohibited software count exceeds the limit (maximum number of software to be uninstalled)
in a computer, it exceeding numbers of software will be uninstalled during the subsequent
refresh cycle.
4. Select Notify User before Uninstalling check box and specify any custom message in case
you want to prompt to the user before the software uninstallation.

Note: The user will be notified with an Alert message during logon and whenever the agent
detects prohibited software. This functionality will be applicable only if the Notify User
Settings is configured.
5. Specify the wait-window for the software uninstallation. Say if you want to remove the
software three days after it has been detected, then mention 3 in the text box provided.
6. Click on Save to save changes.

Auto-Uninstallation option is available by default for .msi applications and for .exe
applications we would require Silent Switches. The following steps will guide you through
the Auto-Uninstallation of .exe based software applications.

1. Select the Prohibited SW tab.


2. Click on Not Configured link under Uninstall command against the .exe application that
needs to be uninstalled.
3. Add/Edit Uninstall Command window pops up
4. Choose Pre-fill Uninstall Command or I will specify myself
Pre-fill Uninstall Command - Selecting this option will fetch the uninstall command of the
application from the Add/Remove programs and will be displayed here. Only the silent witch
needs to be specified.
I will specify Myself - Uninstall command and the Silent switch should be entered manually.
It is recommended to test the Uninstall command manually to verify its correctness.
5. Click Save to save the settings.
6. Verify the status in Auto Uninstallation Status Tab (This uninstallion will happen based on
Auto-Uninstall Policy configured)
7. Under Auto Unistallation Status select Detailed View to see the status and remarks.
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Excluding Computers from Software Uninstallation

In certain occasions, you will need to allow the usage of prohibited software for certain users. One
classic example is the usage of chat based applications. Many organizations will upfront prohibit such
software. However top-level executives at these organizations might need such applications to
communicate with clients, etc. Desktop Central allows you to exempt Auto-Uninstallation on
computers in these specific custom groups. You can create a custom group comprising specific
computers or can add individual computers to the Exclude list. The following steps will help you
exclude groups:

1. Click the Configure Prohibited Software link from the left pane available under Actions /
Settings of Inventory tab. This will list the details of all the software that are already
prohibited.
2. Select the checkbox corresponding to the specified software and click the link under
Exclusions column. This opens the Add Exclusions dialog.
3. Select whether to exclude custom groups or computers.
4. Select the groups/computers and move it to the Excluded list.
5. Click on Save to save changes.

Configuring Global Exclusion

Similar to excluding computers and custom groups for individual software, you can create a global
exclusion list of computers. Computers that are added to the Global Exclusion list, either manually or
via custom groups, applies to all the software. This means all these computers can have any of the
software that have been marked as prohibited.

To configure global exclusion, click the Configure Global Exclusion button and select the required
computers/custom group of computers and save.

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Configure E-Mail Alerts

Desktop Central generates Email Alerts to notify the following events:

1. When a new hardware is detected in the network


2. When a new software is detected in the network
3. Non Compliance of software licensing policy, i.e., the license is inadequate and have to
purchase more licenses to be compliant
4. When a software is being used after its license has expired.
5. When a prohibited software is detected in the network.

To configure email alerts, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Configure Email Alerts link from the left pane available under Actions / Settings.
3. Select the alert criteria; select all that apply.
4. Specify the email addresses as comma separated.
5. Click Update Alert Settings

Note: For email alerts to be sent, you should have configured your mail server settings.

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Schedule Inventory Scanning

To schedule scanning of systems periodically,

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary


2. Click the Schedule Inventory Scan link from the left pane available under Actions / Settings.
3. Select the Enable Inventory Scan Scheduler check box and specify the frequency at which
the scanning has to be performed. You have the following options to choose the interval:
1. Daily - to update everyday. You need to specify the starting time and starting day.
2. Weekly - to update on specific day(s) in a week. You need to specify the starting time
and the day(s) on which the update should happen.
3. Monthly - to update on a specific day every month(s). You need to specify starting
time, select a day and select a month/months.
4. Click Save Changes to save the configuration.

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Setting Up User Logon Reports

As a first step, define the Scope of Management. You should only be able to track the user login
details for the users logging in from the computers that are within the defined scope. After adding the
computers in SoM, you can enable User Logon Reports.

To Maintain User Logon History:

1. Select Admin --> User Logon Settings to open the report settings page.
2. Select the Enable User Logon Reports and specify the number of days the history has to
be maintained.
3. Click Save Changes

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Setting Up Active Directory Reports

Desktop Central retrieves the information about the Active Directory infrastructure components and
provides 100+ out-of-the-box reports. You can schedule the report update interval to get an up-to-date
details.

To configure the AD report update interval:

1. Select Admin --> AD Reports Settings to open the report settings page.
2. Select the Enable AD Report Scheduler option.
3. Select the Domains for which the reports needs to be generated. If no domains are selected,
the scheduler will be disabled.
4. Select the Scan Mode to specify whether to update all the objects or only the modified objects
5. Specify the update interval as below:
1. Daily - to update everyday. You need to specify the starting time and starting day.
2. Weekly - to update on specific day(s) in a week. You need to specify the starting time
and the day(s) on which the update should happen.
3. Monthly - to update on a specific day every month(s). You need to specify starting
time, select a day and select a month/months.
6. Click Save Changes

To send the reports by Email

Desktop Central provides an option to send the Active Directory reports by email whenever it gets
updated. You have an option to select the reports to be e-mailed and the email addresses.

1. Select Admin --> AD Reports Settings to open the report settings page.
2. Select the Enable AD Report Scheduler option.
3. Select the Send Reports by Email option
4. Specify the From, To Address and Email Subject.
5. Click the Select Reports button to select the reports to be sent by email.
6. Click Save Changes.

After the completion of every scheduled update, the selected reports will be e-mailed to specified
email addresses.

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User Guide

This section guides you in using Desktop Central to perform the Desktop Management activities.
Follow the links to learn more:

1. Software Installation
2. Patch Management
3. Hardware and Software Inventory
4. Windows Tools
5. Windows Configurations
6. User Logon Reports
7. Active Directory Reports
8. Making Help Desk Requests

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Software Installation

Desktop Central enables remote software deployment and distribution to the users and computers of
the Windows network. This web-based software deployment configuration helps administrators to
install software from a central point. It supports deploying both MSI and EXE based applications that
can be installed in a silent mode.

Software Distribution Features

1. Supports installing both MSI and EXE based applications.


• Supports Install, Uninstall, Assign and Redeploy options for MSI based applications.
• Supports Install and Uninstall options for EXE based applications.
2. Ability to schedule software installations.
• Install Software at a specified time
• Install Software either during or after startup of the computer.
3. Option to install the application as a specific-user using the Run As option.
4. Supports executing pre-installation scripts/commands prior to installation and abort if not
successful.
5. Option to copy the installables to the client computers before installing the software.
6. Ability to create package repository. The packages created once can be reused any number
of times to install or uninstall the software.

The following links guides you to install software from remote using Desktop Central:

1. Managing Software Packages


2. Installing MSI-based Applications for Users
3. Installing EXE-based Applications for Users
4. Installing MSI-based Applications for Computers
5. Installing EXE-based Applications for Computers
6. Uninstalling MSI-based Applications for Users
7. Uninstalling EXE-based Applications for Users
8. Uninstalling MSI-based Applications for Computers
9. Uninstalling EXE-based Applications for Computers

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Installing MSI-based Applications for Users

To install an MSI application to the users, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links available below the tabs.
2. Click the Install Software link available under the User Configurations.
3. Provide a name and description for the configuration
4. Select the Installer Type as MSI.
5. Select the required package and specify the Run As option, if required.
6. Select the Operation Type as Install Completely, Assign, or Redeploy as the case may
be. If you select the Assign option, the application will be installed only when the user tries to
open the application for the first time.
7. Select the Copy options as required.
8. Specify the time at which the software has to be installed.
9. Select the users to whom the software has to be installed.
10. Click Deploy.

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Installing EXE-based Applications for Users

To install an EXE application to the users, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links available below the tabs.
2. Click the Install Software link available under the User Configurations.
3. Provide a name and description for the configuration
4. Select the Installer Type as EXE.
5. Select the required package and specify the Run As option, if required.
6. Select the Operation Type as Install.
7. Select the Copy options as required.
8. Specify the time at which the software has to be installed.
9. Select the users to whom the software has to be installed.
10. Click Deploy.

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Installing MSI-based Applications for Computers

To install an MSI application to the computers, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links available below the tabs.
2. Click the Install Software link available under the Computer Configurations.
3. Provide a name and description for the configuration
4. Select the Installer Type as MSI.
5. Select the required package and specify the Run As option, if required.
6. Select the Operation Type as Install Completely, Assign, or Redeploy as the case may
be. If you select the Assign option, the application will be installed only when the user tries to
open the application for the first time.
7. Select the Copy options as required.
8. Specify the time at which the software has to be installed.
9. Select the computers in which the software has to be installed.
10. Click Deploy.

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Installing EXE-based Applications for Computers

To install an EXE application to the computers, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links available below the tabs.
2. Click the Install Software link available under the Computer Configurations.
3. Provide a name and description for the configuration
4. Select the Installer Type as EXE.
5. Select the required package and specify the Run As option, if required.
6. Select the Operation Type as Install.
7. Select the Copy options as required.
8. Specify the time at which the software has to be installed.
9. Select the computers in which the software has to be installed.
10. Click Deploy.

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Uninstalling MSI-based Applications for Users

To uninstall an MSI application for users, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links available below the tabs.
2. Click the Install Software link available under the User Configurations.
3. Provide a name and description for the configuration
4. Select the Installer Type as MSI.
5. Select the required package and specify the Run As option, if required.
6. Select the Operation Type as Remove.
7. Select the Copy options as required.
8. Specify the time at which the software has to be uninstalled.
9. Select the user objects from which the software has to be uninstalled.
10. Click Deploy.

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Uninstalling EXE-based Applications for Users

To uninstall an EXE application for the user objects, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links available below the tabs.
2. Click the Install Software link available under the User Configurations.
3. Provide a name and description for the configuration
4. Select the Installer Type as EXE.
5. Select the required package and specify the Run As option, if required.
6. Select the Operation Type as Remove.
7. Select the Copy options as required.
8. Specify the time at which the software has to be uninstalled.
9. Select the user objects from which the software has to be uninstalled.
10. Click Deploy.

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Uninstalling MSI-based Applications for Computers

To uninstall an MSI application from the computer objects, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links available below the tabs.
2. Click the Install Software link available under the Computer Configurations.
3. Provide a name and description for the configuration
4. Select the Installer Type as MSI.
5. Select the required package and specify the Run As option, if required.
6. Select the Operation Type as Remove.
7. Select the Copy options as required.
8. Specify the time at which the software has to be uninstalled.
9. Select the computer objects from which the software has to be uninstalled.
10. Click Deploy.

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Uninstalling EXE-based Applications for Computers

To uninstall an EXE application from the computer objects, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links available below the tabs.
2. Click the Install Software link available under the Computer Configurations.
3. Provide a name and description for the configuration
4. Select the Installer Type as EXE.
5. Select the required package and specify the Run As option, if required.
6. Select the Operation Type as Remove.
7. Select the Copy options as required.
8. Specify the time at which the software has to be uninstalled.
9. Select the computer objects from which the software has to be removed.
10. Click Deploy.

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Patch Management

The steady increase in network vulnerabilities and the sheer volume of software patches that fix these
threats, over the years; has created a need for strict and efficient patch management in enterprises to
avoid business downtime and to secure themselves against mishaps due to attacks.

The best way to address this problem, is to have a systematic, automated and affordable solution that
is robust and manages patches effectively. Desktop Central with its Patch Management module
provides the system administrators the ability to respond to computer threats in quick time. All this in
compliance to the patch management life cycle and with a fresh perspective to network security.
Administrators can use Desktop Central to scan the network, identify the missing patches, download
the missing patches and deploy them to computers using Windows and MaC operating systems.

Patch Management Features

1. Uses a hosted Patch Database at Zoho Corp. site to assess the vulnerability status of the
network.
2. Complete automated Patch Management Solution from detecting the vulnerabilities to
deploying the patches.
3. Patch based deployment - Deploy a patch to all the affected systems
4. System based patch deployment - Deploy all the applicable patches for a system
5. Automatic handling of patch interdependencies and patch sequencing
6. Reports on System vulnerabilities, Patches,OS, etc.
7. Provides an update of the patch deployment status

Follow the links to learn more,

1. Patch Management Architecture


2. Patch Management Life Cycle
3. Setting up Patch Management Module
4. Scan Systems for Vulnerability
5. Viewing Applicable Patches
6. Viewing Latest Patches
7. Viewing Missing Patches
8. Installing Missing Patches
9. Viewing Installed Patches
10. Viewing Supported Patches
11. Viewing Healthy Systems
12. Viewing Vulnerable Systems
13. Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems
14. Viewing Patch Reports

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Patch Management Architecture

1. The Patch Management Architecture


2. How it Works

The Patch Management Architecture

The Patch Management consists of the following components:

1. External Patch Crawler


2. Central Patch Repository
3. Desktop Central Server

Fig: Patch Management Architecture

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The External Patch Crawler resides at the Zoho Corp. site and repeatedly probes the internet to draw
vulnerability information from the Microsoft website and Apple website.

Patch download, assessment for patch authenticity and testing for functional correctness is also
carried out at this site. The final analysis and data are correlated to obtain a consolidated vulnerability
database which serves as a baseline for vulnerability assessment in the enterprise. The modified
vulnerability database is then published to the Central Patch Repository for further use. The whole
process of information gathering, patch analysis and publishing the latest vulnerability database
occurs periodically.

The Central Patch Repository is a portal in the Zoho Corp. site, which hosts the latest vulnerability
database that has been published after a thorough analysis. This database is exposed for download
by the Desktop Central server situated in the customer site, and provides information required for
patch scanning and installation.

The Desktop Central Server is located at the enterprise (customer site) and subscribes to the Central
Patch repository, to periodically download the vulnerability database. It scans the systems in the
enterprise network, checks for missing and available patches against the comprehensive vulnerability
database, downloads and deploys missing patches and service packs, generates reports to effectively
manage the patch management process in your enterprise.

How it Works?

Patch Management using Desktop Central is a simple two-stage process:

1. Patch Assessment or Scanning


2. Patch Download and Deployment

Patch Assessment or Scanning

Desktop Central periodically scans the systems in your network to assess the patch
needs. Using a comprehensive database consolidated from Microsoft's and other
bulletins, the scanning mechanism checks for the existence and state of the patches
by performing file version checks, registry checks and checksums. The vulnerability
database is periodically updated with the latest information on patches, from the
Central Patch Repository. The scanning logic automatically determines which
updates are needed on each client system, taking into account the operating system,
application, and update dependencies.

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On successful completion of an assessment, the results of each assessment are
returned and stored in the server database. The scan results can be viewed from the
web-console.

Patch download and deployment

On selecting the patches to be deployed, you can a trigger a download or a deploy


request. At first the selected patches are downloaded from the internet and stored in
a particular location in the Desktop Central server. Then they are pushed to the target
machines remotely, after which they are installed sequentially.

See Also: Patch Management Life Cycle, Setting Up Patch Management Module, Scan Systems for
Vulnerability, Patch Reports

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Patch Management Life Cycle

Desktop Central Patch Management module consists to the following five stages:

1. Update Vulnerability Details from Vendors


2. Scan the Network
3. Identify Patches for Vulnerabilities
4. Download and Deploy Patches
5. Generate Status Reports

Fig: Patch Management Life Cycle

Update Vulnerability Details from Vendors

• Be up-to-date with the latest patch related information from the various sources.
• Download patches and run extensive tests to validate the authenticity and accuracy of patches

Scan the Network

• Discover and identify the systems in the network based on the defined Scope of Management.

Identify Patches for Vulnerabilities

• Assess the vulnerabilities in the systems periodically.


• Analyze what patches are missing and what are installed.

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Download and Deploy Patches

• Download the required patches from the vendor site.


• Deploy patches in the missing systems.
• Verify and validate the accuracy of patch installation

Generate Status Reports

• Generate reports of various patch management tasks.


• Monitor the patching progress in the enterprise.
See Also: Patch Management Architecture, Setting Up Patch Management Module, Scan Systems
for Vulnerability, Patch Reports

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Scan Systems for Vulnerability

Desktop Central periodically scans the systems in your Windows network, to determine the vulnerable
systems/applications. The latest status of the scan and the scan reports can be accessed by clicking
the Scan Status link available under the Patch Mgmt tab. The following details are shown here:

1. Computer Name: The DNS name of the computer being scanned.


2. OS Name: The operating system of the computer being scanned.
3. Agent Status: Specifies whether the agent is installed in the system or not.
4. Agent Version: Specifies the agent version.
5. Last Scan Status: The status of the previous scan.
6. Last Scan Time: Time at which the scan was performed. Clicking this link will open the
Vulnerable Systems Report for that system.

It also provides a graphical representation of the scanned systems. You can initiate the scan for any
specific system by selecting the system and clicking the Scan Now button or can initiate the scan for
all the systems by clicking the Scan All button.

To reschedule the scan, refer to the Configure Patch Scan Mode and Scan Interval

See Also: Patch Management Architecture, Patch Management Life Cycle, Setting Up Patch
Management Module, Patch Reports

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Installing Missing Patches

After identifying the missing patches in your network, the next step is to install the patches to fix the
vulnerability. You can install the patches using Desktop Central by any of the following ways:

From the Applicable and Missing Patches Views

• By clicking the icon from the action column of the patches.


• By selecting the patches and clicking the Install Patches button.

Both the above options will open the Installing Patches Configuration with the selected patches
added. You can then select the targets and deploy the patches.

From the Latest and All Supported Patches Views

By selecting the patches and clicking the Install Patches button, you can find the option to choose
from Windows and MaC patches. Selecting one of them, opens the Installing Patches Configuration
with the selected patches added. You can then select the targets and deploy the patches.

From the All Managed, Vulnerable, and Highly Vulnerable Systems


Views

1. Click the Missing Patches link to view the missing patches of that system.
2. Select the patches and click the Install Patches button.

This opens the Installing Patches Configuration with the selected patches added. You can then select
the targets and deploy the patches.

From the Install Patches Configuration

Like any other configuration, you can manually define a configuration for installing patches in
computers.

See Also: Viewing Applicable Patches, Viewing Latest Patches, Viewing Missing Patches, Viewing
Installed Patches, Viewing Supported Patches, Viewing Healthy Systems, Viewing Vulnerable
Systems, Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

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Patch Views

1. Viewing Applicable Patches


2. Viewing Latest Patches
3. Viewing Missing Patches
4. Viewing Installed Patches
5. Viewing Supported Patches
6. Viewing Healthy Systems
7. Viewing Vulnerable Systems
8. Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

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Viewing Applicable Patches

The Applicable Patches view provides the details of the patches that affects the applications/systems
in your network. The patch list also include the patches that are already installed in your network.

To view the list of the applicable patches, click the Patch Mgmt tab. You can filter the view based on
the application and service pack by selecting the appropriate product and service pack.

The network snapshot depicts the health and patch status of the systems in the network.

The details of the applicable patches shown in the tabular form include:

• Patch ID: A unique reference ID in Desktop Central for every patch


• Bulletin ID: The advisory article provided by the vendor which contains information about the
vulnerability and patch availability. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Bulletin Details view,
which provides more info about the Bulletin and the vulnerability
• Patch Name: The name of the patch. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Patch Details view,
which provides more details about the patch.
• Patch Description: A brief description about the patch.
• Patch Type: Refers to whether this patch applies to Microsoft OS/Applications or Non-Microsoft
Applications like Adobe, Java, etc.
• Severity: Determines the importance of the patch. These severity ratings are as per the bulletin or
advisory information.
• Approve Status: This refers to whether the patch has been approved for bulk deployment via
Automated Patch Deployment. This is significant only if you have enabled Patch Approval prior to
buld deployment. You can also approve or decline a patch by selecting the appropriate option
from the "Mark As" menu.
• Release Date: Refers to the date of release of the patch by the vendor.
• Download Status: Refers to the status of the patch download on the Desktop Central Server.
• Affected Systems: Refers to the total count of the systems that require this patch to be installed.
This also includes the systems where the patch has already been installed.
• Installed Systems: Refers to the count of the systems where the patch has been installed.
• Missing Systems: Refers to the count of the systems that do not have the patches installed yet.
• Failed Systems: Refers to the number of systems on which the patch deployment has failed.
Clicking the count will list the details of the failed computers, from where you can redeploy.

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Installing Patches

You can install the patches by selecting the patches to be installed and by clicking the Install
Patches button. Administrators can view the missing p[atches based on the Windows or MaC
operating system. So that clicking on the patches will open the Installing Patches Configuration, with
the selected patches added. Select the targets and deploy the configuration.

You can also click the Missing Systems count from where you can select the required systems and
select Install Patches to deploy.

Bulletin Details

Bulletin details includes the following:

• Bulletin ID: The advisory article provided by the vendor which contains information about the
vulnerability and patch availability.
• Posted On: The date of release of this bulletin.
• Updated On: The date of last update to this bulletin.
• FAQ Page: Links to the FAQ section in the Microsoft site for this bulletin.
• Q Number: Links to the knowledge base article available in the Microsoft web site.
• Issue: Details of the related issue.
• Bulletin Summary: A brief summary of the bulletin.
• Patch Details: The name of the patch and the affected products.

Patch Details

The following patch details are shown:

• Patch ID: A unique reference ID in Desktop Central for every patch


• Patch Name: The name of the patch
• Bulletin ID: The Bulletin ID pertaining to this patch
• MS Knowledge Base: The knowledge base article corresponding to this patch.
• Severity: The severity of the patch.
• Reboot: Specifies whether a system reboot is required on installing the patch.
• Download Status: Determines whether the patch is downloaded from the net (vendor site) and is
made available in the Desktop Central's Patch Repository for deployment.
• Location Path: The complete download URL of the patch.
• Superseding Bulletin ID: Refers to the Bulletin ID pertaining to the patch that has taken its place.
• CVEID:
• BugTraq ID:

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It also provides the details of the changes made to the files and registries on installing this patch.

See Also: Viewing Latest Patches, Viewing Missing Patches, Installing Missing Patches, Viewing
Installed Patches, Viewing Supported Patches, Viewing Healthy Systems, Viewing Vulnerable
Systems, Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

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Viewing Latest Patches

The Latest Patches view lists the details of the patches pertaining to the recently released Microsoft
Bulletins.

To view the Latest Patches, select the Latest Patches link under the Patch Mgmt tab. You can filter
the view based on the application and service pack by selecting the appropriate product and service
pack.

The following details of the patches are displayed:

• Patch ID: A unique reference ID in Desktop Central for every patch


• Bulletin ID: The advisory article provided by the vendor which contains information about the
vulnerability and patch availability. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Bulletin Details view,
which provides more info about the Bulletin and the vulnerability
• Download Status: Determines whether the patch is downloaded from the net (vendor site) and is
made available in the Desktop Central's Patch Repository for deployment.
• Patch Name: The name of the patch. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Patch Details view,
which provides more details about the patch.
• Patch Description: A brief description about the patch.
• Patch Type: Refers to whether this patch applies to Microsoft OS/Applications or Non-Microsoft
Applications like Adobe, Java, etc.
• Reboot: Specifies whether the patch installation requires a system reboot or not.
• Severity: Determines the importance of the patch. These severity ratings are as per the bulletin or
advisory information.
• Approve Status: This refers to whether the patch has been approved for bulk deployment via
Automated Patch Deployment. This is significant only if you have enabled Patch Approval prior to
buld deployment. You can also approve or decline a patch by selecting the appropriate option
from the "Mark As" menu.
• Release Date: Refers to the date of release of the patch by the vendor.

You can initiate the following actions from here:

• Download: Selecting the required patches and clicking Download will download the patch from the
vendor site and make it available in the Desktop Central's Patch Repository for deployment.
• Install Patches: Selecting the required patches and clicking Install Patch, will open the Install
Patch Configuration page from where you can select the targets and deploy. The selected
patches will be applied only to the target computers with the corresponding operating system. If
the selected patches were applicable for Windows Operating System, then the patches will be
distributed only to computers using Windows Operating System and vice versa.
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See Also: Viewing Applicable Patches, Viewing Missing Patches, Installing Missing Patches, Viewing
Installed Patches, Viewing Supported Patches, Viewing Healthy Systems, Viewing Vulnerable
Systems, Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

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Viewing Missing Patches

The Missing Patches view provides the details of the patches that affects the applications/ systems in
your network, which are not installed.

To view the list of the missing patches, click the Missing Patches link under the Patch Mgmt tab.
You can filter the view based on the application and service pack by selecting the appropriate product
and service pack.

The severity of the missing patches are depicted in a graph.

The details of the missing patches shown in the tabular format include:

1. Patch ID: A unique reference ID in Desktop Central for every patch


2. Bulletin ID: The advisory article provided by the vendor which contains information about the
vulnerability and patch availability. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Bulletin Details view,
which provides more info about the Bulletin and the vulnerability
3. Patch Name: The name of the patch. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Patch Details
view, which provides more details about the patch.
4. Patch Description: A brief description about the patch.
5. Patch Type: Refers to whether this patch applies to Microsoft OS/Applications or Non-
Microsoft Applications like Adobe, Java, etc.
6. Severity: Determines the importance of the patch. These severity ratings are as per the
bulletin or advisory information.
7. Approve Status: This refers to whether the patch has been approved for bulk deployment via
Automated Patch Deployment. This is significant only if you have enabled Patch Approval
prior to buld deployment. You can also approve or decline a patch by selecting the
appropriate option from the "Mark As" menu.
8. Release Date: Refers to the date of release of the patch by the vendor.
9. Download Status: Refers to the status of the patch download on the Desktop Central Server.
10. Affected Systems: Refers to the total count of the systems that require this patch to be
installed. This also includes the systems where the patch has already been installed.
11. Installed Systems: Refers to the count of the systems where the patch has been installed.
12. Missing Systems: Refers to the count of the systems that do not have the patches installed
yet.
13. Failed Systems: Refers to the number of systems on which the patch deployment has failed.
Clicking the count will list the details of the failed computers, from where you can redeploy.
14. Platform : Refers to the Operating System used by the computers. You can choose to filter
the patch management based on the Operating System such as Windows and Mac.
15. Vendor : Refers to the vendor of the software applications.

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16. Reboot : Refers whether rebooting is required or not after installation of patches.

Installing Patches

You can install the patches by selecting the patches to be installed and by clicking the Install
Patches button.

This will open the Installing Patches Configuration, with the selected patches added. Select the
targets and deploy the configuration. The selected patches will be applied only to the target
computers with the corresponding operating system. If the selected patches were applicable for
Windows Operating System, then the patches will be distributed only to computers using Windows
Operating System and vice versa.

You can also click the Missing Systems count from where you can select the required systems and
select Install Patches to deploy.

See Also: Viewing Applicable Patches, Viewing Latest Patches, Installing Missing Patches, Viewing
Installed Patches, Viewing Supported Patches, Viewing Healthy Systems, Viewing Vulnerable
Systems, Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

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Viewing Installed Patches

The Installed Patches view provides the details of the patches that are installed in your network.

To view the list of the installed patches, click the Installed Patches link under the Patch Mgmt tab.
You can filter the view based on the application and service pack by selecting the appropriate product
and service pack.

The severity of the installed patches are depicted in a graph.

The details of the missing patches shown in the tabular format include:

• Patch ID: A unique reference ID in Desktop Central for every patch


• Bulletin ID: The advisory article provided by the vendor which contains information about the
vulnerability and patch availability. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Bulletin Details view,
which provides more info about the Bulletin and the vulnerability
• Patch Name: The name of the patch. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Patch Details view,
which provides more details about the patch.
• Patch Description: A brief description about the patch.
• Patch Type: Refers to whether this patch applies to Microsoft OS/Applications or Non-Microsoft
Applications like Adobe, Java, etc.
• Severity: Determines the importance of the patch. These severity ratings are as per the bulletin or
advisory information.
• Approve Status: This refers to whether the patch has been approved for bulk deployment via
Automated Patch Deployment. This is significant only if you have enabled Patch Approval prior to
bulk deployment. You can also approve or decline a patch by selecting the appropriate option
from the "Mark As" menu.
• Release Date: Refers to the date of release of the patch by the vendor.
• Download Status: Refers to the status of the patch download on the Desktop Central Server.
• Affected Systems: Refers to the total count of the systems that require this patch to be installed.
This also includes the systems where the patch has already been installed.

To install multiple patches, select the patches and click Install Patches, which will open the Patch
Configuration from where you can select the targets and deploy. The target will be listed based on the
selected patches, if the selected patches were applicable for windows operating system, then the
target will be computers using Windows operating system.

See Also: Viewing Applicable Patches, Viewing Latest Patches, Viewing Missing Patches, Installing
Missing Patches, Viewing Supported Patches, Viewing Healthy Systems, Viewing Vulnerable
Systems, Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems
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Viewing Supported Patches

The All Supported Patches view provides the details of all the patches released by Microsoft
Corporation that are supported by Desktop Central.

To view the supported patches, click the All Supported Patches link under the Patch Mgmt tab. You
can filter the view based on the application and service pack by selecting the appropriate product and
service pack. The following details are shown:

1. Patch ID: A unique reference ID in Desktop Central for every patch


2. Bulletin ID: The advisory article provided by the vendor which contains information about the
vulnerability and patch availability. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Bulletin Details view,
which provides more info about the Bulletin and the vulnerability
3. Download Status: Determines whether the patch is downloaded from the vendor's website
and is made available in the Desktop Central's Patch Repository for deployment.
4. Patch Name: The name of the patch. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Patch Details
view, which provides more details about the patch.
5. Patch Description: A brief description about the patch.
6. Patch Type: Refers to whether this patch applies to Microsoft OS/Applications or Non-
Microsoft Applications like Adobe, Java, etc.
7. Severity: Determines the importance of the patch. These severity ratings are as per the
bulletin or advisory information.
8. Approve Status: This refers to whether the patch has been approved for bulk deployment via
Automated Patch Deployment. This is significant only if you have enabled Patch Approval
prior to buld deployment. You can also approve or decline a patch by selecting the
appropriate option from the "Mark As" menu.
9. Release Date: Refers to the date of release of the patch by the vendor.
10. Reboot: Specifies whether the patch installation requires a system reboot or not.
11. Superceded By: Indicates that the patch is outdated and have another patch that is more
recently released and has taken its place.

This information is retrieved from the Central Patch Repository that resides at the Zoho Corp.'s site
periodically.

See Also: Viewing Applicable Patches, Viewing Latest Patches, Viewing Missing Patches, Installing
Missing Patches, Viewing Installed Patches, Viewing Healthy Systems, Viewing Vulnerable Systems,
Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

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Viewing Healthy Systems

Healthy systems are those that have all the security patches installed. To view the healthy systems in
your network, click the Healthy Systems link under the Patch Mgmt tab.

The following details about the healthy systems are shown here:

1. Computer Name: The name of the system.


2. OS Name: The operating system of the computer.
3. Total Patches: Total count of the patches applicable to this system. Click this link to view the
details of the patches.
4. Installed Patches: Total count of the patches that are installed. Click this link to view the
details of the patches.
5. Missing Patches: Count of the patches that are missing in the system. Click this link to view
the details of the patches.
6. Informational Patches: Total count of informational patches. Click this link to view the details
of the patches.
7. Obsolete Patches: Total count of obsolete patches. Click this link to view the details of the
patches.
8. Health: The health of the system.

See Also: Viewing Applicable Patches, Viewing Latest Patches, Viewing Missing Patches, Installing
Missing Patches, Viewing Installed Patches, Viewing Supported Patches, Viewing Vulnerable
Systems, Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

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Viewing Vulnerable Systems

Vulnerable systems are those that do not have one or more Moderate/Low rated patches installed. To
view the Vulnerable systems in your network, click the Vulnerable Systems link under the Patch
Mgmt tab.

The following details about the vulnerable systems are shown here:

1. Computer Name: The name of the system.


2. OS Name: The operating system of the computer.
3. Total Patches: Total count of the patches applicable to this system. Click this link to view the
details of the patches.
4. Installed Patches: Total count of the patches that are installed. Click this link to view the
details of the patches.
5. Missing Patches: Count of the patches that are missing in the system. Click this link to view
the details of the patches.
6. Informational Patches: Total count of informational patches. Click this link to view the details
of the patches.
7. Obsolete Patches: Total count of obsolete patches. Click this link to view the details of the
patches.
8. Health: The health of the system.

See Also: Viewing Applicable Patches, Viewing Latest Patches, Viewing Missing Patches, Installing
Missing Patches, Viewing Installed Patches, Viewing Supported Patches, Viewing Healthy Systems,
Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

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Viewing Highly Vulnerable Systems

Highly Vulnerable systems are those that do not have one or more Critical/Important rated patches
installed. To view the highly vulnerable systems in your network, click the Highly Vulnerable link
under the Patch Mgmt tab.

The following details about the highly vulnerable systems are shown here:

1. Computer Name: The name of the system.


2. OS Name: The operating system of the computer.
3. Total Patches: Total count of the patches applicable to this system. Click this link to view the
details of the patches.
4. Installed Patches: Total count of the patches that are installed. Click this link to view the
details of the patches.
5. Missing Patches: Count of the patches that are missing in the system. Click this link to view
the details of the patches.
6. Informational Patches: Total count of informational patches. Click this link to view the details
of the patches.
7. Obsolete Patches: Total count of obsolete patches. Click this link to view the details of the
patches.
8. Health: The health of the system.

See Also: Viewing Applicable Patches, Viewing Latest Patches, Viewing Missing Patches, Installing
Missing Patches, Viewing Installed Patches, Viewing Supported Patches, Viewing Healthy Systems,
Viewing Vulnerable Systems

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Viewing Patch Reports

The Patch Reports provides you with detailed information about the vulnerable systems in your
network and the patch details to fix the vulnerability. Desktop Central determines the vulnerability of
the systems by periodic scanning to check whether the applicable patches have been installed. The
following reports helps you to check your network vulnerability:

1. Vulnerable Systems Report


2. Vulnerable Patches Report
3. Supported Patches Report

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Viewing Vulnerable Systems Report

The Vulnerable Systems Report provides you a snapshot of the healthy and vulnerable systems in
your network.

To view the report, click the Vulnerable Systems Report link available under the Reports tab. The
details of the managed systems and their related patches are shown here:

1. Computer Name: The name of the system.


2. OS Name: The operating system of the computer.
3. Total Patches: Total count of the patches applicable to this system. Click this link to view the
details of the patches.
4. Installed Patches: Total count of the patches that are installed. Click this link to view the
details of the patches.
5. Missing Patches: Count of the patches that are missing in the system. Click this link to view
the details of the patches.
6. Informational Patches: Total count of informational patches. Click this link to view the details
of the patches.
7. Obsolete Patches: Total count of obsolete patches. Click this link to view the details of the
patches.
8. Health: The health of the system.

Application and Patch Summary Report

Clicking the system count from the Vulnerable Systems Report, provides you the application-wise
patch details for that system with their state like installed, missing, informational, obsolete, etc.

See Also: Viewing Vulnerable Patches Report, Viewing Supported Patches Report, Viewing Task
Status Report

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Viewing Vulnerable Patches Report

The Vulnerable Patches Report provides you the details of the patches that are applicable to your
network and the affected systems. By default, it lists the details of the patches released in the current
month. You have an option to select a different period or to specify a custom period and generate the
report.

To view the report, click the Vulnerable Patches Report link available under the Reports tab. The
following details are shown here:

1. Patch ID: A unique reference ID in Desktop Central for every patch


2. Bulletin ID: The advisory article provided by the vendor which contains information about the
vulnerability and patch availability. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Bulletin Details view,
which provides more info about the Bulletin and the vulnerability
3. Patch Name: The name of the patch. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Patch Details
view, which provides more details about the patch.
4. Severity: Determines the importance of the patch. These severity ratings are as per the
bulletin or advisory information.
5. Affected Systems: Refers to the total count of the systems that require this patch to be
installed. This also includes the systems where the patch has already been installed. Click
this link to view the details.
6. Installed Systems: Refers to the count of the systems where the patch has been installed.
Click this link to view the details.
7. Missing Systems: Refers to the count of the systems that do not have the patches installed
yet. Click this link to view the details.

See Also: Viewing Vulnerable Systems Report, Viewing Supported Patches Report, Viewing Task
Status Report

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Viewing Supported Patches Report

The Supported Patches Report provides the details of all the patches released by Microsoft
Corporation irrespective of whether it is related to your network or not. When you plan to upgrade the
systems in your network by installing the latest applications, you can sneak through this report to
check whether any updates are available for the application.

By default, it lists the details of the patches released in the current month. You have an option to
select a different period or to specify a custom period and generate the report. You can also filter the
reports based on Operating system, Applications, Severity, Language, Approval status, Download
Status, Patch type and time.

To view the report, click the Supported Patches Report link available under the Reports tab. The
following details of the patches are shown here:

• Patch ID: A unique reference ID in Desktop Central for every patch.


• Bulletin ID: The advisory article provided by the vendor which contains information about the
vulnerability and patch availability. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Bulletin Details view,
which provides more info about the Bulletin and the vulnerability
• Patch Name:The name of the patch. Clicking this link, will lead you to the Patch Details view,
which provides more details about the patch.
• Severity: Determines the importance of the patch. These severity ratings are as per the bulletin or
advisory information.
• Reboot: Specifies whether the patch installation requires a system reboot or not.

See Also: Viewing Vulnerable Systems Report, Viewing Vulnerable Patches Report, Viewing Task
Status Report

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Hardware and Software Inventory

Hardware / Software Inventory and Asset Management

The Inventory module provides comprehensive details about the hardware and software details of the
Windows systems in the network that helps in Asset Management.

Desktop Central periodically scans the network to collect the hardware and software asset details
from each Windows desktop. The Hardware inventory details include information like, memory,
operating system, manufacturer, device types, peripherals, etc. The Software inventory provides
details of the software detected in the network grouped by volume and software vendors. It also
provides the license compliance details of the software and software metering.

Scanning the Windows systems for inventory assets can be scheduled to have an up-to-date
information. Alerts are generated to notify any specific events like a new hardware/software detected,
license not compliant, etc. The comprehensive reports helps you to view the details in few clicks.

Inventory Management Features

1. Complete Hardware and Software Inventory.


2. Scan the systems periodically to collect the hardware and software details.
3. Manage Software Licenses.
4. Detect Prohibited Software in the network.
5. Provides software usage statistics.
6. Alert on specific events.
7. Comprehensive reports on hardware, software inventory and license compliance.

Follow the links to learn more,

1. Software Metering
2. Viewing Computer Details
3. Viewing Hardware Details
4. Viewing Software Details
5. Viewing Inventory Alerts
6. Viewing Inventory Reports

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Software Metering

Software metering allows you to monitor software usage in your enterprise. The Software Metering
feature in Desktop Central, enables you to get the following information:

1. Statistics of software applications used in computers in your network


2. List of prohibited software applications in your network
3. Details of usage of software applications that help you plan your software application-related
purchases
4. Status of the license compliance of software that helps you to plan for additional license
purchases or cancel unused licenses

Features

The features include the following:

Software Metering Reports

There are two types of software metering reports that help you make an informed decision about
buying software applications and renewing licenses for existing software applications. The reports are
as follows:

1. Software Inventory reports


2. Software Compliance reports

Software Metering Rules

Software metering rules are rules that you can define to enable easy collection of software usage data
for the computers in your network.

Prerequisites

You must know the following information before you add rules:

1. File name
2. Original file name
3. Product name
4. File version

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To find out the information mentioned above, follow the steps given below:

Assume that you have to find the file name, original file name, product name
and version of Adobe Media Player.

1. Click start
2. Point to Programs>Adobe
3. Right-click Adobe Device Central CS5 and click Properties
4. In the Shortcut tab, click Find Target

The name of the target is the file name. Refer to Figure 1: Target .exe file for
Adobe Device Central CS5. If the Find Target option is not available, locate
where the .exe file of the application is stored and follow the steps given
below.

Figure 1: File Name

5. Right-click on the target .exe file and click Properties


6. Click the Version tab
7. In the Item name list, click each of the following names to get information about them:

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1. Original file name
2. Product name
3. File version

Figure 2: Original file name, Product name and Version

8. Click OK

You now have the required information to add rules.

Adding Rules

You are required to add rules to monitor the usage details of specific software applications. To add
rules, follow the steps given below:

1. Click Inventory
2. In the Actions/Settings section, click Software Metering
3. Click Add Rules
4. Click Select Software
5. Select the required software application
6. Click Select
7. Enter a name for the rule

The name you enter for the rule should be unique and descriptive. For
example, if you have selected Adobe Flash Player, you can enter Monitoring
Adobe Flash Player Usage as the name of the rule. Once you have used this
name, you cannot use it as a name for any other rule.

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9. Enter the following:
10. File name
11. Original file name
12. Product name
13. Version

Refer to the section about prerequisites for more information.

10. Enter comments (if required)


11. Click Save

You have added a rule for a software application.

By default, the software metering rule is enabled. You can disable, edit or delete the rule by using the
icons in the Action column. You can also disable, edit or delete more than one software metering rule
simultaneously by using the respective buttons provided.

You cannot add software metering rules for groups of software.

Predefined Rules

In Software Metering there are certain predefined rules available. These rules are used to
automatically assign rules to software applications that are commonly monitored. For example, if you
monitor the Microsoft Office Suite in all the computers in your network to keep a track of license
information, it will be added automatically to the list of software metering rules. Rules will be created
for all the software applications that comprise the Microsoft Office Suite.

Software Usage Statistics

It is important to monitor software usage statistics and record them. This information will help you
make an informed decision when you want to buy new software applications or renew licenses for
existing software applications. Desktop Central provides information about all the software
applications installed in your network.

The software usage information is gathered from the metering rules that you create for software
applications.

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Viewing software usage information

To view software usage information gathered from software metering rules, follow the steps given
below:

1. Click the Reports tab


2. In the Reports Category, click Inventory Reports
3. In the Software Reports section, click Application Metering Rules Summary
4. You can see the following information:
5. Name of the software metering rule
6. Name of the file
7. Discovered count: This refers to the number of computers that the agent finds the software
application installed in. For example, if you have installed Adobe Dreamweaver on 500
computers, but 300 computers are not available (because they are shut down) when the
agent is scanning the network. The agent will detect the Adobe Dreamweaver software
application only in 200 computers. Hence, the discovered count is 200. This information gets
updated everyday at 12:00 a.m.
8. Usage count: This refers to the number of times a software application is used (opened and
closed) in all the computers that are being monitored for software usage in your network. For
example, if Mozilla Firefox is installed in 300 computers and each of the 300 users uses
Mozilla Firefox 10 times a day for 5 working days, the usage count of Mozilla Firefox, for all
the computers, will be 15000.

You can view the usage details for individual computers and individual
software applications which belong to a group, in the Software Details page.
To view the details, click on either the name of the software or the discovered
count.

1. Duration of usage: This refers to information about how long a software application has been
used. This is measured in hours.

5. Click on the discovered count number to view the details of a software metering rule for
specific computers.

Use this report instead of the report Software Usage by Computer for detailed
information about software usage in the computers in your network.

You can now view software usage information gathered from software metering rules.

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Viewing Computer Details

The Computers view provides the details of the computers and their operating systems.

To view the computers, select the Inventory tab and click the Computers link. It also provides a
graphical representation of the computers by their operating systems. The table below provides the
following details of the computers:

1. Computer Name: The DNS name of the computer


2. Operating system: The operating system of the computer
3. Service Pack: The service pack version of the operating system
4. Version: The operating system version.
5. Virtual Memory: Total virtual memory in kilobytes.
6. Free Virtual Memory:Total virtual memory in kilobytes that is currently unused and available.
7. Visible Virtual Memory:Total physical memory that is available to the operating system.
8. Free Visible Memory: Total physical memory that is currently unused and available.

You can use the Column Chooser to select the columns to view.

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Viewing Hardware Details

The Hardware view provides the details of the hardware detected in the scanned systems.

To view the hardware details, select the Inventory tab and click the Hardware link. It provides the
following details:

1. Hardware Name: Name of the hardware device.


2. Hardware Type: Type of the hardware like processor, keyboard, port, etc.
3. Manufacturer: Name of the manufacturer of that hardware device.
4. Number of Items: Total number of items available in the scanned system. To get the details
of number of copies available in each system, click the number of items.

You can use the Column Chooser to select the columns to view.

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Viewing Software Details

The Software Inventory view provides the details of the software detected in the scanned systems.

To view the software inventory details, select the Inventory tab and click the Software link. You can
filter the view by Software Type, Access Type, or License Compliance status using the Filter option. It
provides the following details:

1. Software Name: Name of the software.


2. Version: The version of the software.
3. Software Type: Can be either commercial or non-commercial. Use the Move To option to
specify the software type.
4. Purchased: Number of copies purchased. This information has to be provided by clicking the
Add / Modify License button or from Manage Software Licenses.
5. Installed: Number of copies installed.
6. Remaining: Number of licenses remaining.
7. Compliant Status: The license compliance status of the software. The status is arrived
based on the license count specified using the Add / Modify License button or from Manage
Software Licenses and is not applicable for non-commercial software.
8. Access Type: Can be either Allowed or Prohibited. To add/remove software to the prohibited
links, use the Move To option or from Configure Prohibited Software.
9. Vendor: The software vendor.
10. Licensed To: Refers to the person or the company to whom the software is licensed.
11. Purchased Date: Date of purchase of license.
12. License Expiry Date: Date of license expiry.
13. Remarks: Remarks, if any.

You can use the Column Chooser to select the columns to view.

To Add License Details

1. Select the software from the table and click Add/Modify License. This opens the Add /
Modify License view.
2. The manufacturer and the software version details are pre-filled and cannot be modified.
3. Specify the number of licenses purchased.
4. Specify the purchase and expiry date in the respective fields (optional).
5. Click Add License.

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To Specify Software and Access Type

1. Select the software from the table and choose the access or the software type from the Move
To combo box. You can select multiple software and choose the required option.
2. Click OK to confirm.

To Assign Software to a specific Category

1. Select the software from the table and choose a category from the Assign To Category
combo box. You can select multiple software and assign them to a category.
2. Click OK to confirm.

Note: When you assign a software that was earlier assigned to a different category to a new category,
it gets automatically disassociated from the previous category. This means that you cannot have the
same software in two different categories simultaneously.

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Viewing Inventory Alerts

Desktop Central generates Email Alerts to notify the following:

1. When a new hardware is detected in the network


2. When a new software is detected in the network
3. Non Compliance of software licensing policy, i.e., the license is inadequate and have to
purchase more licenses to be compliant
4. When a prohibited software is detected in the network.

Based on the alert configuration, alerts are generated. You can view the alerts selecting the
Inventory tab and clicking the Alerts link from the left pane.

You can filter the view based on the Alert Type, which can be any of the following:

1. Hardware Added
2. Hardware Removed
3. Allowed Software Installed
4. Allowed Software Uninstalled
5. Prohibited Software Installed
6. Prohibited Software uninstalled
7. Software Under-Licensed
8. License Expired
9. Prohibited Software Identified
10. New Computer Identified

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Viewing Inventory Reports

Desktop Central provides various out-of-the-box inventory reports to view the software and hardware
inventory details of the systems in the network. It also provides reports for verifying the license
compliance and software metering.

• Hardware Inventory Reports


• Software Inventory Reports
• Software Compliance Reports
• System Details Reports
• Warranty Reports

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Hardware Inventory Reports

1. Computers by OS
2. Computers by Manufacturer
3. Computers by Memory
4. Computers by Age
5. Computers by Device Type
6. Computer by Disk Usage

Computers by OS

Provides the details of the computers by their operating system. A graphical representation of the
computers summary is also provided. Clicking a specific computer from the report provides more
detailed information about the hardware and software details along with their usage metrics. From the
computer details view, you can also establish a remote connection to the computer by clicking the
Connect button

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Computers by OS link available under
Hardware Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Computers by Manufacturer

Provides the details of the computers by their manufacturer. A graphical representation of the
computers summary is also provided. Clicking a specific computer from the report provides more
detailed information about the hardware and software details along with their usage metrics. From the
computer details view, you can also establish a remote connection to the computer by clicking the
Connect button

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Computers by Manufacturer link
available under Hardware Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Computers by Memory

Provides the details of the computers by their RAM size. A graphical representation of the computers
summary is also provided. Clicking a specific computer from the report provides more detailed
information about the hardware and software details along with their usage metrics. From the
computer details view, you can also establish a remote connection to the computer by clicking the
Connect button
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To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Computers by Memory link available
under Hardware Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Computers by Age

Provides the details of the computers by their year of manufacturing. A graphical representation of the
computers summary is also provided. Clicking a specific computer from the report provides more
detailed information about the hardware and software details along with their usage metrics. From the
computer details view, you can also establish a remote connection to the computer by clicking the
Connect button

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Computers by Age link available under
Hardware Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Computers by Device Type

Provides the details of the computers based on their type like, Laptop, Portable, Desktop etc. Clicking
a specific computer from the report provides more detailed information about the hardware and
software details along with their usage metrics. From the computer details view, you can also
establish a remote connection to the computer by clicking the Connect button

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Computers by Device Type link
available under Hardware Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Computer by Disk Usage

Provides the details of the computers along with their total and free hard disk space. You can filter the
view by domain ot by specifying the disk usage criteria. Clicking a specific computer from the report
provides more detailed information about the hardware and software details along with their usage
metrics. From the computer details view, you can also establish a remote connection to the computer
by clicking the Connect button

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Computer by Disk Usage link available
under Hardware Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

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Software Inventory Reports

• Software by Manufacturer
• Recently Installed Software
• Prohibited Software
• Software Usage by Computer
• Software Product Keys
• Computers with/without a specific Software
• Software Metering

Software by Manufacturer

Provides the details of the software installed in the scanned systems based on their vendors along
with the total number of copies installed. Clicking the copies count will show the computers that have
the software installed. You can filter the view by selecting a vendor from the combo box.

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Software by Manufacturer link available
under Software Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Recently Installed Software

Provides the list of software installed recently. You can choose to select a pre defined period or
provide a custom period to get the software list.

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Recently Installed Software link
available under Software Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Prohibited Software

Provides the list of prohibited software detected in the network.

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Prohibited Software link available under
Software Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

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Software Usage by Computer

Provides the list of software and their usage statistics in individual computers.

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Software Usage by Computer link
available under Software Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Software Product Keys

Provides the list of Product Keys that were used for installing the software. The Product Keys can be
identified for the following software:

1. Adobe Photoshop
2. Macromedia Dreamweaver
3. Macromedia Flash
4. Microsoft Office
5. Microsoft SQL Server
6. Microsoft Visual Studio

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Software Product Keys link available
under Software Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Computers with/without a specific Software

Displays the list of Computers that have/do not have a particular software installed on them. You have
the flexibility to extract the list based on inputs like, Exact Match of the Software Name specified (or)
just a part of the Software Name, etc. Say for example: For an exact match, you specify MS Word and
select "Equal" in the Software Name filter. And if you want to identify all the computers that have any
of the Microsoft Products, you can simply select the "Like" filter and specify Microsoft in the Software
Name field.

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Computers with/without a specific
Software link available under Software Reports category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory
Reports

Software Metering

For every Software Metering Rule that you have defined, the Software Metering report will provide the
summary of the usage statistics like the number of computers which have this software installed, the
usage count of this software and the total usage in hours. You can click on the computers count to get
the usage statistics on the individual computers where this software is installed.

To view the report, select Inventory --> Inventory Reports --> Software Metering
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License Compliance Reports

1. License Compliance Report


2. Licenses to be Renewed

License Compliance Report

Provides the details of the commercial software with their license compliance status. The license
compliance status id determined based on the input provided in the Manage Software Licenses.

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the License Compliance Report link by
hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Licenses to be Renewed

Provides the list of software whose licenses have to be renewed shortly. You can choose the time
period from the combo box. You can also view the licenses that has already expired by selecting the
appropriate option.

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Licenses to be Renewed link by
hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

Viewing System Details Reports

• Local Group Members


• Computers by Services

Local Group Members

This reports will give you the list of local user accounts available in the computers of the selected
domain. By default, this will list the all the computers with group name as Administrator. You can filter
the view by selecting the domain or a custom group and choose the group to view their details.

To view the report, select the Inventory tab and choose the Local Group Members link available
under System Details category by hovering the mouse over the Inventory Reports

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Computers by Services

This report provides you with the list of computers that has a particular Windows Service running. You
can choose the service, its start mode and state and click Generate Report to get the list of computers
running that particular service.

To view the report, select Inventory tab --> Inventory Reports --> Computers by Services.

Viewing Warranty Reports

Desktop Central automatically retrieves the warranty information of Dell, HP, Toshiba and Lenova
computers and provides you the details of the computers whose warranty is about to expire or whose
warranty has already expired, etc. While Dell, Toshiba and Lenova computers require no additional
information other than their service tag, HP computers require the Product Number to retrieve the
warranty information from the vendor. To specify the Product Number of HP computers, follow the
steps below:

1. Select Admin --> Feed Custom Data for Computers


2. Choose the HP computers from this list and click the edit link available beside it.
3. Specify the Product Number of the computer in the respective field and save.

1. Do not specify the Shipping and Expiry date yourself. Specifying this will stop
automatic warranty check and all the warranty reports will be based on this expiry
date you specify here.
2. You can also import the product numbers in bulk using the Import from CSV option

For computers other than HP, Toshiba, Dell and Lenova, you can specify the shipping and expiry
information manually here to get warranty information in reports.

Soon-to-expire Warranty

Provides you the details of the computers whose warranty is about to expire soon. You can filter the
view to choose the Domain, Custom Group and expiry period.

Expired Warranty

Provides the list of computers whose warranty has already expired

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Unidentified Computers

Computers whose warranty information could not be retrieved or for those whose expiry information
has not been specified manually will be listed here.

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Windows Tools

Desktop Central provides various windows tools that can be run on the network system
simultaneously. This section guides you through the purpose and the process of accessing these
tools. The Windows Tools include the following:

• System Tools
• Remote Desktop Sharing
• Wake on LAN Tool
• Remote Shutdown Tool
• Chat

To access these tools, select the Tools tab from the Desktop Central Client and click on the
respective tool.

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System Tools

Windows System Tools

Desktop Central provides various system tools, such as Disk Cleaner, Disk Checker, and Disk
Defragmenter, that can be run on the multiple computers simultaneously. This section guides you
through the process of creating and scheduling tasks to run these tools and to view the status history
of the tasks that are executed. Follow the links to learn more:

1. Creating and Scheduling Tasks


2. Viewing and Modifying the Tasks
3. Viewing the Task History

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Creating and Scheduling Tasks

To create and schedule a task to run the Windows system tools in multiple computers, follow the
steps below:

1. Select the Tools tab from the Desktop Central client. This opens the list of tools that can be
run on the network machines.
2. Click on any of the tools under the System Tools category to open the Task Details page.
This lists all the tasks that are already created and scheduled. Click the Add Task button to
create a new task. This opens the Add Task Wizard and follow the instructions as explained
below:

Step 1: Define Task

1. Provide a name and description for the task.


2. Select the tools that you wish to run and click Next.
3. Based on the tool selection, specify the options for executing the task as below:
1. Check Disk: Select the drive that has to be checked and the required options and
click Next. You can select from any of the following options:
1. Verbose - Displays the name of each file in every directory as the disk is
checked.
2. Quick Check - This option is only available for NTFS file system. This skips
the checking of cycles within the folder structure and performs a less
vigorous check of index entries to reduce the time.
2. Disk Cleanup: Select the files and folders to be cleaned and click Next. The following
actions can be performed **
1. Compress old files - Windows can compress files that you have not used in a
while. Compressing the files saves disk space while still enabling you to use
them. No files are deleted. Because files are compressed at different rates,
the displayed amount of disk space you will gain is approximate.
2. Remove content indexer - The Indexing service speeds up and improves file
searches by maintaining an index of the files on the disk. These files are left
over from a previous indexing operation and can be deleted safely.
3. Remove downloaded Program Files - Downloaded program files are ActiveX
controls and Java programs that are downloaded automatically from the
Internet when you view certain pages. They are temporarily stored in the
Downloaded Program Files folder on your hard disk.
4. Remove internet cache files - The Temporary Internet Files folder contains
Web pages that are stored on your hard disk for quick viewing. Your
personalized settings for Web pages are left intact.
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5. Remove Office setup files - Installation files used by office. If these files are
removed from your computer, you may be prompted for original installation
media or source during Reinstall, Repair, or Patch operation. It is
recommended that you not remove these files unless you always have ready
access to your installation media
6. Remove offline files - Temporary files are local copies of network files that
you specifically made available offline so that you can use them when you
are disconnected from the network.
7. Remove old check disk files - When Chkdsk checks your disk for errors, it
might save lost file fragments as files in your disk's root folder. These files are
unnecessary and can be removed.
8. Empty recycle bin - The Recycle Bin contains files you have deleted from
your computer. These files are not permanently removed until you empty the
Recycle Bin.
9. Remove Temporary files - Programs sometimes store temporary information
in a Temp folder. Before a program quits, it usually deletes this information.
You can safely delete temporary files that have not been modified in over a
week.
10. Remove temporary offline files - Temporary offline files are local copies of
recently used network files that are automatically cached for you so that you
can use them when you are disconnected from the network.
11. Remove Active Setup Temp Folders
12. Remove memory dump files
13. Remove remote desktop cache files
14. Remove setup log files
15. Remove old system restore positions.
16. Remove web pages
17. Remove uninstall backup images
18. Remove webclient and web publisher cache files
3. Disk Defragmenter: Select the drive that has to be defragmented and the required
options and click Next. Seelct from the following options:
1. Verbose: Displays the complete analysis and defragmentation reports
2. Analyze: Analyzes the volume and displays a summary of the analysis report.
3. Force Defragmentation: Forces defragmentation of the drive regardless of
whether it needs to be defragmented.

Step 2: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the tasks.

Step 3: Define Scheduler

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Specify the following scheduling options:

Parameter Description
Run As* The name of the user as whom the task will be run. Click
the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to
this parameter, for example,
$DomainName\$DomainUserName or
$ComputerName\$DomainUserName.
Password The password of the user.
Confirm Password Confirm the password again.
Perform this task* Specify the time to perform the task. You can select from
the following options:

1. Daily: To run the task daily. Specify the time and


duration to run the task.
2. Weekly: To run the task on specific day(s) in a
week. Specify the time, start date, and days on
which the task has to be run.
3. Monthly: To run the task specific day every
month(s). You need to specify starting time,
select a day and select a month/months.
4. Once: To run the task only once. You need to
specify the date and time.
5. At System Startup: To run the task when the
system is started.
6. At Logon: To run the task during the user logon.
7. When Idle: To run the task when the system is
idle for the specified time.

Advanced Settings
General 1. Enabled: Select this option to run the task at the
specified time.
2. Run only when logged on: Select this option to
run the task only when the user has logged on.

Scheduled Task Completed 1. Delete the task if it is not scheduled to run again:
Select this option to delete the task when it is no
longer scheduled.
2. Stop Task: Select this option and specify the

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duration after which the task will be stopped.

Idle Time Select the required options:

1. Specify the duration,the system has to be idle


before starting a task.
2. Stop the task if the computer ceases to be idle

Power Management Select the required options:

1. Don't start the task if the computer is running on


batteries
2. Stop the task if battery mode begins
3. Wake the computer to run this task

Step 4: Deploy the Task

Click the Deploy button to deploy the task in the defined targets. The tasks will be run at the
scheduled time and interval. The status of the tasks and its execution history can be verified from the
Task Details page. Refer to the Viewing the Task History topic for details.

See Also: Viewing and Modifying the Tasks, Viewing Task History, Disk Defragmenter, Check Disk,
Disk Cleanup

**The descriptions of various file types in Disk Cleanup are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Viewing and Modifying the Tasks

Desktop Central allows creating multiple tasks that can be created to run various actions on different
target computers at different intervals. You can view the tasks that are created by following the steps
below:

1. Select the Tools tab from the Desktop Central client. This opens the list of tools that can be
run on the computers.
2. Click on any of the tools under the System Tools category to open the Task Details page.
This lists all the tasks that are already created and scheduled.
3. To modify a task,
1. Click the icon from the Actions column of the corresponding task.
2. This opens the Modify Configuration Wizard. You can add/remove tools, change the
tool options, the target systems, and the scheduled time as required.
3. Click Deploy to effect the changes.
4. To Delete a task, click the icon from the Actions column of the corresponding task.

See Also: Creating and Scheduling Tasks, Viewing Task History, Disk Defragmenter, Check Disk,
Disk Cleanup

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Viewing Task History

Desktop Central provides the details of the tasks executed on the target devices and the access logs
of the tool execution.

Viewing Last Execution Status

1. Select the Tools tab from the Desktop Central client. This opens the list of tools that can be
run on the network machines.
2. Click on any of the tools under the System Tools category to open the Task Details page.
This lists all the tasks that are already created and scheduled.
3. Click on a task to view the details, such as the systems in which the task is executed, the last
execution time, and the status of the task execution. Clicking the status will provide the
access log of the performed task.

Viewing Task Execution History

1. Select the Tools tab from the Desktop Central client. This opens the list of tools that can be
run on the network machines.
2. Click on any of the tools under the System Tools category to open the Task Details page.
This lists all the tasks that are already created and scheduled.
3. To view the history of the task executed on a specific system, click the computer name. This
will provide the history of the task execution on that computer along with the status on each
execution. Clicking the status will provide the access log pertaining to that execution.

See Also: Creating and Scheduling Tasks, Viewing and Modifying the Tasks, Disk Defragmenter,
Check Disk, Disk Cleanup

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Remote Desktop Sharing

The Remote Desktop Sharing feature in Desktop Central enables administrators to access remote
computers in a network. This Web-based feature enables you to access computers in both Local Area
Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN).

Read the following sections to learn more about the Remote Desktop Sharing feature:

1. Prerequisites
2. Making required settings
3. Connecting to remote computers
4. Transferring files
5. Troubleshooting tips

Advantages

The advantages of using the Remote Desktop Sharing feature are as follows:

1. Does not require authentication to gain access to a remote computer


2. Supports viewing and accessing remote computers using Active X and Java Plug-ins
3. Enables administrators to prompt users for confirmation before providing access to a remote
desktop

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Prerequisites for Sharing Computers Remotely

You can access computers of remote computers, in a Local Area Network (LAN) or in a Wide Area
Network (WAN), to complete various tasks. For example, you can remotely access a computer to

Ensure that the following prerequisites are met before you access computers remotely. You must do
the following:

1. Configure controls in the browser you are using


2. Open the required ports
3. Configure settings to share computers remotely

Configuring Controls in Your Browser

You are required to configure certain controls in your browser before connecting remotely to a
computer. For example, if you are using an ActiveX viewer, in Mozilla Firefox, to view the remote
computer, you must install Java Plug-ins in the browser you are using.

Ensure that you configure controls only in the browser from where a remote
connection is being established.

Configuring ActiveX Controls in Internet Explorer

You must configure ActiveX controls when using Internet Explorer to connect to computers
remotely.

To configure ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer, you must make the following settings for
your Web content zone:

1. Specify custom security settings


2. Set the security level

Specifying Custom Security Settings

To specify custom security settings for your local intranet, follow the steps given below:

1. Open Internet Explorer


2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options
3. Click the Security tab

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4. In the required Web content zone icon

For example, if the remote computer and the Desktop Central server are both
in the local intranet, you must configure the following settings for the local
intranet.

5. Click Custom Level


6. In the Settings section, under ActiveX controls and plug-ins, click Enable
or Prompt in the following sections:
1. Download signed ActiveX controls
2. Download unsigned ActiveX controls
3. Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins
4. Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting
7. Click OK to save the security settings you made
8. Click OK to close the Internet Options property sheet

You have enabled ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer

Setting Security Levels

To set the security level, follow the steps given below:

1. Open Internet Explorer


2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options
3. Click the Security tab
4. Select Local intranet
5. Click Default Level
6. Set the security level to either one of the following:
1. Medium
2. Medium-Low
3. Low
7. Click to enable the following
1. ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting
2. Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins
3. Download signed ActiveX controls
4. Download unsigned ActiveX controls
8. Click Apply to apply the option you have set the security level to
9. Click OK to close the Internet Options property sheet

You have set the security level for your local intranet.

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Configuring Mozilla Firefox or Flock to Install Desktop Central Add-ons

Before you use either Mozilla Firefox or Flock to establish a connection with a computer
remotely, you must configure the browser settings to allow you to install Desktop Central add-
ons in it.

To configure Mozilla Firefox or Flock to enable you to install Desktop Central add-ons in it,
follow the steps given below:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options


2. Click the Security tab
3. Enable the Warn me when sites try to install add-ons option
4. Click Exceptions
5. In the Allowed Sites section, add the name or the IP Address of the machine where
the Desktop Central server is installed
6. Click Allow
7. Click Close
8. Click OK to close the Options property sheet

You have configured Mozilla Firefox or Flock to enable installation of Desktop Central add-ons.
Now you can install the required Desktop Central add-on. When you've installed the required
add-ons, you can connect remotely to computers.

Installing Java Plug-ins in Browsers

You must install Java plug-ins when you want to:

1. Use the Java viewer to connect remotely to a computer from a browser


2. Use the ActiveX viewer in Mozilla Firefox or Flock to connect to a remote computer

If Java plug-ins are already installed, the connection is automatically established. However, if
the required Java plug-ins are not installed, you will be prompted to download and install them
to connect to a remote computer.

You can download and install Java plug-ins from


http://java.sun.com/products/plugin. You may have to restart the browser after
installing the plug-ins.

Opening Required Ports

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You must open relevant ports in the firewall in the Desktop Central server, when you want to do the
following remotely:

1. Control computers
2. Transfer files

If there is a third-party firewall between the Desktop Central server and the
remote computer, you must open port number 8443.

Opening Ports to Control Computers Remotely

You must open the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port 8443 in the computer where the
Desktop Central server is installed. If you are using the Windows firewall, follow the steps
below to add this port to the exception list:

(If you are using Windows XP or older versions, follow the steps mentioned below)

1. Click start>Settings>Control Panel


2. Double-click Windows Firewall
3. Click the Exceptions tab
4. Click Add Port
5. Enter a name for the port
6. Enter 8443 in the Port number box
7. Click TCP
8. Click OK

(If you are using Windows Vista, follow the steps mentioned below)

1. Click Start> Control Panel> Windows Firewall


2. Select Allow a program through Windows Firewall
3. Click Continue in the window that pops up which will open the Windows Firewall Settings
Page
4. click on Add Port
5. Enter Port name
6. Port number as 8443 for http and 8444 for https connection
7. Specify Protocol type as TCP
8. click Ok to save the settings.

(If you are using Windows 7, follow the steps mentioned below)

1. Click start> Control Panel> Windows Firewall


2. Click on Inbound Rules in the select New Rule under Actions. A new window pops up.
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3. Select the rule type as Port and click Next
4. Select the Protocol and Ports as TCP
5. Select Specific Local Ports Enter port # 8443 for http connection / 8444 for https
connection
6. Specify the action type as Allow connection / Allow Secure Connection
7. Specify the profile type as per your requirement.
8. Enter Name and Description
9. Click Finish to Save

You have opened the port required to control computers remotely.

Opening Ports to Transfer Files Remotely

The following list gives you the port numbers that you must open to transfer riles remotely.
These are categorized as follows:

For a secure mode of transfer

When you want to transfer files using a secure mode of transfer you must open
the following ports:

1. Gateway Port:8443
2. File Transfer Port: 8031

For a non-secure mode of transfer

When you do not want to transfer files using a secure mode of transfer you must
open the following ports

1. Gateway Port: 8444


2. File Transfer Port: 8032

Changing the mode of transfer

The default mode of transfer is the secure mode. However, to change the mode of
transfer to the non-secure mode, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control
3. Click the Settings tab
4. In the Port Settings section, uncheck the Use Secure Connection
checkbox

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You have changed the mode of transfer from a secure connection to a non-secure
connection.

Configuring Remote Desktop Settings

You can configure the following settings in Desktop Central before you connect and control a remote
computer:

1. Port-related settings
2. Compression settings
3. Prompt settings
4. General settings

Features of the Remote Desktop Settings

The table given below enables you to understand when to use each of the settings given in the
Settings tab for Remote Desktop Sharing:

S.No. Section Option Description


1 General
Settings Viewer Type This enables you to choose the viewer you
want to use to view the computer that you
access remotely. You can choose either an
ActiveX viewer or a Java viewer.
Notify users upon Use this option when you want to notify your
sharing users that the administrator has connected
remotely to their computer.
Disable Wallpaper Use this option to disable the wallpaper (set
during Remote by the user) during a remote connection.
Connection
Disable Aero Theme Use this option to disable the Aero theme
during Remote during a remote connection. This is only
Connection applicable for computers that have the
Microsoft Windows Vista operating system
(and later versions) installed in them.
Log the reason for Use this option to ensure that the
remote connection administrator enters a reason while
connecting remotely to a computer.
Blacken the monitor Use this option to blacken the monitor of the
of the client user during a remote connection. This
computer during ensures that the user does not see the
remote connection changes that are made by the administrator.

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S.No. Section Option Description
Lock the keyboard Use this option when you want to take full
and the mouse of the control of the user's computer to complete a
client computer task.
during remote
administration
2 Port Settings Use secure This ensures that you use a secure
connection connection when connecting to a user's
computer remotely
3 Compression Fast Use this option, when you want the
Settings rendering to be faster. The compression ratio
will be lower and will consume higher
bandwidth comparatively.
Best Use this option, when you want to optimize
bandwidth utilization. The compression ratio
will be higher and the User Interface (UI)
rendering will be comparatively slower.
4 Prompt Enable Prompt This option allows you to get confirmation
Settings from a user before connecting to their
computer. Only Desktop Central users with
administrative privileges can configure this
option.

1. If a user is logged in, Desktop


Central sends a remote-connection
confirmation request for the user's
approval. Remote connection is
established only if the user approves
the request within 30 seconds. If the
user does not approve the request
within 30 seconds, the remote
connection is not established
automatically.
2. If a user is not logged in, the remote
connection is established without
waiting for a confirmation from the
user.

Time out (in Use this option to set the amount of time you
seconds) want to give the user to approve the request
to allow a remote connection.
Prompt Message Enter the text that you want the user to see

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S.No. Section Option Description
when prompted for confirmation to allow
remote control.

To configure remote computer settings, follow the steps given below:

You must have administrator privileges to make the settings given below.

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control
3. Click the Settings tab
4. In the General Settings section, make the following settings:
5. Select the type of viewer

The viewer you choose will be the default option for all the users and they can
change it if required.

6. Check the required checkboxes


7. In the Port Settings section, check the Use Secure Connection checkbox
8. Enter 8443 and 8031 in the Gateway Port and File Transfer Port boxes, respectively

The port numbers that you specify should be opened in the firewall of the
computer where the Desktop Central server is installed.

9. In the Compression settings section, check the required options


10. Click Save Changes

You have configured the remote computer settings as required.

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Remote Desktop Sharing: Configuring Settings

You are required to configure the following settings before you connect to a remote computer:

1. General settings
2. User-confirmation settings
3. Screen Recording Settings
4. Performance settings
5. Idle Session Settings

General Settings

You can make general settings using the Settings tab to enable the option to:

1. Select the type of viewer you want to use to view the computer that you will access remotely.
You can choose either an ActiveX viewer or a Java viewer.
2. Notify users that you have connected remotely to their computer.
3. Disable the wallpaper set by the user during a remote connection.
4. Disable the Aero theme during a remote connection. This is only applicable for computers that
have the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, and later versions, installed in them.
5. Ensure that a reason is entered while connecting remotely to a computer.
6. Blacken the user's monitor during a remote connection. This ensures that the user does not
see the changes that are made by the administrator.
7. Lock the keyboard and the mouse of the client computer during remote administration. You
can use this option when you want to take full control of the user's computer to complete a
task.
8. Capture alpha-blending. This enables you to capture transparent windows.
9. View-only mode. You can only view remote computers using this mode. You cannot give any
inputs or make changes in the computer that you are viewing. You are required to disable the
following options to use the view-only mode:
1. Notify users upon sharing
2. Blacken the monitor of the client computer during a remote connection
3. Lock the keyboard and mouse of the client computer during a remote connection
4. Capture alpha-blending
5. User confirmation

Using Other Settings While Using the View-only Mode

This section comprises information about how other settings will work when the view-
only mode has been enabled:

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1. If you want to view a computer silently, ensure that all the other options like
locking a keyboard, capture alpha-blending, notifying a user and user
confirmation are disabled.
2. If the Make User Confirmation Permanent option is enabled, the view-only
mode option will be disabled automatically.

Configuring General Settings

To configure remote computer settings, follow the steps given below:

You must have administrator privileges to make the settings given below.

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control
3. Click the Settings tab
4. In the General Settings section, make the following settings:
5. Select the type of viewer

The viewer you choose will be the default option for all the users and they can
change it if required.

6. Check the required checkboxes


7. Click Save Changes

You have configured the general settings.

User-confirmation Settings

You can send users a message asking for permission to connect remotely to their computers. This
option allows you to get confirmation from a user before connecting to their computer. Only Desktop
Central users with administrative privileges can configure this option.

If a user is logged in, Desktop Central sends a remote-connection confirmation request for the user's
approval. Remote connection is established only if the user approves the request within 30 seconds. If
the user does not approve the request within 30 seconds, the remote connection is not established
automatically.

If a user is not logged in, the remote connection is established without waiting for a confirmation from
the user.

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You can also do the following:

1. Set the amount of time you want to give the user to approve the request to allow a remote
connection
2. Enter the text that you want the user to see when prompted for confirmation to allow remote
control
3. Check the Always Prompt checkbox to send a user-confirmation message to users even if
they have logged off or in locked state
4. Exclude computers from receiving a user-confirmation message

Making User Confirmation Permanent

One of the prerequisites required to comply with HIPAA is to protect user privacy. Therefore, it is
mandatory to get the approval of users before connecting remotely to their computers. Making user
confirmation permanent will ensure that you always get the user's consent before establishing a
remote connection.

If you choose to make user confirmation permanent you cannot revert the settings.

Using Other Settings After Making User Confirmation Permanent

This section comprises information about how other settings like Always Prompt and Exclude
Computers will work when user confirmation has been made permanent.

1. If you enable the Make User Confirmation Permanent option. All the computers in your
network will receive a user-confirmation message before a remote connection is established.
2. If you check the Exclude Computers checkbox after you have enabled the Make User
Confirmation Permanent option, the following actions will take place:
3.
1. All computers in your network will receive a user-confirmation message
2. Computers in the Exclude Computers list will not receive a user-confirmation
message
4. If you check the Always Prompt checkbox after you have enabled the Make User
Confirmation Permanent option, the following actions will take place:
1. All computers in your network will receive a user-confirmation message
2. Computers that are locked and users that have logged off will receive a user-
confirmation message
5. If you check both the Always Prompt and Exclude Computers checkbox after you have
enabled the Make User Confirmation Permanent option, the following actions will take
place:
1. All computers in your network will receive a user-confirmation message
2. Computers in the Exclude Computers list will not receive a user-confirmation
message
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3. Computers that are locked and users that have logged off will receive a user-
confirmation message

Steps

This section comprises steps required to do the following:

1. Configure user-confirmation settings


2. Exclude computers from receiving a user-confirmation message before a remote connection
is established

Configuring User-confirmation Settings

To configure user confirmation settings, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control
3. Click the User Confirmation tab
4. Check the User Confirmation checkbox

You can check the Always Prompt checkbox to send a user-confirmation


message to users even if they have logged off or in locked state.

5. Enter the amount of time you want to give the user, to approve the request to allow a
remote connection, in the Time-out box
6. Enter a customized message to display on the user's screen asking for approval for a
remote connection, in the Confirmation Message box
7. Click Save Changes

You have configured the user confirmation settings.

Excluding Computers

You can also exclude computers from receiving a user-confirmation message. When you
exclude computers from receiving user-confirmation messages, you can connect to them
immediately, without an approval from the user.

If you have made the user-confirmation option permanent, check the Exclude Computers
checkbox to ensure that the computers in the Exclude Computers list do not receive a user-
confirmation message before a connection is established.

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To exclude computers from receiving a user confirmation message requesting users to allow a
remote connection, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control
3. Click the User Confirmation tab
4. In the Exclude Computers section, click Add Computers
5. Filter computers as required. For example, you can filter the computers by domain
6. Select the computers that should not receive a confirmation message before you
connect remotely to them
7. Click OK

These settings will be effective only when you check the User Confirmation checkbox.

Screen Recording Settings

Screen recording enables you to record the entire remote control session that can be used for
auditing purposes. Given below are the operation performed when you have enabled screen
recording:

1. When you connect to a computer, the Desktop Central Agent on the computer to which you
connect will check for the available hard disk space for saving the video.
2. If sufficient space is available, the session and recording will start and a notification will be
displayed on the client computer that this session is being recorded (configurable)
3. After the session is completed, the recorded video is uploaded to the Desktop Central Server.
The recorded video is available under the History tab available within the Remote Control
tool.

To enable and configure Screen Recording, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control
3. Select the Screen Recording tab
4. Select the "Enable Screen Recording" check box and specify the following
1. Select the required Codec that have to be used for compression and decompression
of the video. If the selected Codec is not available on the remote computer, the
default codec will be used.
2. Chose the Frames per Second. The higher the frames per second will give you a
smooth mouse movements, while it also increases the size of the video. If it is just for
auditing purposes, it is better to leave it with the default value.
3. Choose the required color quality. Higher the color quality will gives broader range of
color depth, but also increases the size of the video.

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4. Specify the maximum storage size for the recorded videos. When the storage limit
exceeds, the previously recorded files are automatically deleted to free the space.
5. Specify what should be done when there is no enough space on the remote computer
when the session is in progress. You can either choose to stop the recording and
continue with the session or disconnect the session.
6. If you wish to notify the users that the remote control session is being recorded,
select the "Enable User Notification" checkbox and specify the message and
notification duration. If you want the notification be permanently displayed throughout
the session, select "Always show a notification when recording is in progress" option.

Performance Settings

You can configure the following performance settings to increase the performance of remote
connectivity:

1. Compression Settings

Compression settings include the following options:

1. Fast: Use this option, when you want the rendering to be faster. The
compression ratio will be lower and will consume higher bandwidth
comparatively.
2. Best: Use this option, when you want to optimize bandwidth utilization. The
compression ratio will be higher and the User Interface (UI) rendering will be
comparatively slower.

1. Color-quality Settings

Selecting an appropriate color-quality level enables you to use your bandwidth


effectively during a remote session. Lowering the level of the color quality will decrease
the consumption of your bandwidth. This will ensure effective bandwidth consumption.

Default Settings

The default settings for performance settings are as follows:

1. Compression Settings
1. For LAN (local offices): Fast
2. For WAN (remote offices):Best
2. Color Quality
1. For LAN (local offices): High (16 bit)
2. For WAN (remote offices):High (16 bit)
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Configuring Performance Settings

To configure performance settings, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control
3. Click the Performance tab
4. Click in the Action column against the name of the required computer
5. Select the required settings for the following from the dropdown boxes:

1. Compression
2. Color Quality

6. Click Save

You have configured the performance settings as required.

Idle Session Settings

You can enhance the security of remote control feature by using idle session time out feature. When
no actions are performed on the remote computer, the session is said be 'idle'. You can specify a
maximum time limit for the remote session to be idle. when the idle time limit exceeds the specified
time, the session gets disconnected and remote machine will be locked automatically. To configure
the idle session settings follow the steps mentioned below;

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Select Remote Control
3. Click Settings tab
4. Click the check box to enable Idle Session Settings
5. Specify the maximum time limit allowed for the remote session to be idle.
6. Specify the action that needs to be performed while the idle session exceeds the specified
time. Click to enable one of the below mentioned options;

• Disconnect the remote connection

• Disconnect and lock the remote connection


7. Click Save Changes.

You have configured the idle session settings successfully.

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Connecting to Remote Desktop

Desktop Central's Remote Control feature enables administrators to access any computer in a Local
Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network.

Ensure that you have completed these prerequisites and made the required settings before you
connect remotely to a computer.

Using this feature you can do the following:

1. Connect remotely to computers


2. Transfer files between computers
3. Switch between multiple monitors during a remote session

Connecting Remotely to Computers

To connect remotely to computers, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control

3. Click

You have connected remotely to a computer. You can use the View Desktop link to control the user's
computer.

When you are connecting to a remote desktop for the first time from a specific
system, you must log in to the system with local administrative privileges.
Subsequent connections from the same machine do not require this, as the
necessary ActiveX controls and plug-ins would have got downloaded.

Transferring Files Between Computers

To transfer files to remote computers, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. In the Windows Tools section, click Remote Control
3. Click Connect against the name of a computer to connect remotely to it
4. On the top of the remote-connection screen, click File Transfer
5. Select the required file from a folder from your computer
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6. Click to transfer it to a folder in the remote computer

You have transferred files to a remote computer.

Switching Between Multiple Monitors

When you establish a remote connection, Desktop Central automatically detects the monitors are
available and displays this information on the ActiveX tool bar. You can choose the monitor that you
want to view and can switch between the available monitors whenever you want, during the session.

To switch between multiple monitors during a remote session, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Control
3. On the Computers tab, in the Viewer section, select Active X.

Only the Active X viewer supports viewing multiple monitors during a remote
session.

4. In the Action column, against the computer that you want to connect to, click Connect
5. Click View Desktop

When Desktop Central detects multiple monitors, it automatically adds an icon


on the toolbar, which enables you to switch between multiple monitors. It is
known as the Multi Monitor icon. The primary monitor gets displayed by
default.

6. Click the Multi Monitor icon to switch between monitors

You can now switch between multiple monitors during a remote session.

Controlling a Remote Computer

After establishing connection with a remote desktop, you can complete the same tasks that you do
from any computer. For example, you can create and deploy a configuration. You can use the toolbar
to complete the following tasks:

Toolbar Icon Action


Send a Ctrl+Alt+Delete message to a remote computer
Refresh the current view. If the computer is locked or no user has logged on, you

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Toolbar Icon Action
are required to login
Switch between different applications in the remote computer
Black out a user's monitor so that the user cannot view the tasks that you are
completing on the the remote computer
Lock a user's keyboard and mouse
Unlock a user's keyboard and mouse
Gain control to access a user's computer
Give the control back to the user
Zoom in
Zoom out
Reset a view to its original size
Reset the size of the view so that it fits onto the screen
View a remote desktop in full screen mode

Read about known issues and limitations related to sharing desktops remotely,here.

Auditing Remote Access Details

Whenever a user establishes a remote connection using Desktop Central, all the events performed on
the remote computer are logged. Clicking the icon available beside the computer name will list all
the remote access made to that computer with the details of the user and the start/end time.

You can also view the history of all the remote connections that have been established, using Desktop
Central, in the History tab. The details that you can view are as follows:

1. Date on which the connection was made


2. User name of the user who made the connection
3. Name of the computer which was accessed
4. Time at which the connection was made
5. Duration for which the connection lasted
6. IP address of the viewer
7. Name of the domain from which the viewer logged on

Recording the Remote Session

Desktop Central has a unique facility to record the remote sessions, administrators can configure the
remote control settings like quality of the video, file format type,etc. During the video recording the
files are stored in the clients computer and at the end of the session, it will be uploaded to the
Desktop Central server. sessions are stored are To record the remote sessions follow the steps
mentioned below.
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1. Click the Tools tab
2. In the Windows Tools section, click Remote Control
3. Click on Screen Recording to configure the settings
4. To enable secure recording click on the check box.
5. Select the compressor code to specify the format of the video
6. Specify the frames to be captured every second, this helps determines the quality and the
size of the video.
7. Specify the colour quality and also the default storage capacity.
8. Choose the option to discontinue the recording or dis connect the remote session when the
client computer run out of space.
9. Specify whether the user needs to be notified about the recording process
10. Click on the check box to always show a notification while recording or specify the time for
notification.
11. Enter the notification message in the box displayed.
12. Click on save to store settings

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File Transfer

Desktop Central allows you to remotely access desktops and transfer files between them.The Remote
Desktop Sharing mechanism supports remote login to any desktop in your network by any user
account that has Remote Control privileges. Files can be transffered between computers via the
Active-X Viewer only. Java viewer is not supported at the moment.

File Transfer - Advantages

1. Files can be transferred between both the machines viz.,the one initiating the Remote Control
Session and that which is getting connected with.
2. Ability to transfer files across domains and workgroup machines.
3. The entire process is Fast, Reliable, and Secure.

File Transfer Ports

The following are the list of ports that need to opened in the Desktop Central Server to enable File
Transfer:

For Secure Mode:

1. Gateway Port : 8047


2. File Transfer Port : 8053

For Non Secure Mode

1. Gateway Port: 8048


2. File Transfer Port: 8054

Note: The default mode is Secure mode. However to select non-secure mode, click on the
Edit Settings link in the Remote Control page and simply uncheck the "Use Secure
Connection" checkbox under the Port Settings of Remote Control Settings page.

Follow the links to learn more:

1. Pre-requisites
2. Connecting to Remote Desktop
3. Troubleshooting Tips

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Troubleshooting Tips

1. I was able to connect to a desktop from remote, but nothing is visible?


2. I am getting an "Access Denied" error when I try to connect to a remote desktop.
3. On connecting to a remote desktop, "The specified service does not exist as an installed
service" error is shown.
4. When I select a desktop from the list, the status is always shown as not available, though the
system is up.
5. I am getting an "The system cannot find the file specified" error when I try to connect to a
remote desktop.
6. I was able to connect to a remote Desktop. But, the display is not proper.

1. I was able to connect to a desktop from remote, but nothing is visible?

Please check the following:

1. Whether you have enabled ActiveX controls in the browser from where a connection is
established. Refer to the Pre-requisites topic for details on configuration.
2. If you are connecting to a desktop for the first time, log in to the system as a local
administrator and connect. Subsequent connections from the same machine do not require
administrative privileges as the necessary ActiveX controls and plug-ins would have got
downloaded.

2. I am getting an "Access Denied" error when I try to connect to a remote desktop.

This error message is shown when the supplied credentials while defining the Scope of Management
(SoM) is invalid or changed.

3. On connecting to a remote desktop, "The specified service does not exist as an installed
service" error is shown.

This error message is shown when the Desktop Central Agent is not installed properly in the client
machine. To reinstall the agent, follow the steps below:

1. Click the SoM link from the Quick Links.


2. Select the machines in which the agent needs to be re-installed and click Install Agent.

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4. When I select a desktop from the list, the status is always shown as not available, though
the system is up.

This happens when the client machine has firewall enabled with the "Don't Allow Exceptions" option
selected. Disable the firewall to connect to that machine from remote.

5. I am getting an "The system cannot find the file specified" error when I try to connect to a
remote desktop.

This error message is shown when one of the required files has been deleted from the client machine.
Reinstall the agent as given below:

1. Click the SoM link from the Quick Links.


2. Select the machines in which the agent needs to be re-installed and click Install Agent.

6.I was able to connect to a remote Desktop. But, the display is not proper.

Try by changing the screen resolution using the Zoom in / Zoom Out icons.

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System Manager

System Manager is a tool that helps administrators to connect the task manager of remote
computers. This tool can be used only for computers running on Windows Operating System. This
enables system administrators to remotely manage and explore the managed computers. You can
explore any managed computer and view the tasks details and process which are running on the
computer. To view the task manager of a remote computer, follow the steps mentioned below;

1. Click Tools Tab


2. Click System Manager
3. Click Manage against the computer that you wanted view the remote task manager.

You can view the task manager of the remote computer which will be opened in a new
window. You can also export the task manager report as .pdf, .xls or .csv files.

Manage the Process of a remote computer

You can manage the process of remote computer by killing the process which are not required. Follow
the steps mentioned below:

1. Click Tools Tab


2. Click System Manager
3. Click Manage against the computer that you wanted view the remote task manager. You can
view the task manager of the remote computer which will be opened in a new window.
4. Click Process tab and choose the process you wanted to kill
5. Under Action click button to kill the process.
6. Click OK to confirm.

The process will be killed successfully.

Manage the Services of a remote computer

You can manage the process of remote computer by killing the process which are not required. Follow
the steps mentioned below:

1. Click Tools Tab


2. Click System Manager
3. Click Manage against the computer that you wanted view the remote task manager. You can
view the task manager of the remote computer which will be opened in a new window.
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4. Click Services tab and choose the service that you want to manage
5. Under Action choose the action that you wanted to perform like modifying the mode of the
service or to modify the status of the service.
6. Click OK to confirm.

The services can be managed successfully.

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Chat

The chat feature in Desktop Central enables administrators to communicate with any logged in user
within the network and remote locations. You can maintain the chat history of the chat
sessions. Read the following sections to learn more about the chat feature:

1. Prerequisites
2. Setting Up Chat
3. Initiate chat
4. Troubleshooting tips

Prerequisites

Desktop Central chat uses port # 8022 as a default port. Ensure that you follow the below mentioned
prerequisites before trying to connect a chat session.

• Port # 8022 should be open in the Desktop Central Server. If you want to change this port refer
this.
• Configure your browser to allow pop ups from Desktop Central. In case your web browser blocks
the Pop Up, then you will not be able to see the chat window even if the chat session is initiated
successfully.

Setting Up Chat

You can configure the chat history settings even before we initiate the chat session. Follow the steps
mentioned below to configure the chat history settings,

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Chat
3. Select History and click Chat History Settings
4. Enter the number of days for maintaining the chat history. If you choose last 30 days, chat
history will be stored only for the last 30 days and the previous chat history files will be
deleted.
5. Click Save.

Initiate Chat

To initiate the chat session, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Chat

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3. Select the name of the user and Click against the specific user name under Action.

Request to connect chat session will be initiated successfully. For more information refer
troubleshooting tips.

'User name' lists all the users who have currently logged in the computer. This list
will be refreshed every 90 minutes. In case of a user being logged on multiple
computers, then both the computers will be listed against the user name
from which you can choose to initiate the chat session.

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Troubleshooting Tips

Questions about Chat

1. How to change the Port numbers used by chat.


2. What do you mean by 'Agent is not reachable'?
3. What do you mean by Chat Connection Timed out?
4. I am unable to view a chat window inspite of chat session successfully initiated, why?
5. How often will the list of user names be refreshed?

Changing the port numbers in the Desktop Central server

To change the port number after the Desktop Central server is installed, follow the steps given below:

1. Stop the Desktop Central server.


a. Click start
b. Point to Programs>ManageEngine Desktop Central
c. Click Stop DesktopCentral
2. Open the websettings.conf located in <Install_Dir>\DesktopCentral_Server\conf. For example,
C:\Program Files\DesktopCentral_Server\conf.
3. Change the port numbers of the following key with the required values:
1. httpnio.port
4. Save the file and close it
5. Start the Desktop Central server.
. Click start
a. Point to Programs>ManageEngine Desktop Central
b. Click Start DesktopCentral

You can now connect the chat sessions, using the Desktop Central server.

Agent is Not Reachable

You might get this error message when you try to connect a chat session. Following are the
scenarios when a agent cannot be reached.

 Computer is in hibernate mode.


 Computer is in standby mode.
 Computer is shutdown.
 Computer is disconnected from the network.
 Communication cannot be established between the agent and the server.

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Connection Timed Out

 You will receive the 'chat connection time out' error message if the chat request session has
exceeded the maximum time limit of one minute. In such cases you can retry to initiate the
chat session.

Chat Session successfully initiated but unable to see a chat window

 While initiating a chat session, if the chat session has been initiated successfully but you are
still unable to view the chat window. In such cases your web browser might block the Pop Up,
so ensure that your browser allows Pop Up from Desktop Central.

How frequently will the list of Online Users be updated?

The list of user names will be refreshed in three scenarios as specified below.

 During 90 minutes refresh interval while the agent communicates with the server.
 During every user log on if it is configured in the User Logon Settings.
 During every user logoff.

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Wake on LAN

1. Creating and Scheduling Wake on LAN Tasks


2. Viewing and Modifying Wake on LAN Tasks
3. Viewing Wake on LAN Task Status
4. Configuring Wake on LAN

The Wake on LAN Tool of Desktop Central helps to schedule booting of systems in the Windows
Network remotely. It allows you to create different task to group the computers and specify a time to
boot the machines in that task.

Creating and Scheduling Wake on LAN Tasks

To create a Wake on LAN task, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Define Task

1. Select the Tools tab from the Desktop Central client. This opens the list of
tools that can be run on the network machines.
2. Click the Wake on LAN tool listed under the Windows Tools category to open
the task details page. This will list all the Wake on LAN tasks that have been
created.
3. Click the Schedule Wake Up button to create a new task and specify the
following:
1. Provide a name of the task
2. Choose the speed for the Wake on LAN task. Depending upon the
selected speed, Desktop Central allocates more threads to complete
the task.
3. Waiting time after wake up: Specify the time in minutes after which
the status gets updated in the Desktop Central client.
4. Verify the computers already powered up before waking up: Select
this option, if you wish to check the status before attempting to boot
the machine.
5. Use broadcast to wake up computers: Desktop Central supports
sending both unicast and broadcast packets to boot the machines.
When this option is not selected, Desktop Central first sends an
unicast WOL packet to the machine to boot and check whether the

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machine is booted. If this fails, it broadcasts the WOL packet in the
whole subnet.
6. Resolve IP Address on each schedule: Select this option to resolve
the IP Addresses of the machines during every schedule.

Step 2: Select Computers

1. Click Add Computers button to choose the computers for this task.
The selected computers gets added to the table below.
2. Broadcasting of the WOL packtes is based on the subnet address of
the computers. If the subnet address is blank of if it is incorrect, the
task may fail. You can either click the icon and update the subnet
address and Mac Address manually for individual computers ate
select the computers in the same subnet and use the Set Subnet
Address button to update the Subnet Address of multiple computers.

Step 3: Define Scheduler

1. Once: To run the task only once. You need to specify the date and time.
2. Daily: To run the task daily. Specify the time and duration to run the task.
3. Weekly: To run the task on specific day(s) in a week. Specify the time, start
date, and days on which the task has to be run.
4. Monthly: To run the task specific day every month(s). You need to specify
starting time, select a day and select a month/months.

Step 4: Deploy Task

Click the Submit button to deploy this task. The tasks will be run at the scheduled
time and interval. The status of the tasks and its execution history can be verified
from the Task Details page.

Viewing and Modifying Wake on LAN Tasks

To view the Wake on LAN tasks that have been created, follow the steps below:

1. Select the Tools tab from the Desktop Central client. This opens the list of tools that can be
run on the computers.
2. Click the Wake on LAN tool listed under the Windows Tools category to open the task details
page. This lists all the tasks that are already created and scheduled.
3. To modify a task,
1. Click the icon from the Actions column of the corresponding task.

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2. This opens the Modify task page. You can add/remove computers, change the task
options, and the scheduled time as required.
3. Click Submit to effect the changes.
4. To Delete a task, click the icon from the Actions column of the corresponding task.

Viewing Wake on LAN Task Status

To View the status of the Wake on LAN tasks that have ben created, follow the steps below:

1. Select the Tools tab from the Desktop Central client. This opens the list of tools that can be
run on the computers.
2. Click the Wake on LAN tool listed under the Windows Tools category to open the task details
page. This lists all the tasks that are already created and scheduled.
3. Click the Task name to view the status of the computers in that task.
4. You can filter to view the details of the computers by status like Scheduled, Processing,
Success, and Failed.

Configuring Wake on LAN

BIOS Settings

The Wake-On-LAN functionality is generally disabled by default. The option to enable


Wake-On-LAN is different with each computer manufacturer. The most common
method adopted across different PC's are as follows:

1. During the computer’s power-on self-test enter the BIOS setting screen by
pressing the F1, INS, or DEL keys.
2. Select Power settings. Check for Power Up Control.
3. Enable settings related to Power Up on PCI card, LAN, or Network.
4. Click Save and exit the BIOS settings.

Operating System (OS) Settings

In some Windows OS, the drivers can enable the Wake ON LAN features of network
adapters. For example in Windows 2000, click Power Management tab and under the
Adapters properties, select the option Allow this device to bring the computer out
of standby.

Alternatively, you can also check the Advanced setting table for parameters related
to Wake on LAN and Waking on "Magic Packets" and enable them.

Wake-On-LAN (WOL) Cable


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For Wake On LAN to work on computers with older PCI busses, a WOL cable must
be installed between the Network Card and the Motherboard. Because this requires
opening the computer case, we advice you to contact your PC manufacturer for
specific instructions.

Enabling Directed Broadcasts on your Network

To send WOL packets from remote networks, the routers must be configured to allow
directed broadcasts. To know if the IP broadcast packets have been disabled, check
for the line "no ip directed-broadcast" in the interface configuration. If IP broadcasts
are enabled, the line "no ip directed-broadcast" will not be present.

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Remote Shutdown Tool

The Remote Shutdown tool of Desktop Central provides options to shutdown, restart, lock and
hibernate systems remotely. You can complete the following tasks, manually, using this tool:

1. Add computers to shutdown or restart


2. Understand and use various shutdown options
3. Complete the following supported operations
4. View the status of operations

You can also schedule the automatic completion of the tasks mentioned above.

Completing Tasks Manually

You can complete the following tasks manually using Desktop Central. You can do this by using the
Shutdown Now tab.

Adding Computers to Shutdown or Restart

You are required to add computers on the Remote Shutdown page to shutdown or restart remotely.
Before adding systems to shutdown or restart, ensure that you have specified common credentials, in
all systems, to complete these tasks. To specify credentials, visit the Add Computers page.

To add computers to shutdown or restart, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Shutdown
3. Click Add Computers
4. Against Select Type, choose Computer
5. Select a domain or workgroup to view the computers in it
6. Select the required computers to add
7. Click OK

Note: Repeat steps 5 and 6 to add computers from other domains or workgroups.

The selected computers are listed under Computer Name in the Shutdown Now tab.

To remove computers from the Shutdown Now tab, follow the steps given below:

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1. Click the Tools tab
2. Click Remote Shutdown
3. Select the required computers
4. Click Remove Computers

The selected computers are removed from the Shutdown Now tab.

Shutdown Options

When you want to shutdown a computer, you are required to specify the following options for shutting
down:

1. Shutdown Mode

Choose one of the following options:

1. Normal: Use this option to close all the applications, as they would close normally,
before shutting down the computers. This would initiate the shutdown process. User
will not have any option to skip or stop the shutdown process, unless it is blocked by
any active application (like fire fox). In such case the process would be aborted, and
the user would be prompted to shutdown or to skip the process.
2. Forced: Use this option to close all the applications forcibly, before shutting down the
computers. You can also use this option when applications are running in the
background and you want to shutdown the computer immediately. User will not be
able to skip or stop the process.

Note: If you select normal shutdown, there are chances for


applications like Mozilla firefox which stop the process and prompt for
user confirmation. In such scenarios the shutdown process will not be
complete, using force shutdown option ensures to kill all the active
process and shutdowns the computer.

2. Timeout

Use this option to specify the time in seconds to display a warning message in all the client
computers before shutting down. Specify zero to skip the message and shutdown immediately

1. Shutdown Message

Enter a message in the field provided. This message will be displayed in all the computers
before they are shutdown.
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Supported Operations

You can complete the following tasks on a remote computer:

Shutting down a computer

To shut down a computer, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Shutdown
3. Select the required computers
4. Click Shutdown Now
5. Specify the required settings
6. Click Shutdown

You've successfully shut down the selected computers.

Restarting a computer

To restart a computer, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Shutdown
3. Select the required computers
4. Click Restart Now
5. Specify the required settings
6. Click Restart

You've successfully restarted the selected computers.

Setting a computer in Hibernate mode

To set a remote computer in Hibernate mode, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Shutdown
3. Select the required computers
4. From the More Actions list, select Hibernate
5. Click Yes

You have successfully set the selected computers in Hibernate mode.

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Setting a computer to Stand by mode

To set a remote computer to Stand by mode, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Shutdown
3. Select the required computers
4. From the More Actions list, select Stand by
5. Click Yes

You have successfully set the selected computers to Stand by mode.

Locking a computer

To lock a computer, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Shutdown
3. Select the required computers
4. From the More Actions list, select Lock Computers
5. Click Yes

You have successfully locked the selected computers.

Scheduling Automatic Tasks

You can complete the following tasks automatically using Desktop Central. You can do this by using
the Schedule Shutdown tab.

Creating and Scheduling Tasks

You can create and schedule various tasks. To create and schedule a shutdown task, follow the steps
given below:

1. Click the Tools tab


2. Click Remote Shutdown
3. Click the Schedule Shutdown tab
4. Click Add Shutdown Task
5. Enter a name for the task
6. From the Operation section, select the required type of task
7. Select the Shutdown/Restart Options, if applicable

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Note: These options are available only if you select Shutdown or Restart.

8. Select the required computers


9. Schedule when you want the task to take place:

1. Once: Use this option if you want the task to take place only once. Specify a start time and
start date.
2. Daily: Use this option if you want the task to take place everyday. Specify whether the task
should take place on all days or only on weekdays.
3. Weekly: Use this option if you want the task to take place on a weekly basis. Specify a start
time and the required days of the week.
4. Monthly: Use this option if you want the task to take place on a monthly basis. Specify the
start time, when you want this task to take place (for example, first Sunday or the day), and
months in which you want this task to take place.

10. Click Save Task


11. Select the required task
12. In the Action column, select Execute Now

You have created and deployed a task using the Schedule Shutdown tab

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Windows Configurations

Desktop Central enable remote configurations that can be applied to users and computers of the
Windows domain-based network. The following sections guides you in configuring various Windows
applications, security settings, display settings, firewall settings, and so on, to the Windows users and
computers:

1. User Configurations: Explains the various configurations that can be deployed to users using
Desktop Central and the steps to define them.
2. Computer Configurations: Explains the various configurations that can be deployed to
computers using Desktop Central and the steps to define them.
3. Configuring Collections: Helps you to define a collection configurations that can be deployed
simultaneously for several users or computers.
4. Defining Targets: Provides you the details of defining target computers and users for
deploying the configuration.
5. Managing Configurations and Collections: Helps you to manage the defined configurations,
such as viewing the status of the defined configurations or collections, suspending the
deployment, resuming the suspended deployments, and so on.
6. Viewing Configuration Reports: Detailed report on the defined and deployed configurations
using Desktop Central along with its status.
7. Viewing System Uptime Reports: Provides the details of uptime and downtime of computers
in the specified period.

How the Configurations gets Applied

Whenever a configuration is deployed using Desktop Central, it will be made available to the Desktop
Central agents to apply the configurations in the client computers. The Desktop Central Agents
residing at the client computers will pull the configuration details from the Server and process them.
The Desktop Central agents will contact the Server at the following intervals to pull the details:

1. For user-specific configurations - during user logon and every 90 minutes thereafter till the
user logs out of the domain.
2. For computer-specific configurations - during system startup and every 90 minutes thereafter
till the system is shutdown.

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User Configurations

This section details the configurations that can be applied to the users of the Windows Domain. These
configurations are applied to the users during user logon or logoff.

Note: Ensure that you have defined the scope of management before defining the
configurations. For details, refer to Defining the Scope of Management.

To reach the configuration screen, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links. This will list all the supported
configurations for users and computers.
2. Click the required configuration listed under the User Configurations.

Desktop Central supports the following configurations that can be applied on users:

1. Configuring Alerts
2. Executing Custom Scrips
3. Configuring Display Settings
4. Mapping Network Drives
5. Setting Environment Variables
6. Managing Files and Folders
7. Redirecting User-Specific Folders
8. Configuring Internet Explorer Settings
9. Configuring IP Printer
10. Launching Applications
11. Displaying Message Box
12. Configuring MS Office Settings
13. Configuring Outlook Settings
14. Setting Path
15. Managing Permissions
16. Configuring Power Options
17. Configuring Registry Settings
18. Securing USB Devices
19. Configuring Security Policies
20. Configuring Shared Network Printer
21. Managing Shortcuts
22. Installing Software - MSI/EXE Format

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Configuring Alerts

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Alert Configuration enables you to warn the users about the password expiration, lower hard disk
space, and larger temp file size. The alert configuration are user-specific and requires the user to be
logged on to view the alerts.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Alert Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The table given below lists the parameters for which alerts can be configured:

Parameter Description
Password Expiration The number of days before which the user has to be informed about
the password expiration. The default value is 14 days.
Disk Space The disk space in MB. When the disk space goes below the
specified value the user will be warned.
Purge Temp Files Specify whether to delete the temp files when exceeding the
specified limit. You also have an option to specify the file types, size
of the files, and whether to prompt the user before deleting the temp
files or not.

Note: The alerts will be displayed during every logon of the user as long as the alert condition
is met. For example, the user will be warned about the lower disk space during every logon
until the free disk space exceeds the specified value.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Alert Configuration.

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Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Alert Configuration in the targets defined. The alerts will
be displayed when the defined conditions are met.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Executing Custom Scripts

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Desktop Central provides options for configuring almost all the user configurations from remote. In
addition to the configurations that are supported by Desktop Central, administrators can also write
their own scripts that could be run on the user machines for accomplishing specific configurations.
The scripts could be any of the following:

1. Batch file (.bat or .cmd)


2. In any other language hosted by Windows Script Host (WSH), such as VB Script, JScript,
Perl, REXX, and Python.

Note: The script engines for languages like Perl, REXX, and Python, must be registered with
Windows.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the custom script configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The table given below lists the parameters that have to be provided for defining the configuration.

Parameter Description
Script Name* The script that has to be executed in the user machines. You have
an option to select the script from any of the following:

1. Local: The machine from where the configuration is being


defined.
2. Inventory: Refers to the Desktop Central inventory. All the
scripts that have been added using Managing Scripts
procedure will be available here.

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3. Network Share: Refers to the network share.

Script Arguments The arguments that have to be provided while executing the scripts.
Execute During* Refers to the script execution time. This can be either during the
user logon or logoff.

* - Refers to the mandatory fields.

Note: The scripts specified from the local or share, will automatically be added to the
Desktop Central inventory after successful deployment.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Custom Script
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Custom Script Configuration in the targets defined.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Managing Custom Scripts, Viewing
Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Display Settings

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Display Configuration is for configuring the settings of Microsoft Windows Desktop such as
welcome message, IntelliMouse tips, icons, folders and shortcuts, wallpaper, etc.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The table below lists the display settings that can be configured using Desktop Central. Specify the
values only if a change is required for a particular parameter, else, leave it blank.

Parameter Description
Wall Paper File The wallpaper file (image file) that has to set as the desktop
background. The wallpaper can be set from either local computer or
from a network share by selecting the appropriate option. For wall
papers that are set locally all the target computers should have the
file in the same location. When choosing a file from network share,
you can click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to
this parameter.
Rename "My Computer" Icon The name you wish to configure in place of "My Computer". Click
the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this
parameter.
Rename "My Network The name you wish to have in place of "My Network Places". Click
Places" Icon the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this
parameter.
Remove "Windows Welcome Select this option if you wish to remove the welcome message
Screen" displayed by Windows.
Remove "Intellimouse Tips Select this option to remove the intellimouse tips.
Screen"

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Parameter Description
Remove "My Documents" Select this option to remove the "My Documents" icon from the
Desktop Icon desktop.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Display Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Display Configuration in the targets defined.

The configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Mapping Network Drives

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Drive Mapping configuration enables you to map a remote network resource to the user
machines. The mapped resource can then be accessed from the local machine using the drive name.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Drive Mapping configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The table given below list the parameters that have to be specified for mapping a network drive:

Parameter Description
Drive Name The drive letter that has to be mapped with the resource.
Resource to be Shared The shared resource in the network that has to be mapped.
Hide from Windows Explorer To specify whether the mapping has to be hidden in the Windows
Explorer. Select this option, if you want to hide.
Drive Label The label name for the mapped drive that has to displayed in
Windows Explorer.
Disconnect all existing Specify whether to disconnect all the existing mappings or not.
network drives before
mapping new

Note:

1. To map more network drives, click Add More Drives and repeat Step 2. The mapped
drive gets added to the List of Drives to be Mapped table.
2. To modify a mapping from this table, select the appropriate row, click icon and
change the required values.
3. To delete a mapping from this table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

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Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Drive Mapping
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Drive Mapping Configuration in the targets defined. The
configurations will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Setting Environment Variables

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Environment variables are strings that contain information about the environment for the system, and
the currently logged on user. Some software programs use the information to determine where to
place files (such as temp, tmp, path etc). Environment variables control the behavior of various
programs. Any user can add, modify, or remove a user environment variable. However, only an
administrator can add, modify, or remove a system environment variable. Using Desktop Central, the
environment variables can be defined and added.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Environment Variable configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The following table lists the parameters that have to be specified:

Parameter Description
Variable* The environment variable name that has to be modified or added.
Value* The value that has to be stored in the environment variable. Click
the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this
parameter.

* - denotes mandatory fields

Note:

1. To add more environment variables, click Add More Variable and repeat Step 2. The
defined environment variable gets added to the List of Environment Variable table.
2. To modify a environment variable from this table, select the appropriate row, click
icon and change the required values.
3. To delete a environment variable from this table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

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Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Environment Variable
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Environment Variable Configuration in the targets
defined. The configurations will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Setting Path

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Managing Files and Folders

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The File and Folder Operation allows you to copy, move, rename, delete files and folders of the users.
Desktop Central File and Folder Operation Configuration enables you to copy/move/delete files for
several users from central location.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the File and Folder Operation configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Copy Files and Folders


2. Rename/Move Files and Folders
3. Delete Files and Folders

Copy Files and Folder

To copy files and folders, select the Copy tab and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Select Action Type Select the Action from any of the following:

1. Copy a File - To copy a file from one location to


another
2. Copy a File to a Folder - To copy a file from one
location to a specified folder
3. Copy Multiple Files - To copy multiple files to a
specified folder
4. Copy a Folder - To copy a folder from one
location to another

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Parameter Description

Source File Specify the file that has to be copied. The file can either
be in a shared location or in the specified location in the
client machines.
Destination File Specify the destination location with the file name.
Destination Folder Specify the destination folder to copy the files/folders.
Include Read Only Files Select this option, if you wish to copy the files even if it
has only read-only permissions
Include System Files Select this option if you wish to copy the system files.
Include Hidden Files Select this option if you wish to copy the hidden files.
Overwrite Existing Files Select this option to overwrite the existing files.
Create Destination Directory if Select this option to create the destination directory, if it
doesn't Exist does not exist.
Include Sub Folders Select this option, if you wish to copy sub folders or the
files within the sub folders.
Continue on Error While copying multiple files or folders, specify whether
to continue, if any error is encountered while copying.
Choose file modification time Specify the file or folder modification time. Files that
meet the specified criteria will only be copied.
Connect using Credentials To copy Files/Folders across Domains or amongst
Workgroup computers, you need to specify a credential
that has access to the source Files/Folders.

Note: If you wish to copy more files/folders, click Add More Action button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of File Actions table.

Rename/Move Files and Folders

To rename or move the files and folders, select the Rename/Move tab and specify
the following values:

Parameter Description
Select Action Type Select the Action from any of the following:

1. Rename/Move a file
2. Rename/Move a folder

Source File/Folder Specify the file or the folder that has to be copied
Destination File/Folder Specify the destination file or the folder.

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Note: If you wish to copy more files/folders, click Add More Action button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of File Actions table.

Delete Files and Folders

To delete the files and folders, select the Delete tab and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Select Action Type Select the Action from any of the following:

1. Delete a File
2. Delete Multiple Files
3. Delete a Folder

Source File Specify the files/folders that has to be deleted


Include Read Only Files Select this option, if you wish to delete the read-only
files
Include System Files Select this option, if you wish to delete the system files
Include Hidden Files Select this option, if you wish to delete the hidden files.
Include Sub Folders Select this option, if you wish to delete the sub folders
or the files within the sub folders.
Continue on Error While deleting multiple files or folders, specify whether
to continue, if any error is encountered while deleting.

Note: If you wish to copy more files/folders, click Add More Action button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of File Actions table.

To modify a file action from the List of File Actions table, select the appropriate row and click icon
and change the required values.

To delete a file action from the List of File Actions table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the File and Folder Operation
Configuration.

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Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined File and Folder Operation Configuration in the defined
targets. The configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Redirecting User-Specific Folders

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Folder Redirection configuration helps you to change the location of the standard user profile
directories to a different location in the network. So, when the user login from a different machine in
the same domain, he/she will have access to his/her profiles.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Folder Redirection configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Redirect the folders and copy the existing contents - This redirects the user-specific
folders from the local machine to a network share and copy the existing contents to the new
location. You also have an option to exclude specific folders from being copied.
2. Redirect the folders without copying the contents - This redirects the user-specific folders
from the local machine to a network share without copying the existing contents.
3. Restore to default - Will restore the settings to default (All folders will be pointed to the local
machine).

Select the required options and specify the values for the following fields that require change in
settings. For each of the fields in the following table, click the Browse button next to the
corresponding field to launch Network Browser window. Select the folder location and click OK
button. If this field is left blank, the corresponding folder settings is left unchanged.

The following table provides a brief description about the user-specific folders that can be redirected
using Desktop Central.

User-specific Folder Description

Start Menu* Contains the shortcuts that appear in the start menu.

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User-specific Folder Description

Programs Menu* Contains the shortcuts that appear in the Programs group of the start
menu.

Startup Group* Contains the shortcuts that appear in Start --> Programs --> Startup
menu. This specifies the applications that should be started during
the user logon.

Desktop* Contains the shortcuts and files that appear in the user's desktop.

Favorites [IE Bookmarks]* Contains the Internet Explorer bookmarks.

Personal [My Documents]* Contains the personal documents of that user.

My Pictures* Contains the personal pictures and images of that user.

Cookies* Contains the cookies used by the Web sites/applications.

History* Contains the bookmarks of the previously accessed sites.

Recent* Contains the shortcuts of the recently accessed documents.

Temporary Internet Files* The temporary Internet files are cached by Internet Explorer in this
folder.

Send To* Contains the shortcuts listed in the Send To sub-menu. The Send To
sub-menu is displayed in the right-click menu of a file.

Exclude Folders This option is available only when you choose to copy the existing
contents. Specify the folders as comma separated that should not be
copied.

Don't copy temporary This option is available only when you choose to copy the existing
internet files contents. Select this option if you do not wish to copy the temporary
internet files.

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Folder Redirection
configuration.

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Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Folder Redirection Configuration in the targets defined.
The configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Redirecting Common Folders

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Installing Software - MSI & EXE Packages

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Software Installation configuration helps you to install MSI and EXE packages remotely to
specific users of several computers of the Windows network from a central location.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Software Installation Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You have an option to install either an EXE or an MSI package

1. Install MSI Package


2. Install EXE Package

Install MSI Package

Select the Installer type as MSI and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
MSI Package Name This will list all the MSI packages that are available in the
Software Repository. Select the MSI that has to be installed.
Operation Type To specify how the installation should happen. Select any of the
following options:

1. Install Completely: Selecting this option will install the


application automatically.
2. Advertise: Selecting this option will notify the user
about the availability of the software. Thy can choose
whether to install the software or not.
3. Remove: Selecting this option remove (uninstall) the

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Parameter Description
application from the system

Install as The user as whom the MSI has to be installed.

System User: Default system user privilege

Run as User: User Account with specific privilege

Target User: User privilege to whom the package is


deployed
Copy You have an option to copy the installables to the client
machines before installing them. Select the required option:

1. None: Selecting this option will not copy the installation


files.
2. Copy file to client machines: Will copy the exe or the
msi file alone as specified in the software package to
the client machines.
3. Copy folder to client machines: Will copy the entire
directory that has the installation file to the client
machines.

Copy option will be mandatory, when the network share


requires a user credential to access and when you opt to install
the software as a different user using the Run As option. The
content copied on the client machines will be removed after the
software is installed successfully. If the software installation
fails, the copied content will be maintained for trouble shooting
purpose.

Click Add More Packages to install/uninstall additional software.

Note:You can also uninstall a previous version of the software either by


running a pre-installation script (should be specified while creating a package)
or by selecting the Operation Type as Remove. In the latter case, you need to
add two packages, one to remove the older version and the other to install the
new version.

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Specify the Scheduler details for installing the software:

Parameter Description
Schedule Time to Perform Select his option and specify the data and time after which the
the Operation installation should begin. It may be noted that the
installation/uninstallation will still be based on the Operation
Type & Installation / Uninstallation Option selected, but this will
begin after the time specified here.

Specify the Deployment Settings for the software:

If you have defined Deployment Templates, you can load the Deployment Settings
directly from a template by selecting the required template from the list.

Parameter Description
Installation / Uninstallation Specify whether the installation/uninstallation should happen
Option during or after system startup:

1. During startup: Select this option if the software has to


be installed/uninstalled during computer startup.
2. After startup: Select this option if the software has to be
installed/uninstalled after the computer startup when
the next GP update happens (within 90 minutes)
3. During or After Startup: Either of the above, whichever
is earlier

Install Between If you want the installation to happen only between a specified
time of a day, you can specify the Start and End time within
which the deployment should begin. The Start Time can also
be greater than the End time - in such cases the End time is
assumed to be on the following day. For example, if you wish
the deployment should happen between 10.00 PM and 4.00
AM, you can specify the Start Time as 22:00:00 and End Time
as 04:00:00
Allow Users to Skip Specify whether the use can skip the deployment at a later time
Deployment by selecting the "Allow Users to Skip Deployment". When you
do not select this option, the deployment will be forced and the
user will not have any control on the deployment. When you
allow users to skip deployment, you can also specify whether
they can skip it as long as they wish or force deployment after a
specific date.
Reboot Policy 1. Do not reboot: Select this option if the client computers

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should not be rebooted after installing the software.
2. Force Reboot when the user has logged in: Select this
option to force the user to reboot the computer. Specify
the time within which the client machines will be
rebooted and the message that has to displayed in the
client machines.
3. Force Shutdown when the user has logged in: Select
this option to force the user to shutdown the computer.
Specify the time within which the client machines will
be shutdown and the message that has to be displayed
in the client machines. This option is applicable if the
computer is turned on and even if there is no logged on
user, the computer will get restarted after the specified
time.
4. Allow user to skip Reboot: Select this option to allow
users to reboot later. Specify the message that has to
be displayed in the client machines.
5. Allow user to skip Shutdown:Select this option to allow
users to shutdown later. Specify the message that has
to be displayed in the client machines.

Install EXE Packages

Select the Installer type as EXE and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
EXE Package Name This will list all the EXE packages that are available in the
Software Repository. Select the EXE that has to be installed.
Operation Type To specify how the installation should happen. Select any of the
following options:

1. Install Completely: Selecting this option will install the


application automatically.
2. Advertise: Selecting this option will notify the user
about the availability of the software. Thy can choose
whether to install the software or not.
3. Remove: Selecting this option remove (uninstall) the
application from the system

Install as The user as whom the EXE has to be installed.

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Parameter Description
System User: Default system user privilege

Run as User: User Account with specific privilege

Target User: User privilege to whom the package is


deployed
Copy You have an option to copy the installables to the client
machines before installing them. Select the required option:

1. None: Selecting this option will not copy the installation


files.
2. Copy file to client machines: Will copy the exe or the
msi file alone as specified in the software package to
the client machines.
3. Copy folder to client machines: Will copy the entire
directory that has the installation file to the client
machines.

Copy option will be mandatory, when the network share


requires a user credential to access and when you opt to install
the software as a different user using the Run As option.

Click Add More Packages to install/uninstall additional software.

Note:You can also uninstall a previous version of the software either by running a
pre-installation script (should be specified while creating a package) or by selecting
the Operation Type as Remove. In the latter case, you need to add two packages,
one to remove the older version and the other to install the new version.

Specify the Scheduler details for installing the software:

Parameter Description
Installation / Uninstallation Specify whether the installation/uninstallation should happen
Option during or after user login:

1. During Login: Select this option if the software has to


be installed/uninstalled during the user login.
2. After Login: Select this option if the software has to be
installed/uninstalled after the user login but within 90
minutes.
3. During or After Login: Either of the above, whichever is
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Parameter Description
earlier

Schedule Time to Perform Select his option and specify the data and time after which the
the Operation installation should begin. It may be noted that the
installation/uninstallation will still be based on the Operation
Type selected, but this will begin after the time specified here.
Reboot Policy 1. Do not reboot: Select this option if the client computers
should not be rebooted after installing the software.
2. Force Reboot when the user has logged in: Select this
option to force the user to reboot the computer. Specify
the time within which the client machines will be
rebooted and the message that has to displayed in the
client machines.
3. Force Shutdown when the user has logged in: Select
this option to force the user to shutdown the computer.
Specify the time within which the client machines will
be shutdown and the message that has to displayed in
the client machines.
4. Allow user to skip Reboot: Select this option to allow
users to reboot later. Specify the message that has to
displayed in the client machines.
5. Allow user to skip Shutdown:Select this option to allow
users to shutdown later. Specify the message that has
to displayed in the client machines.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Windows Installer
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Windows Installer Configuration in the defined targets.
The software installation for the selected targets will happen as scheduled.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Internet Explorer Settings

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Internet Explorer settings such as Home page, Search page, Download directory, and Proxy
Server settings can be configured using Desktop Central Internet Explorer Configuration.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Internet Explorer configuration.

Step 2 Define Configuration

The following table provides the Internet Explorer parameters that can be configured using Desktop
Central. Specify the values only if a change is required for a particular parameter, else, leave it blank.

Parameter Description
Home Page Refers to the page that opens when the Internet Explorer is started.
Search Page Refers to the search engine that Internet Explorer uses when clicked
on the Search button from the toolbar.
Download Directory Refers to the location where the file downloads are redirected. Click
the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this
parameter.
Automatic Configuration Refers to the URL of the script that is used to configure the proxy
Script settings of Internet Explorer.
Internet Connection Wizard The Internet Connection Wizard is invoked when a user tries to
launch the Internet Explorer for the first time. Specify whether to
remove or retain this.
Proxy Server A proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediate between the
computer in the network and the Internet, and that ensures security,
administrative control, and caching. Select the appropriate proxy
setting.
Address** The IP address or host name of the Proxy Server.
Port** The port number of the Proxy Server

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Parameter Description
Bypass for local addresses** Specifies how the request has to be routed when a local address is
accessed using the Internet Explorer. Select any of the following
options:

1. Bypass proxy server: Select this option if the request


should not be routed through the proxy server for local
addresses.
2. Dont Bypass proxy server: Select this option if the request
should be routed through the proxy server even for local
addresses.
3. Preserve Client Settings: To preserve the settings of the
client untouched.

Do not use proxy server The list of addresses that begins with the text specified in this field
for addresses beginning will not use the Proxy Server. You can specify multiple values as
with** semi-colon separated.

Example: adventnet.com;desktopcentral.com

This field is enabled only when Bypass Proxy server option is


selected.

** - required only if Use Proxy Server option is selected.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Internet Explorer
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Internet Explorer Configuration in the targets defined.
The configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring IP Printer

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The IP Printer Configuration is for adding or deleting the IP Printer connection in the user computers.
For configuring a shared printer in the computer for specific users, refer to the Configuring Shared
Printer topic.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the IP Printer configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Add an IP Printer
2. Delete an IP Printer

Add an IP Printer

To add an IP Printer, select the Action as Add and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
DNS Name/IP The host name or IP address defined for the printer.
Example: 192.111.2.32
Printer Name The display name for the printer.
Protocol The printing protocol supported by the printer. Select the
printing protocol from the Protocol list box. The default
option is "RAW".
Port Number The port number/queue name in which printing protocol is
communicating between the computer and printer. Enter the
port number in the Port Number field if the "RAW" Protocol is
selected or enter the queue name if the "LPR" Protocol is

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Parameter Description
selected. The default value is 9100.
Port Name This is an optional field. By default, the port name is
IP_<IP_Address/DNS_Name>. You can change the port
name if required.
Shared Printer for Driver Browse to select a shared printer for installing the driver. If
Installation the drivers are already installed in the target computers, this
field can be left blank.
Set as default printer Browse to select a shared printer for installing the driver. If
the drivers are already installed in the target computers, the
Desktop Central will skip the driver installation.
Connect Shared Printer To copy Driver Files across Domains or amongst Workgroup
using Credentials computers, you need to specify a credential that access
domain/workgroup machine where the Shared Printer Driver
Files are present.

Delete an IP Printer

To delete an IP Printer, select the Action as Delete and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Printer Name The display name of the printer.
Delete all existing IP printer To delete all the existing IP printer connections in the
connections computer for the specified user, select this option.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the IP Printer Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined IP Printer Configuration in the targets defined. The
configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Configuring Shared Printer

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Launching Applications

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Launch Application configuration enables you to launch an application during user logon.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Launch Application configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Select whether the application has to be launched from the local computer or from the network share.
If you select the Local option, all the selected target computers should have the application in the
same location. Specify the following:

Parameter Description
Application Name Browse and select the application that has to be launched. The
applications that are available in the local machine from where the
application has to be launched can also be specified. Click the
icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.
Arguments Specify the arguments for the application, if any. Click the icon to
select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Note:

1. To launch more applications, click Add More Application and repeat Step 2. The
added application gets added to the Launch Application table.
2. To modify an application from this table, select the appropriate row, click icon and
change the required values.
3. To delete an application from this table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

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Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Launch Application
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Launch Application Configuration in the targets defined.
The applications configured will be launched during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Displaying Message Box

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

For the users in the network, the pop-up messages with the warning or error can be displayed during
the user logon. If the user has already logged on while deploying this configuration, the message will
be displayed during the next logon.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Message Box configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You have an option to create a new message box or delete the existing message box. Select the
required option and specify the following:

Parameter Description
Message Type The message type as Information, Warning, or error.
Window Title The title of the message box.
Message The message that has to be displayed.
Timeout in Seconds The duration, in seconds, for the message display.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Message Boxes
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Message Boxes Configuration in the targets defined.
The message will be displayed during the next user logon.

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To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Displaying Legal Notices

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Configuring MS Office Settings

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The MS Office related settings such as Open or Save, Clip Art, User Options, Command Bars, Shared
Template, etc can be configured for all the users using Desktop Central MS Office Configuration.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the MS Office configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The MS Office applications that can be configured using Desktop Central are listed in the Choose
Application/Suite combo box. Select the application version and specify the values that have to be
changed. Leave it blank, if no change is required.

The following table lists the parameters that can be configured for each MS Office applications:

Parameter Description
Word
Open/Save Folder* Refers to the default working folder for Microsoft Word. Clicking
Open or Save menu will open this folder location.
Clip Art Folder* Refers to the default Clip Art folder. This opens when you insert an
image from the clip art.
User Options Folder* Refers to the folder where the user options are stored.
Tools Folder* Refers to the folder where the office tools are stored.
Auto Recover Folder* Refers to the folder where the recovered files are stored due to the
system crash.
Startup Folder* Refers to the location where the templates and add-ins are loaded
during the startup of Microsoft Word.
Excel
Open/Save Folder* Refers to the default working folder for Microsoft Excel. Clicking
Open or Save menu will open this folder location.

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At startup, open all files in* Refers to the folder containing the files that have to be opened
during startup.
Access
Open/Save Folder* Refers to the default working folder for Microsoft Access. Clicking
Open or Save menu will open this folder location.
Command Bars Folder* Refers to the location where the command bar buttons of Microsoft
Access are stored.
PowerPoint
Open/Save Folder* Refers to the default working folder for Microsoft Powerpoint.
Clicking Open or Save menu will open this folder location.
Command Bars Folder* Refers to the location where the command bar buttons of Microsoft
Powerpoint are stored.
Office
Template Folder* Refers to the location where the Microsoft Office templates are
stored.
Shared Template Folder* Refers to the location where the shared Microsoft Office templates
are stored.
Outlook
Journal Item Log File* Refers to the location where the old journal item file is stored.
Journal Outlook Item Log Refers to the location where the old journal item file that is referred
File* by the journal entry is stored.
Office Explorer Favorites Refers to the default location for storing the favorites. Clicking the
Folder* Add Favorites menu item will store the URLs in this location.
Office Explorer Views Folder* Refers to the location where the user views are stored.
Print Settings File* Refers to the file which stores the print styles of the user views.

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the MS Office Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined MS Office Configuration for the defined targets. The
configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Outlook Settings

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Microsoft Outlook settings such as general settings, new mail arrival, automatic archive, sending a
message, message format and handling, and spell check can be configured. The Outlook
Configuration is used to configure these settings for the users of the network from a central location.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Outlook configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The table given below lists the Outlook parameters that can be configured using Desktop Central.
Specify the values only if a change is required for a particular parameter, else, leave it blank.

Parameter Description
General Settings
View Outlook Bar To show or hide the Outlook shortcut bar when Outlook is opened.
View Folder List To show or hide the folders listed when Outlook is opened.
Warn before deleting items To enable or disable the warning message when deleting entries
from the Deleted Items folder.
Startup in this Folder The folder which must be opened after the Outlook is invoked.
Select from the following options: Outlook Today, Inbox, Calendar,
Contacts, Tasks, Journal, Notes, and User-defined. Select User-
defined option to make the user configure this option.
Empty the Deleted Items Select the frequency at which the contents of the Deleted Items
folder upon exit folder should be cleared when exiting the Outlook. Select User-
defined option to make the user configure this option.
New mail arrival
Display a New mail Desktop To enable or disable the notification message when a new mail
Alert arrives.
Play a sound To enable or disable playing sound when a new mail arrives.

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Parameter Description
AutoArchive
Run AutoArchive To enable or disable the automatic archiving of folder. Specify the
required option and choose the frequency at which archiving should
be done.
Prompt to AutoArchive To specify whether to prompt before archiving or not.
Move old items to The location where the archived files must be stored. Click the
icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.
File name The name of the archived file.
Delete expired items (e-mail To specify whether the expired items should be deleted or not.
folders only)
When sending a message
Allow comma as address To specify whether comma should be used as a address separator
separator or not.
Automatic name checking To enable or disable automatic checking for the validity of names in
the recipient list.
Message format & handling
Compose in this Message Select the message format as HTML, Rich Text, or Plain Text.
Format Select User-defined to leave it to the user to configure.
Use Microsoft Word to edit Specify whether Word should be used as a default editor.
email messages
Send a copy of the pictures To specify whether to send pictures along with the mail or not.
instead of the reference to
their location (only for HTML
format)
Save copies in Sent items To specify whether to save copies in the sent folder or not.
folder
Autosave unsent To specify whether to save the unsent messages or not. Select the
frequency if you are enabling this option.
Spelling
Always check spelling before To specify whether to check spelling before sending the message or
sending not.
Always suggest To specify whether to suggest replacement for misspelt words or
replacements for misspelled not.
words
Ignore words in To enable or disable checking words in upper case letters.
UPPERCASE
Ignore words with numbers To enable or disable checking words containing numbers.
Ignore original message in To enable or disable checking the spelling of original mails in
replies replies.

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Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Outlook Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Outlook Configuration in the defined targets. The
configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Setting Path

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

For the users in the network, the paths which are configured and stored in the Path variable in the
Environment Variables window (invoked by Right-click the My Computer icon, choose Properties >
Advanced tab, click the Environment Variables button). The search paths including local paths,
network paths or UNCs (Universal Naming Conventions). Using the Path Configuration, the path
entries are added in the Environment Variables window for the users in the network.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Path configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Specify the path to be added to the environment variables. Multiple paths can be specified separated
by a semi-colon (;). Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to the Path variable.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Path Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Path Configuration in the defined targets. The
configurations will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Setting Environment Variables

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Managing Permissions

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Permission Management allows you to grant revoke permission on the files, folders and registry
for the users. Desktop Central Permission Management Configuration enables you to grant/revoke
permissions to multiple users from a central point.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Permission Management configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can grant or revoke permissions for the following objects:

1. Files
2. Folders
3. Registry

Files

To grant or revoke permissions for files, select the File tab and specify the following
values:

Parameter Description
User/Group Principal Select the users and groups for whom you would like to
grant or revoke permissions.
Action Select the action from the following:

1. Append - To append to the existing file


permissions. Please note that it will only append
to the existing permissions on the object and
will not overwrite. For example, for an object

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Parameter Description
having full permissions, if you just select a deny
permission to write, only write permission will be
removed while the user/group can still modify
the object.
2. Overwrite - To overwrite the existing file
permissions
3. Revoke - To revoke the existing file permissions
of the specified user/group. All the permissions
to the specified user/group on that file will be
removed. However, the inherited permissions
will not be removed.

Path Specify the path of the file for which you need to specify
permissions
Settings Select the required options.

Note: If you wish to add more permissions, click Add More Permissions button
and repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of Permission Actions
table.

Folders

To grant or revoke permissions for folders, select the Folder tab and specify the
following values:

Parameter Description
User/Group Principal Select the users and groups for whom you would like to
grant or revoke permissions.
Action Select the action from the following:

1. Append - To append to the existing folder


permissions. Please note that it will only append
to the existing permissions on the object and
will not overwrite. For example, for an object
having full permissions, if you just select a deny
permission to write, only write permission will be
removed while the user/group can still modify
the object.
2. Overwrite - To overwrite the existing folder

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Parameter Description
permissions
3. Revoke - To revoke the existing folder
permissions. All the permissions to the specified
user/group on that folder will be removed.
However, the inherited permissions will not be
removed.

Path Specify the path of the folder for which you need to
specify permissions
Inheritance Select the required option to specify how the permission
should effect its subfolders and files
Settings Select the required options.

Note: If you wish to add more permissions, click Add More Permissions button
and repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of Permission Actions
table.

Registry

To grant or revoke permissions for registry, select the Registry tab and specify the
following values:

Parameter Description
User/Group Principal Select the users and groups for whom you would like to
grant or revoke permissions.
Action Select the action from the following:

1. Append - To append to the existing registry


permissions. Please note that it will only append
to the existing permissions on the object and
will not overwrite. For example, for an object
having full permissions, if you just select a deny
permission to write, only write permission will be
removed while the user/group can still modify
the object.
2. Overwrite - To overwrite the existing registry
permissions
3. Revoke - To revoke the existing registry
permissions. All the permissions to the specified

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Parameter Description
user/group on that registry key will be removed.
However, the inherited permissions will not be
removed.

Hive Select the registry hive from the given options


Key Specify the key within that hive for which you need to
set the permissions
Inheritance Select the required options to specify how the
permission should effect its subkeys.
Settings Select the required options.

Note: If you wish to add more permissions, click Add More Permissions button
and repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of Permission Actions
table.

To modify a permission from the List of Permission Actions table, select the appropriate row and
click icon and change the required values.

To delete a permission from the List of Permission Actions table, select the appropriate row and
click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Permission Management
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Permission Management Configuration in the defined
targets. The configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Power Options

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Power Management Configuration enables you to adjust your power settings to save energy. You
can add, modify, and delete power schemes for users from a central point.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Power Management Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Create/Modify a Power Scheme


2. Delete a Power Scheme

Create/Modify a Power Scheme

To create a new scheme, select the Create Scheme tab of the Power Management
Configuration. Select the Modify Scheme tab to modify an existing scheme. Specify
the following values:

Parameter Description
Power Scheme* The name of the power scheme that has to be
created/modified. If you are modifying a default scheme,
select the Default Scheme option and select the scheme.
Overwrite if scheme Select this option to overwrite the scheme, if one with the
already exits same name exists. This option is only available for create
scheme.
Set as active power Select this option if you wish to make this scheme active.
scheme Clearing this option will only create or modify the scheme
and the system will continue to use the previously applied

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Parameter Description
scheme.
Turn Off Monitor Turns off the monitor after the specified period of
inactivity. Select the period from the combo box.
Turn Off Hard Disk Turns off the hard disk after the specified period of
inactivity. Select the period from the combo box.
System StandBy The system goes to the standby mode after the specified
period of inactivity. Select the period from the combo box.
System Hibernate Turns off the computer after saving everything in memory
to the hard disk after the specified period of inactivity.
When the system is turned on again, it is restored to the
same position. Select the period from the combo box.
Advanced Options
Enable Hibernate Select this option to enable hibernation of the computer.
support
Always show icon on the Select this option to display the power icon in the system
taskbar tray.
Prompt for password Select this option, if you wish the user to authenticate
when computer goes off himself/herself when the computer is resumed from
StandBy standby mode.
When I close lid Select the action to be performed on closing the lid. It can
be either left as such or made to go to the standby mode.
When I press the power Select the action to be performed when the power button
button on my computer is pressed from the following options:

1. Do nothing - to leave it as such


2. Ask me what to do - to prompt the user
3. Standby - to go to the standby mode
4. Shutdown to shutdown the computer

When I press the sleep Select the action to be performed when the sleep button
button on my computer is pressed from the following options:

1. Do nothing - to leave it as such


2. Ask me what to do - to prompt the user
3. Standby - to go to the standby mode
4. Shutdown to shutdown the computer

* - denotes mandatory parameters


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Note: While creating new schemes, you can select any of the default
schemes from the list to load its values and then modify it to suit your need.

If you wish to create/modify more schemes, click Add More Scheme button and
repeat step 2. The defined scheme gets added to the List of Power Schemes added
table.

Delete a Power Scheme

To delete an existing power scheme, select the Delete Scheme tab of the Power
Management Configuration and specify the name of the scheme that has to be
deleted.

If you wish to create/modify/delete more schemes, click Add More Scheme button
and repeat step 2. The defined task gets added to the List of Power Schemes
added table.

To modify a scheme from List of Power Schemes added table, select the appropriate row and click
icon and change the required values.

To delete scheme from List of Power Schemes added table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Power Management
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Power Management Configuration in the defined
targets. The Power Management configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Registry Settings

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Registry Settings allows you to add, modify, and delete the values in the registry of the users.
Desktop Central Registry Settings Configuration enables you to modify the values in the registry
centrally and for several users.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Registry Settings configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Write Value
2. Delete Value
3. Add Key
4. Delete Key

Write Value

To write a value in the registry, select the Action as Write Value and specify the
following values:

Parameter Description
Header Key Select the header key from the following options:

1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT: It has all file


associations, OLE information and shortcut
data.
2. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG: It has the
currently used computer hardware profile.
3. HKEY_CURRENT_USER: It has the
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Parameter Description
preferences for the user currently logged in.
4. HKEY_USERS/.Default: It has the default
profile preferences.

Key Keys are sub-components of the hives. Specify the key


value.
Type The type of the value. This varies with respect to the
Header Key selected. Select the appropriate type from
the combo box.
Value Specify the value to be added. Click the icon to
select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.
Data / Expression Specify the data or expression. If the new value has to
be created without data, enter the word clear inside the
parentheses as (clear). Click the icon to select and
assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Note: If you wish to write more values, click Add Registry Settings button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the Registry Settings table.

Delete Value

To delete a value from the registry, select the Action as Delete Value and specify the
following values:

Parameter Description
Header Key Select the header key from the following options:

1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT: It has all file associations,


OLE information and shortcut data.
2. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG: It has the currently used
computer hardware profile.
3. HKEY_CURRENT_USER: It has the preferences for the
user currently logged in.
4. HKEY_USERS/.Default: It has the default profile
preferences.

Key Keys are sub-components of the hives. Specify the key value.
Value Specify the value to be deleted.

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Note: If you wish to delete more values, click Add Registry Settings button
and repeat step 2. The values gets added to the Registry Settings table.

Add Key

To add a registry key, select the Action as Add Key and specify the following:

Parameter Description
Header Key Select the header key from the following options:

1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT: It has all file


associations, OLE information and shortcut
data.
2. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG: It has the
currently used computer hardware profile.
3. HKEY_CURRENT_USER: It has the
preferences for the user currently logged in.
4. HKEY_USERS/.Default: It has the default
profile preferences.

Key Keys are sub-components of the hives. Specify the key


value to be added.

Note: If you wish to add more keys, click Add Registry Settings button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the Registry Settings table.

Delete Key

To delete a registry key, select the Action as Delete Key and specify the following
values:

Parameter Description
Header Key Select the header key from the following options:

1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT: It has all file


associations, OLE information and shortcut
data.

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Parameter Description
2. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG: It has the
currently used computer hardware profile.
3. HKEY_CURRENT_USER: It has the
preferences for the user currently logged in.
4. HKEY_USERS/.Default: It has the default
profile preferences.

Key Keys are sub-components of the hives. Specify the key


value that has to be deleted.

Note: If you wish to delete more keys, click Add Registry Settings button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the Registry Settings table.

To modify a registry setting from the Registry Settings table, select the appropriate row and click
icon and change the required values.

To delete a registry setting from the Registry Settings table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Registry Settings
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Registry Settings Configuration in the defined targets.
The configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Securing USB Devices

The Secure USB configuration is used for both users and computers to block or unblock the use of
the USB devices. This configuration is applicable to users irrespective of the computers they use.

Using this configuration, you can block or unblock the following devices:

1. Mouse devices
2. Disk drives (for example: USB drives and external hard-disk drives)
3. CD ROMs
4. Portable devices (for example: mobile phones, digital cameras and portable media players)
5. Floppy disks
6. Bluetooth devices
7. Images (for example: USB cameras and scanners)
8. Printers
9. Modems
10. Apple USB devices (for example: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch)

You can also exclude devices using the Device Instance ID assigned to each device.

Secure USB Settings for Users

When you create the Secure USB configuration to block or unblock devices for users, you can set
actions to take place once the user logs off. These actions enable you to retain or remove the settings
that you make, using the Secure USB configuration, once the user logs off. The actions that you can
set include the following:

1. Don't alter device status: Use this option to retain the settings you have made, even after the
user has logged off.

For example, if you use this option, the settings that you have made to block or unblock the
usage of USB devices will apply to all users who log on.

2. Disable all devices excluding mouse: Use this option to remove the settings you have made,
even after the user has logged off.

Applying Secure USB Settings to Computers and Users

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When you apply the Secure USB configuration to both computers and users, the settings made for
computers will be applied before the settings made for users. For example, assume that you have
made the following settings:

1. Settings for users


2. Administrator: You have unblocked the usage of the disk drive
3. Other users (excluding the administrator): You have not deployed any configurations
4. Settings for a computer: You have blocked the usage of portable devices and disk drives

The following actions will take place:

1. Computer startup: The Secure USB configuration settings made for the computer are applied
when the computer is started. This means that no portable devices and disk drives can be
used.
2. Administrator logon: The Secure USB configuration for the computer is applied. However, it is
over written by the settings made for the administrator. This means that the administrator can
use disk drives.
3. Other users (excluding the administrator) log on: The Secure USB configuration made for the
computer is applied.
4. Other users (excluding the administrator)log off: The log off-action settings made for users are
applied when a user logs off. If the log off-action setting is set to Don't alter device status,
then the settings made will apply to the next user who logs on, provided that the user does
not have any settings that apply to them.

Note: Block USB, represents to block the access to use any USB device.
Unblock USB, represents to re-enable the access to the USB devices that has
been blocked.
No Change, represents that no change has been made to the current settings.

Creating Configurations to Secure USB Devices

As an administrator, you can create a configuration block or unblock specific USB devices. You can
also exclude specific devices, if required.

To create a configuration to secure USB devices for users, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Configurations tab


2. Click Configuration
3. In the User Configurations section click Secure USB
4. Enter a name and description for the configuration
5. Select the devices to block or unblock
6. Select the required log-off action
7. Define the target
8. Make the required execution settings
9. Click Deploy

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You have created configurations to secure USB devices. These configurations will be applied when
the user logs in to the computer.

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Excluding Devices

When you block a device you can exclude certain devices from being blocked by using the Device
Instance ID assigned to each device. You can exclude devices only when you have blocked a device.
To exclude devices, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Exclude Devices link against a device


2. Enter the Device Instance ID for the device
3. Click Close

You have excluded a device from being blocked.

Device Instance ID

Every USB device has a unique ID. This ID is assigned to devices by the system to identify them
easily. You can identify the Device Instance ID of a Device by following the steps mentioned below:

1. Right-click My Computer
2. Click Properties
3. Click Device Manager (Refer to the figure below)
4. From the list of devices, expand the list of devices for which you want the Device
Instance ID.

(For example : if you want to identify the Device Instance ID of a mobile phone that
you have connected to the computer, expand portable devices and follow the next
step.)

Figure 1: Device Manager


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5. Right-click on the name of a specific device and click Properties (Refer to the figure
below)

Figure 2: Properties

6. Click the Details tab


7. In the drop-down box, select Device Instance ID or Device Instance Path
(Refer to the figure below)

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Figure 3: Device Instance ID

In computers which have the operating system Windows Vista (and later versions),
the Device Instance ID is called the Device Instance Path. You can copy the
Device Instance Path from the Properties property sheet of the Device Manager.

In computers that have older versions of the Windows operating system installed
in them, you cannot copy the Device Instance ID directly from the Properties
property sheet of the Device Manager.

To copy the Device Instance ID you must open the dcusbaccess log file. This file
is located in <Drive>\<Desktopcentral_Agent Folder>\logs\dcusbaccess.log. It
contains information about the following:

1. Action Time (inserted\removed time)


2. Action (inserted\removed)
3. Friendly name
4. Device Instance ID

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1. You can now view and copy the Device Instance ID for a specific device.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Securing USB for Computers

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Configuring Security Policies

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Security policies determine the various security restrictions that can be imposed on the users in a
network. The security settings for Active Desktop, Computer, Control Panel, Explorer, Internet
Explorer, Network, and System categories can be defined using Security Policies Configuration.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Security Policies Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Choose Policy Category The specific policy area in which the security policy will be applied.
Select the desired category from left. This displays the relevant
security polices. For details on the each category, refer to Windows
Help documentation. For details on the each policy in the Select the
Policy list, refer to Security Policies topic.
Policy Value To enable, disable, or to leave it unconfigured, select the
appropriate option.

Note:

1. To modify a security policy from this table, select the appropriate row, click icon
and change the required values.
2. To delete a security policy from this table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

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Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Security Policies
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Security Policies Configuration in the defined targets.
The security policies will be applied during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Security Policies

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Configuring Shared Network Printer

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

When a printer is installed in a machine in the network and is shared, other machines in the network
can use this printer for their printing needs. Desktop Central enables you to configure the Shared
Network Printer in the user machines.

For configuring an IP printer connection to the computer, refer to the Configuring IP Printer topic.

Note: To add the Shared Network Printer Configuration, a computer must be installed with
printer connection and must be shared.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Shared Network Printer Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Add a Shared Network Printer


2. Delete a Shared Network Printer

Add a Shared Network Printer

To add a Shared Network Printer, select the Action as Add and specify the following
values:

Parameter Description
Shared Network Browse and select the path of the shared network printer location in
Printer Path* the network.
Set as default Select this check box, if you want to make this as the default printer for
printer the user. By default, this option is cleared.

* - denotes mandatory field


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Delete a Shared Network Printer

To delete a Shared Network Printer, select the Action as Delete and specify the
following values:

Parameter Description
Shared Network Printer Path* Browse and select the path of the Shared Network Printer
location in the network.
Delete all existing Shared Select this check box, if you want to delete all the existing
Network Printer connections Shared Network Printer connections. By default, this
option is disabled.

* - denotes mandatory field

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Shared Network Printer
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Shared Network Printer Configuration in the defined
targets. The printer configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Managing Shortcuts

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The shortcut is an icon that points to a file, folder or an Internet URL. The Shortcut Configuration
enables you to add shortcuts to the users from a central point.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Shortcut Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Create a Shortcut
2. Create an Internet Shortcut
3. Delete a Shortcut / Internet Shortcut

Create a Shortcut

To create a shortcut, select the Action as Create Shortcut and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Overwrite To modify the existing shortcut select this option.
Shortcut Name* Specify the name of the shortcut.
Target Application* Browse and select the target application from the
network for which a shortcut has to be created. The
target application can also be in the local machine
where the configuration is being deployed.
Arguments* If the application requires any arguments, specify
the arguments. Leave it blank if it does not require
any arguments.
Shortcut Location Select the location to create the shortcut. The

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Parameter Description
shortcut location can be any of the following:

1. User Desktop: Refers to the desktop of that


user.
2. User Favorites: Refers to the favorites
folder of that user.
3. User Start Menu: Refers to the start menu
of that user.
4. User Programs Group: Refers to the Start --
> Programs group of that user.
5. User Startup Group: Refers to the Start -->
Programs --> Startup group of that user.
6. User Quick Launch Bar: Refers to the quick
launch bar of that user.
7. All Users Desktop: Refers to the desktop
common for all the users.
8. All Users Start Menu: Refers to the start
menu common for all users.
9. All Users Programs Group: Refers to the
Start --> Programs group common for all
the users.
10. All Users Startup Group: Refers to the Start
--> Programs --> Startup group common for
all the users.

Start In Folder* Some applications may have some references to


additional files during execution. In such cases,
browse and select the location from where the
application has to be started.
Shortcut Comments Specify the comments for this shortcut.
Icon File* Browse and select the icon for the shortcut.
Run Window Select how the application has be started - Normal,
Maximized, or Minimized.

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Note: If you wish to create more shortcuts, click Add Shortcut button and repeat
step 2. The defined shortcut gets added to the Shortcut table.

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Create an Internet Shortcut

To create an Internet shortcut, select the Action as Create Internet Shortcut and specify the following
values:

Parameter Description
Shortcut Name* Specify the name of the Internet shortcut.
Target URL* Specify the URL for which the shortcut needs to be created.
Shortcut Location Select the location to create the shortcut. The shortcut location can be
any of the following:

1. User Desktop: Refers to the desktop of that user.


2. User Favorites: Refers to the favorites folder of that user.
3. User Start Menu: Refers to the start menu of that user.
4. User Programs Group: Refers to the Start --> Programs group
of that user.
5. User Startup Group: Refers to the Start --> Programs -->
Startup group of that user.
6. User Quick Launch Bar: Refers to the quick launch bar of that
user.
7. All Users Desktop: Refers to the desktop common for all the
users.
8. All Users Start Menu: Refers to the start menu common for all
users.
9. All Users Programs Group: Refers to the Start --> Programs
group common for all the users.
10. All Users Startup Group: Refers to the Start --> Programs -->
Startup group common for all the users.

Icon File* Browse and select the icon for the shortcut.

Delete a Shortcut / Internet Shortcut

To delete a shortcut, select the Action as Delete Shortcut / Internet Shortcut respectively and specify
the following values:

Parameter Description
Shortcut Name Specify the name of the shortcut. Click the icon to select and
assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.
Shortcut Location Select the location from where the shourcuts needs to be deleted.
The shortcut location can be any of the following:

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1. User Desktop: Refers to the desktop of that user.
2. User Favorites: Refers to the favorites folder of that user.
3. User Start Menu: Refers to the start menu of that user.
4. User Programs Group: Refers to the Start --> Programs
group of that user.
5. User Startup Group: Refers to the Start --> Programs -->
Startup group of that user.
6. User Quick Launch Bar: Refers to the quick launch bar of
that user.
7. All Users Desktop: Refers to the desktop common for all the
users.
8. All Users Start Menu: Refers to the start menu common for
all users.
9. All Users Programs Group: Refers to the Start --> Programs
group common for all the users.
10. All Users Startup Group: Refers to the Start --> Programs -->
Startup group common for all the users.

Note: If you wish to delete more shortcuts, click Add More Shortcut button and repeat step
2. The defined shortcut gets added to the Shortcut table.

To modify a shortcut from the Shortcut table, select the appropriate row and click icon and change
the required values.

To delete a shortcut from the Shortcut table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Shortcut Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Shortcut Configuration in the defined targets. The
shortcut configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Computer Configurations

This section details the configurations that can be applied to the computers of the Windows Domain.
Configurations applied to computers are available for all the users of the computers. These
configurations are applied to the computers during startup or shutdown.

Note: Ensure that you have defined the scope of management before defining the
configurations. For details, refer to Defining the Scope of Management.

To reach the configuration screen, follow the steps below:

1. Click Add Configuration link from the Quick Links. This will list all the supported
configurations for users and computers.
2. Click the required configuration listed under the Computer Configurations.

Desktop Central supports the following configurations that can be applied on computers:

1. Redirecting Common Folders


2. Executing Custom Scripts
3. Setting Environment Variables
4. Managing Files and Folders
5. Configuring Windows XP Firewall
6. Configuring General Computer Settings
7. Managing Windows Local Groups
8. Installing Patches
9. Installing Software - MSI/EXE Format
10. Installing Windows Service Packs
11. Configuring IP Printers
12. Launching Applications
13. Displaying Legal Notices
14. Displaying Message Box
15. Setting Path
16. Managing Permissions
17. Configuring Registry Settings
18. Securing USB Devices
19. Scheduling Tasks
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20. Configuring Security Policies
21. Managing Shortcuts
22. Configuring Windows Services
23. Managing Windows Local Users

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Redirecting Common Folders

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Common Folder Redirection Configuration helps to change the location of the All User Shell
folders that are shared by all the users. The All User Shell folders which contains common Start
Menu, Programs Group, Startup Group, Desktop, and application data shared by all the users. For the
redirection of the user-specific folders in the computer, refer to the Redirecting User-Specific Folders
topic.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Common Folder Redirection Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Select the values for the following fields that require change in settings. For each of the fields in the
following table, click the Browse button next to the corresponding field to launch Network Browser
window. Select the folder location and click OK button. If this field is left blank, the corresponding
folder settings is left unchanged.

The following table provides a brief description about the common folders that can be redirected using
Desktop Central.

Field Description

Common Start Menu* Contains the shortcuts that appear in the start menu that are common
for all the users of the computer.

Common Programs Group* Contains the shortcuts that appear in the Programs group of the start
menu that are common for all the users of the computer.

Common Startup Group* Contains the shortcuts that appear in Start --> Programs --> Startup
menu. This specifies the applications that should be started during
the startup of the system.

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Field Description

Common Desktop* Contains the shortcuts and files that appear in the desktop that are
common for all the users of the computer.

Common Application Data* Contains the application data that are shared by all the users
(C:/Documents and Settings/All Users/Application Data).

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Common Folder
Redirection Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Common Folder Redirection Configuration in the
defined targets. The configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Redirecting User-Specific Folders

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Executing Custom Scripts

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Desktop Central provides options for configuring almost all the computer configurations from remote.
In addition to the configurations that are supported by Desktop Central, administrators can also write
their own scripts that could be run on the machines for accomplishing specific configurations. The
scripts could be any of the following:

1. Batch file (.bat or .cmd)


2. In any other language hosted by Windows Script Host (WSH), such as VB Script, JScript,
Perl, REXX, and Python.

Note: The script engines for languages like Perl, REXX, and Python, must be registered
with Windows.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Custom Script Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The table given below lists the parameters that have to be provided for defining the configuration.

Parameter Description
Script Name* The script that has to be executed in the machines. You have an
option to select the script from any of the following:

1. Local: The machine from where the configuration is being


defined.
2. Inventory: Refers to the Desktop Central inventory. All the
scripts that have been added using Managing Scripts
procedure will be available here.

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Parameter Description
3. Network Share: Refers to the network share.

Script Arguments The arguments that have to be provided while executing the scripts.
Execute During* Refers to the script execution time. This can be either during the
system startup or shutdown.

* - Refers to the mandatory fields.

Note: The scripts specified from the local or share, will automatically be added to the
Desktop Central inventory after successful deployment.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Custom Script
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Custom Script Configuration in the targets.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Managing Custom Scripts

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Setting Environment Variables

1. Name the Configuration


2. Defining Configuration
3. Defining Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Environment variables are strings that contain information about the environment for the system, and
the currently logged on user. Some software programs use the information to determine where to
place files (such as temp, tmp, path etc). Environment variables control the behavior of various
programs. Any user can add, modify, or remove a user environment variable. However, only an
administrator can add, modify, or remove a system environment variable. Using Desktop Central, the
environment variables can be defined and added.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Environment Variable Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The following table lists the parameters that have to be specified:

Parameter Description
Variable* The environment variable name that has to be modified or added.
Value* The value that has to be stored in the environment variable. Click
the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this
parameter.

* - denotes mandatory fields

Note:

1. To add more environment variables, click Add More Variables and repeat Step 2.
The defined environment variable gets added to the List of Environment Variable
table.
2. To modify a environment variable from this table, select the appropriate row, click
icon and change the required values.
3. To delete a environment variable from this table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

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Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Environment Variable
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Environment Variable Configuration in the targets
defined. The configurations will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Setting Path

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Managing Files and Folders

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The File and Folder Operation allows you to copy, move, rename, delete files and folders in
computers. Desktop Central File and Folder Operation Configuration enables you to copy/move/delete
files for several computers from central location.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the File and Folder Operation configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Copy Files and Folders


2. Rename/Move Files and Folders
3. Delete Files and Folders

Copy Files and Folder

To copy files and folders, select the Copy tab and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Select Action Type Select the Action from any of the following:

1. Copy a File - To copy a file from one location to


another.
2. Copy a File to a Folder - To copy a file from one
location to a specified folder.
3. Copy Multiple Files - To copy multiple files to a
specified folder.
4. Copy a Folder - To copy a folder from one

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Parameter Description
location to another.

Source File Specify the file that has to be copied. The file can either
be in a shared location or in the specified location in the
client machines.
Destination File Specify the destination location with the file name.
Destination Folder Specify the destination folder to copy the files/folders.
Include Read Only Files Select this option, if you wish to copy the files even if it
has only read-only permissions.
Include System Files Select this option if you wish to copy the system files.
Include Hidden Files Select this option if you wish to copy the hidden files.
Overwrite Existing Files Select this option to overwrite the existing files.
Create Destination Directory if Select this option to create the destination directory, if it
doesn't Exist does not exist.
Include Sub Folders Select this option, if you wish to copy sub folders or the
files within the sub folders.
Continue on Error While copying multiple files or folders, specify whether
to continue, if any error is encountered while copying.
Choose file modification time Specify the file or folder modification time. Files that
meet the specified criteria will only be copied.
Connect using Credentials To copy Files/Folders across Domains or amongst
Workgroup computers, you need to specify a credential
that has access to the source Files/Folders.

Note: If you wish to copy more files/folders, click Add More Action button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of File Actions table.

Rename/Move Files and Folders

To rename or move the files and folders, select the Rename/Move tab and specify
the following values:

Parameter Description
Select Action Type Select the Action from any of the following:

1. Rename/Move a file
2. Rename/Move a folder

Source File/Folder Specify the file or the folder that has to be copied
Destination File/Folder Specify the destination file or the folder.
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Note: If you wish to copy more files/folders, click Add More Action button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of File Actions table.

Delete Files and Folders

To delete the files and folders, select the Delete tab and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Select Action Type Select the Action from any of the following:

1. Delete a File
2. Delete Multiple Files
3. Delete a Folder

Source File Specify the files/folders that has to be deleted


Include Read Only Files Select this option, if you wish to delete the read-only
files
Include System Files Select this option, if you wish to delete the system files
Include Hidden Files Select this option, if you wish to delete the hidden files.
Include Sub Folders Select this option, if you wish to delete the sub folders
or the files within the sub folders.
Continue on Error While deleting multiple files or folders, specify whether
to continue, if any error is encountered while deleting.

Note: If you wish to copy more files/folders, click Add More Action button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of File Actions table.

To modify a file action from the List of File Actions table, select the appropriate row and click icon
and change the required values.

To delete a file action from the List of File Actions table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the File and Folder Operation
Configuration.
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Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined File and Folder Operation Configuration in the defined
targets. The configuration will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Windows XP Firewall

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Firewall configuration in the Windows XP Operating System can be modified using Desktop
Central. The Windows XP Firewall blocks or permits access to the computer for specific TCP or UDP
ports.

Note: The Firewall Configuration can be deployed only on the computers with the Windows
XP (with Service Pack 2) Operating System.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Firewall Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Select the Firewall Action from the combo box. The action could be any of the following:

1. ON: To turn on the Windows XP Firewall.


2. OFF: To turn off the Windows XP Firewall.
3. DONT MODIFY: To preserve the client settings. This option is selected by default.

Note: The Firewall configurations defined using Desktop Central can be deployed
successfully to the client computers. However, it will take effect only when you turn on the
Windows XP Firewall.

Specify the following parameters to block/unblock a port:

Parameter Description
Port Action Select whether to block, unblock, or to retain client settings using
the Windows XP Firewall. The default option is Block.
Choose Port [Number - Specify the port in the form of Port Number - Port Name - Protocol.

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Parameter Description
Name - Protocol] The standard ports and services are listed in the combo box. If the
required port is not listed, select the Customize link to either choose
the port from the Additional ports list or to add your own by providing
the required details.
Dependent Services On selecting the port the dependent services are shown in this field.
This cannot be modified from here.

Note:

1. To block/unblock more ports, click Add More Ports and repeat Step 2. The port gets
added to the Firewall table.
2. To modify a setting from this table, select the appropriate row, click icon and
change the required values.
3. To delete a setting from this table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets deploying the Firewall Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Firewall Configuration in the defined targets. The
configurations will take effect during the next system startup

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring General Computer Settings

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The General Configuration is for configuring the general settings for the computers, such as
configuring display the last user name, synchronize the system time with Time Server, and so on.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the General Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

The table below lists the general settings that can be configured using Desktop Central. Specify the
values only if a change is required for a particular parameter, else, leave it blank.

Parameter Description
Display last User Name To specify whether to display the previously logged user name or
not. This is displayed when a user logs on to the system. To leave it
unchanged, select Preserve client settings option.
Registered Owner* The name of the registered owner of the system. This is displayed in
the General tab of the My Computer properties window.
Registered Company* The name of the company. This is displayed in the General tab of
the My Computer properties window.
Time Server Browse and select a time server to synchronize the time of the
computer with of the time server. Time synchronization happens
when the computer is started.

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the General Configuration.

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Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined General Configuration in the defined targets. The
configuration will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Managing Windows Local Groups

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Group Management allows you to add, modify, or delete local groups from the computers.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Group Management Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Add Group
2. Delete Group
3. Modify Group

Add Group

To add a group to the computer, select the Add Group link from the Choose Group
Action table and specify the following:

Parameter Description
Group Name The name of the group that has to be created.
Description The description of the group.
Add Member Select the Member Type as Local, Domain User, or
Domain Group and specify/select the users or global
groups that have to be added to the local group.
Overwrite if group already exist Select this option, if you wish to overwrite the group
definition, if one with the same name exists.

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Note: If you wish to add more groups or to perform another action, click Add
More Actions button and continue. The values gets added to the List of
Settings table.

Delete Group

To delete a group from the computer, select the Delete Group link from the Choose
Group Action table and specify the group name that has to be deleted.

Note: If you wish to delete more groups or to perform another action, click Add
More Actions button and continue. The values gets added to the List of
Settings table.

Modify Group

To modify a group of the computer, select the Modify Group link from the Choose
Group Action table and specify the group name that has to be deleted.

Parameter Description
Group Name The name of the group that has to be modified.
Description The description of the group.
Add Member Select the Member Type as Local, Domain User, or
Domain Group and specify/select the users or global
groups that have to be added to the local group.
Remove Member Select the Member Type as Local, Domain User, or
Domain Group and specify/select the users to be
removed from this group.

Note: If you wish to modify more groups or to perform another action, click Add
More Actions button and continue. The values gets added to the List of
Settings table.

To modify a setting from the List of Settings table, select the appropriate row and click icon and
change the required values.

To delete a setting from the List of Settings table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Group Management
Configuration.

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Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Group Management Configuration in the targets
defined. The configuration will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Installing Patches

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Install Patches configuration enables you to install patches to fix the application vulnerabilities
from a central location. You can click on Install Patch and select the OS that you wanted to deploy
patches to. Follow the steps mentioned below to install patches for windows and MaC operating
systems.

1. Click on Patch Management


2. Under Deployment select Install Patch
3. Choose the operating system as Windows or Mac and then create a configuration that needs
to be deployed.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Install Patches Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Add the Patches Click the Add More Patches button to invoke the Patch Browser.
From the patch browser select the patches that have to be applied.
The patch browser has an option to view the missing patches or all
patches, which can then be filtered based on the application and
service pack.
Scheduler Settings Install After

Select this option and specify the date and time after which the
patches have to be installed. The patches will be installed based on
the Install Options selected after the scheduled time.

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Parameter Description
Deployment Settings If you have defined Deployment Templates, you can load the
Deployment Settings directly from a template by selecting the
required template from the list.

Install Options

Install during computer startup: Select this option if the patches have
to be deployed during computer startup.
Install during 90 minutes refresh interval: Select this option if the
patches have to be installed after the computer startup when the
next update happens (within 90 minutes)
Either of the above, whichever is earlier

Install Between

If you want the installation to happen only between a specified time


of a day, you can specify the Start and End time within which the
deployment should begin. The Start Time can also be greater than
the End time - in such cases the End time is assumed to be on the
following day. For example, if you wish the deployment should
happen between 10.00 PM and 4.00 AM, you can specify the Start
Time as 22:00:00 and End Time as 04:00:00

Allow Users to Skip Deployment

Specify whether the use can skip the deployment at a later time by
selecting the "Allow Users to Skip Deployment". When you do not
select this option, the deployment will be forced and the user will not
have any control on the deployment.
When you allow users to skip deployment, you can also specify
whether they can skip it as long as they wish or force deployment
after a specific date.

Reboot Policy

Do not reboot: Select this option if the client computers should not
be rebooted after installing the patches.
Force Reboot when the user has logged in: Select this option to
force the user to reboot the computer. Specify the time after which
the client machines will be rebooted and the message that has to be
displayed in the client machines. This option is applicable if the

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Parameter Description
computer is turned on and even if there is no logged on user, the
computer will get restarted after the specified time.
Force Shutdown when the user has logged in: Select this option to
force the user to shutdown the computer. Specify the time within
which the client machines will be shutdown and the message that
has to be displayed in the client machines.
Allow user to skip Reboot: Select this option to allow users to reboot
later. Specify the message that has to be displayed in the client
machines.
Allow user to skip Shutdown:Select this option to allow users to
shutdown later. Specify the message that has to be displayed in the
client machines

Note: If you have reached this configuration page from the Patch Management tab by
selecting the patches, the selected patches automatically gets added to the List of Patches.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Install Patches
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Install Patches Configuration in the defined targets. The
software installation for the selected targets will happen during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Installing Software - MSI & EXE Packages

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Software Installation configuration helps you to install MSI and EXE packages remotely to
several computers of the Windows network from a central location.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Software Installation Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You have an option to install either an EXE or an MSI package

• Install MSI Package


• Install EXE Package

Install MSI Package

Select the Installer type as MSI and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
MSI Package This will list all the MSI packages that are available in the Software
Name Repository. Select the MSI that has to be installed.
Operation Type To specify how the installation should happen. Select any of the
following options:

Install Completely: Selecting this option will install the application


automatically.
Advertise: Selecting this option will notify the user about the availability
of the software. Thy can choose whether to install the software or not.
Remove: Selecting this option remove (uninstall) the application from

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Parameter Description
the system

Install as The user as whom the MSI has to be installed.

System User: Default system user privilege

Run as User: User Account with specific privilege


Copy You have an option to copy the installables to the client machines
before installing them. Select the required option:

None: Selecting this option will not copy the installation files.
Copy file to client machines: Will copy the exe or the msi file alone as
specified in the software package to the client machines.
Copy folder to client machines: Will copy the entire directory that has
the installation file to the client machines.

Copy option will be mandatory, when the network share requires a user
credential to access and when you opt to install the software as a
different user using the Run As option.

Click Add More Packages to install/uninstall additional software.

Note:You can also uninstall a previous version of the software either by running a
pre-installation script (should be specified while creating a package) or by selecting
the Operation Type as Remove. In the latter case, you need to add two packages,
one to remove the older version and the other to install the new version.

Specify the Scheduler details for installing the software:

Parameter Description
Schedule Time to Perform Select his option and specify the data and time after which the
the Operation installation should begin. It may be noted that the
installation/uninstallation will still be based on the Operation
Type & Installation / Uninstallation Option selected, but this will
begin after the time specified here.

Specify the Deployment Settings for the software:

If you have defined Deployment Templates, you can load the Deployment Settings
directly from a template by selecting the required template from the list.

Parameter Description
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Parameter Description
Installation / Uninstallation Specify whether the installation/uninstallation should happen
Option during or after system startup:

During startup: Select this option if the software has to be


installed/uninstalled during computer startup.
After startup: Select this option if the software has to be
installed/uninstalled after the computer startup when the next
GP update happens (within 90 minutes)
During or After Startup: Either of the above, whichever is earlier

Install Between If you want the installation to happen only between a specified
time of a day, you can specify the Start and End time within
which the deployment should begin. The Start Time can also be
greater than the End time - in such cases the End time is
assumed to be on the following day. For example, if you wish
the deployment should happen between 10.00 PM and 4.00
AM, you can specify the Start Time as 22:00:00 and End Time
as 04:00:00
Allow Users to Skip Specify whether the use can skip the deployment at a later time
Deployment by selecting the "Allow Users to Skip Deployment". When you
do not select this option, the deployment will be forced and the
user will not have any control on the deployment. When you
allow users to skip deployment, you can also specify whether
they can skip it as long as they wish or force deployment after a
specific date.
Reboot Policy Do not reboot: Select this option if the client computers should
not be rebooted after installing the software.
Force Reboot when the user has logged in: Select this option to
force the user to reboot the computer. Specify the time within
which the client machines will be rebooted and the message
that has to be displayed in the client machines. This option is
applicable if the computer is turned on and even if there is no
logged on user, the computer will get restarted after the
specified time.
Force Shutdown when the user has logged in: Select this option
to force the user to shutdown the computer. Specify the time
within which the client machines will be shutdown and the
message that has to be displayed in the client machines. This
option is applicable if the computer is turned on and even if
there is no logged on user, the computer will get restarted after
the specified time.

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Parameter Description

Allow user to skip Reboot: Select this option to allow users to


reboot later. Specify the message that has to be displayed in
the client machines.
Allow user to skip Shutdown:Select this option to allow users to
shutdown later. Specify the message that has to be displayed in
the client machines.

Install EXE Packages

Select the Installer type as EXE and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
EXE Package Name This will list all the EXE packages that are available in the
Software Repository. Select the EXE that has to be installed.
Operation Type Select the operation type as Install or Uninstall.
Install as The user as whom the EXE has to be installed.

System User: Default system user privilege

Run as User: User Account with specific privilege


Copy You have an option to copy the installables to the client
machines before installing them. Select the required option:

None: Selecting this option will not copy the installation files.
Copy file to client machines: Will copy the exe or the msi file
alone as specified in the software package to the client
machines.
Copy folder to client machines: Will copy the entire directory
that has the installation file to the client machines.

Copy option will be mandatory, when the network share


requires a user credential to access and when you opt to install
the software as a different user using the Run As option. The
content copied on the client machines will be removed after the
software is installed successfully. If the software installation
fails, the copied content will be maintained for trouble shooting
purpose.

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Click Add More Packages to install/uninstall additional software.

Note:You can also uninstall a previous version of the software either by running a
pre-installation script (should be specified while creating a package) or by selecting
the Operation Type as Remove. In the latter case, you need to add two packages,
one to remove the older version and the other to install the new version.

Specify the Scheduler details for installing the software:

Parameter Description
Installation / Uninstallation Specify whether the installation should happen during or after
Option system startup.
Schedule Time to Perform Select this option and specify the data and time after which the
the Operation installation should begin. It may be noted that the
installation/uninstallation will still be based on the Operation
Type & Installation / Uninstallation Option selected, but this will
begin after the time specified here.
Reboot Policy Do not reboot: Select this option if the client computers should
not be rebooted after installing the software.
Force Reboot when the user has logged in: Select this option to
force the user to reboot the computer. Specify the time within
which the client machines will be rebooted and the message
that has to displayed in the client machines.
Force Shutdown when the user has logged in: Select this
option to force the user to shutdown the computer. Specify the
time within which the client machines will be shutdown and the
message that has to displayed in the client machines.
Allow user to skip Reboot: Select this option to allow users to
reboot later. Specify the message that has to displayed in the
client machines.
Allow user to skip Shutdown:Select this option to allow users to
shutdown later. Specify the message that has to displayed in
the client machines.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Windows Installer
Configuration.

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Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Windows Installer Configuration in the defined targets.
The software installation for the selected targets will happen as scheduled.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Installing Windows Service Packs

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Install Service Pack configuration enables you to install windows service packs to operating
system and other windows applications from a central location.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Install Service Pack Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Specify the following:

Parameter Description
Select the Service Pack All the available Service packs are listed here. You can filter the
view based on the OS or the application by selecting the appropriate
option from the Select Application combo box.

Select the service pack from the list and specify whether to reboot
the system after applying the service pack.
Deployment Settings Install After

1. Select this option and specify the date and time after which
the service pack has to be installed. The service pack will be
installed based on the Install Options selected after the
scheduled time.

Install Options

1. Install during computer startup: Select this option if the


service pack has to be deployed during computer startup.
2. Install during 90 minutes refresh interval: Select this option if
the service pack has to be installed after the computer
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Parameter Description
startup when the next update happens (within 90 minutes)
3. Either of the above, whichever is earlier

Reboot Policy

1. Do not reboot: Select this option if the client computers


should not be rebooted after installing the service pack.
2. Force Reboot when the user has logged in: Select this
option to force the user to reboot the computer. Specify the
time after which the client machines will be rebooted and the
message that has to be displayed in the client machines.
This option is applicable if the computer is turned on and
even if there is no logged on user, the computer will get
restarted after the specified time.
3. Force Shutdown when the user has logged in: Select this
option to force the user to shutdown the computer. Specify
the time after which the client machines will be shutdown
and the message that has to be displayed in the client
machines.
4. Allow user to skip Reboot: Select this option to allow users
to reboot later. Specify the message that has to be
displayed in the client machines.
5. Allow user to skip Shutdown:Select this option to allow
users to shutdown later. Specify the message that has to be
displayed in the client machines.

Note: If no service pack details are listed here, check whether you have configured the Proxy
Settings.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Install Service Pack
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

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Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Install Service Pack Configuration in the defined
targets. The software installation for the selected targets will happen during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring IP Printer

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The IP Printer Configuration is for adding or deleting the IP Printer connection in the computers. For
configuring a shared or IP printers in the computer for specific users, refer to the Configuring Shared
Printer / Configuring IP Printer topics under User Configurations.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the IP Printer configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Add an IP Printer
2. Delete an IP Printer

Add an IP Printer

To add an IP Printer, select the Action as Add and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
DNS Name/IP The host name or IP address defined for the printer.
Example: 192.111.2.32
Printer Name The display name for the printer.
Protocol The printing protocol supported by the printer. Select the
printing protocol from the Protocol list box. The default
option is "RAW".
Port Number The port number/queue name in which printing protocol is
communicating between the computer and printer. Enter the
port number in the Port Number field if the "RAW" Protocol is
selected or enter the queue name if the "LPR" Protocol is

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Parameter Description
selected. The default value is 9100.
Port Name This is an optional field. By default, the port name is
IP_<IP_Address/DNS_Name>. You can change the port
name if required.
Shared Printer for Driver Browse to select a shared printer for installing the driver. If
Installation the drivers are already installed in the target computers, the
Desktop Central will skip the driver installation.
Connect Shared Network To copy Driver Files across Domains or amongst Workgroup
Printer using Credentials computers, you need to specify a credential that access
domain/workgroup machine where the Shared Printer Driver
Files are present.

Delete an IP Printer

To delete an IP Printer, select the Action as Delete and specify the following values:

Parameter Description

Printer Name The display name of the printer.

Delete all existing IP printer To delete all the existing IP printer connections in the
connections computer for the specified user, select this option.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the IP Printer Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined IP Printer Configuration in the targets defined. The
configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Configuring Shared Printer

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Launching Applications

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Launch Application configuration enables you to launch an application during startup or shutdown of
the computer.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Launch Application Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Select whether the application has to be launched from the local computer or from the network share.
If you select the Local option, all the selected target computers should have the application in the
same location. Specify the following:

Parameter Description
Application Name* Browse and select the application that has to be launched. The
applications that are available in the local machine from where the
application has to be launched can also be specified.
Arguments* Specify the arguments for the application, if any.

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Note:

1. To launch more applications, click Add More Application and repeat Step 2. The
added application gets added to the Launch Application table.
2. To modify an application from this table, select the appropriate row, click icon and
change the required values.
3. To delete an application from this table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

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Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Launch Application
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Launch Application Configuration in the targets defined.
The applications configured will be launched during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Displaying Legal Notices

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The important enterprise wide announcements, legal notice, etc., can be configured using the Legal
Notice configuration. The configured message will be displayed whenever the user presses
ctrl+alt+del to login.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Legal Notice Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Specify the following:

Parameter Description
Remove Already Defined Select this option to clear the previous configurations, if any.
Legal Notice
Window Title* Specify the window title of the legal notice.
Message* Specify the message that has to be displayed.

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Legal Notice
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Legal Notice Configuration in the defined targets. The
configured legal notice will be displayed during the next system startup.

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To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Displaying Message Box

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Displaying Message Box

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

For the computers in the network, the pop-up messages with the warning or error can be displayed
during the system startup. If the system is already running while deploying this configuration, the
message will be displayed during the system restart.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Message Boxes Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You have an option to create a new message box or delete the existing message box. Select the
required option and specify the following:

Parameter Description
Message Type The message type as Information, Warning, or Error.
Window Title The title of the message box.
Message The message that has to be displayed.
Timeout in Seconds The duration, in seconds, for the message display.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Message Boxes
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Message Boxes Configuration in the targets defined.
The message will be displayed during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

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See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Displaying Legal Notices

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Setting Path

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Path is an environment variable that contains the path prefixes that certain applications, utilities, and
functions uses to search for an executable file. The Path Configuration enables you to add path
prefixes to this variable.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Path Configuration

Step 2: Define Configuration

Specify the path to be added to the environment variables. Multiple paths can be specified separated
by a semi-colon (;). Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to the Path variable.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Path Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Path Configuration in the targets defined. The
configurations will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Setting Environment Variables

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Managing Permissions

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Permission Management allows you to grant revoke permission on the files, folders and registry.
Desktop Central Permission Management Configuration enables you to grant/revoke permissions to
multiple computers from a central point.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Permission Management configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can grant or revoke permissions for the following objects:

1. Files
2. Folders
3. Registry

Files

To grant or revoke permissions for files, select the File tab and specify the following
values:

Parameter Description
User/Group Principal Select the users and groups for whom you would like to
grant or revoke permissions.
Action Select the action from the following:

1. Append - To append to the existing file


permissions. Please note that it will only append
to the existing permissions on the object and
will not overwrite. For example, for an object

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Parameter Description
having full permissions, if you just select a deny
permission to write, only write permission will be
removed while the user/group can still modify
the object.
2. Overwrite - To overwrite the existing file
permissions
3. Revoke - To revoke the existing file permissions
of the specified user/group. All the permissions
to the specified user/group on that file will be
removed. However, the inherited permissions
will not be removed.

Path Specify the path of the file for which you need to specify
permissions
Settings Select the required options.

Note: If you wish to add more permissions, click Add More Permissions button
and repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of Permission Actions
table.

Folders

To grant or revoke permissions for folders, select the Folder tab and specify the
following values:

Parameter Description
User/Group Principal Select the users and groups for whom you would like to
grant or revoke permissions.
Action Select the action from the following:

1. Append - To append to the existing folder


permissions. Please note that it will only append
to the existing permissions on the object and
will not overwrite. For example, for an object
having full permissions, if you just select a deny
permission to write, only write permission will be
removed while the user/group can still modify
the object.
2. Overwrite - To overwrite the existing folder

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Parameter Description
permissions
3. Revoke - To revoke the existing folder
permissions. All the permissions to the specified
user/group on that folder will be removed.
However, the inherited permissions will not be
removed.

Path Specify the path of the folder for which you need to
specify permissions
Inheritance Select the required option to specify how the permission
should effect its subfolders and files
Settings Select the required options.

Note: If you wish to add more permissions, click Add More Permissions button
and repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of Permission Actions
table.

Registry

To grant or revoke permissions for registry, select the Registry tab and specify the
following values:

Parameter Description
User/Group Principal Select the users and groups for whom you would like to grant or
revoke permissions.
Action Select the action from the following:

1. Append - To append to the existing registry


permissions. Please note that it will only append to the
existing permissions on the object and will not overwrite.
For example, for an object having full permissions, if
you just select a deny permission to write, only write
permission will be removed while the user/group can
still modify the object.
2. Overwrite - To overwrite the existing registry
permissions
3. Revoke - To revoke the existing registry permissions. All
the permissions to the specified user/group on that
registry key will be removed. However, the inherited

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Parameter Description
permissions will not be removed.

Hive Select the registry hive from the given options


Key Specify the key within that hive for which you need to set the
permissions
Inheritance Select the required options to specify how the permission should
effect its subkeys.
Settings Select the required options.

Note: If you wish to add more permissions, click Add More Permissions button
and repeat step 2. The values gets added to the List of Permission Actions
table.

To modify a permission from the List of Permission Actions table, select the appropriate row and
click icon and change the required values.

To delete a permission from the List of Permission Actions table, select the appropriate row and
click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Permission Management
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Permission Management Configuration in the defined
targets. The configuration will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Registry Settings

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Registry Settings allows you to change the values in the registry in the workstations. Desktop
Central Registry Settings Configuration enables you to modify the registry values from a central
location.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Registry Settings Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Write Value
2. Delete Value
3. Add Key
4. Delete Key

Write Value

To write a value to the registry, select the Action as Write Value and specify the
following:

Parameter Description
Header Key Select the header key or hive as HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Key Keys are sub-components of the hives. Specify the key value.
Type The type of the value. This varies with respect to the Header Key selected.
Select the appropriate type from the combo box.
Value* Specify the value to be added.
Data / Specify the data or expression. If the new value has to be created without
Expression* data, enter the word clear inside the parentheses as (clear).

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

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Note: If you wish to write more values, click Add More Registry Settings button
and repeat step 2. The values gets added to the Registry Settings table.

Delete Value

To delete a value from the registry, select the Action as Delete Value and specify the
following values:

Parameter Description
Header Key Select the header key or hive as
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Key Keys are sub-components of the hives. Specify the key
value.
Value Specify the value to be deleted.

Note: If you wish to delete more values, click Add Registry Settings button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the Registry Settings table.

Add Key

To add a registry key, select the Action as Add Key and specify the following:

Parameter Description
Header Key Select the header key or hive as
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Key Keys are sub-components of the hives. Specify the key
value to be added.

Note: If you wish to add more keys, click Add Registry Settings button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the Registry Settings table.

Delete Key

To delete a registry key, select the Action as Delete Key and specify the following
values:

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Parameter Description
Header Key Select the header key or hive as
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Key Keys are sub-components of the hives. Specify the key
value that has to be deleted.

Note: If you wish to delete more keys, click Add Registry Settings button and
repeat step 2. The values gets added to the Registry Settings table.

To modify a registry setting from the Registry Settings table, select the appropriate row and click
icon and change the required values.

To delete a registry setting from the Registry Settings table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Registry Settings
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Registry Settings Configuration in the targets defined.
The configuration will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Securing USB Devices

The Secure USB configuration is used for both users and computers to block or unblock the use of
the USB devices.

Using this configuration, you can block or unblock the following devices:

1. Mouse devices
2. Disk drives (for example, USB drives and external hard-disk drives)
3. CD ROMs
4. Portable devices (for example, mobile phones, digital cameras and portable media players)
5. Floppy disks
6. Bluetooth devices
7. Images (for example, USB cameras and scanners)
8. Printers
9. Modems
10. Apple USB devices (for example: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch)

You can also exclude devices using the Device Instance ID assigned to each device.

Applying Secure USB Settings to Computers and Users

When you apply the Secure USB configuration to both computers and users, the settings made for
computers will be applied before the settings made for users. For example, assume that you have
made the following settings:

1. Settings for users

1. Administrator: You have unblocked the usage of the disk drive


2. Other users (excluding the administrator): You have not deployed any configurations

1. Settings for a computer: You have blocked the usage of portable devices and disk drives

The following actions will take place:

1. Computer startup: The Secure USB configuration settings made for the computer are applied
when the computer is started. This means that no portable devices and disk drives can be
used.
2. Administrator logon: The Secure USB configuration for the computer is applied. However, it is
over written by the settings made for the administrator. This means that the administrator can
use disk drives.
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3. Other users (excluding the administrator) log on: The Secure USB configuration made for the
computer is applied.
4. Other users (excluding the administrator)log off: The log off-action settings made for users are
applied when a user logs off. If the log off-action setting is set to Don't alter device status,
then the settings made will apply to the next user who logs on, provided that the user does
not have any settings that apply to them.

Note: Block USB, represents to block the access to use any USB device.
Unblock USB, represents to re-enable the access to the USB devices that has
been blocked.
No Change, represents that no change has been made to the current settings.

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Creating Configurations to Secure USB Devices

As an administrator, you can create a configuration block or unblock specific USB devices. You can
also exclude specific devices, if required.

To create a configuration to secure USB devices for users, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Configurations tab


2. Click Configuration
3. In the Computer Configurations section click Secure USB
4. Enter a name and description for the configuration
5. Select the devices to block or unblock
6. Define the target
7. Make the required execution settings
8. Click Deploy

You have created configurations to secure USB devices. These configurations will be applied during
the system startup.

Excluding Devices

When you block a device you can exclude certain devices from being blocked by using the Device
Instance ID assigned to each device.

Every USB device has a unique ID. This ID is assigned to devices by the system to identify them
easily.

Identifying the Device Instance ID of a Device

To identify the Device Instance ID of a device, follow the steps given below:

1. Right-click My Computer
2. Click Properties
3. Click the Hardware tab
4. Click Device Manager (Refer to the figure below)

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Figure 1: Device Manager

From the list of devices, expand the list of devices for which you want the Device
Instance ID.

For example, if you want to identify the Device Instance ID of a mobile phone that you
have connected to the computer, expand portable devices and follow the next step.

5. Right-click on the name of a specific device and click Properties (Refer to the figure
below)

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Figure 2: Properties

6. Click the Details tab


7. In the drop-down box, select Device Instance ID or Device Instance Path (Refer to
the figure below)

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Figure 3: Device Instance ID

In computers which have the operating system Windows Vista (and later
versions), the Device Instance ID is called the Device Instance Path. You
can copy the Device Instance Path from the Properties property sheet of the
Device Manager.

In computers that have older versions of the Windows operating system


installed in them, you cannot copy the Device Instance ID directly from the
Properties property sheet of the Device Manager.

To copy the Device Instance ID you must open the dcusbaccess log file. This
file is located in <Drive>\<Desktopcentral_Agent
Folder>\logs\dcusbaccess.log. It contains information about the following:

1. Action Time (inserted\removed time)

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2. Action (inserted\removed)
3. Friendly name
4. Device Instance ID

You can now view and copy the Device Instance ID for a specific device.

You can exclude devices only when you have blocked a device. To exclude devices, follow the steps
given below:

1. Click the Exclude Devices link against a device


2. Enter the Device Instance ID for the device
3. Click Close

You have excluded a device from being blocked.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Securing USB for Users

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Scheduling Tasks

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The Windows Scheduler Configuration enables you to schedule any program, task, or a script to run
at a specified time. You can also schedule a task to run daily, weekly, monthly , etc. The Scheduler
Configuration enables you to add, modify tasks from a central point.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Scheduler Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Create/Modify a Task
2. Delete a Task

Create/Modify a Task

To create a new task, select the Create Task tab of the Scheduler Configuration.
Select the Modify Task tab to modify an existing task. Specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Name of the task* The name of the task that has to be created/modified.
Overwrite if task Select this option to overwrite the task, if one with the
already exits same name exists. This option is only available for create
task.
Application Name* The application or the program that has to be run. Click
the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this
parameter.
Arguments The arguments to run the program, if any. Click the
icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this

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Parameter Description
parameter.
User Name* The name of the user as whom the task will be run. Click
the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this
parameter, for example,
$DomainName\$DomainUserName or
$ComputerName\$DomainUserName.
Password The password of the user.
Confirm Password Confirm the password again.
Perform this task* Specify the time to perform the task. You can select from
the following options:

1. Daily: To run the task daily. Specify the time and


duration to run the task.
2. Weekly: To run the task on specific day(s) in a
week. Specify the time, start date, and days on
which the task has to be run.
3. Monthly: To run the task specific day every
month(s). You need to specify starting time, select
a day and select a month/months.
4. Once: To run the task only once. You need to
specify the date and time.
5. At System Startup: To run the task when the
system is started.
6. At Logon: To run the task during the user logon.
7. When Idle: To run the task when the system is
idle for the specified time.

Advanced Settings
General 1. Enabled: Select this option to run the task at the
specified time.
2. Run only when logged on: Select this option to run
the task only when the user has logged on.

Scheduled Task 1. Delete the task if it is not scheduled to run again:


Completed Select this option to delete the task when it is no
longer scheduled.
2. Stop Task: Select this option and specify the
duration after which the task will be stopped.

Idle Time Select the required options:

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Parameter Description
1. Specify the duration,the system has to be idle
before starting a task.
2. Stop the task if the computer ceases to be idle

Power Management Select the required options:

1. Don't start the task if the computer is running on


batteries
2. Stop the task if battery mode begins
3. Wake the computer to run this task

* - denotes mandatory parameters

If you wish to create/modify more tasks, click Add More Task button and repeat step
2. The defined task gets added to the Task table.

Note: When a wrong password is provided for tasks scheduled in Win2k / WinXP
SP1 machines, the tasks will be successfully created, but, fails to execute.

Delete a Task

To delete a task, select the Create Task tab of the Scheduler Configuration and
specify the name of the task that has to be deleted.

If you wish to create/modify/delete more tasks, click Add More Task button and
repeat step 2. The defined task gets added to the Task table.

To modify a task from the Task table, select the appropriate row and click icon and change the
required values.

To delete a task from the Task table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Scheduler Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Scheduler Configuration in the defined targets. The
scheduler configuration will take effect during the next system startup.

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To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Security Policies

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

For the computers in the network, the Security Policies are security settings to specify the security
and restrictions. The security settings for preventing users to change file type association can be
defined using Security Policies Configuration.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Security Policies Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Choose Policy Category The specific policy area in which the security policy will be applied.
Select the desired category from left. This displays the relevant
security polices. For details on the each category, refer to Windows
Help documentation. For details on the each policy in the Select the
Policy list, refer to Security Policies topic.
Policy Value To enable, disable, or to leave it unconfigured, select the
appropriate option.

Note:

1. To modify a security policy from this table, select the appropriate row, click icon
and change the required values.
2. To delete a security policy from this table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

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Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Security Policies
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Security Policies Configuration in the targets defined.
The security policies will be applied during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets, Security Policies

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Managing Shortcuts

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The shortcut is an icon that points to a file, folder or an Internet URL. The Shortcut Configuration
enables you to add shortcuts to the computers from a central point.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Shortcut Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Create a Shortcut
2. Create an Internet Shortcut
3. Delete a Shortcut / Internet Shortcut

Create a Shortcut

To create a shortcut, select the Action as Create Shortcut and specify the following
values:

Parameter Description
Overwrite To modify the existing shortcut select this option.
Shortcut Name* Specify the name of the shortcut.
Target Application* Browse and select the target application from the
network for which a shortcut has to be created. The
target application can also be in the local machine
where the configuration is being deployed.
Arguments* If the application requires any arguments, specify
the arguments. Leave it blank if it does not require
any arguments.

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Parameter Description

Shortcut Location Select the location to create the shortcut. The


shortcut location can be any of the following:

1. All Users Desktop: Refers to the desktop


common for all the users.
2. All Users Start Menu: Refers to the start
menu common for all users.
3. All Users Programs Group: Refers to the
Start --> Programs group common for all
the users.
4. All Users Startup Group: Refers to the Start
--> Programs --> Startup group common for
all the users.

Start In Folder* Some applications may have some references to


additional files during execution. In such cases,
browse and select the location from where the
application has to be started.
Shortcut Comments Specify the comments for this shortcut.
Icon File* Browse and select the icon for the shortcut.
Run Window Select how the application has be started - Normal,
Maximized, or Minimized.

* - Click the icon to select and assign a dynamic variable to this parameter.

Note: If you wish to create more shortcuts, click Add Shortcut button and repeat
step 2. The defined shortcut gets added to the Shortcut table.

Create an Internet Shortcut

To create an Internet shortcut, select the Action as Create Internet


Shortcut and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Shortcut Name* Specify the name of the Internet shortcut.
Target URL* Specify the URL for which the shortcut needs to be
created.
Shortcut Location Select the location to create the shortcut. The
shortcut location can be any of the following:

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Parameter Description
1. All Users Desktop: Refers to the desktop
common for all the users.
2. All Users Start Menu: Refers to the start
menu common for all users.
3. All Users Programs Group: Refers to the
Start --> Programs group common for all
the users.
4. All Users Startup Group: Refers to the Start
--> Programs --> Startup group common for
all the users.

Icon File* Browse and select the icon for the shortcut.

Delete a Shortcut / Internet Shortcut

To delete a shortcut, select the Action as Delete Shortcut / Delete


Internet Shortcut respectively and specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Shortcut Name Specify the name of the shortcut. Click the icon
to select and assign a dynamic variable to this
parameter.
Shortcut Location Select the location from where the shortcuts needs
to be deleted. The shortcut location can be any of
the following:

1. All Users Desktop: Refers to the desktop


common for all the users.
2. All Users Start Menu: Refers to the start
menu common for all users.
3. All Users Programs Group: Refers to the
Start --> Programs group common for all
the users.
4. All Users Startup Group: Refers to the Start
--> Programs --> Startup group common for
all the users.

Note: If you wish to delete more shortcuts, click Add More Shortcut button and
repeat step 2. The defined shortcut gets added to the Shortcut table.

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To modify a shortcut from the Shortcut table, select the appropriate row and click
icon and change the required values.

To delete a shortcut from the Shortcut table, select the appropriate row and click
icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Shortcut
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Shortcut Configuration in the defined
targets. The shortcut configuration will take effect during the next system start up.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining
Targets

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Configuring Windows Services

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

Applications that have to be run automatically whenever the system is started can be configured to
run as a Windows service. However in certain cases, after installing an application as a service, you
may wish to change the startup type or delete the service. The Service Configuration enables you to
change the settings for the services available in the Control Panel >Administrative Tools
>Services.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Service Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

Specify the following values:

Parameter Description
Service Name Select the name of the service from the combo box. The combo box
contains the list of standard Windows services. If the required
service is not listed, click Customize to either select the service
from the Additional Services list or add you own by giving the
required details.
Action Specify the action to be performed from the following:

1. Don't Modify: To preserve the client settings. This option is


selected by default.
2. Start: Select this option to start the service.
3. Stop: Select this option to stop the service.
4. Restart: Select this option to restart the service.

Service Startup Type Select how the service should be started from the following options:

1. Don't Modify: To preserve the client setting.


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Parameter Description
2. Manual: Select this option if the service has to be manually
started after the system startup.
3. Disabled: Select this option to disable the service.
4. Automatic: Select this option to automatically start the
service along with the system.

Note:

1. To add more services, click Add More Service and repeat Step 2. The service gets
added to the Services table.
2. To modify a service from this table, select the appropriate row, click icon and
change the required values.
3. To delete a service from this table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Service Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Service Configuration in the defined targets. The
configuration will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Managing Windows Local Users

1. Name the Configuration


2. Define Configuration
3. Define Target
4. Deploy Configuration

The User Management allows you to add, modify, or delete local users from the computers.

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the User Management Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

1. Add User
2. Change Password
3. Remove User
4. Modify User

Add User

To add an user to the computer, select the Add User link from the Choose User
Action table and specify the following:

Parameter Description
User Name The user name for the user to be created.
Full Name The full name of the user.
Description The description for this user.
Password The password for this user.
Confirm Password Confirm the password again.
Overwrite if user Select this option to overwrite the user, if one with the same name
already exist exists.
Advanced Settings
User Must change Specify whether the user has to change the password during the

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Parameter Description
password at next next logon or not.
logon
User Cannot Change Specify whether the user can change the password or not.
Password
Password Never Specify whether the password should expire or not.
Expires
Account is Disabled Specify whether the user account should be disabled or not.
User Profile
Member of Specify the groups in which this user account is a member.
Logon Script Specify the logon script that has to be executed during the user
logon.
Profile Path Specify the path where the user profiles has to be stored.
Local Path Specify a local path as the home folder. For example,
c:\users\johnsmith.
Connect Map To If the user's home folder has to be stored in a network directory,
select the drive letter in the Connect Map and specify the
network path in the To field.

Note: If you wish to add more users or to perform another action, click Add More
Action button and continue. The values gets added to the List of Settings table.

Change Password

To change the user password, select the Change Password link from the Choose
User Action table and specify the following:

Parameter Description
User Name The user name of the user whose password has to be
changed.
Password Type the new password.
Confirm Password Re-type the password to confirm.

Note: If you wish to continue adding more actions, click Add More Action button
and continue. The values gets added to the List of Settings table.

Remove User

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To remove an user from the computer, select the Remove User link from the Choose
User Action table and specify the user to be removed.

Note: If you wish to remove more users or to perform another action, click Add
More Action button and continue. The values gets added to the List of Settings
table.

Modify User

To modify an user, select the Modify User link from the Choose User Action table
and specify the following:

Parameter Description
User Name The user name of the user to be modified.
Full Name The full name of the user.
Description The description for this user.
Advanced Settings
User Must change Specify whether the user has to change the password during
password at next logon the next logon or not.
User Cannot Change Specify whether the user can change the password or not.
Password
Password Never Expires Specify whether the password should expire or not.
Account is Disabled Specify whether the user account should be disabled or not.
Account is Locked Specify whether the user account should be locked or not.
User Profile
Member of Specify the groups in which this user account is a member.
Logon Script Specify the logon script that has to be executed during the
user logon.
Profile Path Specify the path where the user profiles has to be stored.
Local Path Specify a local path as the home folder. For example,
c:\users\johnsmith.
Connect Map To If the user's home folder has to be stored in a network
directory, select the drive letter in the Connect Map and
specify the network path in the To field.

Note: If you wish to modify more users or to perform another action, click Add
More Action button and continue. The values gets added to the List of Settings
table.

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To modify a setting from the List of Settings table, select the appropriate row and click icon and
change the required values.

To delete a setting from the List of Settings table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the User Management
Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined User Management Configuration in the targets defined.
The configuration will take effect during the next system startup.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

See Also: Managing Configurations and Collections, Viewing Configuration Reports, Defining Targets

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Configuring Collections

1. Define Collection
2. Define Target
3. Save or Deploy Collection

A collection of Configurations can be deployed in the target client workstation using Desktop Central.
The advantages of Collection are

1. The targets are defined once for multiple Configuration.


2. When the configuration is deployed, it saves time to apply the configuration since collection of
configuration is applied in each workstation.

Step 1: Define Collection

1. Click Add Collection link from the Quick Links.


2. Select the collection type as User Collection or Computer Collection. This opens the Add
Collection Wizard.
3. Provide a name and description for the collection.
4. Choose the configurations that have to added to this collection and click Next. The
configurations are specific to the collection type you have selected above.
5. Define the chosen configurations. Refer to User Configurations and Computer Configurations
sections for details about the configurations.

Step 2: Define Target

Select the targets for which the configurations have to be applied. Refer to the Defining Targets topic
for more details.

Step 3: Save or Deploy Collection

After defining the configurations and targets, click Finish to deploy the defined configurations to the
selected targets. You also have an option to save the configurations as drafts for later modifications
by clicking the Save as Draft button.

Note: The collections that are saved as drafts will not be deployed. You have to modify the
definition and deploy it later.

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Defining Targets

1. Selecting Targets from a Domain


2. Selecting Targets from a Workgroup
3. Selecting Targets in Remote Offices
4. Modifying a target in Target List
5. Deleting a target from the Target List

After defining the configuration, the configuration has to be deployed in the target client workstations.
The target client workstations have to be defined for the configurations individually. Defining the
targets involves selecting various types of targets given below:

The targets must be defined to deploy the Configuration in the machines of the network. When you
add a configuration or collection of Configuration, you can find "Step 2" as Define Target in the GUI
or in this documentation. This section explains the procedure to define the target for a configuration or
collection of Configuration.

To define the targets for deploying the configuration or collection, the targets must be added to the
Target List. A target can be added, removed or modified in the Target List.

Selecting Targets from a Domain

To add target computers and users from a Active Directory based domain, follow the steps below:

1. Select a domain from the list.


2. You can deploy the configuration to any of the following:
1. Site - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that site.
2. Domain - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that domain.
3. Organizational Unit - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that
OU.
4. Group - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that Group.
5. User/Computer - to deploy the configuration to the specified users/computers.
6. IP Addresses - to deploy the configuration to the specified IP Addresses. You can
also specify a range of IP Addresses to deploy a configuration by selecting the IP
Range option and specifying the starting and ending IP. This option is available only
for the computer configurations.
7. Custom Group - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of the
selected Custom Group.
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3. After adding the target computers, you can specify the filtering criteria to exclude certain types
of users/computers from applying the configuration. Specify the criteria as required.
4. Click Add More Targets and repeat steps 1 to 3 for adding more targets.

Note: If you wish to deploy the configuration for users/computers in different domains, use the Add
More Targets button to add targets from multiple domains.

Selecting Targets from a Workgroup

To add target computers and users from a workgroup, follow the steps below:

1. Select a workgroup from the list.


2. You can deploy the configuration to any of the following:
1. Workgroup - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that
workgroup.
2. User/Computer - to deploy the configuration to the specified users/computers.
3. IP Addresses - to deploy the configuration to the specified IP Addresses. You can
also specify a range of IP Addresses to deploy a configuration by selecting the IP
Range option and specifying the starting and ending IP. This option is available only
for the computer configurations.
4. Custom Group - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of the
selected Custom Group.
3. After adding the target computers, you can specify the filtering criteria to exclude certain types
of users/computers from applying the configuration. Specify the criteria as required.
4. Click Add More Targets and repeat steps 1 to 3 for adding more targets.

Note: If you wish to deploy the configuration for users/computers in different workgroups, use the Add
More Targets button to add targets from multiple workgroups.

Selecting Targets in Remote Offices

To add target computers and users from remote offices, follow the steps below:

1. Select a remote office from the list. The remote office can either be a domain or a workgroup.
2. You can deploy the configuration to any of the following:
1. Site - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that site. This option is
only available if the selected remote office is a domain.
2. Remote Office - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that remote
office.
3. Organizational Unit - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that
OU. This option is only available if the selected remote office is a domain.
4. Group - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of that Group. This
option is only available if the selected remote office is a domain.
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5. User/Computer - to deploy the configuration to the specified users/computers.
6. IP Addresses - to deploy the configuration to the specified IP Addresses. You can
also specify a range of IP Addresses to deploy a configuration by selecting the IP
Range option and specifying the starting and ending IP. This option is available only
for the computer configurations.
7. Custom Group - to deploy the configuration to all the users/computers of the
selected Custom Group.
3. After adding the target computers, you can specify the filtering criteria to exclude certain types
of users/computers from applying the configuration. Specify the criteria as required.
4. Click Add More Targets and repeat steps 1 to 3 for adding more targets.

Note: If you wish to deploy the configuration for users/computers in different remote offices, use the
Add More Targets button to add targets from multiple domains.

Filter the selected target

You can exclude certain parts of the network which does not require the configuration to be deployed.
This is optional when defining the targets. Desktop Central provides the option to exclude the parts of
the Windows network. Select the Exclude Target check box to view the available options:

Exclude if Target Type is

The target types can be excluded which are in the lower hierarchy to the target
selected in the Select the target type and define field. The target type can be
excluded using the Browse button. Click the Browse button next to the required
target types under the Exclude if Target Type is field to launch Network Browser
window. Select the target type to be excluded for configuration deployment and click
Select button. This field is mandatory. The target type can be any of the following
(varies based on the target options selected):

1. Branch - The branch offices to be excluded


2. Domain - The domains to be excluded
3. Organization Unit - The OUs to be excluded
4. Group - The groups to be excluded
5. Computer - The computers to be excluded
6. IP Address - The IP Addresses to be excluded
7. IP Range - The range of IP Addresses to be excluded
8. Custom Group - The custom groups to be excluded

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Exclude if Operating System is

The targets with specific Windows OS can be excluded for configuration deployment.
Select the options under the Exclude if Operating System is field which has to
excluded for configuration deployment.

Exclude if Machine Type is

The targets with specific machine type such as Notebook, Tablet PC, Desktop,
Member Server, TermServClient, or Domain Controller can be excluded for
configuration deployment. Select the options under the Exclude if Machine Type is
field which has to excluded for configuration deployment.

Modifying a Target

To modify a target in the Target List, follow these steps:

1. Select the button under Actions column in the desired row that has to modified.
2. Change the targets as required and click the Modify Target button. The target details are
updated in Target List.

Deleting a Target

To delete a row in the Target List, select the button under Actions column next to target that has
to removed.

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Managing Configurations and Collections

• Viewing the Status of Configuration/Collection


• Modifying the Configuration/Collection
• Suspending the Configuration/Collection
• Resuming the Suspended Configuration/Collection

Clicking the View Configuration from the Quick Links will list the details of the configurations and
collections that are defined using Desktop Central. You can view the details of the configurations by
clicking the corresponding configuration name. Apart from viewing the configuration details, you can
perform the following actions:

• Modify the Configuration/Collection


• Suspend a Configuration/Collection
• Resume a suspended Configuration/Collection

Viewing Status of Configuration/Collection

To view the status of the defined configuration/collection, follow the steps given below:

1. Click View Configuration from the Quick Links. This opens the All Configurations page.
2. All the configurations and collections that are defined are listed here. The status column
provides the current status of the configuration/collection. The table given below lists the
various states of the configuration/collection and its description:

Status Description

Draft Represents the configurations/collections that are saved as draft.

Ready To Execute Represents the configurations/collections that are ready for execution. This
will be the initial state of the deployed configurations/collections.
Configurations will be "Ready to Execute" status in the following
scenarios:

While the patch/software is scheduled to be deployed during system


startup.
If it is specified in Deployment Settings, patches/software will be deployed
only during the "Install Between" time

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Status Description

If it is specified in Deployment Settings, patches/software will be deployed


during the "Install Between" time after the next system startup.
If it is specified in Scheduler Settings, patches/software will be deployed
only during the "Install After" time

In Progress Represents that the configuration is applied on one or more targets. Will
continue to remain in this state until the configurations are applied to all the
defined targets.

Suspended Represents that the configuration/collection has been suspended.

Executed Represents that the configuration/collection has been applied to all the
defined targets.

Failed Represents that the attempt to deploy the configuration has failed.

Draft Download Represents that one or more patches / service packs defined in the
Failed configuration could not be downloaded from the Microsoft Website.

Retry in Progress Represents that Desktop Central is currently retrying to deploy the
configuration.

3. To view the status of the configurations on individual targets, click the configuration name.

Modifying the Configuration/Collection

To modify a configuration/collection, follow the steps given below:

1. Click View Configuration from the Quick Links. This opens the All Configurations page.
2. All the configurations and collections that are defined are listed here. Click the icon from
the Actions column of the corresponding configuration/collection.
3. Change the values as required.
4. Click Deploy.

Suspending the Configuration/Collection

To suspend a configuration/collection, follow the steps given below:

1. Click View Configuration from the Quick Links. This opens the All Configurations page.
2. All the configurations and collections that are defined are listed here. Click the icon from
the Actions column of the corresponding configuration/collection that has to be suspended.

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Note: Configurations that have been applied to targets prior to suspension will not be
reverted. Suspending a configuration will only stop further deployments.

Resuming the Suspended Configuration/Collection

To resume a suspended configuration/collection, follow the steps given below:

1. Click View Configuration from the Quick Links. This opens the All Configurations page.
2. All the configurations and collections that are defined are listed here. Click the icon from
the Actions column of the corresponding configuration/collection that has to be resumed.

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Viewing System Uptime Report

1. Configuring Data Storage Period


2. Viewing Report for a Specified Period
3. Viewing Detailed Uptime Report
4. Exporting the Report

Provides the total uptime and downtime of the computers in the network for a given period. The report
can be filtered to view computers in a specific domain and period. To view the report, select Reports -
-> Power Management Reports --> System Uptime Report

Configuring Data Storage Period

Desktop Central, by default, stored the uptime/downtime details of all the computers for a period of 30
days. This can be configured to suit your need. To specify the period,

1. Click Edit Settings link. This is open the Power Report Settings dialog.
2. Specify the number of days you wish to store the data and click Apply.

Viewing Report for a Specified Period

1. Select the Domain or select All Domains to view the uptime of all the computers.
2. Select a period from the list. To specify a custom period, click Select Custom Date and
specify the start and end dates.
3. Specify the start and end time for which the report has to be displayed. If you wish to see the
complete details, specify the start and end time as 00:00 and 23:59 respectively.
4. Selecting the "Consider hibernate/standby as shutdown" option will show the
hibernate/standby periods as downtime.
5. Click Apply Fileter to view the report based on the specified criteria.

Viewing Detailed Uptime Report

Desktop Central will display the summary view of the total uptime and downtime of the computers
based on the selected criteria. Selecting the Detail Report option will display the start and shutdowm
times of the computers for the given period. You can also click the computer name to view its detailed
and summary reports.

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Exporting the Report

The System Uptime Report can be exported to a PDF or a CSV format by clicking the respective
options from the top-right. The current report that is being displayed will be exported to the selected
format.

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Viewing Configuration Reports

The Configuration reports helps the administrators to view the details of the configurations that are
applied on users, computers, and based on the configuration type. To view the reports, follow the
steps given below:

1. Click the Reports tab to invoke the Reports page.


2. Click the desired report from the Configuration Reports.

The Configuration Reports includes the following reports:

1. Configuration by User
2. Configuration by Computer
3. Configurations by Type

Configuration by User

This report provides a list of users for whom configurations were applied using Desktop Central. It
also provides details about the total number of configurations applied for a particular user and the last
configuration and time at which it was applied. Clicking the user name will list the details of the
configurations applied for that user.

You also have an option to filter your view based on the time at which the configuration was applied or
by the configuration type.

Configuration by Computer

This report provides a list of computers for which configurations were applied using Desktop Central.
It also provides details about the total number of configurations applied for that computer and the last
configuration and time at which it was applied. Clicking the computer name will list the details of the
configurations applied for that machine.

You also have an option to filter your view based on the time at which the configuration was applied or
by the configuration type.

Configurations by Type

This report provides you the list of configurations that have been applied on users and computers
based on the configuration type. It also provides you the total number of configurations that have been
applied for a particular type and the last configuration, and time at which it was applied.
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Configuration Templates

Templates are predefined configurations that help in achieving a specific task. While you can perform
any of these configurations by defining them on your own, templates helps to get things done faster.
The following are advantages of Templates over the normal configurations:

1. Helps to complete the configurations quickly.


2. You do not need to know how to achieve a specific task; just need to select the target
computers to apply the configuration.
3. You does not have to explore all the supported configurations and then select to define.

Using Templates

To view the available templates, select the Admin tab and click the Templates link from the left. This
will list all the templates provided by Desktop Central. You can also filter the view by selecting an
appropriate category from the combo box. The Type column indicates whether the configuration is
applied to Users or Computers. The templates are tagged as below:

1. Control Panel
2. Hard Disk Maintenance
3. Internet Explorer
4. Network
5. Power Management
6. Proxy Configuration
7. Restrict Media
8. Security
9. Service Management
10. System Tools
11. USB Security
12. User Management
13. XP Firewall Management

To use the template, follow the steps below:

1. Select Admin --> Templates to view the templates.


2. Click the Template that has to be applied to view its details; click the Create from Template
button to create the configuration. Clicking Create Configuration link will also do the same
action. This opens the configuration with all the properties defined.

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3. Using the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the configuration.
4. Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Configuration in the targets defined. To save
the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

Supported Templates

Desktop Central supports various templates that can be applied to Users/Computers. Follow the links
below to view the details of the templates:

1. Computer Configuration Templates


2. User Configuration Templates

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Computer Configuration Templates

1. Change local admin account password


2. Cleanup Recycle bin to free-up Hard Disk space
3. Create Alternate local Admin Account
4. Defrag Hard Disk for performance
5. Delete local Administrator Account
6. Disable the USB drives
7. Disable Unused local Guest account
8. Open MEDC ports for communication
9. Restrict CD-ROM access
10. Restrict Floppy Access to locally logged on users
11. Scan and Fix Hard disk Errors
12. Start MEDC Agent Service
13. Write Protect the USB Storage Devices

Change local admin account password

To enhance the security, the administrators will prefer to change the password periodically. This
template enables you to change the password of the local administrator account in the client
machines.

Cleanup Recycle bin to free-up Hard Disk space

This helps in freeing up the hard disk space by removing the unwanted files/data from 18 different
locations.

Create Alternate local Admin Account

To keep the computers secured, the administrators will prefer to change the local administrator
account periodically. This template enables you to create an alternate local administrator account in
the client computers.

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Defrag Hard Disk for performance

A fragmented disk reduces the performance. It is recommended to defragment the disk periodically to
improve the hard disk performance.

This template enables defragmentation of the hard disk at the scheduled time.

Delete local Administrator Account

This template enables you to delete the local administrator account in the client computers.

Disable the USB drives

To prevent data theft, the administrators prevent the users from using USB drives. This template,
when applied to client computers, prevent them from using the USB drives.

Disable Unused local Guest account

Unused guest accounts are vulnerable points for the hackers. It is recommended to delete or disable
any unused guest accounts from the client computers to avoid any misuse.

This template helps to disable the unused guest accounts from the client computers.

Open MEDC ports for communication

Desktop Central requires port 8021 for agent server communications and port 6100 for Remote
Desktop Sharing. These port should not be blocked by the Windows Firewall for smooth functioning.

This template, when applied to client computers, will open up these ports to enable proper
communication between the agent and server.

Restrict CD-ROM access

This template restrict the users form accessing the CD-ROM drives.

Restrict Floppy Access to locally logged on users

Allowing locally logged on users to access the floppy drives is a vulnerable point for hacking.
Administrators prefer to disable access to the floppy drives when the users have not logged on to the
domain.

This template helps in restricting the locally logged on uses to access the floppy drives.
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Scan and Fix Hard disk Errors

The hard disks have to be periodically scanned for any errors and fix them. This will improve the life
and performance of the disk.

This template enables scanning and fixing the hard disk errors in the client machines at the scheduled
time.

Start MEDC Agent Service

When Scope of Management is defined, Desktop Central agent is installed in all the client computers
that are within the scope. The Desktop Central agent has to be running as a service in the client
computers to ensure proper communication with the Desktop Central Server.

This template helps you to start the Desktop Central Agent service in the client computers.

Write Protect the USB Storage Devices

To prevent data theft, the administrators prevent the users from writing data to USB storage devices.
This template, when applied to client computers, prevent them from writing any data to the USB
storage devices.

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User Configuration Templates

1. Restrict Network Connections


2. Restrict Control Panel Applets
3. Proxy configuration for Internet Explorer
4. Laptop Power Saver Scheme
5. IE Browser restrictions for clients
6. Disable Control Panel

Restrict Network Connections

Network properties when changed by the user result in bad network connectivity and unnecessary
help desk calls in resolving the problem. This could be avoided by restricting the users from changing
the network properties.

This template, when applied to users, will prevent them from changing the network properties.

Restrict Control Panel Applets

To enhance the security, the administrators can restrict the users from accessing specific Control
Panel applets. This includes, Add/remove programs, Add/remove hardware, Internet options, Power
options and System applet.

Proxy configuration for Internet Explorer

This template can be used to configure proxy server settings in the Internet Explorer browser of the
client machines.

Laptop Power Saver Scheme

Establishing correct power settings helps in saving energy costs substantially. This template provides
the recommended power settings for Laptops.

IE Browser restrictions for clients

This template restricts users from changing the Internet Explorer settings like Connections, Content,
Favorites, Programs, Security, Advanced, History and Save As options

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Disable Control Panel

You can use this template to disable the Control Panel completely. When applied to users, the users
will not be able to access the Control Panel.

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USB - Audit

USB devices have been a vital threat to data security. Almost every enterprise has a need to monitor
the usage of USB devices within the network. In addition to securing the USB access, Desktop
Central also helps you to track the usage of USB devices. Administrators can now audit the USB
usage details using Desktop Central. Follow the steps mentioned below to audit the USB usaage:

1. Click Reports tab


2. From the left panel find Reports Category
3. Select USB Reports
4. Under USB Audit Reports Click USB usage Report

You will have the reports listed, from which you can choose to see the summary and detailed view.

USB Audit Settings

USB audit settings will be enabled by default. Users can disable if required. Follow the steps
mentioned below to configure USB Audit settings;

1. Click Admin Tab


2. Select USB Audit settings
3. Enable USB audit settings
4. Specify the number of days you wanted the USB usage history to be maintained.
5. Specify how often should the report be generated.
6. Click Save Changes

USB audit settings will be saved and the reports will be generated accordingly.

Note: This feature is currently supported only for computers using windows operating system.

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User Logon Reports

How are these reports generated?

These reports are generated with the help of the Desktop Central Agents installed in the client
systems to track the user logon details

What way does it differ from Active Directory Reports?

In the case of Active Directory reports, if multiple domain controllers are used, the synchronization of
data between the domain controllers happens at regular intervals and not very frequently. Hence the
reports derived from the Active Directory may not be the latest or actual. To provide the current
reports of the logon details, Desktop Central agent is used.

In addition to the current details, it also provides the logon history details, which is not available in the
Active Directory reports.

Is there any limitation?

Yes, these reports are available only to the users and computers that fall within the defined scope of
management. Also, when an user logs in and logs out immediately, this may not be tracked.

1. Setting Up User Logon Reports


2. Viewing User Logon Reports

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Viewing User Logon Reports

To view the User Logon Reports, select the Reports tab and click the User Logon Reports link from
the left pane. The User Logon Reports are classified under the following headings; click the links to
learn more:

1. General Reports
2. Usage Reports
3. History Reports

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General Reports

Currently Logged on Users

Provides the list of users who are currently logged on to the domain.

To view the report, select the Reports tab, click the User Logon Reports from the left pane, and click
the Currently Logged on Users link available under the General Reports category.

Currently Logged on Computers

Provides the list of computers from where users have logged on to the domain.

To view the report, select the Reports tab, click the User Logon Reports from the left pane, and click
the Currently Logged on Computers link available under the General Reports category.

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Usage Reports

Computers with No User Logon

Provides the list of computers where no user have logged on.

To view the report, select the Reports tab, click the User Logon Reports from the left pane, and click
the Computers with No User Logon link available under the Usage Reports category.

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History Reports

1. User Logon History


2. User Logon History by Computers
3. Domain Controllers with Reported Users
4. User Logon History on Domain Controller

User Logon History

Provides the list of history of users who have logged on to the domain in the specified number of
days. This is configurable from the Report Settings.

To view the report, select the Reports tab, click the User Logon Reports from the left pane, and click
the User Logon History link available under the History Reports category.

User Logon History by Computers

Provides the list of computers and their corresponding user logon history in the specified number of
days. This is configurable from the Report Settings.

To view the report, select the Reports tab, click the User Logon Reports from the left pane, and click
the User Logon History by Computers link available under the History Reports category.

Domain Controllers with Reported Users

Provides the list of users and their corresponding Domain Controllers (logon servers) in the specified
number of days. This is configurable from the Report Settings.

To view the report, select the Reports tab, click the User Logon Reports from the left pane, and click
the Domain Controllers with Reported Users link available under the History Reports category.

User Logon History on Domain Controller

Provides the list of domain controllers and their corresponding user logon history in the specified
number of days. This is configurable from the Report Settings.

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To view the report, select the Reports tab, click the User Logon Reports from the left pane, and click
the User Logon History by Domain Controllers link available under the History Reports category.

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Active Directory Reports

Desktop Central gives you an insight into the Active Directory by providing reports on various Active
Directory components. The reports can be accessed by selecting the Reports tab from the client
window. The following reports about the Active Directory are shown:

1. Active Directory User Reports


2. Active Directory Computer Reports
3. Active Directory Group Reports
4. Active Directory Organization Unit Reports
5. Active Directory Domain Reports
6. Active Directory GPO Reports

More granular reports are provided for each of the above components.

Active Directory Report Features

1. Ability to generate reports for custom inputs for granularity.


2. Customizable columns in all the reports.
3. Columnar sorting of reports
4. Export reports in PDF and CSV formats.
5. Ability to synchronize report data with Active Directory at regular intervals.

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Active Directory User Reports

Active Directory User Report

To access the User Reports, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Reports tab to invoke the Reports page. The User Reports is selected by default.
2. Select the required link to view the reports.

Follow the links to learn more about the various User Reports provided by Desktop Central

1. Active Directory General User Reports


2. User Account Status Reports
3. Password Based User Reports
4. Privileged User Reports
5. Logon Based User Reports

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Active Directory General User Reports

1. All User Accounts


2. Recently Created User Accounts
3. Recently Modified User Accounts
4. User Accounts without Logon Scripts
5. User Accounts in Multiple Groups
6. User Accounts that Never Expires

All User Accounts

Provides the details of all the users of the domain that the system/user running the Desktop Central
belongs to.

To view the report, click the All User Accounts link available under the General Reports category.
Clicking a user from the report displays the complete user information of that user.

Recently Created User Accounts

Provides the details of the user accounts that are created recently. This is determined based on the
value contained in the createTimeStamp attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Recently Created User Accounts link available under the General
Reports category.

By default, the users created for the last one week is shown. You have an option to choose a different
period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a user from the report displays the
complete information of that user.

Recently Modified User Accounts

Provides the details of the user accounts modified recently. This is determined based on the value
contained in the modifyTimeStamp attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Recently Modified User Accounts link available under the General
Reports category.

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By default, the user accounts modified for the last one week is shown. You have an option to choose
a different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a user from the report displays
the complete information of that user.

User Accounts without Logon Scripts

Provides the details of the users who do not have any scripts executed during their logon to the
domain. This is determined based on the value contained in the scriptPath attribute of the Active
Directory.

To view the report, click the User Accounts without Logon Scripts link available under the General
Reports category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that user.

User Accounts in Multiple Groups

Provides the details of the user accounts that are in more than one groups. This also includes the
nested groups i.e., groups that contain other groups as its members in the domain.

To view the report, click the User Accounts in Multiple Groups link available under the General
Reports category.

User Accounts that Never Expires

Provides the list of user accounts that never expires. This is determined based on the value contained
in the userAccountControl of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the User Accounts that Never Expires link available under the General
Reports category.

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User Account Status Reports

1. Active User Accounts


2. Inactive User Accounts
3. Disabled User Accounts
4. Locked User Accounts
5. Expired User Accounts

Active User Accounts

Provides the list of users who have logged on to the domain in the past 30/60/90/180 days. This is
determined based on the value contained in the lastLogon attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Active User Accounts link available under the Account Status Reports
category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that user.

Inactive User Accounts

Provides the list of users who have not logged on to the domain in the past 30/60/90/180 days. This is
determined based on the value contained in the lastLogon attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Inactive User Accounts link available under the Account Status Reports
category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that user.

Disabled User Accounts

Provides the list of user accounts that are disabled by the administrator. This is determined based on
the value contained in the userAccountControl attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Disabled User Accounts link available under the Account Status
Reports category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that user.

Locked User Accounts

Provides the details of the user accounts that have been locked out. The user account will get locked
on frequent bad login attempts. The Account Lock Out Policy specifies the allowed number of bad
login attempts after which the account will be locked. The account will be automatically unlocked after
sometime. The locked user accounts are determined based on the value contained in the lockoutTime
attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Locked User Accounts link available under the Account Status Reports
category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that user.
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Expired User Accounts

Provides the details of the user accounts that have expired. This is determined based on the value
contained in the accountExpires attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Expired User Accounts link available under the Account Status Reports
category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that user.

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Password Based User Reports

1. Soon-to-Expire User Passwords


2. Password Expired User Accounts
3. Password Never Expiring User Accounts
4. User Accounts Password that cannot be Changed

Soon-to-Expire User Passwords

Provides the details of the users whose password will expire within the specified number of days. This
is determined based on the value contained in the userAccountControl attribute of the Active
Directory.

To view the report, click the Soon-to-Expire User Passwords link available under the Password
Based Reports category.

By default, the users whose passwords will expire in another seven days is shown. You can select a
different period to view the report. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of
that user.

Password Expired User Accounts

Provides the details of the users whose password has expired. This is determined based on the value
contained in the userAccountControl attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Password Expired User Accounts link available under the Password
Based Reports category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that
user.

Password Never Expiring User Accounts

Provides the list of users whose password never expires. This is determined based on the value
contained in the userAccountControl attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Password Never Expiring User Accounts link available under the
Password Based Reports category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information
of that user.

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User Accounts Password that cannot be Changed

Provides the list of users who cannot change their password. This is determined based on the value
contained in the userAccountControl attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the User Accounts Password that cannot be Changed link available under
the Password Based Reports category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete
information of that user.

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Privileged User Accounts

1. Domain Admin User Accounts


2. User Accounts with Dial-in Permissions

Domain Admin User Accounts

Provides the list of users who have domain administrative privileges.

To view the report, click the Domain Admin User Accounts link available under the Accounts with
Privileged User Accounts category.

User Accounts with Dial-in Permissions

Provides the list of users who have dial-in permissions to access the domain. This is determined
based on the value contained in the msNPAllowDialinattribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the User Accounts with Dial-in Permissions link available under the
Privileged User Accounts category.

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Logon Based User Reports

1. Unused User Accounts


2. Recently Logged On User Accounts
3. Last Logon Failed User Accounts

Unused User Accounts

Provides the list of users who have not logged on to the domain since creation of the account. This is
determined based on the value contained in the lastLogon of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Unused User Accounts link available under the Logon Based Reports
category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that user.

Recently Logged On User Accounts

Provides the details of the users who have logged on in the past n days. The recently logged on users
are determined based on their last logon time.

To view the report, click the Recently Logged On User Accounts link available under the Logon
Based Reports category.

By default, the users logged on for the last one week is shown. You have an option to choose a
different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a user from the report displays
the complete information of that user.

Last Logon Failed User Accounts

Provides the list of users whose last logon has failed. This is determined based on the value
contained in the badPasswordTime and badPwdCount attributes of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Last Logon Failed User Accounts link available under the Logon Based
Reports category. Clicking a user from the report displays the complete information of that user.

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Active Directory Computer Reports

Active Directory Computer Report

To access the Computer Reports, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Reports tab to invoke the Reports page.


2. Click the Computer Reports from the left pane.
3. Select the required link to view the reports.

Follow the links to learn more about the various Computer Reports provided by Desktop Central

1. General Computer Reports


2. Server Based Reports
3. Computer OS Based Reports

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General Computer Reports

1. All Computers
2. Windows Workstation
3. Recently Added Computers
4. Recently Logged On Computers
5. Recently Modified Computer Accounts
6. Disabled Computer Accounts
7. Computer Accounts by OU

All Computers

Provides the list of all the computer accounts available in the domain.

To view the report, click the All Computers link available under the General Reports category.
Clicking a computer account from the report displays the complete information of that account.

Windows Workstation

Provides the details of the workstations in the domain. All the computers except Servers and Domain
Controllers are termed as workstations.

To view the report, click the Windows Workstation link available under the General Reports
category. Clicking a computer account from the report displays the complete information of that
account.

Recently Added Computers

Provides the details of the computer objects that are created recently. This is determined based on
the value contained in the createTimeStamp attribute.

To view the report, click the Workstations link available under the General Reports category.

By default, the report displays the computer accounts that are created in the last one week. You have
an option to choose a different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a computer
account from the report displays the complete information of that account.

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Recently Logged On Computers

Provides the list of computer accounts through which an user has logged on to the domain. This is
determined based on the value contained in the lastLogon attribute.

To view the report, click the Recently Logged On Computers link available under the General
Reports category.

By default, the report displays the computer accounts through which an user has logged on to the
domain in the last one week. You have an option to choose a different period or to generate a report
for a custom period. Clicking a computer account from the report displays the complete information of
that account.

Recently Modified Computer Accounts

Provides the details of the computer objects that are modified recently. This is determined based on
the value contained in the ModifyTimeStamp attribute.

To view the report, click the Recently Modified Computer Accounts link available under the
General Reports category.

By default, the report displays the computer accounts that are modified in the last one week. You
have an option to choose a different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a
computer account from the report displays the complete information of that account.

Disabled Computer Accounts

Provides the list of computer accounts that are disabled in the domain. This is determined based on
the value contained in the userAccountControl of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Disabled Computer Accounts available under General Reports
category. Clicking a computer account from the report displays the complete information of that
account.

Computer Accounts by OU

Provides the list of computer accounts filtered by the OU it belongs to.

To view the report, click the Computers Accounts by OU available under General Reports category.

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By default, the computer accounts of all the OUs in the domain are listed. Browse to select a specific
OU and click Generate to view the computer accounts of that OU. Clicking a computer account from
the report displays the complete information of that account.

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Server Based Reports

1. Windows Servers
2. Member Servers
3. Domain Controllers

Windows Servers

Provides the list of Windows Servers in the domain. This is determined based on the value contained
in the operatingSystem attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Windows Servers link available under the Server Based Reports
category. Clicking a computer account from the report displays the complete information of that
account.

Member Servers

Provides the details of the member servers in the domain.

To view the report, click the Member Servers link available under the Server Based Reports
category. Clicking a computer account from the report displays the complete information of that
account.

Domain Controllers

Provides the details of the domain controllers in the domain.

To view the report, click the Domain Controllers link available under the Server Based Reports
category. Clicking a computer account from the report displays the complete information of that
account.

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Computer OS Based Reports

1. Computers by OS Service Pack

Computers by OS Service Pack

Provides the details of the computers based on the operating system and service pack versions.

To view the report, click the Computers by OS Service Pack available under OS Based Reports
category. Select the Operating System and the Service Packs to filter the view. Clicking a computer
account from the report displays the complete information of that account.

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Active Directory Group Reports

Active Directory Group Report

To access the Group Reports, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Reports tab to invoke the Reports page.


2. Click the Group Reports from the left pane.
3. Select the required link to view the reports.

Follow the links to learn more about the various Group Reports provided by Desktop Central

1. General Group Reports


2. Group Type Reports
3. Group Member Based Reports

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Active Directory General Group Reports

1. All Groups
2. Recently Created Groups
3. Recently Modified Groups
4. Groups by OU

All Groups

Provides the details of all the groups of the domain.

To view the report, click the All Groups link available under the General Reports category. Clicking a
group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

Recently Created Groups

Provides the details of all the groups that are recently created. This is determined based on the value
contained in the createTimeStamp of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Recently Created Groups link available under the General Reports
category.

By default, the groups created for the last one week is shown. You have an option to choose a
different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a group from the report displays
the complete information of that group.

Recently Modified Groups

Provides the details of all the groups that are recently modified. This is determined based on the value
contained in the modifyTimeStamp of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Recently Modified Groups link available under the General Reports
category.

By default, the groups modified in the last one week is shown. You have an option to choose a
different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a group from the report displays
the complete information of that group.

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Groups by OU

Provides the list of groups filtered by the OU it belongs to.

To view the report, click the Groups by OU link available under the General Reports category.

By default, the groups of all the OUs in the domain are listed. Browse to select a specific OU and click
Generate to view the groups of that OU. Clicking a group from the report displays the complete
information of that group.

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Active Directory Group Type Reports

1. Security Groups
2. Distribution Groups

Security Groups

Provides the details of the security groups available in the domain. This is determined based on the
value contained in the groupType attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Security Groups link available under the Group Type Based Reports
category. Clicking a group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

Distribution Groups

Provides the details of the distribution groups available in the domain. This is determined based on
the value contained in the groupType attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Distribution Groups link available under the Group Type Based Reports
category. Clicking a group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

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Member Based Reports

1. Groups with Member Details


2. Groups with Maximum Members
3. Groups without Members
4. User-only Groups
5. Computer-only Groups
6. Nested groups

Groups with Member Details

Provides the details of the groups with its member count, such as no. of users, computers, groups,
etc.

To view the report, click the Groups with Member Details link available under the Member Based
Reports category. Clicking a group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

Groups with Maximum Members

Provides the details of the large groups in the domain based on its members count.

To view the report, click the Groups with Maximum Members link available under the Member
Based Reports category. You can customize the report by selecting the member count. Clicking a
group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

Groups without Members

Provides the list of groups that do not have any members.

To view the report, click the Groups without Members link available under the Member Based
Reports category. Clicking a group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

User-only Groups

Provides the list of groups that have only users as its members.

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To view the report, click the User-only Groups link available under the Member Based Reports
category. Clicking a group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

Computer-only Groups

Provides the list of groups that have only computers as its members.

To view the report, click the Computer-only Groups link available under the Member Based Reports
category. Clicking a group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

Nested groups

Provides the list of nested groups (groups within groups) in the domain.

To view the report, click the Nested groups link available under the Member Based Reports
category. Clicking a group from the report displays the complete information of that group.

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Active Directory Organization Unit Reports

Active Directory Organization Unit Report

To access the Organization Unit Reports, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Reports tab to invoke the Reports page.


2. Click the OU Reports from the left pane.
3. Select the required link to view the reports.

Follow the links to learn more about the various OU Reports provided by Desktop Central

1. Active Directory General OU Reports


2. OU Child Based Reports

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Active Directory General OU Reports

1. All OUs
2. Recently Created OUs
3. Recently Modified OUs

All OUs

Provides the list of all the OUs of the domain.

To view the report, click the All OUs link available under the General Reports category. Clicking an
OU from the report displays the complete information about that OU.

Recently Created OUs

Provides the list of OUs that are recently created. This is determined based on the value contained in
the createTimeStamp attribute.

To view the report, click the Recently Created OUs link available under the General Reports
category.

By default, the report displays the OUs created in the last one week. You have an option to choose a
different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking an OU from the report displays
the complete information about that OU.

Recently Modified OUs

Provides the list of OUs that are recently modified. This is determined based on the value contained in
the ModifyTimeStamp attribute.

To view the report, click the Recently Modified OUs link available under the General Reports
category.

By default, the report displays the OUs modified in the last one week. You have an option to choose a
different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking an OU from the report displays
the complete information about that OU.

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OU Child Based Reports

• OUs with Children Details


• OUs without Children
• User-only OUs
• Computer-only OUs
• Nested OUs

OUs with Children Details

Provides the list of OUs with its children details, like no. of users, computers, groups, and OUs.

To view the report, click the OUs with Children Details link available under the OU Children Based
Reports category. Clicking an OU from the report displays the complete information about that OU.

OUs without Children

Provides the list of OUs that do not have any children.

To view the report, click the OUs with Children Details link available under the OU Children Based
Reports category. Clicking an OU from the report displays the complete information about that OU.

User-only OUs

Provides the list of OUs that have only users as their children.

To view the report, click the OUs with Children Details link available under the OU Children Based
Reports category. Clicking an OU from the report displays the complete information about that OU.

Computer-only OUs

Provides the list of OUs that have only computers as their children.

To view the report, click the OUs with Children Details link available under the OU Children Based
Reports category. Clicking an OU from the report displays the complete information about that OU.

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Nested OUs

Provides the list of OUs that nested (OUs within OUs).

To view the report, click the OUs with Children Details link available under the OU Children Based
Reports category. Clicking an OU from the report displays the complete information about that OU.

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Active Directory Domain Reports

To access the Domain Reports, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Reports tab to invoke the Reports page.


2. Click the Domain Reports from the left pane.
3. Select the required link to view the reports.

Follow the links to learn more about the various Domain Reports provided by Desktop Central

1. Active Directory General Domain Reports


2. Active Directory Container Reports

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General Domain Reports

1. Active Directory Sites


2. Active Directory Domains
3. Active Directory Printers
4. Group Policy Creator Owners

Active Directory Sites

Active Directory Site Report provides the list of Sites with their attributes, such as Site name, subnet,
netmask, and domain controller. Clicking a site from the report provides more details, such as the
number of computers in each subnet, creation time, modified time, and so on.

To view the report, Click the Active Directory Sites link available under the General Reports
category.

Active Directory Domains

Active Directory Domain Report provides the complete information of domain with the fully qualified
Domain name, creation time, modified time, location, and its members.

To view the report, Click the Active Directory Domains link available under the General Reports
category.

Active Directory Printers

Active Directory Printer Report provides the list of printers with their attributes such as name, host
server name, model of printer, physical location and share name. Clicking the printer from the report
gives details, such as Domain name, Active Directory URL, Model, Physical location, Share name,
Modified time, Creation time, Printer Hosted Server name, Driver name, and Port name.

To view the report, Click the Active Directory Printers link available under the General Reports
category.

Group Policy Creator Owners

Provides the members of Group Policy Creator Owners (GPCO) group. The members of this group
can modify group policy for the domain.
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To view the report, click the Group Policy Creator Owners link available under the General Reports
category.

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Container Based Reports

1. Users In "Users" Container


2. Groups In "Users" Container
3. Computers In "Computer" Container
4. Groups In "Builtin" Container

Users In "Users" Container

Provides the list of users in the "users" container of the domain.

To view the report, click the Users In "Users" Container link available under the Container Based
Reports category.

Groups In "Users" Container

Provides the list of groups in the "users" container of the domain.

To view the report, click the Groups In "Users" Container link available under the Container Based
Reports category.

Computers In "Computer" Container

Provides the list of computers in the "computer" container of the domain.

To view the report, click the Computers In "Computer" Container link available under the Container
Based Reports category.

Groups In "Builtin" Container

Provides the list of groups in the "Builtin" container of the domain.

To view the report, click the Groups In "Builtin" Container link available under the Container Based
Reports category.

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Active Directory GPO Reports

To access the GPO Reports, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Reports tab to invoke the Reports page.


2. Click the GPO Reports from the left pane.
3. Select the required link to view the reports.

Follow the links to learn more about the various GPO Reports provided by Desktop Central

1. General GPO Reports


2. GPO Link Based Reports
3. Inheritance Based Reports
4. GPO Status Based Reports
5. Special GPO Reports

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General GPO Reports

1. All GPOs
2. Recently Created GPOs
3. Recently Modified GPOs
4. GPOs by OUs

All GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that are created in the domain.

To view the report, click the All GPOs link available under the General Reports category. Clicking a
GPO from the report displays the complete information about that GPO.

Recently Created GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that are recently created in the domain.

To view the report, click the Recently Created GPOs link available under the General Reports
category. This is determined based on the value contained in the createTimeStamp attribute.

By default, the report displays the GPOs created in the last one week. You have an option to choose
a different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a GPO from the report displays
the complete information about that GPO.

Recently Modified GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that are recently modified in the domain. This is determined based on the
value contained in the ModifyTimeStamp attribute.

To view the report, click the Recently Modified GPOs link available under the General Reports
category.

By default, the report displays the GPOs modified in the last one week. You have an option to choose
a different period or to generate a report for a custom period. Clicking a GPO from the report displays
the complete information about that GPO.

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GPOs by OUs

Provides the list of OUs and their linked GPOs.

To view the report, click the GPOs by OUs link available under the General Reports category.
Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that GPO.

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GPO Link Based Reports

1. GPOs Linked To OUs


2. GPOs Linked To Domains
3. GPOs Linked To Sites

GPOs Linked To OUs

Provides the list of GPOs that are linked to OUs in the domain. This is determined based on the value
contained in the gPLink attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the GPOs Linked To OUs link available under the GPO Link Based Reports
category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that GPO.

GPOs Linked To Domains

Provides the list of GPOs that are linked to domains. This is determined based on the value contained
in the gPLink attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the GPOs Linked To Domains link available under the GPO Link Based
Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that GPO.

GPOs Linked To Sites

Provides the list of GPOs that are linked to sites. This is determined based on the value contained in
the gPLink attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the GPOs Linked To Sites link available under the GPO Link Based Reports
category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that GPO.

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Inheritance Based Reports

1. Block Inheritance enabled OUs


2. Block Inheritance enabled Domains
3. Enforced GPOs

Block Inheritance enabled OUs

Provides the list of OUs that are prevented from inheriting GPOs from any of its parent container. This
is determined based on the value contained in the gPOptions attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Block Inheritance enabled OUs link available under the Inheritance
Based Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that
GPO.

Block Inheritance enabled Domains

Provides the list of domains that are prevented from inheriting GPOs from any of its parent container.
This is determined based on the value contained in the gPOptions attribute of the Active Directory.

To view the report, click the Block Inheritance enabled Domains link available under the Inheritance
Based Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that
GPO.

Enforced GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that have the enforced flag set. Enforced GPOs when applied to OUs are
also applied to their children irrespective of whether Block Inheritance is set or not.

To view the report, click the Enforced GPOs link available under the Inheritance Based Reports
category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that GPO.

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GPO Status Based Reports

1. User Settings Enabled GPOs


2. Computer Settings Enabled GPOs
3. User and Computer Settings Enabled GPOs
4. Disabled GPOs
5. Unused GPOs

User Settings Enabled GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that have Computer Settings disabled. These GPOs can be used to make
the user settings.

To view the report, click the User Settings Enabled GPOs link available under the GPO Status
Based Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that
GPO.

Computer Settings Enabled GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that have User Settings disabled. These GPOs can be used to make the
computer settings.

To view the report, click the Computer Settings Enabled GPOs link available under the GPO Status
Based Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that
GPO.

User and Computer Settings Enabled GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that can be used to perform both user and computer settings.

To view the report, click the User and Computer Settings Enabled GPOs link available under the
GPO Status Based Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete
information about that GPO.

Disabled GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that have both User and Computer Settings disabled.

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To view the report, click the Disabled GPOs link available under the GPO Status Based Reports
category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that GPO.

Unused GPOs

Provides the list of GPOs that are not used since creation.

To view the report, click the Unused GPOslink available under the GPO Status Based Reports
category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information about that GPO.

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Special GPO Reports

1. GPOs with Most Modified User Settings


2. GPOs with Most Modified Computer Settings
3. GPOs with Most Modified User & Computer Settings

GPOs with Most Modified User Settings

Provides the list of GPOs that have user versions greater than 5. You have an option to select a
different version number.

To view the report, click the GPOs with Most Modified User Settings link available under the GPO
Version Based Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete information
about that GPO.

GPOs with Most Modified Computer Settings

Provides the list of GPOs that have computer versions greater than 5. You have an option to select a
different version number.

To view the report, click the GPOs with Most Modified Computer Settings link available under the
GPO Version Based Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the complete
information about that GPO.

GPOs with Most Modified User & Computer Settings

Provides the list of GPOs that have user or computer versions greater than 5. You have an option to
select a different version number.

To view the report, click the GPOs with Most Modified User & Computer Settings link available
under the GPO Version Based Reports category. Clicking a GPO from the report displays the
complete information about that GPO.

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Custom Reports

While Desktop Central provides various canned reports on different modules like Patch Management,
Asset Management, and so on, it is also possible to create customized reports to meet your specific
requirement. Follow the links to learn more

1. Wizard Based Custom Report


2. Custom Query Report

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Creating Custom Reports

In addition to the out-of-the-box reports, Desktop Central allows you to create custom reports by
specifying the criteria and selecting the required parameters. Follow the steps below to create a
custom report using Desktop Central:

1. Select the Reports tab from the Desktop Central Client.


2. Click the New Custom Report button available on the top-right. This opens the Custom
Report page.
3. Specify the name for the report.
4. Select the Module. This is currently available only for the Asset Management module and will
be extended for other modules in our subsequent updates.
5. Select the Sub Module as Computer, Hardware or Software.
6. Specify the criteria for generating the report. You can specify multiple criteria by clicking the
"+" icon
7. Select the Columns to view in the report. You can change the position of the columns by
using the up and down arrow icons.
8. Click on Run & Save button to save the report permanently. (or) Click Run Report if just a
temporary report is needed.

Note: If you choose the Run Report option, you can edit the report and later on save the
same. Likewise if you intend to make any changes to a saved report, you can make use of the
Edit option in the Custom Report Page.

9. You have an option to save this report as PDF and CSV formats.

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Custom Query Report

Desktop Central provides the following types of reports:

1. Canned reports on various modules like Patch Management, Asset Management, Active
Directory, and so on.
2. Wizard-based Custom Reports to retrieve any specific information

In addition to the above report types, it also provides an ability to retrieve the required information
from the database using the Query Report. This might be useful in cases where you are not able to
get the required information from the Canned or the Custom Reports.

The Query Report can be created using the New Query Report button available under Reports tab --
> Custom Report. You may have to provide the SQL Query and create the report. The report can be
saved for future reference and / or exported to CSV format for further processing.

From where can I get the Query?

Contact desktopcentral-support@manageengine.com with the details of your requirement.


Alternatively, you can also submit your request online.

Our support team will process your requirement and send you the query.

Built-in Date Functions

Date is stored in the Long format in the database. You will not be able to interpret the date on seeing
this long format. In order to convert this to readable date format, two built-n functions are included:

1. LONG_TO_DATE() - for displaying the date in the results


2. DATE_TO_LONG() - for using the date within the query

LONG_TO_DATE()

This function can be used to convert the date from the long value to the date format. Consider
the following example:

You wish to retrieve software details along with the date and time at which the software was
detected. The query you would normally use is:

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Select SOFTWARE_NAME, DETECTED_TIME from invsoftware

SOFTWARE_NAME DETECTED_TIME

Adobe Reader 1234558984892

Skype 8945934747893

In the above result, you will see the Detected Time in long format, which is not readable. Now,
modifying the query as below will give you the desired output

Select SOFTWARE_NAME, LONG_TO_DATE(DETECTED_TIME) from invsoftware

SOFTWARE_NAME DETECTED_TIME_DATE_FORMAT

Adobe Reader 09/12/2009 15:35

Skype 07/13/2009 13.25

DATE_TO_LONG()

This function can be used to convert the Date format to Long value. Consider the example
where you wish to retrieve the details of the software detected between two specific dates. You
should use the query as below:

select * from invsoftware where DETECTED_TIME between


DATE_TO_LONG(08/01/2009 00:00:00) and

DATE_TO_LONG(08/31/2009 00:00:00)

The date should be specified in the following format: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss

Date Templates

For retrieving the data between some predefined dates, you can make use of the date templates. The
following date templates are supported:

1. Today - <from_today> - <to_today>


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2. Yesterday - <from_yesterday> - <to_yesterday>
3. This Week - <from_thisweek> - <to_thisweek>
4. Last Week - <from_lastweek> - <to_lastweek>
5. This Month - <from_thismonth> - <to_thismonth>
6. Last Month - <from_lastmonth> - <to_lastmonth>
7. This Quarter - <from_thisquarter> - <to_thisquarter>
8. Last Quarter - <from_lastquarter> - <to_lastquarter>

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Making Help Desk Requests

The Users of the computers that are managed using Desktop Central can submit help desk requests
from the Desktop Central Icon displayed in the system tray. Right-clicking the Tray Icon will display
the following menus:

1. Send Request to Help Desk - to make a helps desk request


2. Apply User Configurations - to apply the configurations that are available for them.
3. Apply Computer Configurations - to apply the configurations that are available for all the users
of that computer.
4. Scan and Upload Patch Details - to manually scan and update the server for Patch
Management
5. Scan and Upload Inventory Details - to manually scan and update the server with
software/hardware inventories.
6. View User Logon Reports - to view their login history.

Please note that the Administrator should have enabled these options for the users to view and use.

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Mobile Device Management

Desktop Central MDM simplifies the work of administrators by using a single console to manage
desktops, laptops, servers, and mobile devices. Desktop Central MDM can be used to deploy
configuration settings, security commands and retrieve asset data over-the-air (OTA).

Supported Operating System

Android version 2.2 and above

iOS version 4.0 and above

Supported Devices

The current version supports managing the following devices;

• Smart phones (Android)


• Tablets (Android)
• iPhone (iOS)
• iPad (iOS)
• iPad Mini (iOS)
• ipod Touch. (iOS)

What Management Operations you can Perform?

The current version will support Over-the-Air (OTA) device configuration tasks such as

1. Enabling Passcode
2. Imposing Restrictions
3. Configuring Email
4. Enabling Exchange ActiveSync
5. Webclips
6. VPN and Wifi Settings
7. App Lock (iOS)
8. HTTP GLobal Proxy (iOS)

Executing Security Commands like,

1. Erasing the Device data


2. Erasing Corporate Data
3. Clearing the Passcode

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Asset Information that include,

1. Certificates Installed
2. Profiles Installed
3. Restriction Details
4. Security Information
5. Apps Inventory
6. Device Information
7. List Rooted Devices
8. List Devices by Storage Encryption

App Management activities like,

1. Blacklisting Apps
2. White listing Apps
3. Manage all the Apps Discovered in the network.

To know more about how to setup Desktop Central MDM refer the links mentioned below

 Setting Up MDM
 Creating APNs Certificate
 Device Authentication Policy
 BYOD
 Device Enrollment
 Profile Management
 App Management
 BYOA
 Asset Management
 Security Management

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Setting up MDM

This document will help you to understand about setting up Mobile Device Management (MDM) for
iOS and Android devices.

1. Managing iOS devices

• MDM Architecture for iOS devices


• Creating APNS Certificate
• Device Authentication
• Configure NAT settings
• Enroll iOS devices

2. Managing Android devices

1. MDM Architecture for Android devices


2. Device Authentication
3. Configure NAT settings
4. Enroll Android devices

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iOS

MDM Architecture for iOS devices

Before we setup Mobile Device Management, let us first understand the architecture behind managing
mobile devices over-the-air (OTA). The diagram below depicts the MDM Architecture in Desktop
Central.

All Communications from Desktop Central to the managed iOS device will be routed through Apple
Push Notification Service (APNs). A live TCP connection is maintained for intermediate
service. APNs acts an intermediate wake up service to wake up the device whenever an action is
triggered to be performed from the Desktop Central. Managed mobile device communicates with
Desktop Central to receive the instructions and report back the status and data.

For the above setup to work, the following ports need to be configured.

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Ports Details

Ports (HTTP) that needs to be opened at Desktop Central Server

• 8383 for secured communication between the agent and the Desktop Central

Ports (TCP) that needs to be opened for managing iOS devices

1. 2195 - Outbound port should be open for the Desktop Central Server to reach the APNs.
Host address: gateway.push.apple.com
2. 5223 - Outbound port should be open, if the mobile device connects to the internet through
the WiFi, then this port should be opened. For better security, you can restrict these
connections on the IP range 17.0.0.0/8. If all the managed devices have access to cellular
data network, this requirement is not needed.

Note : It is recommended to configure your Proxy settings, NAT settings and the mail server
settings, which would useful for various operations while managing the mobile device.

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Creating APNs Certificate

The following workflow diagram explains you the steps involved in creating APNs certificate
and managing the iOS devices.

Creating APNs certificate involves the following sequence of steps:


Setting up MDM

1. Creating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)


2. Getting CSR Signed by Zoho Corporation
3. Uploading Signed Certificate to Apple Push Notification Portal
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4. Completing the CSR and generating APNs Certificate
5. Upload the APNs Certificate in Desktop Central

Creating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

1. Open a command prompt as an administrator on the computer where Desktop Central is installed
and change directory to <Product-Install-Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm
directory
2. Execute the bat file CreateCSR.bat to create a CSR. A new window pops up, answer the
following questions to create a CSR.

• Country Name (2 letter Code): Enter a 2 letter code of your country ( for example US for United
States)
• State or Province Name (full name): Enter the name of the state or province (for example Texas)
• Locality Name : Name of the locality (for example Dallas)
• Organizational Name : Name of your company (for example Zoho Corp.)
• Organizational Unit Name : Name of your department (for example Finance Department)
• Common Name : A unique name to identify your company (for example ManageEngine)
• Email Address : Enter the company Email address (for example contact@zohocorp.com)
• A Challenge Password : do not enter any password, skip this step by pressing enter.

3. Now, the CSR has been created successfully. Two


files, customer.csr & CustomerPrivateKey.key will be available in your <Product-Install-
Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/ mdm directory.

Getting CSR Signed by Zoho Corporation

The next step is to get the CSR signed by Zoho Corporation. Send the only the CSR file that you have
created above to Desktop Central Support to get it signed. The signed file will be mailed back to you.

Getting CSR Signed by Zoho Corporation

The next step is to get the CSR signed by Zoho Corporation. Send the only the CSR file that
you have created above to Desktop Central Support to get it signed. The signed file will be
mailed back to you.

Uploading Signed Certificate to Apple Push Notification Portal

It is recommended by Apple to use "Safari/Google Chrome/Firefox" browsers while executing


the below mentioned steps. Internet Explorer is not recommended to create APNs
certificate.

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1. Go to https://identity.apple.com/pushcert/ (Apple Push Certificate Portal website) to
create the APNs
2. Sign in using your Apple ID and password. An Apple Developer Account or Enterprise
Account is not mandatory, any Apple ID or Apple Account can be used. If you do not
have an Apple ID, create one from https://appleid.apple.com
3. Once logged in, choose "Create Certificate"
4. After reading terms and conditions Click Accept.
5. Upload the signed certificate that you received from Desktop Central Support.
6. A new certificate for managing the iOS devices will appear in the portal.
7. Select to download the Apple signed certificate.

You can save the downloaded MDM_Zoho Corporation_Certificate.pem in the


MDM directory.

Completing the CSR and generating APNs Certificate

1. Open a command as administrator on the computer where Desktop Central is


installed and change directory to <Product-Install-
Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm directory
2. Copy the downloaded signed certificate to directory <Product-Install-
Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/ mdm
3. Execute the bat file (createAPNsCertificate.bat) to generate the APNs certificate.
4. It would prompt for password, this is mandatory. This password should be used
when you import the APNs Certificate in the Desktop Central Console.

Now, APNSCertificate.p12 has been successfully generated. The certificate is available


under <Product-Install-Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm.

Upload the APNs Certificate in Desktop Central

1. Login to Manage Engine Desktop Central Web Console.


2. Go to MDM-> Settings -> APNs Certificate
3. Upload the exported APNSCertificate.p12 Certificate from <Product-Install-
Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm
and provide the password that you provided while exporting the certificate.
4. Select Save

You have successfully generated the APNs certificate and uploaded to Manage Engine
Desktop Central Web Console. You can start managing the devices by enrolling the devices
in Desktop Central.

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See also:Device Authentication, Device Enrollment, App Management, Profile
Management, Asset Management, Security Management

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Renew APNs Certificate

Renewing APNs certificate involves the following sequence of steps:


Setting up MDM

Renewing APNs certificate involves the following steps. Ensure that you use the same Apple ID
which you have used, while creating the APNs for the first time. Always use a corporate Apple ID
than a personal one. If the APNs certificate has expired, then you will no longer be able to manage
the iOS devices. In such cases, even if you renew the APNs after the expiry, you will have to re-enroll
the devices to manage them. So it is recommend to renew APNs well in advance before expiry. The
APNs should be renewed and uploaded in the Desktop Central server at least a month before it gets
expired. So that all the devices would get the renewed APNs certificate. Incase if the you renew the
APNs few days before it expiry and upload it in the Desktop Central server, devices which have not
contacted the Desktop Central server to get the APNs updated will have to be re-enrolled. Follow the
steps mentioned below to renew APNs.

1. Getting CSR Signed by Zoho Corporation


2. Uploading Signed Certificate to Apple Push Notification Portal
3. Completing the CSR and generating APNs Certificate
4. Upload the APNs Certificate in Desktop Central

Creating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for Renewal

Note: You can use your the old customer.csr & CustomerPrivateKey.key which will be
located under <Product-Install-Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm
directory. In case you do not find one, then you can recreate a new csr file and customer
private key.

Follow the steps mentioned below to create a csr:

1. Open a command prompt as an administrator on the computer where Desktop Central is installed
and change directory to <Product-Install-Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm
directory
2. Execute the bat file CreateCSR.bat to create a CSR. A new window opens, answer the following
questions to create a CSR.

• Country Name (2 letter Code): Enter a 2 letter code of your country ( for example US for
United States)
• State or Province Name (full name): Enter the name of the state or province (for
example Texas)
• Locality Name : Name of the locality (for example Dallas)

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• Organizational Name : Name of your company (for example Zoho Corp.)
• Organizational Unit Name : Name of your department (for example Finance Department)
• Common Name : A unique name to identify your company (for example ManageEngine)
• Email Address : Enter the company Email address (for example contact@zohocorp.com)
• A Challenge Password : do not enter any password, skip this step by pressing enter.

3. Now, the CSR has been created successfully. Two


files, customer.csr & CustomerPrivateKey.key will be available in your <Product-Install-
Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/ mdm directory.

Getting CSR Signed by Zoho Corporation

The next step is to get the CSR signed by Zoho Corporation. Send the only the CSR file that you have
created above to Desktop Central Support to get it signed. The signed file will be mailed back to you.

Uploading Signed Certificate to Apple Push Notification Portal

It is recommended by Apple to use "Safari/Google Chrome/Firefox" browsers while executing


the below mentioned steps. Internet Explorer is not recommended to create APNs
certificate.

1. Go to https://identity.apple.com/pushcert/ (Apple Push Certificate Portal website) to


create the APNs
2. Sign in using your Apple ID and password. An Apple Developer Account or Enterprise
Account is not mandatory, any Apple ID or Apple Account can be used. If you do not
have an Apple ID, create one from https://appleid.apple.com
3. Once logged in, choose "Renew Certificate" by selecting the certificate based on
expiry date.

4. After reading terms and conditions Click Accept.


5. Upload the signed certificate that you received from Desktop Central Support.
6. A new certificate for managing the iOS devices will appear in the portal.
7. Select to download the Apple signed certificate.

You can save the downloaded MDM_Zoho Corporation_Certificate.pem in the


MDM directory.

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Completing the CSR and generating APNs Certificate

1. Open a command as administrator on the computer where Desktop Central is


installed and change directory to <Product-Install-
Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm directory
2. Copy the downloaded signed certificate to directory <Product-Install-
Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/ mdm
3. Execute the bat file (createAPNsCertificate.bat) to generate the APNs certificate.
4. It would prompt for password, this is mandatory. This password should be used
when you import the APNs Certificate in the Desktop Central Console.

Now, APNSCertificate.p12 has been successfully generated. The certificate is available


under <Product-Install-Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm.

Upload the APNs Certificate in Desktop Central

1. Login to Manage Engine Desktop Central Web Console.


2. Go to MDM-> Settings -> APNs Certificate
3. Click Modify to upload the new APNs
4. Upload the exported APNSCertificate.p12 Certificate from <Product-Install-
Dir>/ManageEngine/DesktopCentral_Server/bin/mdm
and provide the password that you provided while exporting the certificate.
5. Select Save

You have successfully generated the APNs certificate and uploaded to Manage Engine
Desktop Central Web Console.

See also: Device Authentication, Device Enrollment, App Management, Profile Management,
Asset Management, Security Management

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Device Authentication

Enrolling devices is the first step in managing mobile devices. In order to enroll devices, every user
should be configured with user authentication level. There are three types of authentication, which are
described as follows.

• Using Unique Passcode - An email will be sent to the user with a unique passcode. User needs
to use the unique passcode to enroll the device.
• Active Directory Authentication - User can use his domain credentials to enroll his device.
• Combination of Both - User needs to use both the passcode sent through email as well as his
domain credentials to enroll his device.

This authentication is used only while enrolling the devices. Follow the steps mentioned below to
configure the authentication that should be performed while enrolling the device;

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Under Settings click Authentication
3. Click Settings and configure the Authentication
4. Choose the type of Authentication
5. Click Save

You have successfully configured the authentication level for the device.

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Enroll iOS devices

Enrolling Devices is the first stage in managing a mobile device, this document will explain you in
detail about various steps involved in enrolling the device.

• Enrolling Devices
• Enroll Additional devices for same user
• Bulk Enrollment
• Enrollment Process on iOS devices
• Enroll Devices using Apple Configurator
• Troubleshooting Tips

Follow the steps mentioned below to enroll the devices.

Enrolling Devices

1. Click MDM tab on the Desktop Central Console


2. Under Settings click on Enrollment
3. Click Enroll Device and fill in the appropriate information
4. Domain Name : Choose the Domain Name from the drop down, if you do not have any
domain name, select Default Workgroup
5. User Name- Enter the user name of the device that needs to be enrolled.
6. Email address :It is mandatory to enter the email address of the user who will receive the
enrollment request.
7. Platform: Specify the platform from the drop down menu, as iOS or Android. You can also
configure the email template which will be sent as enrollment request.
8. Owned By : Owner of the device either Corporate or Personal
9. Click Enroll to enroll the device.
10. Assign to Group : Specify the group to which the device should be added. If you select an
existing group from the drop down, then the newly added device will automatically get all the
apps and profiles which were already distributed to the group. By doing so you can automate
the process of imposing the minimum required restrictions and apps to all the newly added
devices.

If you add a new group name, then a new group will be created and the device will be added
to it.

Note : Ensure that you configure your Proxy settings, and the mail server settings, so that
you the user can receive the email with the authentication passcode.

After enrollment Users will receive an email with the enrollment instructions and the link to enroll the
devices. Based on the authentication policy defined for enrollment, users will be receiving the

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authentication passcode. Users need to manually install the MDM profile by clicking on the
enrollment request. All enrolled devices will be listed in the Devices Tab in the Desktop Central MDM
console under Groups and Devices.

Enroll Additional devices for same user

You can enroll multiple devices for the same user. In case a user has more than one mobile device
that needs to be managed, you can enroll those devices by following the steps mentioned below;

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Under Settings choose Enrollment
3. Under Enrollment tab choose the User Name to whom you wanted to enroll the additional
device
4. Under Actions click button
5. Specify the Platform as iOS or Android
6. Specify the Owned By type as Corporate or Personal and click Enroll

The mail to enroll additional device would be sent to the specified user.

Bulk Enrollment

This option facilitates you to enroll many devices at a same time. You can simply create a csv file with
the User Name, Domain Name, Email, Platform and Owned by details and upload the same. Multiple
entries should be in separate lines. Refer the below mentioned csv file for example,

Sample CSV Format

USER_NAME,DOMAIN_NAME,EMAIL,PLATFORM,OWNED_BY,GROUP_NAME
ANDREW,MDM,andrew@desktopcentral.com,android,Personal,iOSgroup
BEN,ZOHOCORP,ben@desktopcentral.com,iOS,iOS_Group

Note :

1. The CSV file should contain the following fields: User Name, Domain Name, Email,
Platform,Owned By and Group Name.
2. The fields User Name, Email and Platform are mandatory. All the other fields are optional.
3. The first line of the CSV is the column header and the columns can be in any order.
4. Blank column values should be comma separated.
5. If the column value contains comma, it should be specified within quotes.

Follow the steps mentioned below, to enroll devices through Bulk Enrollment.

1. Click MDM tab on the Desktop Central Console


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2. Under Settings Click on Enrollment
3. Click Bulk Enrollment . A window opens, click Browse to upload the created CSV file and
Import the same.

Enrollment mail will be sent to all the users listed in the csv file.

Enrollment Process on iOS devices.

The users, upon receiving the enrollment requests, can enroll their device as below:

1. Users should note down the Unique Passcode. Passcode is case sensitive.
2. Clicking the link in the email will open a window to accept the passcode

3. User should specify the passcode received in the email and click Continue. It will validate the
passcode and present a confirmation screen. Click Continue

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4. Click Install to install the profile

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5. It will display a warning message. Read and click Install

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6. The profile will be installed.

7. Click Done to view the enrollment status

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The device have been enrollment process has been successfully completed and the device
will be listed in Desktop Central.

Once the device enrollment is completed, the device will be scanned and the users will receive a App
Catalog and MDM Profile . All the Apps that are distributed by Desktop Central will be listed in the
App Catalog. Users can choose the App and install them by clicking on it. Incase of App store App,
by clicking on the App users will be prompted to enter their Apple ID and password and the App will
be downloaded from the App store. MDM profile is the profile used by Desktop Central to manage the
mobile device, if the user removes the MDM Profile, then all the Apps that has been installed through
Desktop Central and the policies applied will be reverted.

Enrolling Devices using Apple Configurator :

You can use Apple configurator to enroll multiple devices at a same time. To know more about apple
configurator, refer to this. Ensure that you configure WiFi profile in the configurator. Follow the steps
mentioned below to enoll multiple devices using Apple configurator.

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1. Create a Wifi Profile
2. Create and Export MDM Profile
3. Push MDM Profile through Apple Configurator

1. Click MDM tab


2. Under Settings select Enrollment
3. Select Apple Configurator
4. Specify a Common User Name and Domain Name
5. Export MDM profile by clicking button.
6. Open Apple Configurator Tool and Click on Prepare icon
7. Configure the Settings by providing the following details
1. Name of the profile
2. Specify the number of devices that needs to be configured
3. Enable Supervise option
4. Select the iOS version that needs to be installed on the devices
5. Click on the check box to Erase the data in the device before installing the MDM
profile
6. Select the option from the drop down to Backup and Restore data on the mobile
devices. If you wanted to back up data, ensure that you connect devices of the same
type, such as iPhones or iPads.
7. Connect the devices using USB port.
8. Click Add button at the bottom of the profiles to create a WiFi Configurator Profile
9. Enter the name of the profile as WiFi
10. From the left pane, click WiFi Profile and Configure the settings
11. Click Save to store the changes

12. Click Prepare icon at the bottom of the page.


13. Click Apply for the profile to be distributed to all the devices.

You can see that all the devices will get the MDM profile. Every device that is enrolled using
configurator will be listed with the Common User name. Since managing mobile devices using a
common user name cannot be feasible, you need to upload a .csv file in the bulk enrollment section
with the details of the devices such as UDID, User name etc. Ensure that you uncheck the check box
so that Enrollment request will not be sent to the users based on the uploaded csv. So, you can see
that the enrolled devices will be renamed as per the details provided in the .csv.

 Note: You can change the Common User name by clicking the Edit Apple Configurator
Profile under Apple Configurator tab. You can also reassign the devices to different users by
selecting the device and clicking the Change User option under Actions.

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Troubleshooting Tips

1. 1. Users did not receive the Enrollment Request via Email


1. Check whether you have configured the Mail Server settings

2. Users are unable to access the URL sent via Email

2. Desktop Central server is not running or not accessible by the users.


3. Check if the firewall running in Desktop Central Server is blocking the communication
(at port 8020/8383)
4. If the users are outside LAN, they should be able to reach the Desktop Central Server
via public IP. Check whether the NAT Settings is configured in Desktop Central (MDM
--> NAT Settings)

3. Users have installed the profile, but their devices are not listed in the Desktop
Central

5. The device is not able to reach APNs. Check whether your WiFi allows
communication at port 5223
6. If WiFi is disabled on the device, it should have access to Cellular Data network

See also: Creating a Group, Creating Profiles, App Management, Profile


Management, Asset Management, Security Management

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Android

MDM Architecture for Android Devices.

Before we setup Mobile Device Management, let us first understand the architecture behind managing
mobile devices over-the-air (OTA). The diagram below depicts the MDM Architecture in Desktop
Central.

All Communications from Desktop Central to the managed android devices will be routed through
Google Cloud Messaging (GCM). A live TCP connection is maintained for intermediate
service. GCM acts an intermediate wake up service to wake up the device whenever an action is
triggered to be performed from the Desktop Central. Managed mobile device communicates with
Desktop Central to receive the instructions and report back the status and data.

For the above setup to work, the following ports need to be configured.

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Ports Details;

Ports (HTTP) that needs to be opened at Desktop Central Server

• 8383 - Used for secured communication between the agent and the Desktop Central

If the mobile device connects to the internet through WiFi, then the following TCP
ports (out bound) should be opened on the firewall.

1. 5228, 5229, 5230 - Should be open on the firewall, for the mobile devices to
reach the Desktop Central Server.

Note : It is recommended to configure your Proxy settings, NAT settings and the mail server
settings, which would useful for various operations while managing the mobile device.

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MDM Device Authentication

Enrolling devices is the first step in managing mobile devices. In order to enroll devices, every user
should be configured with user authentication level. There are three types of authentication, which are
described as follows.

• Using Unique Passcode - An email will be sent to the user with a unique passcode. User needs
to use the unique passcode to enroll the device.
• Active Directory Authentication - User can use his domain credentials to enroll his device.
• Combination of Both - User needs to use both the passcode sent through email as well as his
domain credentials to enroll his device.

This authentication is used only while enrolling the devices. Follow the steps mentioned below to
configure the authentication that should be performed while enrolling the device;

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Under Settings click Enrollment
3. Click Settings and configure the Authentication
4. Choose the type of Authentication
5. Click Save

You have successfully configured the authentication level for the device.

Configuring Android Agent settings:

If you wanted to manage android devices, you need to configure the android agent settings. Android
agent which will be installed in all the managed mobile devices. By configuring Android agent settings
you can force the user to accept the Profile within a specified time.

Every time you distribute a profile with few policies and restrictions to some devices, Android agent
will notify the end user to accept the Policy. Based on the specified time limit, end user will be asked
to accept the policy. If the policy is not installed within the specified time, then the policy will be
moved to violated status. Follow the steps mentioned below to know more about configuring the
android agent settings;

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Under Settings click Android Agent Settings
3. Specify the time limit allowed for the end user to accept the policy, so that end users will be
forced to install the policy within the specified time.
4. Specify the deactivation message that need to be displayed if the end user disables the
Device Administrator Settings

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5. Specify whether you wanted to allow the end users to remove MDM Agent (this is applicable
only for SAFE devices)
6. Click Save Changes

You have successfully configured the android agent settings.

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Enroll Android Devices

Enrolling Devices is the first stage in managing a mobile device, this document will explain you in
detail about various steps involved in enrolling the device.

1. Enrolling Devices
2. Enroll Additional devices for same user
3. Bulk Enrollment
4. Self Enrollment
5. Enrollment Process on Android devices.
6. Troubleshooting Tips

Follow the steps mentioned below to enroll the devices.

Enrolling Devices

1. Click MDM tab on the Desktop Central Console


2. Under Settings click on Enrollment
3. Click Enroll Device and fill in the appropriate information
4. Domain Name : Choose the Domain Name from the drop down, if you do not have any
domain name, select Default Workgroup
5. User Name- Enter the user name of the device that needs to be enrolled.
6. Email address :It is mandatory to enter the email address of the user who will receive the
enrollment request.
7. Platform: Specify the platform from the drop down menu, as iOS or Android.
8. Owned By : Owner of the device either Corporate or Personal
9. Click Enroll to enroll the device.
10. Assign to Group : Specify the group to which the device should be added. If you select an
existing group from the drop down, then the newly added device will automatically get all the
Apps and profiles which were already distributed to the group. By doing so you can automate
the process of imposing the minimum required restrictions and Apps to all the newly added
devices.

If you add a new group name, then a new group will be created and the device will be added
to it.

1. Ensure that you configure your Proxy settings, and the mail server settings, so that you the
user can receive the email with the authentication passcode.

End users will receive an email with the enrollment instructions and the link to enroll the devices.
Based on the authentication policy defined for enrollment, users will be receiving the authentication
passcode. Users need to manually install the MDM profile by clicking on the enrollment request. If

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you use a SAFE device, you will get the android agent that has been exclusively designed for SAFE
devices. If you access the download url from any normal android device, then a different agent will be
downloaded. All enrolled devices will be listed in the Devices Tab in the Desktop Central MDM
console under Groups and Devices.

Enroll Additional devices for same user

You can enroll multiple devices for the same user. In case a user has more than one mobile device
that needs to be managed, you can enroll those devices by following the steps mentioned below;

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Under Settings choose Enrollment
3. Under Enrollment tab choose the User Name to whom you wanted to enroll the additional
device
4. Under Actions click button
5. Specify the Platform as iOS or Android
6. Specify the Owned By type as Corporate or Personal and click Enroll

The mail to enroll additional device would be sent to the specified user.

Bulk Enrollment

This option facilitates you to enroll many devices at a same time. You can simply create a csv file with
the User Name, Domain Name, Email, Platform and Owned by details and upload the same. Multiple
entries should be in separate lines. Refer the below mentioned csv file for example,

Sample CSV Format

USER_NAME,DOMAIN_NAME,EMAIL,PLATFORM,OWNED_BY, GROUP_NAME
ANDREW,MDM,andrew@desktopcentral.com,android,Personal,Android_Group
BEN,ZOHOCORP,ben@desktopcentral.com,iOS,Android_Group

Note :

1. The CSV file should contain the following fields: User Name, Domain Name, Email, Platform,
Owned By and Android Group.
2. The fields User Name, Email and Platform are mandatory. All the other fields are optional.
3. The first line of the CSV is the column header and the columns can be in any order.
4. Blank column values should be comma separated.
5. If the column value contains comma, it should be specified within quotes.

Follow the steps mentioned below, to enroll devices through Bulk Enrollment.

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1. Click MDM tab on the Desktop Central Console
2. Under Settings Click on Enrollment
3. Click Bulk Enrollment . A window opens, click Browse to upload the created CSV file and
Import the same.

Enrollment mail will be sent to all the users listed in the csv file.

Self Enrollment:

Self enrollment is an option that facilitates the end users to enroll their devices by accessing a url.
They do not require an enrollment invitation from the system administrator. They can download and
install the MDM agent on their mobile devices by accessing the self enrollment url.

Enrollment Process on Android devices.

The users, upon receiving the enrollment requests, can enroll their device as below:

1. User needs to copy the Server Name, Port Number and passcode given in the email

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2. Users can download the MDM Android App in the device

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3. Once the download has been successful, Users will be prompted to Click "Install" to start
installation and Click Open after the installation is completed.

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4. After the installation gets completed, Users will be prompted to enter the below requested
information which were already sent through email

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5. User needs to provide the One Time password

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6. User needs to Accept the terms and conditions to complete the installation

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7. Users need to enable Device Administrator in their mobile device

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8. By Clicking "Activate" the enrollment process would be succeeded

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9. MDM App icon will be listed in the mobile device.

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10. By clicking the MDM App icon, MDM App opens and the end user can see the
distributed Apps and associated profiles listed here.

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Apps that are distributed by Desktop Central will be listed in App Catalog. Profiles that are associated
to the devices will be listed under Policies and Restrictions. Device Details will provide the complete
information about the device.

MDM Audit

After the Devices are enrolled, you can also view the list of devices, enrolled as per the
enrollment time and date. To audit the devices managed by Desktop Central follow the steps
mentioned below:

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Select Enrollment under Settings
3. Click Audit.

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You can audit the managed mobile devices, by their associated Groups, enrollment
time, date, device name, OS version, model name, product name etc.

Troubleshooting Tips

1. 1. Users did not receive the Enrollment Request via Email


1. Check whether you have configured the Mail Server settings

2. Users are unable to access the URL sent via Email

2. Desktop Central server is not running or not accessible by the users.


3. Check if the firewall running in Desktop Central Server is blocking the communication
(at port 8020/8383)
4. If the users are outside LAN, they should be able to reach the Desktop Central Server
via public IP. Check whether the NAT Settings is configured in Desktop Central (MDM
--> NAT Settings)

3. Users have installed the profile, but their devices are not listed in the Desktop
Central

5. The device is not able to reach GCM. Check whether your WiFi allows
communication at port 5223
6. If WiFi is disabled on the device, it should have access to Cellular Data network

See also: Creating a Group, Creating Profiles, App Management, Profile


Management, Asset Management, Security Management

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BYOD

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has become an essential part of mobile device management.
Enterprises today entertains BYOD as a part of business strategy to increase productivity. BYOD
enables employees to access the corporate data anytime from anywhere. Which means more
productivity as well as more risk. This is what forces, every enterprise to look out for a mobile device
management solution which not only monitors the devices, distribute apps but also ensures that data
security. Desktop Central provides you the leverage to manage employee owned devices and
corporate devices at ease. You can create separate groups for managing employee's devices and
impose polices and restrictions in such a way that the corporate data is always kept secure and
protected.

Desktop Central provides an option for self enrollment, where the end users can enroll the devices by
themselves. Follow the steps mentioned below to configure Self Enrollment settings. Ensure AD
authentication is enabled for self enrollment to work. Self Enrollment process remains to be the same
for iOS and Android devices.

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Under Settings in the left pane, click Enrollment
3. Click Settings and configure the Self Enrollment settings
4. Specify whether you wanted to enable or disable the self enrollment
5. Click the check box to receive notifications when a device is enrolled using self enrollment.
6. Specify the email address to which the notification needs to be sent.
7. Click Save

The devices which are self enrolled will be listed under the default groups, such as corporate or
personal based on the operating system. Desktop Central has four default groups, they are
Default_iOS_Corporate, Default_iOS_Personal, Default_Android_Corporate and
Default_Android_Personal. To know more about self enrolment works on the mobile devices, refer the
screen shots listed below.

Self Enrollment process on iOS devices

1. End user uses the self enrollment url, the following information should be filled in.

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2. End user will be prompted to install the Desktop Central profile. Click Continue to complete the
profile installation.

3. Click Install

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As soon as the device gets enrolled, users will receive an App catalog from where they can install
apps that are distributed through Desktop Central. Administrators will also be notified that a new user
has enrolled the device. If any specific profiles, or Apps were distributed to the group where the
device is enrolled, then the newly added device will automatically receive all the configurations and
Apps applied to it.

Self Enrollment process on Android devices

1. End User access the self enrollment url and views this page. If the end user uses a SAFE
device, he will get the android agent that has been exclusively designed for SAFE devices. If
he access the download url from any normal android device, then the appropriate agent will
be downloaded.

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2. Download the MDMAndroidAgent.apk file.

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3. Click Next to continue installation.

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4. Open the App after the installation is completed.

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5. Enter the following details which were sent in the email.

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6.Specify the type of device as Corporate or Personal.

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7. Accept the Terms & Conditions.

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8. Click Continue

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9. Enable Device Administrator.

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10. Click Finish to complete the installation.

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11. Click on the MDM App.

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12. You can see an App catalog and the policies that are applied on the device.

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As soon as the device gets enrolled, users will receive an App catalog from where they can install
Apps that are distributed through Desktop Central. Administrators will also be notified that a new user
has enrolled the device. If any specific profiles, or Apps were distributed to the group where the
device is enrolled, then the newly added device will automatically receive all the configurations and
Apps applied to it.

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Profile Management

MDM - Profile Management

Desktop Central uses profiles as a mode to apply configurations to the managed devices. You can
create profiles and publish them, which can be associated to a managed device or a group of devices.
The following topics will cover more on creating and associating profiles to devices and groups.

A published profile is not applied to any of the devices until they are associated with the devices or
groups. When a profile is modified and published, a new version of the profile is created. New
versions of the same profile will not be applied automatically to any devices/groups, to which they
were applied before. You would need to associate the profile to the devices/groups again to apply the
configurations.

When the modified profile is applied to devices/groups to which the previous version of the profile was
applied, the configurations are overwritten with the new changes. If you have removed any particular
configuration in the new version and applied the same to the devices, then the particular configuration
will be removed from the devices though it was installed earlier by the previous version.

For example: You have created a new version for profile where you have removed mail server
configurations, and then the profile is associated with the devices, then the email server
configurations will be removed from the managed devices thought it was configured earlier as per the
previous profile.

Profile Management Workflow in iOS devices:

When a profile is created and published, it is ready to be distributed to devices or groups. Every
Profile that is associated to a device/group will get applied immediately as soon as the device is
reachable. User intervention is not required, to impose any policy or restriction in form of a profile.

Profile Management Workflow in Android devices:

Policies and Restrictions are applied to the devices in form of Profiles. When a Profile is associated to
a device or a group, the end user will be notified and the profile can be viewed under "Policies and
Restrictions" tab in the mobile device. End User will be notified to accept the Policies/Restrictions
within a specific time limit, if the Policies/Restrictions are not accepted by the end user then the it will
be listed under violated policies. Policies/Restrictions which are accepted by the end user will be
listed under imposed policies.

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Learn more about

• creating profiles
• creating Groups
• associating profiles to groups
• associating profiles to devices

See also: Associating Profiles to Group, Associate Profiles to Devices , Distribute App to Groups,
Distribute Apps to Devices,

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MDM Creating Profiles

Creating Profiles

Profiles are created to impose one or more policies and restrictions to the managed devices/groups.
You need to create separate profiles for iOS and Android devices respectively. An iOS profile cannot
be distributed to the Android group and vice versa. Follow the steps mentioned below to create a
profile.

1. Select MDM tab


2. Click Profiles from the left pane
3. Click Create Profile and choose the platform as iOS or Android, for which you wanted to
create the profile.
Provide the below mentioned basic information:
1. Name of the Profile: Unique name to identify the profile
2. Description: A brief description about the profile
3. Allow Users to Remove Profiles (This is applicable only for iOS devices)
: Enabling this option provides the permission for the end user to remove the profiles.
If the end user removes the profile, then all the policies applied through the profile will
be removed.
4. Click Continue
5. Under Define Profile from the left pane, select the configuration profile (iOS / Android) and
define the policies and restrictions of the profile. You will have to save the individual
configurations before you move on to the next configuration within the same profile.
6. After specifying the required configurations, click Publish.

A published profile is not applied to any of the devices until they are associated to the devices
or groups.

Modifying a Profile

To modify a profile,

1. Select MDM tab and click Profiles from the left pane
2. Under Profiles tab, you can view the list of all the profiles that have been created already.
3. Click icon under the Actions column, of the profile that you wish to modify and change
the required configurations. You can add or remove configurations from the profile.
4. After making the required changes, click Save to save the changes.
5. Click Publish to save the changes made to the Profile.

When a profile is modified and published, it is not applied to the devices to which they were applied
before. A new version of the profile is listed, you can upgrade the latest version to the group, so that

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the current members of the group will have the latest version of the profile applied to them. The
previous version of profile will be overwritten by the latest version.

See also: Associating Profiles to Devices, Associating Profiles to Groups, App Management

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MDM Creating Groups

Creating Device Group

A group is a logical grouping of managed devices to which a configuration can be applied. A device
can belong to multiple groups. Groups facilitate applying same configuration profiles and distribute
Apps to multiple devices. To create a group,

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Under Groups Click Create Group and select the type of the group as iOS or Android Group.
3. Specify a name for the Group
4. From the list of available devices, select the devices you wish to add them to the group and
move them to the Added Devices.
5. Click Create Group

A new Group will be created for the specific Platform that you have chosen. No Groups can be
created with a combination of iOS and Android devices. Every Group should be unique based on the
platform. Whereas a Group can contain different types of devices like smart phone and tablets. A
device can be a member of more than one Group, and Group can have any number of devices more
than one.

Modifying a Device Group

To modify the Group, to add or remove the managed devices, follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Select the Groups tab. This will list the groups that have been created already.
3. Select the specific Group that need to be modified, and click the modify button.
4. Under Available Devices select the specific device that needs to be added and move it to the
Added Devices.
5. To delete any device select the specific device that needs to be removed from Added
Devices and click on Remove.
6. Click Save Changes to store settings.

Note: When a device is removed from the Group, the profiles associated to the devices
using Desktop Central will not be removed automatically. Similarly, when a device is added to
an existing group, the new device will not receive the existing Profiles automatically. Profile
needs to be associated to such devices manually.

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See also: Associating Profiles to Group, Associate Profiles to Devices , Distribute App to Groups,
Distribute Apps to Devices,

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MDM Associating Profiles to Groups

MDM Profiles that are published can be associated to Groups. To associate profiles to Groups,

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Select the Groups tab
3. Select the Groups that you wish to associate to a profile and click Associate Profile
4. The Available Profiles will list all the profiles that have been published. If you have modified
a profile and published, the latest version of the profile will only be listed here. Select the
profiles that you wish to associate and move them to Added Profiles and Click Save
Changes.

When a profile is associated to an iOS group or Android SAFE group, then the profile gets
applied to the device immediately. When a profile is associated to the Android group, the
profile will be listed under Polices and Restriction Tab in the managed mobile device. If you
try to associate a SAFE profile like Email or Exchange Active Sync to normal android
devices other than SAFE devices, the status of the profile will be displayed as
succeeded but the remarks will be updated as Not Applicable.

Note: When a Profile is associated to any group, the profile gets applied automatically if the
device is reachable. Any time, a profile is removed from a managed device, all the restrictions
applied to it will be removed automatically. If a profile is associated to a group and a new
device is added to a group, the new device will get all the profiles associated to it
automatically. Similarly if any Device to which a profile has been applied is removed from the
Group, the installed profile will not be removed automatically.

Dis-associating Profiles from Groups

You can disassociate the profile from the Groups. When you disassociate a profile from the group all
the restrictions applied using that profile will be reverted in the devices. you can disassociate a Profile
from the Groups by following the steps mentioned below:

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Select the Groups tab
3. Click the name of the Group and choose the Profile that you want to disassociate
4. Click button to disassociate the profile from the Group.

As soon as a profile being disassociated from the Group / Devices, all the restrictions has been
applied using the profile will be reverted automatically.

See also:Creating a Group, Associate Profiles to Devices , Distribute App to Groups,


Distribute Apps to Devices,
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MDM Associating Profiles to Devices

MDM profiles can be associated with devices. A managed device can have more than one profile
associated to it. To associate a profile to the device,

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Select the Devices tab. This will list all the devices that have been enrolled.
3. Select the devices based on the platform, to which you wanted to associate a profile and click
Associate Profile
4. The Available Profiles will list all the profiles that have been published. If you have modified
a profile and published, the latest version of the profile will only be listed here. Select the
profiles that you wish to associate and move them to Added Profiles and Click Save
Changes. If you select Android devices, only Android Profiles will be listed when you click on
associate profile and vise versa. You will not be able to select multiple devices with different
platforms while associating any profile.

Note: When a profile is associated to an iOS device or Android SAFE devices, then
the profile gets applied to the device immediately. When a profile is associated to the
Android device (other than SAFE) , the profile will be listed under Polices and Restriction
Tab in the managed mobile device. The end user needs to accept the profile within a
time, specified by the system administrator. If the end user accepts the profile, then it will
be listed under Imposed Policies. If the end user does not accept the profile, then it will
be listed under Violated Policies. If you try to associate a SAFE profile like Email or
Exchange Active Sync to a normal Android device, the status will be profile will be
displayed as Succeed, but the remarks will be updated as Profile Not Applicable.

Dis-associating Profiles from Devices

You can disassociate the profile from the Groups. When you disassociate a profile from the group all
the restrictions applied using that profile will be reverted from the Devices. you can disassociate a
Profile from the Devices by following the steps mentioned below:

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Select the Devices tab
3. Click the name of the Device and choose the Profile that you want to disassociate
4. Click button to disassociate the profile from the Device.

As soon as a profile being disassociated from the Group / Devices, all the restrictions has been
applied using the profile will be reverted automatically.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, App Management, Distribute Apps to Devices,
Distribute Apps to Groups
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MDM -Verifying Profile Deployment Status

To verify the deployment status of the profile that has been associated with the Groups/Devices,
follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Under Groups/ Devices tab click on the Name of the Group/Device
3. Click on the name of the Profile
4. You can see the deployment status of Profile of that particular Group/Device.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, App Management, Distribute Apps to Devices,
Distribute Apps to Groups

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Configuration Profiles for iOS

MDM Configuration Profiles

Profile Specifications

You can design the profile by empowering it or restricting it as per the requirement. The following
profile specifications can be customized and stored in specific versions, so that it can be associated
with any devices/groups at any point of time. The specifications are listed below with the options to
customize it. These Profiles are tailored to customize the policies and restrictions for managing iOS
devices.

• Passcode - Defines parameters about the creating a password.


• Restrictions - Restrictions and permission related to device functionality, applications, iCloud,
Security and Privacy etc.
• Wi-Fi - Configuring WiFi and proxy settings.
• VPN - Configuring VPN and proxy settings.
• Email - Configuring mail settings including mail server authentication and SSL.
• Exchange ActiveSync - Configuring ActiveSync settings.
• LDAP - Configuring LDAP settings.
• CalDav - Configuring CalDav settings.
• Subscribed Calendars - configuring calendar settings.
• CardDav - Configuring CardDav settings.
• Web Clips - Specify webclips that needs to be installed in device.
• App Lock - Allows only the "App Locked App" to be used in the device, and blocks all other
usages including Home button on the device.
• Global Proxy Settings - Configuring Global Proxy settings ensures that users need not specify
proxy settings anywhere else throughout the product.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - Passcode

You can define the parameters for creating a passcode and configure the passcode settings.

Profile Settings Description

Passcode Profile Settings

Permit the usage of repeating ascending and descending


Allow simple value
character sequence.

Require Alphanumeric value Usage of alphanumeric value

Minimum passcode length Minimum length allowed as passcode

Minimum number of complex


Minimum number of complex characters needed for passcode.
characters

Maximum passcode age Maximum passcode age from 1 to 730 days

Auto lock the device when it is


Time limit for automatically locking the device
idle for

Grace period of the device lock Automatic time limit for the device to be locked

Maximum number of failed Maximum number attempts before all data in the device to be
attempts erased

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - Restrictions

You can enable or restrict user to access various features of the device like, profile settings,
application settings, iCloud settings and security & privacy settings.

Profile Settings Description

Restrictions Profile Settings

Allow installing Apps Using this option App store can be disabled and the App store
icon will be removed from the home screen. So users will not be
able to install or update any Apps using App store of iTunes.
Allow removing Apps Allowing the user to remove the Apps
(iOS 6 and above -
Supervised devices
only)
Allow use of Camera Cameras are completely disabled and the icons are removed
from the home screen. Users cannot take photos, video or use
face time.
Allow Facetime Allowing users to receive or make Face Time video calls.

Allow iMessage (iOS 6 Allowing the users to use iMessage feature


and above - Supervised
devices only)
Allow screen capture Allowing users to capture the screen shot of the display

Allow automatic sync Devices while roaming will sync only when an account is
while roaming accessed by the user
Allow siri Allow the usage of siri

Allow siri when device Permit usage of siri when the device is locked
is locked
Force Siri Profanity Filter Enabling the profanity filter option in Siri
(iOS 6 and above -
Supervised devices
only)
Allow Passbook while Permit the usage of passbook while the device is locked
device is locked (iOS 6
and above)
Allow voice dialing Permit users to use voice dialing

Allow in App purchase Enables users to purchase in-App purchases

Force user to enter Prompt for iIunes password.


iTunes store password

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Profile Settings Description

Allow Game Center Permit the usage of Game Center


(iOS 6 and above -
Supervised devices
only)
Allow multiplayer Allow multiple users gaming
gaming
Allow adding game allow users to add game center friends.
center friends
Applications

Allow use of you tube Allow users to use youtube

Allow the usage of Enable iBooks store usage


iBooks store
(iOS 6 and above -
Supervised devices
only)
Allow the user to Enable users to download media which is tagged as erotica.
download erotica media
from iBooks store
(iOS 6 and above -
Supervised devices
only)
Allow use of iTune Allow users to use iTune store
music store
Allow use of safari Allow users to use safari
Enable auto fill Enables the auto fill option
Force fraud warning Allows force fraud warning
Enable javascript Allows java script
Allow Pop-ups Enables pop up
Accept cookies Accepts cookies
iCloud
Allow Backup Enables data backup
Allow Document Sync Allows document sync
Allow Photo Stream Enables streaming photos
Allow Shared Stream Enable Stream Sharing
(iOS 6 and above)
Security and Privacy
Allow Diagnostic data to be sent to Apple (iOS 6 and Enables diagnostic data to be
above) reported to apple
Allow user to accept untrusted TLS certificates Allows to use untrusted TLS
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certificates.
Force Encrypted Backups Forces to encrypt the data
during backup process
Allow users to install configuration profiles and certificates Allow users to install/ modify
interactively (iOS 6 and above - Supervised devices only) the configuration and
certificates
Content Ratings
Allow Explicit Music & Allows music and podcasts
Podcasts
Ratings by Region

Enable Ratings by
Enables ratings by region
Region

Allows you to choose the region, so that you can specify the
Specify the Region
settings accordingly

Ratings for Movies Allows viewing movies based on the specified ratings

Ratings for TV shows Allows viewing TV Shows based on the specified ratings

Ratings for Apps Allows using Apps based on the specified ratings.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - WiFi

You can configure the WiFi settings and configure protocol settings.

Profile Specification Description


Wifi
Wireless Network Network identification
identification
Automatically join Automatically join the target network
network
Hidden network Enable if target network is not broadcasting
Security type Wireless network encryption while connecting (in case of any
Enterprise Type follow this)
Password Password authentication to connect the WiFi.
Configure Protocol
Protocols Supported Choose the type of protocol
Use Protected Access Credential Enabling protected access
provision Protected Access Enabling protected access
Credential
Provision PAC anonymously Enabling PAC anonymously
User Name User name for authentication
Use per connection Password User password for initial connection
Credentials for Connection Credentials like certificates to be uploaded
Externally Visible Identification Visible identification
Proxy Settings Manual or Automatic

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Enterprise Settings

In this section, you specify settings for connecting to enterprise networks. These settings appear
when you choose an Enterprise setting in the Security Type pop-up menu.

In the Protocols tab, you specify which EAP methods to use for authentication, and configure the
EAP-FAST Protected Access Credential settings.

In the Authentication tab, you specify sign-in settings, such as user name and authentication
protocols. If you’ve installed an identity using the Credentials section, you can choose it using the
Identity Certificate pop-up menu.

In the Trust tab, you specify which certificates should be trusted for the purpose of validating the
authentication server for the Wi-Fi connection. The Trusted Certificates list shows certificates that
have been added using the Credentials tab, and lets you select which certificates are trusted. Add the
names of the authentication servers to be trusted to the Trusted Server Certificates Names list. You
can specify a particular server, such as server.mycompany.com, or a partial name such as
*.mycompany.com.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - VPN

You can configure the VPN and the Proxy settings.

Profile Specification Description


VPN
Connection Name Displays name of the connection
Connection Type Connection type to be enabled
Server Name / IP Address Host name or IP address of the server
Account User account for authenticating the server
User authentication Specify user authentication type as password
or RSA securID
Shared secret shared secret for the connection
Send All traffic Routes all network traffic through VPN
connection
Configure Proxy
Proxy settings Configure proxy settings for VPN
Server Proxy server name
Port Port number to be used
User Name User name for authentication
Password user accounts password

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - Email

You can configure the incoming and outgoing mail server settings.

Profile Description
Specification
Email
Account Name Name of the mail account
Account Type Account type as IMAP / POP
Path Prefix Specify the path prefix
User Display Name User name to be displayed (%username%) User name will be filled
automatically to the appropriate user to whom the profile is associated.
Email Address Email address for communication (%email%) Email addtess will be filled
automatically to the appropriate user to whom the profile is associated.
Allow move Option to allow move or not
Disable recent mail Option to sync the recently used email address in iCloud.
address sync
(iOS 6 and above)
Incoming Mail
Mail server Name of the incoming mail server
Port Port used for incoming mails
User name User name to be displayed (%username%) User name will be filled
automatically to the appropriate user to whom the profile is associated.
Authentication Type Authentication type to be specified
Password Password for the incoming mail server (If the password field is left empty,
password will be prompted once the profile is installed in the device).
Use SSL Retrieve incoming mail through SSL
Outgoing Mail
Mail server Name of the outgoing mail server
Port Port used for outgoing mails
User name User name to be displayed (%username%) User name will be filled
automatically to the appropriate user to whom the profile is associated.
Authentication Type Authentication type to be specified
Password Password for the outgoing mail server (If the password field is left empty,
password will be prompted once the profile is installed in the device).
Use outgoing Option to use the same password for both outgoing and incoming mails
password same as
incoming
Use only in mail specify whether to be used only in mail
Use SSL Specify to use SSL
Use S/Mine Specify to use S/Mine

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Dynamic Variables :

The below mentioned dynamic variables are retrieved from the data that has been provided
while enrolling the device.

%email% - Email address will be filled in automatically to the appropriate user to whom the
profile is associated.

%username% - User name will be filled in automatically to the appropriate user to whom the
profile is associated.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - Exchange Active Sync

You can configure the Exchange Active Sync.

Profile Specification Description


MDM Exchange Active Sync
Account Name Name of the Exchange active Sync account
Exchange ActiveSync host Microsoft Exchange server
Allow move Allow user to move messages from this account
use only in mail Send outgoing mail only from mail Apps
Use SSL Send all communication through secure socket layer
Use S/Mine Send outgoing mail using s/mine encryption
Domain Domain for the account (%domainname%) Domain name will be filled in
automatically to the appropriate user to whom the profile is associated.
User Display name User for the account (%username%) User name will be filled in
automatically to the appropriate user to whom the profile is associated.
Email address Address of the account (%email%) Email address will be filled
automatically to the appropriate user to whom the profile is associated.
Password Password of the account (If the password field is left empty, password
will be prompted once the profile is installed in the device).
Past days of mail to Sync Number of past days for mails to Sync
Disable recent mail Option to sync the recently used email address in iCloud.
address sync
(iOS 6 and above)
Identity Certificate Upload Identity Certificate
make Identity Certificate Embedded identify certificate in payload
Compatible with iOS 4

Dynamic Variables :

The below mentioned dynamic variables are retrieved from the data that has been provided
while enrolling the device.

%email% - Email address will be filled in automatically to the appropriate user to whom the
profile is associated.

%username% - User name will be filled in automatically to the appropriate user to whom the
profile is associated.

%domainname% - Domain name will be filled in automatically to the appropriate user to whom
the profile is associated.

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See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - LDAP

You can configure the LDAP server settings.

Profile Specification Description

LDAP

Account Display Name Name to be displayed on account

Account User Name User name for this LDAP account

Account Password Password for this account

Account Host Name The LDAP host name or IP address

Use SSL Enabling SSL for this connection


See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - CalDav

You can configure the CalDav account settings.

Profile Specification Description

CalDav

Account Display Name Name to be displayed on account

Account Host Name The CalDav host name or IP address

Port Port to be used for connection

Principle URL The principal URL for the CalDav account

Account User Name The CalDav user name

Account Password The CalDav password

Use SSL Enabling SSL connection

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - Subscribed Calendars

You can configure the subscribed calendar settings.

Profile Specification Description


Subscribed Calendars
Account Description The description of the calendar subscription
Calendar URL The URL of the calendar file
Account User Name The user name for this subscription
Account User Name The user name for this subscription
Account Password The password for this subscription
Use SSL Enabling SSL for this connection

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - CardDav

You can configure the CardDav settings.

Profile Specification Description


CardDav
Account Display Name Name to be displayed on account
Account Host Name The CardDav host name or IP address
Port Port to be used for connection
Principle URL The principal URL for the CardDav account
Account User Name The CardDav user name
Account Password The CardDav password
Use SSL Enabling SSL connection

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - Web Clips

You can configure the Web clips settings.

Profile Specification Description


Web Clips
Web Clip Label The name to be displayed on the web clip
URL to be Linked The URL to be displayed on selecting the web clip
Removal of Web Clip Enable to remove the web clip
Icon The icon used for the web clip
Use Precomposed Icon This icon will be displayed with no added visual effects
Allow Full Screen Controls whether the web clip launches as a full screen application

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM - App Lock

You can configure App Lock profile which can be applied only to iOS 6 Apple Configurator supervised
devices.

Profile Description
Specification
App Lock
App Name Specify the name of the App that need to be set in the device, so that the usage
of the device is singled down to access and use only the specified App.
Bundle Identifier Bundle identifier will be filled in automatically.

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MDM - Global Proxy Settings

This facility is applicable for only iOS 6 supervised devices only. Global HTTP Proxy settings is
configured to ensure that all the HTTP network traffic is passed only through it. This ensures data
security since all the personal and corporate data will be filtered through the Global HTTP proxy.

Profile Specification Description


Web Clips
Proxy Settings You can define the Proxy settings to be manual or automatic.
Server Proxy server name should be specified here.
Port Port numbers which needs to be opened can be specified here.
User Name Specify the 'User Name' for the proxy
Password Specify the proxy password

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APN

This facility is applicable for only iOS 6 supervised devices only. You can configure the Access Point
Name (APN) settings for the mobile devices as a profile.

Profile Specification Description

APN

Access Point Name Name of the Access Point

Access Point User Name User name of the access point

Access Point Password Access point password

Proxy Server Specify the proxy server

Port Specify the port numbers for the proxy configuration.

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Configuration Profiles for Android

You can design the profile by empowering it or restricting it as per the requirement. The following
profile specifications can be customized and stored in specific versions, so that it can be associated
with any devices/groups at any point of time. These Profiles are tailored to customize the policies and
restrictions for managing android devices.

• Passcode - Defines parameters about the creating a password.


• Restrictions - Restrictions and permission related to device functionality like Bluetooth, camera,
encrypting device data.

Android Passcode

You can define the parameters for creating a passcode and configure the passcode settings here.

Profile Settings Description


Passcode Profile Settings
Passcode Type
You can define the type the values allowed to create a passcode.
For example: simple characters, alphanumeric values, symbols,
special characters etc.
Minimum passcode length You can define a minimum length for the passcode here.

Maximum number of failed Maximum number of failed attempts allowed, when the number of
attempts attempts exceeds the data in the device will be wiped out
completely
Auto lock the device when it is Time allowed for the device to be idle
idle for
Number of Passcode history to Total number of previous passcodes to be maintained, so that it
be maintained (Android 3.0 & cannot be reused.
above)
Maximum passcode Age User will be notified to reset the Passcode based on the days
(Android 3.0 & above) specified here
Force Passcode Policy After End user will be forced to set a Passcode after the time specified
( SAFE Devices Only ) here.
Maximum Repetition of Specify how many times, can a number or a alphabet be repeated
Characters in the password (Example: If you say 2 times, you cannot use the
( SAFE Devices Only ) same alphabet or number more than twice in the password).
Maximum Numeric Sequence Specify how many sequential numbers can be used in the
( SAFE Devices Only ) password (Example: If you say 3, you can use the up to 3
sequential numbers like 123, 456, etc..).

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Profile Settings Description
Minimum uppercase length You can define the minimum number of upper case letters
(Android 3.0 & above) required to create a passcode
Minimum lowercase length You can define the minimum number of lower case letters required
(Android 3.0 & above) to create a passcode
Minimum letter length You can define the minimum number of letters required to create
a passcode
Minimum non letter length You can define the minimum number of non letters required to
(Android 3.0 & above) create a passcode
Minimum numeric letter length You can define the minimum number of numeric values required
(Android 3.0 & above) to create a passcode
Minimum symbol length You can define the minimum number of symbols required to
(Android 3.0 & above) create a passcode

Android Restrictions

You can enable or restrict user to access various features of the device like, Bluetooth, Camera,
encrypting device data etc,.

Profile Settings Description

Restrictions Profile Settings

Allow Cellular Data By enabling this users will be allowed to use their pocket data to reach the
internet.
Allow Bluetooth By enabling this users will be allowed to use Bluetooth in their device.

Allow Disabling BY enabling this users will be able to disable the background data whereas
Background Data background data will be enabled by default. (This profile does not get
applied automatically and the user has to accept this profile)
Allow Disabling By disabling this users will be allowed to disable the data encryption which
Storage Encryption will be enabled by default.
(Android 3.0 or above)
Allow NFC (Android 3.0 By enabling this users will be allowed to use NFC in their mobile device.
or above)
General Settings (SAFE Devices Only)

Allow Use of By enabling this users will be allowed to use Microphone


Microphone
Allow Mock Location By enabling this users will be allowed to fake their location by providing a
mock location
Allow USB Media By enabling this users will be allowed to use USB Media Player
Player

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Allow Google Backup By enabling this option, users will be allowed to back the device data in
Google server.
Allow Google Crash By enabling this crash reports will be sent to Google.
Report
Allow Power Off By enabling this users will be allowed to power off the device.

Allow Status Bar By enabling this users will be allowed to expand the status bar on their
Expansion devices.
Allow OTA Upgrade By enabling this OTA upgrade will be allowed on the device.

Device Settings (SAFE Devices Only)

Allow Settings Menu By enabling this users will be allowed to use the default settings menu on
their mobile device.
Allow Factory By enabling this users will be allowed to reset factory settings.

Allow Clip Board By enabling this users will be allowed to use Clip Board memory.

Allow Screen Capture By enabling this users will be allowed to capture the screen on the devices.

Allow Connections By enabling this users will be allowed to use USB to establish connections.
Using USB
Allow WiFi By enabling this users will be allowed to use WiFi

Allow VPN By enabling this users will be allowed to use VPN

Allow use of SD Card By enabling this users will be allowed to use SD Cards on the devices.

Allow Storing Data in By enabling this users will be allowed to store data on SD Cards of the
SD Card devices.
Allow Wallpaper By enabling this users will be allowed to change the wallpaper on the
Change device.
Tethering Settings (SAFE Devices Only)

Allow Tethering By enabling this users will be allowed to share the device's cellular data,
WiFi and Bluetooth with other similar devices.
Allow WiFi Tethering By enabling this users will be allowed to share the WiFi with other similar
devices.
Allow Bluetooth By enabling this users will be allowed to share the Bluetooth with other
Tethering similar devices.
Allow USB Tethering By enabling this users will be allowed to share the USB with other similar
devices.
Application Settings (SAFE Devices Only)

Allow YouTube By enabling this users will be allowed to access youtube from the device.

Allow Voice Dialer By enabling this users will be allowed to use Voice Dialer feature.

Allow Android Browser By enabling this users will be allowed to use default Android web browser.

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Allow Fraud Warning By enabling this users will be allowed to use Fraud Warning Settings on
Setting the device.
Allow Pop-ups Setting By enabling this users Pop-Ups will be enabled on the device.

Allow JavaScript Setting By enabling this users will be allowed to use applications running on Java
scripts.
Allow Auto Fill Setting By enabling this option, users will be allowed to use Auto Fill Settings.

Allow Cookies Setting By enabling this users will be allowed to use Cookies Settings on the
device.
Allow Installing By enabling this users will be allowed to install applications on the device.
Application
Allow Uninstalling By enabling this users will be allowed to use uninstall applications from the
Application device.
Roaming Settings (SAFE Devices Only)

Allow Roaming Sync By enabling this users will be allowed to use Sync feature while roaming.

Allow Roaming Push By enabling this data will be pushed to devices even if they are in roaming.

Allow Roaming Data By enabling this roaming will be enabled on the devices.

Allow Roaming Voice By enabling this users will be allowed to receive/make voice calls during
Call roaming.
(Android 4.0 and
above)

Android Email

You can configure the incoming and outgoing mail server settings for your Android SAFE devices.
This feature is applicable only for SAFE devices and not for all android devices.

Profile Specification Description


Email (SAFE Devices Only)
Account Name Name of the mail account
Email Address %Email% will get the appropriate email address of the user
Allow Forward Enabling this will allow users to forward the mails
Allow Notify Enabling this will allow mail notifications on the device
Allow Vibrate on Silent Enabling this will allow vibration for incoming mails
Set to Default Enabling this option a default email account will be set for the device
Incoming Mail (SAFE Devices Only)
Incoming Protocol Specify the incoming protocol type as IMAP or POP
Incoming Server Host Name Specify the Host name for incoming server
Port Specify the port number
User Name %User Name% will get the appropriate User Name

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Profile Specification Description

Password Specify the Password


Use SSL Enabling this will allow users to use SSL
Accept All Certificate Enabling this will allow users to accept all incoming certificates
Outgoing Mail (SAFE Devices Only)
Outgoing Protocol
Outgoing Server Host Name Specify the Host name for outgoing server
Port Specify the port number
User Name %User Name% will get the appropriate User Name
Password Specify the Password
Use SSL Enabling this will allow users to use SSL
Accept All Certificate Enabling this will allow users to accept all outgoing server certificates

Android Exchange ActiveSync

You can configure the Exchange Active Sync. This feature is applicable only for SAFE devices and
not for all android devices.

Profile Specification Description


MDM Exchange Active Sync (SAFE Devices Only)
Account Name Exchange ActiveSync will be pre filled, this name is not mandatory and
used for reference
User Name This user name is not mandatory, can specify the name used in the
User's mail account
Domain %Domain% will be fetch domain name appropriately
Exchange ActiveSync Specify the server address of the ActiveSync
Host
Email Address %Email% will be fetch mail address appropriately

Password Specify the password for the mail account


Accept All Certificates Enabling this will allow usage of all the certificates
Use SSL Enabling this will allow usage of all SSL
Sync Calendar Enabling this will allow Syncing of Calendar
Sync Contacts Enabling this will allow Syncing of Contacts
Sync Notes Enabling this will allow Syncing of Notes
Sync Tasks Enabling this will allow Syncing of Tasks
Past Days of Mail to Sync Specify how the time limit for the mails history to be maintained
Identity Certificate Allows adding certificates.

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App Management

MDM -App Management

Desktop Central provides the facility to manage the Apps Over The Air (OTA) to groups/devices.
There are two kinds of Apps, they are Enterprise Apps and App store Apps/ Google Play Apps. You
can manage both the Enterprise Apps and App store Apps/Google Play Apps using Desktop Central.
To manage Apps, you need to create a App repository and then distribute the Apps to managed
groups and devices.

App store App for iOS devices:

A wide range of Apps are available in the App store. Some of these Apps are free Apps whereas few
of those are paid Apps. In order to add an App store App you need to know if the App is free or paid
App. In case of free App, it can be directly added into the App repository using the App name and the
Bundle identifier. If you want to add a paid App, you need to use the Value Purchase Program (VPP).
Using VPP you can purchase volumes of Apps for the organization. You will receive redemption
codes for each App, which can be distributed to the managed devices. Refer this to know more about
adding App store Apps in the repository.

Enterprise App for iOS & Android :

Enterprise Apps are also called as inhouse Apps. Enterprise Apps are those which are not listed in
the App store. These Apps are owned by the company. Enterprise Apps are commonly a collection of
computer programs with business applications or tools for modeling the organizational work. They are
unique applications designed based on the business requirement. Enterprise Apps are developed
exclusively for distinguished platforms, like iOS & Android. Refer to this, to know more about adding
enterprise App in the App repository.

Google Play Store Apps:

Apps that are designed for Android devices are listed here. 'Google Play store' has thousands of
Apps, from which we can choose and upload Apps into the App Repository. You can also add paid
and free Apps to the App Repository which can be further distributed to the devices and groups. Refer
this, to know more about adding Play Store Apps in the App Repository

Enterprise App for Android:

You can add an Enterprise App in the App Repository which can be distributed only to android
devices. These Apps are added in the App Repository by uploading .apk file in the Desktop Central
MDM. Refer this, to know more about adding Android Enterprise App in the App Repository.

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App Management Workflow :

The following diagram would explain about the App Management workflow. You need to create an
App Repository, where you can add both App store App and Enterprise Apps. While adding paid App
store App, you need to upload the VPP file as well. In case of Enterprise Apps, you need to upload
the bundle identifier and specify the App category and supported devices.

After adding Apps to the App Repository the Apps can be distributed to Groups/Devices. Users can
view the distributed Apps in the App Catalog on their mobile devices. They can install the App by
clicking on it. App store Apps will be downloaded from the Apps Store whereas Enterprise Apps will
be downloaded from the Desktop Central server. After installation, the status will be sent back to the
Desktop Central server.

See also: App Management, Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM Creating App Repository

All the Apps that need to be distributed to devices or groups should be added in the App Repository.
You can add any number of Apps to your App Repository. To know more about how to add Apps to
App Repository follow the instructions given below;

Managing Apps for iOs Devices

• Managing 'App Store App' for iOS devices


• Managing 'Enterprise App' for iOS devices
• Managing App Policies for iOS devices
• Retrieving Bundle Identifier
• Managing VPP files

Managing Apps for Android Device

• Managing 'Play Store App' for Android devices


• Managing 'Enterprise App' for Android devices
• Bundle Identifier for Android Play Store Apps

Managing 'App Store App' for iOS devices

1. Select MDM tab and click App Repository from the left panel
2. Click on Add Apps
3. Click on App Store App under iOS Apps
4. Enter App Name. While you start entering the name of the App you fill find a list of relevant
App names listed from the App store, you can choose the specific App name from the list.
5. Enter the Bundle Identifier. This is a Unique Identifier for the App, this field will be filled
automatically. Ensure that you have configured the proxy settings to get the Bundle identifier
filled automatically. Refer this to know more about configuring proxy
6. App Store ID will be filled automatically as soon as you choose the name of the App from
the App store.
7. Define App Policies like removing the App from the device, while the MDM profile is removed
and restricting App data back up.
8. Add VPP file in case of Paid App.

Ensure that you upload the VPP file in case of paid Apps. The Volume Purchase Program
makes it easy to distribute Apps with in the organization. When you buy Apps in volume or
custom B2B Apps, you will receive redemption codes for each App. You can control who
gets the Apps by providing these codes to users via email or an internal website. This is
only for paid Apps. You will not be able to distribute Apps to Devices, if you do not

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have a VPP file or redemption code applied in case of paid Apps. Refer this to learn
more about managing VPP files

9. Click Save to store the App in the App Repository.

Managing 'Enterprise App' for iOS devices

1. Select MDM tab and click App Repository from the left pane
2. Click Add App and Select iOS Enterprise App under iOS App
3. Enter the Name of the App
4. Specify the App Version
5. Click Browse to upload the App
6. Specify the Category and Supported Devices
7. Upload Image that needs to be displayed
8. Specify the title of the App, this is mandatory.
9. Enter Bundle Identifier - a unique ID for the App, entering this filed is mandatory.
To know the steps to retrieve the bundle identifier from the ipa file, Refer to this,
10. Define App Policies like removing the App from the device, while the profile is removed and
restricting App data back up.
11. Click on Save to store the App in the App Repository.

Managing 'App Policies' in App Repository

App Policies can be defined to remove the App from the managed devices on MDM profile
removal. You can also restrict the backup of App data. App policies can be modified from the App
repository, to modify the App policies follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Select MDM tab and click App Repository from the left pane
2. Choose the App by name and click on the Modify App button against the same
3. Edit the App Policies and Save.

This enables the changes made to the App policies will be applied to the Devices to which the App will
be distributed henceforth. Devices for which the App has already been distributed will not have these
changes reflected to it.

Steps to retrieve Bundle identifier from ipa file.

1. Go to the location where the .ipa file has been stored


2. Rename the .ipa file as zip file
3. Unzip the file and locate .plist file
4. Locate the bundle identifier.

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Note: Desktop Central does not validate any entries entered while creating an App repository.
Ensure that the details mentioned below are accurate, in case of any wrong input like wrong
bundle identifier or App ID, the App installation might fail without any warning.

Managing VPP Files:

Follow the steps mentioned below to add/ delete a VPP file:

1. Select MDM tab and click App Repository


2. Click on the App and select Licenses
1. To add a license, Click Add License and upload the VPP file or redemption codes
and Save
2. To Revoke a license select the Device, whose license 'Installation status' is Yet to
Redeem and click on clear VPP Codes button.

Managing 'Play Store Apps' for Android Devices

1. Select MDM tab and click App Repository from the left pane
2. Click Add App and Select Play Store App under Android Apps
3. Enter the Name of the App
4. Specify the Version of the App
5. Enter the Bundle identifier
6. Specify the license type, and category of the App
7. Choose the devices on which this App is supported
8. You can upload an image which should be displayed as the App Launch icon
9. Click Save to store the settings.

Your Play Store App is ready to be distributed to devices and groups.

Managing 'Enterprise App' for Android Devices

1. Select MDM tab and click App Repository from the left pane
2. Click Add App and Select Android Enterprise App under Android Apps
3. Enter the Name of the App
4. Upload the .apk file
5. Select the category of the App
6. Choose the devices on which this App is supported
7. Enter a Title and description for the App
8. You can upload an image which should be displayed as the App Launch icon
9. Click Save to store the settings.

Your Android Enterprise App is ready to be distributed to devices and groups.

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Steps to retrieve Bundle Identifier for Android Play Store Apps

Follow the steps mentioned below to retrieve the bundle identifier for the Play Store Apps.

1. Go to Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store)


2. lets take Google Drive as the Play store App that you wanted to be added to the App
repository
3. Click on the App or type the name of the App in the Google Play Search, so that the App
opens
4. From the address bar, select the bundle identifier which is located between "=" and "&" as
displayed in the image below.

5. Copy the Bundle Identifier and paste in the Bundle identifier field while adding the Play store
App in App Repository.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, Distribute Apps to
Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

MDM Distributing Apps to Groups

Follow the steps mentioned below to distribute the Apps from the App repository to the groups.

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left panel
2. Click on Groups and select the list of Groups based on the platform as iOS or Android
Groups.
3. Click on Distribute Apps
4. Select the Apps from the list of Available Apps and move them to the Added Apps
5. Click on Save changes to distribute the Apps to the devices.

You have successfully distributed Apps to groups. The distributed Apps will be listed in the App
Catalog of the user's mobile device. Users can click on it and install the Apps.

Removing App from Groups

App which are distributed through Desktop Central can be removed. Apps which are not installed
through Desktop Central cannot be removed using Desktop Central. To remove an App from Groups
by following the steps mentioned below;

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1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Click on Groups and select the list of Groups based on the platform as iOS or Android
Groups.
3. Click on Apps
4. Select the App that needs to be removed
5. under Actions, Click on remove icon to remove the App.

You can see the status would be changed as marked for delete, and the App will be removed from all
the Devices of the Group.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices,

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MDM Distributing Apps to Devices

Follow the steps mentioned below to distribute the Apps from the App repository to the devices.

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Click on Devices and select the list of Devices based on the platform as iOS or Android
Groups.
3. Click on Distribute Apps
4. Select the Apps from the list of Available Apps and move them to the Added Apps
5. Click on Save changes to distribute the Apps to the devices.

You have successfully distributed Apps to groups. The distributed Apps will be listed in the App
Catalog of the user's mobile device. Users can click on it and install the Apps.

Removing App from Devices

Apps which are distributed through Desktop Central can be removed. Apps which are not installed
through Desktop Central cannot be removed using Desktop Central. To remove an App from the
Device by following the steps mentioned below;

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left pane
2. Click on Devices and select the list of Devices based on the platform as iOS or Android
Groups.
3. Click on Apps
4. Select the App that needs to be removed
5. under Actions, Click remove icon to remove the App.

You can see the status would be changed as marked for delete, and the App will be removed from the
Device.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Groups

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MDM Verifying App Deployment Status

Verifying Deployment Status

You can verify the deployment status of the Apps that are distributed to the Groups/Devices. To know
the deployment status of the Apps,

1. Select MDM tab and click Groups and Devices from the left panel
2. Under Groups/Devices tab click on the Name of the Groups/Devices
3. Click on Apps
4. You can see the deployment status of Apps of that particular Groups/Devices.

See also: Associating Profiles to Groups, Associating Profiles to Devices, App Management,
Distribute Apps to Devices, Distribute Apps to Groups

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BYOA

Bring Your Own App (BYOA) has been an advancing trend with most enterprises. Since BYOD has
become more common, it demands the need for the enterprise to adopt with BYOA. After the
evolution of BYOA, system administrators now have the tasks to enlighten their mobile device
management capabilities. Desktop Central simplifies the job of mobile device management by
enforcing critical security measures, which empowers the system administrators to have complete
control over the mobile device management though they use the concepts of BYOD and BYOA.

Using Desktop Central, system administrators can have a complete control over the apps that are
installed in the managed mobile devices. The concept of BYOA brings in a lot of control over the all
the apps in enterprise. Desktop Central provides the feasibility to the administrators, where they can
choose the Apps that needs to be restricted and blacklist them. Apps that are approved by the system
administrator are called as white listed apps.

Every managed mobile device will be scanned periodically and all the Apps will be classified into
Blacklisted and white listed Apps. whenever a blacklisted App is detected on the mobile device,
system administrator will be notified by an email. The end user will also be warned about the
blacklisted App and instructed to remove the App.

The followings are the steps to manage BYOA :

• Configure BYOA Settings


• Blacklist Apps
• White list Apps

Configure BYOA Settings

To configure the BYOA settings follow the steps mentioned below;

1. Click MDM tab


2. Under Inventory select Apps
3. Select the Settings tab
4. Specify the default settings to add the newly detected apps as white listed or blacklisted. So
that every time a new app is detected it will be listed under the specified type.
5. Click the check box to notify the system administrators if a blacklisted app is detected on the
managed mobile device.
6. Click the check box to notify the system administrators if a new app is detected on the
managed mobile device.
7. Click the check box to notify the system administrators if a the end user fails to remove the
app after repeated warnings.

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8. Specify the email address of the system administrators to whom the email notification should
be sent.
9. Specify the number of times the end user should be warned about the detected blacklisted
app.
10. Click Save.

You have successfully configured the BYOA settings.

Blacklist Apps

To blacklist apps, follow the steps mentioned below;

1. Click MDM tab


2. Under Inventory select Apps and choose Discovered Apps/ White listed Apps
3. Select the Apps that you wanted to be blacklisted.
4. Click Mark as Blacklist under Action

You have successfully blacklisted an app, every time this app is detected on the managed mobile
device, administrators and end users will be notified as per the specified settings.

White List Apps

To white list apps, follow the steps mentioned below;

1. Click MDM tab


2. Under Inventory select Apps and choose Discovered Apps/ Blacklisted Apps
3. Select the Apps that you wanted to be white listed.
4. Click Mark as White list under Apps

You have successfully white listed an app.

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Asset Management

MDM Asset Management

Managing assets becomes so easy and well advanced using MDM. MDM provides a wide range of
reports which are deep driven and accurate. You can scan the managed devices and extract reports
of the same. Scanning can also be scheduled using the schedule scan option. Learn more about,

• Scan Devices
• Viewing Device Information
• MDM Reports

See also:App Management, Profile Management, MDM Reports

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MDM Scan Devices

Scan Managed Devices

The following steps will explain you how to scan a mobile device using Desktop Central MDM.

1. Click on MDM Tab


2. Under Inventory Section Click on Scan Devices
3. Under Device Names, Select the Devices that need to be scanned and Click on Scan
Devices button
4. The Scan process is initiated and you will find the result under Scan Status and its Remarks

Schedule Device Scan

The following steps will explain you to customize the scan regularly at scheduled intervals.

1. Click on MDM Tab


2. Under Inventory Section Click on Schedule Device Scan
3. Check the Enable Device Scan Scheduler check box
4. customize your Schedule by clicking on Daily / Weekly / Monthly
5. Click on Save Changes to save the settings.

See also: App Management, Profile Management, Asset Management, Security


Management

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MDM Viewing Device Information

Viewing Details of the Managed Devices

The following steps will explain you to view the details of the devices that are managed.

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Under Inventory Section Click on Devices

It will list all the devices that are managed with details like, device mobile name, platform, OS
version, Product name etc.

See also: App Management, Profile Management, Asset Management, Security


Management

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MDM - Reports

Desktop Central facilitates with a wide range of reports which are listed below

1. Apps by Devices : All the managed devices are listed by the Apps installed in it.
2. Device With/ Without Specific Apps : Devices can be sorted by verifying the availability of
Apps installed in it.
3. Devices by Model : Devices are listed by their models
4. Devices by Passcode Type : Devices are listed by their authentication level / passcode type.
5. Devices by Enrollment Time : Devices are listed by their time line from Enrollment
6. Inactive Devices : All inactive devices that are enrolled will be listed.
7. Blacklisted Apps : All the blacklisted Apps with the details of devices on which it is installed.
8. Rooted Devices : All the devices that are rooted will be listed.
9. Devices by Storage Encryption : Devices will be listed based on the storage encryption status.

All the above mentioned reports can be retrieved easily, by following the steps mentioned below:

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Select Inventory section
3. By hovering the mouse over MDM Reports you will find the list of Reports available
4. Choose the report that you wanted to view
5. The generated report can be exported as .pdf, .csv or .xls format.

This report provides you details about the devices, by name, by model, platform, OS versions, by
installed Apps, inactive devices etc. You can also use this report for audit purpose.

See also: App Management, Profile Management, Asset Management, Security


Management

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MDM - Security Management

Desktop Central MDM can be used to secure data in the mobile devices even in case of the device
being lost or missing. The following operations can be done using the security commands in MDM.

• Locking the Device: You can remotely lock the managed mobile device. The user will be
prompted to enter the passcode of the managed mobile device. This will work only if a passcode
policy is enabled for the device.
• Remote Wipe: All the data in the device will be completely wiped out. The device will become as
good as new one.
• Corporate or Selective Wipe - All the profiles and Apps that were installed using Desktop Central
will be wiped out. This will not disturb any personal data other than the corporate data which has
been distributed through Desktop Central. This device will no longer be managed by Desktop
Central.
• Clearing the passcode - Incase of forgotten password, prompting for password option can be
cleared completely. End user can reset a passcode of his choice.

Follow the steps mentioned below to use security commands using Desktop Central

1. Click MDM Tab


2. Under Inventory Section Click on Devices
3. Click on the concern device under Device Name.
4. Click on the Action Button which is located at the right side, and select the action that
needs to be done. Due to security reasons, you will be prompted to enter your password to
authenticate the action that needs to be performed.
5. Specified Security command will be executed and the status will be reported under Device
Details.

MDM Audit

1. After the Devices are enrolled, you can also view the list of devices, enrolled as per the
enrollment time and date. To audit the devices managed by Desktop Central follow the steps
mentioned below:
2. Click MDM Tab
3. Select Enrollment under Settings
4. Click Audit.

You can audit the managed mobile devices, by their associated Groups, enrollment time,
date, device name, OS version, model name, product name etc.

See also: App Management, Profile Management, Asset Management,

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Appendix

This section includes the following topics:

1. Interpreting Error Messages


2. Knowledge Base
3. FAQs
4. Security Policies
5. Windows System Tools
6. Data Backup and Restore
7. Dynamic Variables
8. Limitations
9. Glossary

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Interpreting Error Messages

1. 1001: Storage Error Occurred


2. 1002: Unknown Error
3. 1003: DB Error
4. 1004: DB Error
5. 1010: Invalid User
6. 1011: User is already Inactive
7. 1101: Invalid container name
8. 1103: Group Policy Object (GPO) creation failed
9. 1104: Group Policy Object (GPO) deletion failed
10. 1105: Group Policy Object (GPO) linking failed
11. 1106: Group Policy Object (GPO) unlinking failed
12. 1107: WMI query failed
13. 1108: Active Directory error occurred
14. 1109: Unable to Extract Information from the given Msi Package
15. 1110: Access is Denied
16. 1111: File Copy Failed
17. 1112: Folder Copy Failed
18. 1113: The Given User Account is not a valid Domain Administrator
19. 1114: The Given Password is wrong
20. 1115: Active Directory/Domain Controller not Found
21. 1222: The Network is not present or not started

1001: Storage Error Occurred

The configurations defined using Desktop Central are stored in the database. If we are unable to store
the configuration details, this error message is shown. The reasons could be any of the following:

1. Could not establish connection with the database.


2. Violations in data definitions.

1002: Unknown error

This error is shown when any runtime error occurs, which is not defined in Desktop Central. Please
contact desktop central support with the details of the error.

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1003: DB Error

This error is shown when the database connection is lost.

1004: DB Error

This error message is shown when you try to access the data, which has been deleted from the
database.

1010: Invalid User

While defining the scope of management, if the user name provided is invalid, this error message is
shown.

1011: User is already Inactive

When you try to add an user which is already present in the Inactive User list, this error message is
shown.

1101: Invalid Container name

While defining targets for the configuration or while defining the scope of management, if an invalid /
nonexistent container name is given this error occurs. The error message is shown, when you click
Add more targets button or during deployment.

1103: Group Policy Object (GPO) creation failed

For every configuration a Group Policy Object (GPOs) will be created. When the GPO could not be
created due to some access restrictions, etc., this error is shown.

1104: Group Policy Object (GPO) deletion failed

When an already defined configuration is deleted, the corresponding GPO is also deleted. This error
is shown, when the GPO could not be deleted.

1105: Group Policy Object (GPO) linking failed

When a configuration defined, a GPO will be created and linked with the targets specified. This error
is shown, when the linking fails.

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1106: Group Policy Object (GPO) unlinking failed

When an already defined configuration is suspended, respective GPO will be unlinked from the
targets. This error is shown, when the unlinking fails.

1107: WMI query failed

Desktop Central fetches the computer details through WMI. The WMI query may fail in the following
cases:

1. Authentication failure
2. When the machine is shutdown
3. When the RPC server is not running.

1108: Active Directory error occurred

Pertains to the Active Directory related error. Please create a support file by clicking the Support File
link available under the Support tab and send it to support@desktopcentral.com. Our support team
will be able to assist you on this.

1109: Unable to Extract Information from the given Msi Package

The possible reason for this error could be that the MSI package is corrupted.

1110: Access is Denied

The Active Directory credentials are taken while you define the scope of management. This credential
is stored in Desktop Central, which will be used for deploying configurations. When this credential
becomes invalid or if it does not have necessary privileges, this error is shown.

One possible reason is that the credential is modified outside the Desktop Central.

1111: File Copy Failed

This error message is shown, when the user do not have necessary privileges to copy a file. Check
whether the credentials supplied while defining the Scope of Management has necessary privileges.

1112: Folder Copy Failed

This error message is shown, when the user do not have necessary privileges to copy a folder. Check
whether the credentials supplied while defining the Scope of Management has necessary privileges.

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1113: The Given User Account is not a valid Domain Administrator

When the user account provided in the Scope of Management does not belong to a Domain
Administrator group.

1114: The Given Password is wrong

The password provided in the Scope of Management is not valid.

1115: Active Directory/Domain Controller not Found

This error message is shown when no Active Directory/Domain Controller is found in your network.
Desktop Central requires either of the two to perform the configurations.

1222: The network is not present or not started

This error message is shown when Desktop Central is unable to discover any domain. To fix this, start
the Workstation service in the machine where Desktop Central is installed.

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FAQs

1. What are the system requirements for Desktop Central?


2. What operating systems are supported by Desktop Central?
3. What is the difference between Free and Professional Editions?
4. Do I have to write scripts for using Desktop Central?
5. What is Scope of Management?
6. Do I need to define configurations separately or can I group them and define?
7. When are the configurations applied?
8. How to access Desktop Central UI or console from the remote ?
9. What is "Define Target"?
10. My free trial expired before I was through evaluating Desktop Central. Can I receive an
extension?
11. Why is Desktop Central configuration done through a Web interface?
12. How is Desktop Central licensed?

1. What are the system requirements for Desktop Central?

Hardware Requirements for Desktop Central Server

No. of Computers Processor RAM Hard Disk


Managed
Space
Upto 250 Computers Single processor Intel P4 ~1.5 GHz 1 GB 2 GB*
251 to 500 Computers Single processor (Intel P4 or Xeon 2.0 2 GB 2 GB*
Ghz (Dual Core), 800+ Mhz FSB, 4 MB
cache)
501 to 1000 Computers Single processor (Intel Xeon ~2.4 Ghz 4 GB 3 GB*
Dual Core, 800+ Mhz FSB, 4MB cache)
1001 to 3000 Computers Dual processor (Intel Xeon ~2.0 Ghz Dual 4 GB 5 GB*
Core, 1000 Mhz FSB,4 MB cache)
3001 to 5000 Computers Dual Processor (Intel Xeon processors 6+ 20 GB (HDD speed
Quad-Core at 2 ~ 3 GHz, 1000+ MHz GB @ 7200 ~ 10,000
FSB, 4 MB Cache) @ rpm)
667
Mhz.
ECC
5001 to 10000 Computers Quad Processor (Intel Xeon processors 8+ 50 GB (HDD speed
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No. of Computers Processor RAM Hard Disk
Managed
Space
Quad-Core at 2 ~ 3 GHz, 1000+ MHz GB @ 7200 ~ 10,000
FSB, 4 MB Cache) @ rpm)
667
Mhz.
ECC

Environment - Active Directory based Windows 2000/2003 domain setup.

Supported platforms - Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista,


Windows 7, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server, Windows 2008 Server, Virtual Servers (VM
Ware)

Supported Browsers - IE 5.5 and above, Netscape 7.0 and above, Mozilla 1.5 and above. You must
install and enable Java plugin to use the software.

2. What operating systems are supported by Desktop Central?

Desktop Central supports the following operating systems:

1. Windows 2000 Professional


2. Windows XP Professional
3. Windows Vista
4. Windows 7
5. Windows 2000 Server
6. Windows 2003 Server
7. Windows 2008 Server
8. Virtual Servers (VM Ware)

3. What is the difference between Free and Professional Editions?

While the free edition can be used to manage up to 25 desktops free of cost, the professional edition
can be used to manage the number of desktops for which it is licensed for. The free edition can be
upgraded to professional edition at any point of time by obtaining a valid license from ManageEngine.

4. Do I have to write scripts for using Desktop Central?

No, you do not have to write scripts for using any of the pre-defined configurations provided by
Desktop Central. Just select the configuration, specify the required inputs, and deploy.

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5. What is Scope of Management?

Scope of Management is used to define what are the computers to be managed using this software.
When an Administrator use this software first time, he/she can use it with small set of computers then
can slowly add more computers under management.

6. Do I need to define configurations separately or can I group them and define?

Configurations that are intended for the same set of targets can be grouped and defined as
collections. However, when the targets differ, you have to define them separately.

7. When are the configurations applied?

1. All user configurations, except Custom Script configuration, are applied during user logon.
2. All computer configurations, except Custom Script configuration, are applied during system
startup.
3. Custom Script configuration can be applied during user logon/logoff or system
startup/shutdown.
4. Both user and computer configurations are applied every 90 minutes through Windows Group
Policies.

8. How to access Desktop Central client or console from the remote?

To access the Desktop Central client from remote, open a supported browser and type http://<host
name>:<port number> in the address bar,

where <host name> refers to the name / IP Address of the machine running Desktop Central,

<port number> refers to the port at which the product is started, the default being 8020.

9. What is "Define Target"?

Define Target is the process of identifying the users or computers for which the configuration have to
be applied. The targets can be all users/computers belonging to a Site, Domain, OUs, Groups, or can
be a specific user/computer. You also have an option to exclude some desktops based on the
machine type, OS type, etc.

10. My free trial expired before I was through evaluating Desktop Central. Can I receive an
extension?

Customer satisfaction is our prime motive. During the trial period of 30 days, unlimited number of
desktops can be managed by Desktop Central. After the trial period the software automatically
switches to the free edition where only 25 desktops can be managed.

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If you feel you would like to test the software for more number of desktops, but your trial period has
expired, Kindly contact us so that we can arrange for a temporary license for few more days as per
your requirement. You may note that the transition is smooth with no data loss and the configurations
are not lost at any point of time. We want to make sure you are completely satisfied that the software
is satisfying your need and solving your problem before buying it.

11. Why is Desktop Central configuration done through a Web interface?

Desktop administrators are always on the move. Desktop Central, with its web-based interface,
facilitates the administrators to access the product from anywhere in the network not requiring them to
be glued at one place for managing the desktops using the product.

12. How is Desktop Central licensed?

Desktop Central is licensed on annual subscription based on the number of Desktop it would manage.
You can get the Pricing for the specific number of desktops from our online store.

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Security Policies

Using Desktop Central, you can define the security restrictions for the users and computers in the
domain. This section provides you a brief description about the various security restrictions that can
be applied using the product. Follow the links to learn more about the supported security policies
under each category:

1. Active Desktop
2. Desktop
3. Control Panel
4. Explorer
5. Internet Explorer
6. Network
7. System
8. Task Scheduler
9. Windows Installer
10. Start Menu and Taskbar
11. Microsoft Management Console
12. Computer

Security Policies - Active Desktop

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Active Desktop category:

Security Policy Description


Remove Active Desktop item This setting will remove the Active Desktop options from Settings on
from Settings menu the Start Menu.
Remove all desktop items Removes icons, shortcuts, and other default and user-defined items
from the desktop, including Briefcase, Recycle Bin, My Computer,
and My Network Places.
Restrict adding any desktop Prevents users from adding Web content to their Active Desktop.
items
Restrict deleting any desktop Prevents users from deleting Web content from their Active
items Desktop. This setting removes the Delete button from the Web tab
in Display in Control Panel.
Restrict editing any desktop Prevents users from changing the properties of Web content items
items on their Active Desktop. This setting disables the Properties button

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Security Policy Description
on the Web tab in Display in Control Panel.
Restrict closing any desktop Restrict closing any desktop items. This setting removes the check
items boxes from items on the Web tab in Display in Control Panel.
Do not allow HTML wallpaper Permits only bitmap images for wallpaper. This setting limits the
desktop background ("wallpaper") to bitmap (.bmp) files.
Restrict changing wallpaper Specifies the desktop background ("wallpaper") displayed on all
users' desktops. This setting lets you specify the wallpaper on
users' desktops and prevents users from changing the image or its
presentation.
Enable active desktop Enables Active Desktop and prevents users from disabling it. This
prevents users from trying to enable or disable Active Desktop while
a policy controls it.
Disable active desktop Disables Active Desktop and prevents users from enabling it. This
prevents users from trying to enable or disable Active Desktop while
a policy controls it.
Prohibit changes Prevents the user from enabling or disabling Active Desktop or
changing the Active Desktop configuration. This is a comprehensive
setting that locks down the configuration you establish by using
other policies in this folder. This setting removes the Web tab from
Display in Control Panel.
Allow only bitmapped wall Permits only bitmap images for wallpaper. This setting limits the
paper desktop background ("wallpaper") to bitmap (.bmp) files.
Enable filter in Find dialog Displays the filter bar above the results of an Active Directory
box search. The filter bar consists of buttons for applying additional
filters to search results.
Hide AD folder Hides the Active Directory folder in My Network Places. The Active
Directory folder displays Active Directory objects in a browse
window.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Desktop

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Desktop category:

Security Policy Description


Hide and disable all items on Removes icons, shortcuts, and other default and user-defined items
the desktop from the desktop, including Briefcase, Recycle Bin, My Computer,
and My Network Places.
Remove my documents icon This setting removes the My Documents icon from the desktop, from
on the desktop Windows Explorer, from programs that use the Windows Explorer
windows, and from the standard Open dialog box.
Hide my network places icon Removes the My Network Places icon from the desktop.
in desktop
Hide Internet explorer icon Removes the Internet Explorer icon from the desktop and from the
on desktop Quick Launch bar on the taskbar.
Prevent adding, dragging, Prevents users from manipulating desktop toolbars. If you enable
dropping and closing the this setting, users cannot add or remove toolbars from the desktop.
taskbar tool Also, users cannot drag toolbars on to or off of docked toolbars.
Prohibit adjusting desktop Prevents users from adjusting the length of desktop toolbars. Also,
toolbar users cannot reposition items or toolbars on docked toolbars.
Don't save settings at exit Prevents users from saving certain changes to the desktop.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Control Panel

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Control Panel category:

Security Policy Description


Hide Accessibility Options Prevents access to the accessibility applet in control panel
Applet
Hide Add/Remove Hardware Prevents access to the Add/Remove Hardware Applet in control
Applet panel
Hide Add/Remove Programs Removes Add/Remove Programs Applet in control panel
Applet
Hide Client Services for Netware supporting client service applet will be removed from
Network Applet control panel
Hide Data Sources (ODBC) Removes open data base connection applet from control panel
Applet
Hide Date/Time Applet Removes date/time applet in control panel
Hide Desktop Themes Applet Removes desktop themes applet
Hide Display Applet Removes display applet from control panel
Hide Games Controller Removes Games Controller Applet from control panel
Applet
Hide Internet Options Applet Hide internet option applet
Hide Keyboard and Mouse Removes keyboard and mouse applet
Applet
Hide Network Connections Removes LAN connection 1
Applet #1
Hide Network Connections Removes LAN connection 2
Applet #2
Hide Mail Applet Removes mail configuring applet from control panel
Hide Phone and Modem Removes phone and modem options applet
Options Applet (2000+)
Hide Power Options Applet Removes power option from control panel
Hide Regional Options Removes regional options applet
Applet
Hide Scanners and Cameras Removes scanners and cameras applet
Applet
Hide Sounds and Multimedia Removes sounds and multimedia applet
Applet
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Security Policy Description
Hide System Applet Removes system applet
Hide Users and Passwords Removes users and passwords applet from control panel
Applet
Disable control panel Disables all Control Panel programs. This setting prevents
Control.exe, the program file for Control Panel, from starting. As a
result, users cannot start Control Panel or run any Control Panel
items.
Remove add/remove Prevents users from using Add or Remove Programs.
programs This setting removes Add or Remove Programs from Control Panel
and removes the Add or Remove Programs item from menus.
Hide change or remove Removes the Change or Remove Programs button from the Add or
programs page Remove Programs bar. As a result, users cannot view or change the
attached page.
Hide add new programs Removes the Add New Programs button from the Add or Remove
page Programs bar. As a result, users cannot view or change the
attached page.
Hide add/remove Windows Removes the Add/Remove Windows Components button from the
components page Add or Remove Programs bar. As a result, users cannot view or
change the associated page.
Remove support information Removes links to the Support Info dialog box from programs on the
Change or Remove Programs page.
Hide appearance and Removes the Appearance and Themes tabs from Display in Control
themes page Panel.
Hide screen saver tab Removes the Screen Saver tab from Display in Control Panel.
Hide settings tab Removes the Settings tab from Display in Control Panel.
Password protect the screen Determines whether screen savers used on the computer are
saver password protected.
Prevent changing wall paper Prevents users from adding or changing the background design of
the desktop.
Remove display in control Disables Display in Control Panel.
panel
Browse the network to find If you enable this setting or do not configure it, when users click
the printers "Add a network printer" but do not type the name of a particular
printer, the Add Printer Wizard displays a list of all shared printers
on the network and invites users to choose a printer from among
them.
Prevent addition of printers Prevents users from using familiar methods to add local and
network printers.

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Security Policy Description
Prevent deletion of printers Prevents users from deleting local and network printers.
If a user tries to delete a printer, such as by using the Delete option
in Printers in Control Panel, a message appears explaining that a
setting prevents the action.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Explorer

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Explorer category:

Security Policy Description


Remove folder options menu Removes the Folder Options item from all Windows Explorer menus
item from the tools menu and removes the Folder Options item from Control Panel. As a
result, users cannot use the Folder Options dialog box.
Remove Shutdown from Removes shutdown from the start menu and task manager dialog.
Start menu and task
manager
Remove File menu from Removes the File menu from My Computer and Windows Explorer
Explorer
Remove 'Map network drive' Prevents users from using Windows Explorer or My Network Places
and 'Disconnect network to map or disconnect network drives.
drive'
Remove Context Menu in Removes context menus which appears while right clicking any
Shell folders folder in the explorer
Turn on classic shell This setting allows you to remove the Active Desktop and Web view
features. If you enable this setting, it will disable the Active Desktop
and Web view.
Allow only approved Shell This setting is designed to ensure that shell extensions can operate
extensions on a per-user basis. If you enable this setting, Windows is directed
to only run those shell extensions that have either been approved by
an administrator or that will not impact other users of the machine.
Do not track Shell shortcuts Determines whether Windows traces shortcuts back to their sources
during roaming when it cannot find the target on the user's system.
Remove search button from Removes the Search button from the Windows Explorer toolbar.
Windows explorer
Hides the manage item on Removes the Manage item from the Windows Explorer context
the Windows explorer menu. This context menu appears when you right-click Windows
context menu Explorer or My Computer.
Remove hardware tab This setting removes the Hardware tab from Mouse, Keyboard, and
Sounds and Audio Devices in Control Panel. It also removes the
Hardware tab from the Properties dialog box for all local drives,
including hard drives, floppy disk drives, and CD-ROM drives.
Remove DFS tab Removes the DFS tab from Windows Explorer.
Remove UI to change menu Prevents users from selecting the option to animate the movement
animation setting of windows, menus, and lists. If you enable this setting, the "Use

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Security Policy Description
transition effects for menus and tooltips" option in Display in Control
Panel is disabled.
Remove UI to change When this Display Properties option is selected, the underlining that
keyboard navigation indicator indicates a keyboard shortcut character (hot key) does not appear
setting on menus until you press ALT.
No 'computers near me' in Removes the "Computers Near Me" option and the icons
My Network places representing nearby computers from My Network Places. This
setting also removes these icons from the Map Network Drive
browser.
No 'Entire network' in My Removes the Entire Network option and the icons representing
Network places networked computers from My Network Places and from the
browser associated with the Map Network Drive option.
Do not request alternate This setting suppresses the "Install Program As Other User" dialog
credentials box for local and network installations. This dialog box, which
prompts the current user for the user name and password of an
administrator, appears when users who are not administrators try to
install programs locally on their computers.
Request credentials for This setting displays the "Install Program As Other User" dialog box
network installations even when a program is being installed from files on a network
computer across a local area network connection.
Hide logoff menu item This option removes Log Off item from the Start Menu. It also
removes the Log Off button from the Windows Security dialog box.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Internet Explorer

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Internet Explorer category:

Security Policy Description


Restrict using new menu Prevents users from opening a new browser window from the File
option menu.
Restrict using open menu Prevents users from opening a file or Web page from the File menu
option in Internet Explorer.
Restrict using Save As... Prevents users from saving Web pages from the browser File menu
menu option to their hard disk or to a network share.
Restrict on search Makes the Customize button in the Search Assistant appear
customization dimmed.
Restrict importing and Prevents users from exporting or importing favorite links by using
exporting of favorites the Import/Export Wizard.
Restrict using find files (F3) Disables using the F3 key to search in Internet Explorer and
within browser Windows Explorer.
Restrict using save as Web Prevents users from saving the complete contents that are
page complete format option displayed on or run from a Web page, including the graphics,
scripts, linked files, and other elements. It does not prevent users
from saving the text of a Web page.
Restrict closing of browser Prevents users from closing Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Restrict full screen menu Prevents users from displaying the browser in full-screen (kiosk)
option mode, without the standard toolbar.
Restrict viewing source menu Prevents users from viewing the HTML source of Web pages by
option clicking the Source command on the View menu.
Hide favorites menu Prevents users from adding, removing, or editing the list of Favorite
links.
Restrict using Internet Prevents users from opening the Internet Options dialog box from
Options... menu option the Tools menu in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Remove 'Tip of the Day' Prevents users from viewing or changing the Tip of the Day
menu option interface in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Remove 'For Netscape Prevents users from displaying tips for users who are switching from
Users' menu option Netscape.
Remove 'Tour' menu option Remove the Tour menu option.
Remove 'Send Feedback' Prevents users from sending feedback to Microsoft by clicking the
menu option Send Feedback command on the Help menu.
Restrict using 'Open in New Prevents using the shortcut menu to open a link in a new browser
Window' menu option window.

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Security Policy Description
Restrict using 'save this Prevents users from saving a program or file that Microsoft Internet
program to disk' option Explorer has downloaded to the hard disk.
Remove context (right-click) Prevents the shortcut menu from appearing when users click the
menus right mouse button while using the browser.
Hide the General Option Removes the General tab from the interface in the Internet Options
Screen dialog box.
Hide Security Option Screen Removes the Security tab from the interface in the Internet Options
dialog box.
Hide Content Option Screen Removes the Content tab from the interface in the Internet Options
dialog box.
Hide Connections Option Removes the Connections tab from the interface in the Internet
Screen Options dialog box.
Hide Programs Option Removes the Programs tab from the interface in the Internet
Screen Options dialog box.
Hide Advanced Option Removes the Advanced tab from the interface in the Internet
Screen Options dialog box.
Restrict changing home page Prevents users from changing the home page of the browser. The
settings home page is the first page that appears when users start the
browser.
Restrict changing color Prevents users from changing the default Web page colors.
settings
Restrict changing link color Prevents users from changing the colors of links on Web pages.
settings
Restrict changing font Prevents users from changing font settings.
settings
Restrict changing language Prevents users from changing language settings.
settings
Restrict changing Cache Prevents users from changing Cache settings.
settings
Restrict changing history Prevents users from changing history settings.
settings
Restrict changing Prevents users from changing accessibility settings.
accessibility setting
Restrict changing Content Prevents users from changing the content advisor settings.
Advisor settings
Restrict changing certificate Prevents users from changing certificate settings in Internet
settings Explorer. Certificates are used to verify the identity of software
publishers.
Restrict changing Profile Prevents users from changing Profile Assistant settings.
Assistant settings
Restrict changing Prevents Microsoft Internet Explorer from automatically completing
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Security Policy Description
AutoComplete clear form forms, such as filling in a name or a password that the user has
entered previously on a Web page.
Restrict changing Disables automatic completion of user names and passwords in
AutoComplete save forms on Web pages, and prevents users from being prompted to
password form save passwords.
Restrict using Internet Prevents users from running the Internet Connection Wizard.
Connection Wizard
Restrict changing connection Prevents users from changing dial-up settings.
settings
Restrict changing Automatic Prevents users from changing automatic configuration settings.
Configuration settings Automatic configuration is a process that administrators can use to
update browser settings periodically.
Restrict changing proxy Prevents users from changing proxy settings.
settings
Restrict changing Messaging Prevents users from changing the default programs for messaging
settings tasks.
Restrict changing Calendar Prevents users from changing the default programs for managing
and Contact settings schedules and contacts.
Restrict Reset Web Settings Prevents users from restoring default settings for home and search
feature pages.
Restrict changing Check if Prevents Microsoft Internet Explorer from checking to see whether it
Default Browser setting is the default browser.
Restrict changing any Prevents users from changing settings on the Advanced tab in the
Advanced settings Internet Options dialog box.
Restrict changing Automatic Prevents Internet Explorer from automatically installing components.
Install of IE components
Restrict changing automatic Prevents Internet Explorer from checking whether a new version of
check for software updates the browser is available.
Restrict changing showing Prevents the Internet Explorer splash screen from appearing when
the splash screen users start the browser.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Network

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Network category:

Security Policy Description


Hide 'Entire Network' from Removes all computers outside of the user's workgroup or local
Network Neighborhood domain from lists of network resources in Windows Explorer and My
Network Places.
AlphaNumeric password Windows by default will accept anything as a password, including
nothing. This setting controls whether Windows will require a
alphanumeric password, i.e. a password made from a combination
of alpha (A, B, C...) and numeric (1, 2 ,3 ...) characters.
Enable access to properties Determines whether a user can view and change the properties of
of RAS connections available remote access connections that are available to all users of the
to all users computer.
Ability to delete all user Determines whether users can delete all user remote access
remote access connection connections.
Ability to enable/Disable LAN Determines whether users can enable/disable LAN connections.
connections
Ability to rename LAN Determines whether users can rename LAN or all user remote
access connections.
Prohibit access to properties Determines whether users can change the properties of a LAN
of LAN connection.
Prohibit access to properties Determines whether Administrators and Network Configuration
of components of LAN Operators can change the properties of components used by a LAN
connection.
Prohibit access to the Determines whether the Advanced Settings item on the Advanced
advanced settings item on menu in Network Connections is enabled for administrators.
the advanced menu
Prohibit access to the dial-up Determines whether the Dial-up Preferences item on the Advanced
preferences item on the menu in Network Connections folder is enabled.
advanced menu
Allow configuration of Determines whether users can use the New Connection Wizard,
connection sharing (User) which creates new network connections.
Prohibit adding and removing Determines whether administrators can add and remove network
components for a LAN or RA components for a LAN or remote access connection. This setting
connection has no effect on non-administrators. If you enable this setting the
Install and Uninstall buttons for components of connections are
disabled, and administrators are not permitted to access network

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Security Policy Description
components in the Windows Components Wizard.
Prohibit TCP/IP advanced Determines whether users can configure advanced TCP/IP settings.
configuration If you enable this setting, the Advanced button on the Internet
Protocol Properties dialog box is disabled for all users (including
administrators).
Prohibit viewing of status for Determines whether users can view the status for an active
an active connection connection. The connection status taskbar icon and Status dialog
box are not available to users (including administrators).
Remove 'make available Prevents users from making network files and folders available
offline' offline. This setting removes the "Make Available Offline" option from
the File menu and from all context menus in Windows Explorer.
Sync offline files before Determines whether offline files are fully synchronized when users
logging off log off.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - System

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in System category:

Security Policy Description


Restrict using registry editing Disables the Windows registry editors, Regedit.exe
tools
Remove task manager If this setting is enabled and users try to start Task Manager, a
message appears explaining that a policy prevents the action.
Restrict using Lock Prevents users from locking their workstation
Workstation
Restrict Changing Password Prevents users from changing the password.
Restrict using Passwords Prevents users from changing the account password of local users
applet in Control Panel through the password applet in control panel.
Restrict using Change Prevents users from accessing change password
Passwords page
Hide Background page Prevents users using background page
Hide Remote Administration Removes remote administration page
page
Hide User Profiles page Removes user profiles pages
Hide Device Manager page Removes device manager page
Hide Hardware Profiles page Prevents hardware profile page form being accessed
Don't display the getting Suppresses the welcome screen. This setting hides the welcome
started welcome screen at screen that is displayed on Windows 2000 Professional and
logon Windows XP Professional each time the user logs on.
Download missing COM Directs the system to search Active Directory for missing
components Component Object Model components that a program requires.
Prevent access to registry Disables the Windows registry editors, Regedit.exe and
accessing tools Regedit.exe.
Run legacy logon scripts Windows 2000 displays the instructions in logon scripts written for
hidden Windows NT 4.0 and earlier in a command window as they run,
although it does not display logon scripts written for Windows
2000. If you enable this setting, Windows 2000 does not display
logon scripts written for Windows NT 4.0 and earlier.
Run logoff scripts visible If the setting is enabled, the system displays each instruction in the
logoff script as it runs. The instructions appear in a command
window.
Run logon scripts If the setting is enabled, Windows Explorer does not start until the
synchronously logon scripts have finished running. This setting ensures that logon

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script processing is complete before the user starts working, but it
can delay the appearance of the desktop.
Run logon scripts visible If the setting is enabled, the system displays each instruction in the
logon script as it runs. The instructions appear in a command
window.
Do not process the legacy If the setting is enabled, the system ignores the run list for Windows
run list NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
Do not process the runonce You can create a customized list of additional programs and
list documents that are started automatically the next time the system
starts (but not thereafter). These programs are added to the
standard list of programs and services that the system starts. If you
enable this setting, the system ignores the run-once list.
Create a new GPO links This setting creates all new Group Policy object links in the disabled
disabled by default state by default. After you configure and test the new object links,
either by using Active Directory Users and Computers or Active
Directory Sites and Services, you can enable the object links for use
on the system.
Enforce show policies only Prevents administrators from viewing or using Group Policy
preferences. A Group Policy administration (.adm) file can contain
both true settings and preferences. True settings, which are fully
supported by Group Policy, must use registry entries in the
Software/Policies
or Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Policies registry
subkeys. Preferences, which are not fully supported, use registry
entries in other subkeys.
Turn off automatic update Prevents the system from updating the Administrative Templates
of ADM files source files automatically when you open Group Policy.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Task Scheduler

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Task Scheduler category:

Security Policy Description


Hide property pages This setting removes the Properties item from the File menu in
Scheduled Tasks and from the context menu that appears when you
right-click a task. As a result, users cannot change any properties of
a task. They can only see the properties that appear in Detail view
and in the task preview.
Prevent task run or end Prevents users from starting and stopping tasks manually.
Prohibit drag and drop Prevents users from adding or removing tasks by moving or copying
programs in the Scheduled Tasks folder.
Prohibit new task creation Prevents users from creating new tasks
Prohibit task deletion Prevents user from deleting users from the scheduled tasks folder
Remove advanced menu Prevents users from viewing or changing the properties of newly
created tasks.
Prohibit browse This setting removes the Browse button from the Schedule Task
Wizard and from the Task tab of the properties dialog box for a task.
Also, users cannot edit the "Run" box or the "Start in" box that
determine the program and path for a task.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Windows Installer

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Windows Installer category:

Security Policy Description


Always install with elevated This setting extends elevated privileges to all programs. These
privileges privileges are usually reserved for programs that have been
assigned to the user (offered on the desktop), assigned to the
computer (installed automatically), or made available in Add or
Remove Programs in Control Panel. This setting lets users install
programs that require access to directories that the user might not
have permission to view or change, including directories on highly
restricted computers.
Prohibit rollback This setting prevents Windows Installer from recording the original
state of the system and sequence of changes it makes during
installation. It also prevents Windows Installer from retaining files it
intends to delete later. As a result, Windows Installer cannot restore
the computer to its original state if the installation does not
complete.
Disable media source for any Prevents users from installing programs from removable media.
install

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Start Menu and Taskbar

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Start Menu and Taskbar
category:

Security Policy Description


Remove user's folder from Hides all folders on the user-specific (top) section of the Start menu.
the start menu Other items appear, but folders are hidden.
This setting is designed for use with redirected folders. Redirected
folders appear on the main (bottom) section of the Start menu.
Remove links and access to Prevents users from connecting to the Windows Update Web site.

Windows update
Remove common program Removes items in the All Users profile from the Programs menu on
groups from start menu the Start menu.
Prohibit user from changing Prevents users from changing the path to the My Documents folder.
My Documents path
Remove My Documents from Removes the Documents menu from the Start menu.
start menu
Remove programs on Prevents Control Panel, Printers, and Network Connections from
settings menu running.
Remove network Prevents users from running Network Connections.
connections from start menu
Remove favorites from start Prevents users from adding the Favorites menu to the Start menu or
menu classic Start menu.
Remove search from start Removes the Search item from the Start menu, and disables some
menu Windows Explorer search elements. This setting removes the
Search item from the Start menu and from the context menu that
appears when you right-click the Start menu. Also, the system does
not respond when users press the Application key (the key with the
Windows logo)+ F.
Remove help menu from Removes the Help command from the Start menu.
start menu
Remove run from start menu Allows you to remove the Run command from the Start menu,
Internet Explorer, and Task Manager.
Add logoff to the start menu Adds the "Log Off <username>" item to the Start menu and prevents
users from removing it.
Remove logoff on the start Removes the "Log Off <username>" item from the Start menu and
menu prevents users from restoring it.

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Security Policy Description
Remove and prevent access Prevents users from shutting down or restarting Windows.
to the shutdown command This setting removes the Shut Down option from the Start menu and
disables the Shut Down button on the Windows Security dialog box,
which appears when you press CTRL+ALT+DEL.
Remove drag-and-drop Prevents users from using the drag-and-drop method to reorder or
context menu on the start remove items on the Start menu. Also, it removes context menus
menu from the Start menu.
Prevent changes to taskbar Removes the Taskbar and Start Menu item from Settings on the
and start menu settings Start menu. This setting also prevents the user from opening the
Taskbar Properties dialog box.
Remove context menu for Hides the menus that appear when you right-click the taskbar and
the taskbar items on the taskbar, such as the Start button, the clock, and the
taskbar buttons.
Do not keep the history of Prevents the operating system and installed programs from creating
recently opened documents and displaying shortcuts to recently opened documents.
Clear history of recently Clear history of recently opened documents on exit.
opened documents history
on exit
Turn off personalized menus Disables personalized menus. Windows 2000 personalizes long
menus by moving recently used items to the top of the menu and
hiding items that have not been used recently.
Turn off user tracking Disables user tracking. This setting prevents the system from
tracking the programs users run, the paths they navigate, and the
documents they open.
Add 'run in separate memory Lets users run a 16-bit program in a dedicated (not shared) Virtual
space' check box to run DOS Machine (VDM) process.
dialog box
Do not use the search based Prevents the system from conducting a comprehensive search of
method when resolving shell the target drive to resolve a shortcut.
shortcuts
Do not use the tracking Prevents the system from using NTFS tracking features to resolve a
based method when shortcut.
resolving shell shortcuts
Gray unavailable Windows Displays Start menu shortcuts to partially installed programs in gray
installer programs start menu text. This setting makes it easier for users to distinguish between
shortcuts programs that are fully installed and those that are only partially
installed.

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The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

Security Policies - Microsoft Management Console

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Microsoft Management Console
category:

Security Policy Description


Restrict user from entering Users cannot create console files or add or remove snap-ins. Also,
author mode because they cannot open author-mode console files, they cannot
use the tools that the files contain.
Restrict users to the explicitly All snap-ins are prohibited, except those that you explicitly permit.
permitted list of snap-ins Use this setting if you plan to prohibit use of most snap-ins. To
explicitly permit a snap-in, open the Restricted/Permitted snap-ins
setting folder and enable the settings representing the snap-in you
want to permit.
Restrict/permit Component If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
services snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Computer If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
management snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Device If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
manager snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Disk If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
management snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Disk de- If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
fragmentation snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited.

If this setting is not configured, the setting of the "Restrict users to


the explicitly permitted list of snap-ins" setting determines whether
this snap-in is permitted or prohibited.

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Security Policy Description
Restrict/permit Event viewer If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Fax services If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited.
If this setting is not configured, the setting of the "Restrict users to
the explicitly permitted list of snap-ins" setting determines whether
this snap-in is permitted or prohibited.
Restrict/permit Indexing If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
services snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Internet If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
Information Services snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited.

If this setting is not configured, the setting of the "Restrict users to


the explicitly permitted list of snap-ins" setting determines whether
this snap-in is permitted or prohibited.
Restrict/permit Local users If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
and groups snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Performance If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
logs and alerts snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Services If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Shared If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
folders snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit System If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
information snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
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Security Policy Description
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Telephony If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit WMI control If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit System If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
properties snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Group policy If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Group policy If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
tab for active directory tool disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
snap-in the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Administrative If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
templates (computer) snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Administrative If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
templates (users) snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Folder If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
redirection snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Internet If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
explorer maintenance snap- disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
in the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
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Security Policy Description
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Remote If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
installation services snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Scripts If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
(logon/logoff) snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
Scripts(startup/shutdown) disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
snap-in the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Security If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
settings snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Software If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
installation (computer) snap- disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
in the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.
Restrict/permit Software If the setting is enabled, the snap-in is permitted. If the setting is
installation (user) snap-in disabled, the snap-in is prohibited. If this setting is not configured,
the setting of the "Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of
snap-ins" setting determines whether this snap-in is permitted or
prohibited.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Security Policies - Computer

Desktop Central supports configuring the following security policies in Computer category:

Security Policy Description


Disable ctrl+alt+del Determines whether pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL is required before a
requirement for logon user can log on.
Restrict CD-ROM access to Determines whether a CD-ROM is accessible to both local and
locally logged-on user only remote users simultaneously.
Restrict Floppy access to Determines whether removable floppy media is accessible to both
locally logged-on user only local and remote users simultaneously.
Prevent users from installing It prevents users from installing printer drivers on the local machine.
printer drivers
Prevent user from changing Disables the buttons on the File Types tab. As a result, users can
file type association view file type associations, but they cannot add, delete, or change
them.

The policy descriptions are taken from Microsoft Help Documentation

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Windows System Tools

1. Check Disk Tool


2. Disk Cleanup Tool
3. Disk Defragmenter Tool

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Check Disk Tool

The Check Disk tool creates a status report of the disk based on its file system. The errors in the disk
is also displayed. It can also be used to correct the disk errors.

Desktop Central supports the following options to run the check disk tool:

1. Verbose: Displays the name of each file in every directory as the disk is checked.
2. Quick Check: This option is available only for the NTFS File system. Selecting this option will
perform the check disk operation quickly by skipping the checking of cycles within the folder
structure and by performing a less vigorous check of index entries.

See Also: Windows System Tools, Creating and Scheduling Tasks, Viewing and Modifying the Tasks,
Viewing Task History, Disk Defragmenter, Disk Cleanup

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Disk Cleanup Tool

The Disk Cleanup utility helps to cleanup the unwanted filed in the disk to increase the free space.

Desktop Central cleans the windows system for the following:

1. Remove Active Setup Temp Folders


2. Compress old files
3. Remove content indexer
4. Remove downloaded Program Files
5. Remove internet cache files
6. Remove memory dump files
7. Remove Office setup files
8. Remove offline files
9. Remove web pages
10. Remove old check disk files
11. Empty recycle bin
12. Remove remote desktop cache files
13. Remove setup log files
14. Remove old system restore positions.
15. Remove Temporary files
16. Remove temporary offline files
17. Remove uninstall backup images
18. Remove webclient and web publisher cache files

See Also: Windows System Tools, Creating and Scheduling Tasks, Viewing and Modifying the Tasks,
Viewing Task History, Disk Defragmenter, Check Disk

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Disk Defragmenter Tool

Adapted from Windows Help Documentation

Volumes become fragmented as users create and delete files and folders, install new software, or
download files from the Internet. Computers typically save files in the first contiguous free space that
is large enough for the file. If a large enough free space is not available, the computer saves as much
of the file as possible in the largest available space and then saves the remaining data in the next
available free space, and so on.

After a large portion of a volume has been used for file and folder storage, most of the new files are
saved in pieces across the volume. When you delete files, the empty spaces left behind fill in
randomly as you store new ones.

The more fragmented the volume is, the slower the computer's file input/output performance will be.

Desktop Central provides option to run the defragmenter tool on multiple machines simultaneously. It
supports the following options:

1. Verbose: Displays the complete analysis and defragmentation reports


2. Analyze: Analyzes the volume and displays a summary of the analysis report.
3. Force Defragmentation: Forces defragmentation of the drive regardless of whether it needs to
be defragmented.

See Also: Windows System Tools, Creating and Scheduling Tasks, Viewing and Modifying the Tasks,
Viewing Task History, Check Disk, Disk Cleanup

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Data Back up and Restore

Desktop Central stores information like configuration details, status of deployed configurations, and
details about reports, like User Logon reports and Active Directory reports, in a database. Creating a
backup of this database and certain important files like configuration files is necessary to prevent loss
of data.

You can back up data automatically, by scheduling a back up using Desktop Central, or taking a back
up manually. You can also restore this data when required. For example, assume that your hard disk
crashes and you have to re-install Desktop Central. You can use the last back up you took to restore
all the required information. Note that this is possible only if the backup file is stored in a computer
other than yours.

Best Practises for Back up and restore

These are the few best practices recommended for Back Up and
Restore option.

1. Make sure that you add the exclusion list for Anti Virus. When directories containing
the MySQL / PGSQL data are scanned by anti virus software, they misidentify the files
content as spam and does not allow to back up that data. Refer the following links which will
guide you, how to exclude the Anti Virus.
McAffe : https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=KB50998
Symantec : http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH9995
5
Kaspersky : http://support.kaspersky.com/us/faq/?qid=208284276
2. It is always recommended to Schedule the back up during non-office hours.
3. Make sure that you have a minimum of 5GB space to store the back up data.
4. Make sure that you specify a Valid destination folder.
5. Make sure that the remote database if configured, should be running during back up.

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Scheduling Data Backup

You can use Desktop Central to take a back up of the database regularly. For example, if you want to
take a back up of the database every Friday at 5 p.m., you can schedule the same using Desktop
Central.

To schedule back up of data, follow the steps given below:

1. Select the Admin tab


2. In the Tools section, click Database Backup
3. Specify the time at which you want the back up to be taken, in hour:minute:second
(hh:mm:ss) format

The time should be specified in the 24-hour format. For example, if you want the
database back up to be taken at 6 p.m., the time should be specified as 18:00:00.

4. Select the number of backup files that you want Desktop Central to save

Using this option you can select how many database backup files should be saved.
The older backup files will be deleted. For example, if you want only 7 backup files
saved, select 7. This will ensure that at all times only 7 backup files are saved.

5. Specify the location where you want the backup files to be stored
6. Check the Notify when the database backup fails checkbox
7. Specify the email address (es) to which you want an e-mail message sent, if the database
back up failslease note that you should have configured your mail server settings to get
notified.

Ensure that you have configured your mail server settings to receive notifications.

6. Click Save Changes

You have scheduled an automatic data backup to take place automatically at a specified time.

Manual Data Backup and Restore

You can manually back up and restore the database. You can do this using the Backup-Restore Utility
GUI.

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Opening the Backup-Restore Utility Graphical User Interface (GUI)

To open the Backup-Restore Utility GUI, follow the steps given below:

1. Right-click start>Explore>Local Disk (C:)>Program Files>DesktopCentral_Server>bin


2. Double-click backuprestore.bat

You've opened the Backup-Restore Utility GUI.

Creating a backup file

1. On the Backup-Restore Utility GUI, click the Backup tab


2. Select the location where you want to save the backup file

If you're using a network share, the directory should have write permission for
everyone in the network.

3. Click Backup

A backup file is created and saved in the specified location. The file will be named using the
buildnumber-date-time.zip format. For example, 70120-Oct-25-2010-13-26.zip where 70120 is the
build number, Oct 25th 2010 is the date and 13:26 is the time.

Restoring a backup file

Ensure that you have shut down the Desktop Central server before restoring a backup file.

1. On the Backup-Restore Utility GUI, click the Restore tab


2. Browse and select the required backup file.
3. Click Restore

The build number of the Desktop Central server should match the build number of
the backup file you are restoring.

This will restore the specified data to Desktop Central server.

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If remote database is configured with the Desktop Central server, ensure that it is running
on a remote machine. After restoration, the changes made after the backup date will not
be available.

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Dynamic Variables

Dynamic Variables are those that are replaced dynamically by Desktop Central while applying the
configurations. As the name implies, the value of these variables are not the same for all the
users/computers.

For example, to redirect the shortcuts of the start menu that are common for all the users to the
system drive, you can use the dynamic variable $SystemDrive. This will be replaced by the
corresponding system drive of that computer (like C, D, etc.) while deploying the configuration.

The table below lists the dynamic variable supported by Desktop Central:

Dynamic Description Example Value of the Variable


Variable
$ComSpec Specifies the path to the command C:\WINNT\system32\cmd.exe
interpretor
$HomePath Refers to the home directory as \\JOHNSMITH\
defined in UMD/AD
$NtType Role of NT/2000/XP computer Server, Workstation
$OS Short name of currently installed Windows_NT
operating system
$OSVersion 2000 & XP will report back as NT Windows 2000
$OStype 2000 & XP will report back as NT NT
$OsBuildNumber Refers to the build number of the 1381, 2195
currently installed operating system
$OsCsdVersion Refers to the service pack of the Service Pack 4
currently installed operating system
$ProfileDirDU Will be replaced by the full path of C:\Documents and Settings\Default User
the "Default User" profile
$ProfilesDir Will be replaced by the full path of C:\Documents and Settings
where user profiles are stored
$ShellCache Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Temporary Internet Settings\JohnSmith\Local
Files shell folder Settings\Temporary Internet Files
$ShellCookies Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Internet Cookies shell Settings\JohnSmith\Cookies
folder
$ShellDesktop Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Desktop shell folder Settings\JohnSmith\Desktop

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Dynamic Description Example Value of the Variable
Variable
$ShellFavorites Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Favorites shell folder Settings\JohnSmith\Favorites
(also referred to as "IE Bookmarks").
$ShellHistory Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's History shell folder Settings\JohnSmith\Local Settings\History
$ShellMyPictures Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and Settings\JohnSmith\My
current user's My Pictures shell Documents\My Pictures
folder
$ShellNetHood Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Network Settings\JohnSmith\NetHood
Neighborhood shell folder
$ShellPersonal Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and Settings\JohnSmith\My
current user's Personal shell folder Documents
(also referred to as "My
Documents")
$ShellPrintHood Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Printer Neighborhood Settings\JohnSmith\PrintHood
shell folder
$ShellPrograms Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Start Menu Programs Settings\JohnSmith\Start Menu\Programs
shell folder
$ShellRecent Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Recent Documents Settings\JohnSmith\Recent
shell folder
$ShellSendTo Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Send To shell folder Settings\JohnSmith\SendTo
$ShellStartMenu Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Start-Menu shell folder Settings\JohnSmith\Start Menu
$ShellStartup Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Start Menu Startup Settings\JohnSmith\Start
shell folder Menu\Programs\Startup
$ShellTemplates Will be replaced by the path to C:\Documents and
current user's Templates shell folder Settings\JohnSmith\Templates
$SystemDrive Refers to the drive where OS files C:
are located
$SystemRoot Will be replaced by the path to C:\WINNT
operating system folder
$TempDir Will be replaced by the path to the C:\Documents and
temporary directory on the client Settings\JohnSmith\Local Settings\Temp
$WinDir Will be replaced by the path to C:\WINNT
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Dynamic Description Example Value of the Variable
Variable
user's Windows folder (usually same
as SystemRoot, exception would be
a terminal server)

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Limitations

1. When a site is chosen as the target for a user configuration, the status of the configuration will
always be In Progress. This is because, it is not possible to get the exact user counts of
individual sites.
2. When a user login to different computers in a domain, the status of the configurations defined
for that user will reflect the status of the latest deployment.
3. When an already defined configuration is modified and re-deployed, the previous data will be
overwritten and will not be shown in history reports.
4. Remote Shutdown Tool will not work for Windows 2000 computers.
5. Disk Defragmentation is not supported in Windows 2000 computers.

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Known Issues

1. Printers shared in a Domain cannot be shared to computers in a Workgroup or vice-versa.


2. Redirecting folders between computers of different Domains or between a Workgroup and a
Domain computer is not supported.
3. Software Installation will not work in the following cases:
1. Package is in computer share of one Domain and you are trying to install it to a
computer in another Domain.
2. Package is in computer share of a Domain and you are trying to install it to a
computer in a Workgroup or vice-versa.
3. Package is in computer share of one Workgroup and you are trying to install it to a
computer in another Workgroup.
4. In Custom Script configuration, Logoff and shutdown scripts cannot be executed.

Known Issues in deploying Configuration to Windows Vista Client


Machines

1. When Security Policies are deployed to Windows Vista machines, the status will be shown as
successful, but, the policies will not be applied.

Known Issues in Desktop Sharing

1. If the remote computer is shutdown using Remote Desktop Sharing, the viewer will not close
by itself and has to be closed manually. It will display a blue screen showing a message
"Meeting has stopped".
2. When connecting from Firefox/Flock browsers, Desktop Central Add-on (xpi) will be installed
every time you access a remote computer using the Active X viewer. If you do not accept to
install the xpi within 20 seconds, the remote service will be killed and you will not be able to
access it. You have to close the viewer and have to connect again.
3. In Java viewer, Zoom In, Zoom Out, and Full Screen icons in the toolbar will not work.
4. When a remote connection is established, a message "You are now controlling the desktop"
will appear. If you do not click OK within 20 seconds, the connection will close automatically.
You have to close the viewer and have to connect again.

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Glossary

1. Site
2. Domain
3. Organizational Unit
4. Group
5. User
6. Computer
7. IP Address
8. Group Policy Object (GPO)
9. Client Side Extension (CSE)
10. Define Target
11. Scope of Management
12. Inactive Users
13. Collection
14. Applicable Patches
15. Latest Patches
16. Missing Patches
17. Missing Systems
18. Affected Systems
19. Informational Patches
20. Obsolete Patches

This section provides the description or definitions of the terms used in Desktop Central.

Site

One or more well connected (highly reliable and fast) TCP/IP subnets. A site allows administrators to
configure Active Directory access and replication topology quickly and easily to take advantage of the
physical network. When users log on, Active Directory clients locate Active Directory servers in the
same site as the user.

Domain

Domain is a group of computers that are part of a network and share a common directory database. A
domain is administered as a unit with common rules and procedures. Each domain has a unique
name.

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Organizational Unit (OU)

An organizational unit is a logical container into which users, groups, computers, and other
organizational units are placed. It can contain objects only from its parent domain. An organizational
unit is the smallest scope to which a Group Policy object can be linked, or over which administrative
authority can be delegated.

Group

A collection of users, computers, contacts, and other groups. Groups can be used as security or as e-
mail distribution collections. Distribution groups are used only for e-mail. Security groups are used
both to grant access to resources and as e-mail distribution lists.

User

The people using the workstations in the network are called users. Each user in the network has a
unique user name and corresponding password for secured access.

Computer

The PCs in the network which are accessed by users are known as computer or workstation. Each
computer has unique name.

IP Address

The expansion of IP Address is Internet Protocol Address. An unique IP Address is provided for each
workstation, switches, printers, and other devices present in the network for identification and routing
of information.

Group Policy Object (GPO)

A Group Policy Object (GPO) is a collection of settings that define what a system will look like and
how it will behave for a defined group of users.

Client Side Extension (CSE)

Desktop Central installs an Windows-compliant agent or a Client Side Extension (CSE) in the
machines that are being managed. This is used to get the status of the applied configurations from the
targets.

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Define Target

Define Target is the process of identifying the users or computers for which the configuration have to
be applied. The targets can be all users/computers belonging to a Site, Domain, OUs, Groups, or can
be a specific user/computer. You also have an option to exclude some desktops based on the
machine type, OS type, etc.

Scope of Management

Scope of Management (SOM) is used to define the computers that have to be managed using this
software. Initially the administrator can define a small set of computers for testing the software and
later extend it to the whole domain. This provides more flexibility in managing your desktops using this
software.

Inactive Users

In a Windows Domain there may be cases where the user accounts have been created for some
machines but they remain inactive for some reasons. For example, users like Guest,
IUSER_WIN2KMASTER, IWAM_WIN2KMASTER, etc., will never login. These user accounts are
referred to as Inactive Users. In order to get the accurate configuration status of the active users, it is
recommended that the Admin User add the inactive user accounts in their domain so that these users
(user accounts) may not be considered for calculating the status.

Collection

Configurations that are intended for the same set of targets can be grouped as a collection.

Applicable Patches

This is a subset of the patches released by Microsoft that affect your network systems / applications.
This includes all the patches affecting your network irrespective of whether they are installed or not.

Missing Patches

This refers to the patches affecting your network that are not installed.

Latest Patches

This refers to the patches pertaining to the recently released Microsoft bulletins.

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Missing Systems

This refers to the systems managed by Desktop Central that requires the patches to be installed.

Affected Systems

This refers to the systems managed by Desktop Central that are vulnerable. This includes all the
systems that are affected irrespective of whether the patches have been installed or not.

Informational Patches

There maybe some vulnerabilities for which Desktop Central is not able to determine if the appropriate
patch or work around has been applied. There could also be patches for which manual intervention is
required. These are categorized as Informational Items. Remediation of these issues usually involves
a configuration change or work around rather than a patch.

Obsolete Patches

These are patches that are outdated and have another patch that is more recently released and has
taken its place (Superseding Patch). If these patches are missing, you can safely ignore them and
deploy the patches that supersede them.

Some definitions are adapted from Microsoft Help Documentation.

Knowledge Base : http://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/knowledge-base.html


How To's : http://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/how-to.html
FAQs : http://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/faq.html
Videos : http://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/demo/desktop-management-
videos.html?lhs
Customers Quote : http://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/customer-quotes.html
ROI : http://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/roi.html

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