[thelist] remote administration utils

[Joel Canfield]

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> i find this difference a huge plus.  i can be on the server
> taking care of something while someone else is also
> connected.  we don't have to wrestle each other for control
> of the mouse or keyboard.  also, another major difference, in

Different scenario for me; I tend to be in the installing and configuring
biz as much as the ongoing use biz, and I druther have complete control at
such times. Otherwise, yeah; I use TS loads.

> my experience, is the quality of the connection.  terminal
> services doesn't suffer from the pokey redraw that vnc does.
> things are just as snappy as if you were sitting at the
> monitor for the server.

True, in a Windows to Windows connection. Not possible in my
Unix/Linux/Windows/Mac environment.

> from a security standpoint, ts is more secure than vnc simply
> because vnc is not keyed into any user system on the machine.
>  so, everyone with the vnc access info has the same
> privileges.

scuse me? Bob User VNCs to a machine; when he logs in, he authenticates to
the network and gets (or doesn't) prvileges. VNC is just the connection, not
the authentication.

You *do* keep all your servers logged off or locked unless they're in use,
right?

in contrast, ts uses the built-in security
> model.  so, i could hand out different account info to each
> person and everyone could have distinct privileges on the
> same machine -- not to mention that each person's activity is
> tracked automatically as it would be if they were logging
> into that machine locally and doing things.

Right. I got the impression somewhere along the line that the question was
about remote control for *support* in which case, TS ain't gonna happen. I
can put VNC on any desktop I want, and pop into a shared session to watch
the user, or even take over while I show them how to do whatever they're
doing. Not possible with TS, is it?

> if i had to make the choice again, i would pick ts over vnc anyday.

For sys admin in a homogenous environment (which is what it turns out the
original query was mostly about), true. For HelpDesk support or mixed OS
environment, nah.

joel