Integrating Remote Control

From inside a Web view, a help desk analyst can take control of a user’s computer to investigate problems and provide support. To start a remote control session, all the help desk analyst has to do is type a computer name in a field and click the Remote Control button beside the field.

Field with a Remote Control button

The Remote Control button (

) connects to the specified computer and starts a PC-Duo ActiveX Remote Control session. The remote control session runs in a browser window, and does not require the PC-Duo Control to be installed on the local computer.

The Web view must be running in Internet Explorer.

The Remote Control button loads a page the contains an ActiveX control. This ActiveX control allows the help desk analyst to watch, share, or control the remote computer.

PC-Duo Client must be installed on the remote computer, and the Client cannot use its license key serial number as a security key.

Setting Up Remote Control

To add remote control to a Web view:

Add a text field where users can enter the computer name or IP address.

This field is used to identify the PC-Duo Client on the user’s computer. The HelpDesk project includes a Computer Name field for this purpose.

Add the Remote Control button to the field.

Generate the Web view.

Adding Remote Control Buttons

To add the Remote Control button to a field:

Log on to the Web View Editor.

In the shortcut bar, click

Remote Control.

In the Available Fields list, expand the tab that contains the field.

If you do not see the field, select the Show All check box to show all available fields.

Select the Can Connect check box for the field.

Generate the Web view.

When you select the Can Connect check box for a field, the Web View Editor automatically sets the URL and URL Button CSS attributes of the field.

../../RC/rcviewer.asp?Client=%fieldvalue%

The first part of the URL (../../RC/rcviewer.asp) is the Remote Control URL, which points to this file:

HelpDeskServer\CensusWeb\Views
	\CensusWebVD\RC\rcviewer.asp

The RCviewer.asp file is installed with Enterprise HelpDesk. You can customize this file to change the default remote control settings. For example, you can specify the security key used to access clients, and enable encryption or compression.

The second part of the URL is a query string that identifies the computer to control. When a user clicks the Remote Control button, %fieldvalue% is replaced with the current contents of the field.

The URL Button CSS field attribute specifies the CSS class used for the button.

Configuring PC-Duo ActiveX Remote Control

To configure PC-Duo ActiveX Remote Control, you edit the file RCviewer.asp, which is located in the folder

HelpDeskServer\CensusWeb\Views
	\CensusWebVD\RC\RCViewer.asp

RCViewer.asp contains a number of variables that allow you set options and defaults.

HelpDeskServer\CensusWeb\CUSTOMIZEDFILES
	\#Project#HelpDesk\RC

This ensures that the next time you generate a Web view, the customized copy of RCViewer.asp is copied to the output folder.

DEFAULT_SECURITY_KEY

Specifies the security key used by PC-Duo ActiveX Remote Control when it connects to clients.

The ActiveX control does not support licensing, so you cannot type an asterisk “*” to use the license key serial number as the security key.

DEFAULT_COMPRESS

DEFAULT_ENCRYPT

Enables (1) and disables (0) encryption. The encryption type is 56bit DES encryption. By default, encryption is disabled.

DEFAULT_SCALE_TO_FIT

Specifies whether the remote screen is scaled to fit in the browse window when the remote control session starts. Set to 0 to turn off scaling.

Users can turn on scaling after the remote control session starts (by selecting the Scale to Fit check box).

DEFAULT_SCROLL_BARS

Specifies whether the view window has scroll bars when the remote control session starts. Set to 0 to turn off scroll bars.

Users can turn on scroll bars after the remote control session starts (by selecting the Scroll Bars check box).

DEFAULT_VIEW_TYPE

Specifies the default viewing mode (Watch, Share, or Control). Users can change the viewing mode after the remote control session starts.

DEFAULT_INIT

Specifies the name displayed by the PC-Duo Client during a remote control session. Allows the remote users to identify who is controlling their computer. “*” means use the computer name.

Checking Client Security Key Settings

PC-Duo ActiveX Remote Control cannot connect to clients that use the licence key serial number as a security key.

To check if a client is using the serial number as a security key:

In the Client Configurator, edit the Master Profile.

On the Users tab, the Security Key box contains the security key.

If the Security Key box contains an asterisk (*), then the client is using the serial number, and the PC-Duo ActiveX Remote Control will not be able to connect to the client.

Removing Remote Control Buttons

To remove the Remote Control button from a field:

Log on to the Web View Editor.

In the shortcut bar, click

Remote Control.

In the Available Fields list, expand the tab that contains the field.

Clear the Can Connect check box for the field.

Generate the Web view.