MS BackOffice Unleashed

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SMS Administration


Systems Management Server is a very powerful program that enables a network administrator to take control over the network. The majority of SMS management is handled through a program known as the SMS Administrator. The SMS Administrator program enables you to perform tasks such as queries of the network computers, distribution of software, and diagnostic tasks.

The SMS Administrator Program


The primary tool used to control SMS is the SMS Administrator program. The SMS Administrator program provides the central interface for the definition of SMS tasks to be carried out by the various SMS services. The information in the SMS database can be viewed from the SMS Administrator program in a logical, tree-like hierarchy. Many different window types can be displayed to handle different SMS functions.

The SMS Administrator program is located in the Systems Management Server program group.

Before you start the SMS Administrator program, know the name of the SQL Server where the SMS database is located. Be sure to know the name of that database, named SMS by default. You also need to know the SQL account name and password to connect to the SQL database. The default account called sa is created when SQL Server is installed and, by default, it has no password. However, in many instances the account may be renamed or assigned a password.

When you start the SMS Administrator, the SMS title screen is shown, then the window shown in Figure 36.1. If this is the first time you are using the SMS Administrator, all the fields will be blank. You need to fill in the SQL Server name, the SMS database name, the account name, and the account password. If you have used the SMS Administrator previously, all the fields except the password field will be shown. After the fields have been entered, click the OK button or press Enter.

FIGURE 36.1. The initial sign-in screen of the SMS Administrator program.

After you successfully complete the logon window, the SMS Administrator is started. If this is the first time you have started the SMS Administrator, a window will be displayed listing the different windows you can open. This list contains the following possible windows:

You can select one window or multiple windows to be opened by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking the desired window with the left mouse button. A description is also displayed at the bottom of the window to provide more information about the selected item.

The optional Open SMS Window box opens when the SMS Administrator starts. You can open any of the listed windows from this box. You also have the option of not displaying the window when the SMS Administrator starts.

FIGURE 36.2. The optional Open SMS Window screen that is displayed when the SMS Administrator first starts.

At the bottom of the window, a checkbox is available to select whether to display the Open SMS Window dialog when the SMS Administrator is started. If you prefer not to display this window when the SMS Administrator program starts, clear the checkbox. If you clear the checkbox, you can display the Open SMS Window dialog by selecting File, Open from the SMS Administrator menu.

Once you choose the OK button of the Open SMS Window screen, or have turned off the startup display of the Open SMS Window screen, the SMS Administrator window is shown. The SMS Administrator displays a menu, toolbar, and any function windows you have selected. A majority of the SMS Administrator functions are easily available on the toolbar.

The SMS Administrator has a toolbar used to open all the available windows. It also contains other key functions of the SMS Administrator for easy access.

FIGURE 36.3. The SMS Administrator toolbar, with the function of each icon.

The following icons are available on the SMS Administrator toolbar:

The windows that can be opened from the toolbar are the same as the windows in the Open SMS Window dialog. The toolbar, however, provides a more convenient way of opening windows after the SMS Administrator program is started.

The SMS Administrator program saves the positions of all open windows when the user exits the program. When the SMS Administrator program is restarted, all the windows that were open at the close of the last session are opened and located in the same position. This gives the administrator easier access to the more commonly used windows.

Viewing the Site Inventory


The first thing a network administrator probably wants to see is the current inventory of the computers on the network. The Sites window displays the different computers and their properties of all the computers that have been added to the SMS inventory. The Sites window displays items in a hierarchical fashion. You can double-click on the sites, domains, and computers you want to expand.

The left side of the Sites window shows the different SMS sites in an organization. If a site is double-clicked to expand the site tree, domains in that site will be displayed. When the domain is highlighted, the right side of the window will display all of the computers inventoried in that domain. Servers will be differentiated by a different icon than client computers.

The SMS site window displays information about the SMS site structure. From this window you can also view specific information about servers and workstations in the site or perform other administrative site functions.

FIGURE 36.4. An example of the Sites window with a sample site displayed.

You can view the properties of a single computer in the right side of the Sites window by selecting that computer and either double-clicking that computer, selecting File, Properties from the menu, or clicking on the Properties icon in the toolbar. A Personal Computer Properties window, similar to Figure 36.5, will be displayed.

FIGURE 36.5. The Personal Computer Properties window of a selected computer shows all the information about that computer in the SMS database.

Defining and Running Queries


Queries are used to find computers on the network that meet certain criteria. A query is useful to network administrators when they want to find out things such as the following:

Queries are a fast way to know exactly how the computers on the network are configured. Queries are often used before installing applications over the network to help ensure that the machines receiving the application meet the needed hardware requirements of that application.

To run an SMS query in order to find computers meeting certain criteria, use the following steps:

  1. Start the SMS Administrator program. This is located in the Systems Management Server group. In order to start the administrator program, you will be prompted for the SMS Administrator account name, password, and database. The Microsoft SMS Administrator program is displayed.

  2. Now it is time to define the criteria items to be used in the query. These items include the processor type, memory, hard disk space, and so forth. To create a new query, open the Queries window by clicking on the Queries icon (the fourth on the toolbar). This will display the Queries window with any queries that have been defined.

  3. While the Queries window is selected, select File from the menu, then New. The Query Properties window will appear, similar to Figure 36.6, which will enable you to create a new query.

    FIGURE 36.6. The Query Properties window enables you to create new queries.

  4. In the Query Name box, type a name for the Query. The name Computers Able to Run Windows NT, for example, is appropriate if you want to find computers able to run Windows NT. You may also type a comment in the Comment box to further describe the function of the Query.

  5. In the Architecture box, be sure Personal Computer is displayed. To the right, the Add AND... and Add OR... buttons can be found. These buttons are used to select the criteria for the query. Click on the Add AND... button to enter the first item in the query. The Query Expressions Properties window is displayed (see Figure 36.7).

    FIGURE 36.7. The Query Expression Properties window enables you to select the conditional items used in the query.

  6. In the Query Expressions Properties window, you can choose the different items to search. For example, to find computers that have Pentium processors, select Processor in the group column. In the Operator box, select is. In the Value box, select Intel Pentium from the drop-down list. In most instances, you will want to use the greater than or equal to item in the Operator box.

  7. Continue to add items using the Add AND... and Add OR... buttons until you have all the items that you want to search for. After you select all the items, click on the OK button.

  8. To perform a query, choose File from the menu, then Execute Query. The Execute Query icon can also be selected. The Execute Query window will be displayed, shown in Figure 36.8. You can select the query to run. The default query to run is the highlighted query in the Query window. You can also select the query from the Query window and drag it to the site to run the query in the Sites window.

    FIGURE 36.8. The Execute Query window enables you to select the query to run.

  9. After the query is started, the Query Results window will be displayed. As SMS finds computers that match the query criteria, the computers will be added to the list. Keep in mind that on large networks, the queries may take some time.


Creating Machine Groups


Machine Groups can be created in SMS to better organize the different types of computers found on the network. Machine groups are often used to group computers together that have similar features. For example, a network administrator my want to put all the computers that run Windows NT into one machine group, while putting all the other computers running Windows 95 into another. In this instance, it becomes easier to send applications that are specific to Windows NT to the correct computers.

Machine groups are not limited to grouping machines with different operating systems, however. They can be used to group any type of computers. Machine groups can be created from query results or computers can be manually added to a machine group. Creating a machine group from a query is usually the simplest way to group machines that have a particular item in common. Manually creating a group is useful when the administrator wants to control which machines are in the group.

To put the computers found in a query into a SMS machine group, use the following steps:

  1. Start the SMS Administrator program. Provide the SMS Administrator account name, password, and database. See the section titled The SMS Administrator Program for more information on starting SMS. The Microsoft SMS Administrator program is displayed.

  2. Create a new query, or select an existing query and execute that query. A Query Results window will be displayed. For more information on creating and executing queries, see the previous section titled Defining and Running Queries.

  3. Open the Machine Groups window by clicking on the Machine Groups icon on the toolbar. A Machine Groups window will be displayed. If there were any machine groups previously defined, they will be displayed in this window. (Note: Do not close the Query Results window!)

  4. To add a machine group, choose File, New while the Machine Groups window is active. The Machine Group Properties window will be displayed, shown in Figure 36.9. Type the name of the new machine group you want to create in the Name: box. You can also type an optional comment about the machine group.

    FIGURE 36.9. The Machine Group Properties window enables you to type a name for a new machine group.

  5. Select the computers in the Query Results window from the query you just ran. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the computers from the Query Results window to the Machine Groups window. The Add to Machine Group window, shown in Figure 36.10, will be displayed.

    FIGURE 36.10. The Add to Machine Group window enables you to select the computers to add to the machine group or change the machine group.

  6. The Add to Machine Group window will list the computers to add to the machine group in the first listbox. The To Machine Group drop-down list enables you to select the machine group where the computers will be added.

  7. Be sure that the machine group that you just created is selected in the To Machine Group list, and click on the OK button.

To manually create a machine group or to manually add items to an existing machine group, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Machine Groups window by using the Machine Groups icon on the toolbar or from the Open SMS Windows dialog.

  3. To create a new machine group, click on the New icon on the toolbar or select File, New item from the menu. A Machine group Properties box will appear, enabling you to type a name for the machine group and a comment for that group. Click on the OK button to add the machine group to the window.

  4. To add computers to a machine group, open the Sites window or Query Results window and highlight the computers you want to add. Click on the Add to Group icon on the toolbar or select File, Add to Group from the menu. The Add to Machine Group window will be displayed. An example of this window is shown in Figure 36.11.

    FIGURE 36.11. The Add to Machine Group window enables you to add computers to a selected machine group.

  5. The Add These Items: box lists all the highlighted computers. Highlight any or all of the computers listed in the Add These Items: box and choose the machine group from the To Machine Group: drop-down list.

  6. Click on the OK button to add the computers to the machine group.

You can also drag and drop computers to the Machine Group window from the Sites window, with a procedure similar to the steps outlined for creating a machine group from queries.

Creating Packages


The SMS software distribution function is divided into two parts: packages and jobs. Packages are used to define the various installation options about the application. Jobs handle the actual delivery of the software to the appropriate machines.


Many SMS users may at first wonder why the software distribution feature is broken into the two phases of packages and jobs. The two-step distribution concept enables a package to be created and later distributed to different groups. This is extremely useful when using a pilot program before implementing a software application company-wide. The package can be created once and then sent to the pilot site immediately; then the same package, with or without modification, can be used to send the application to the entire company at a later date.

Packages must be defined to inform the SMS process how to install or run the distributed programs. You can have three types of packages:

This section focuses on the run on workstation type of packages. These packages are usually the most common type used by network administrators. Shared network application packages are discussed later in the section titled Using Program Groups and Shared Packages.

To create an SMS package to install an application, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not already started, start the SMS Administrator program. The Microsoft SMS Administrator program is displayed.

  2. Open the Packages window by clicking on the Packages icon. This is the third icon from the left side of the toolbar.

  3. While the Packages window is active, select File, then New from the main menu. This will display the Package Properties window, shown in Figure 36.12.

    FIGURE 36.12. The Package Properties window enables you to configure the SMS package.

  4. The Package Properties window enables you to define the package to install the application. In the Name: box, type a descriptive name for the package. Optionally, you may also type comments for the package in the Comment: box.

  5. On the bottom of the Package Properties window, there are three buttons: Workstations, Sharing, and Inventory. A majority of SMS packages are used to install applications on a client computer’s hard disk, so let's concentrate on this type of package in this section. (For more information on shared packages, see the section titled Using Program Groups and Shared Packages, later in this chapter.) Click on the Workstations button. The Setup Package for Workstations window appears. An example of the Setup Package for Workstations window is shown in Figure 36.13.

    FIGURE 36.13. The Setup Package for Workstations window enables you to select items such as the source directory where the installation files are stored.

  6. In the Source Directory box, type the directory where the package files can be found. You may also click on the Browse button to search the directory tree for the desired directory. The directory that is selected must be shared using the Windows NT File Manager before client computers can use this package.

  7. At the Bottom of the Setup Package for Workstations window, you will see a box titled Workstation Command Lines. Because we’re creating a new package, there should be no command-line options in the box. Beside the box, click on the New... button to create a new command-line option. The Command Line Properties window is displayed, shown in Figure 36.14.

    FIGURE 36.14. The Command Line Properties window enables you to enter the command to run with the appropriate parameters for the SMS package.

  8. Under Command Name: give the command a descriptive name. This is not the command to be used. In the Command Line: box, type the command and any parameters to be used with that command. If you want the package not to prompt the user for input, check the Automated Command Line box. This is used for unattended installations. If you need the user to input information, be sure that the Automated Command Line checkbox is cleared. Be sure to check the computer types to run this package in the Supported Platforms list. When you are finished entering the appropriate information, click on the OK button.


Running Jobs


Once a package is created, a job is created to distribute the package across the network. A job determines the distribution servers and client computers where the package will be delivered. Once the job is sent, you can also monitor the job status to verify that the package was correctly sent.

To create an SMS job to deliver a package, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Verify that the package you want to send exists. If a package has not been created, create the SMS package. For more information on creating SMS packages, see the previous section titled Creating Packages.

  3. Open the Jobs window by clicking on the Jobs icon, which is the second icon from the left on the SMS toolbar. You can also open the Jobs window by selecting Jobs from the Open SMS Windows dialog box.

  4. While the Jobs window is active, choose File, New. This will open the Job Properties window. The Job Properties window is displayed in Figure 36.15.

    FIGURE 36.15. The Job Properties window enables you to enter the settings for an SMS job.

  5. The Comment box in the Job Properties window is optional. If you want, you can type a descriptive comment for the job. The Job Type is a drop-down list. To install an application of the hard disk of a workstation, be sure that the Run Command on Workstation option is selected. If you want to run a job to set up a shared application, see the section titled Using Program Groups and Shared Packages later in this chapter.

  6. You should also see three buttons located at the bottom of the window: Details, Schedule, and Status. To configure a new job, click on the Details button. The Details button will display the Job Details window, shown in Figure 36.16. With this window, you can select the package to run, which computers to send the job to, and whether the job is mandatory.

    FIGURE 36.16. The Job Details window enables you to set many job options.

  7. Choose the package you created in the earlier procedure from the Package drop-down list.

  8. In the Job Target box, you can choose which machines will receive the SMS package. Usually, choosing a machine group is the easiest method of distributing the package to the correct computers.

  9. There are other options in the Job Details window. In the Send Phase box, you can choose whether to send the package only if it has not be sent before or even if it has been sent before. In the Distribute Phase box, you can determine which SMS site servers to use to distribute the package. In the Run Phase box, you can set when the package is available to clients, whether it is a mandatory package, and when the job expires. In most instances, you will probably want to leave the default settings unchanged. After you finish making selections in the Job Details window, click on the OK button until you return to the main SMS Administrator screen.

The job will be handled by the SMS services and distributed to the necessary distribution servers and then to the client computers. However, this may take a little while, and the status of the job will be marked as Pending. While the job is pending, the job can be modified if needed. However, when the job status becomes Active, the job can no longer be modified. Once the job status changes to Active, the SMS job can be can be monitored.

To monitor an active job, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Jobs window by clicking on the Jobs icon, which is the second icon from the left on the SMS toolbar.

  3. In the Jobs window, select a job that displays Active in the Status column that you want to monitor. Choose File, Properties from the menu, or double-click on the job. The Job Properties window will be displayed.

  4. In the Job Properties window, click on the Status button at the bottom of the screen. The Job Status window will be displayed. An example of the Job Properties window is displayed in Figure 36.17.

    FIGURE 36.17. The Job Status window enables you to see the overall status of an active job.

  5. If the job has had a chance to propagate across the network, you can click on the Details... button on the right side of the window. Clicking on the Details... button displays the Job Status Details window. The Job Status Details window is displayed in Figure 36.18.

    FIGURE 36.18. The Job Status Details window shows a listing of how the job is spreading across the network.

  6. You can click on the Refresh button to recheck the status if the Job Status Details window has been open for a while. When you are finished viewing the details, click on the Close button.

  7. Once the Sending Status column displays Complete, the job has been sent. The Working Status column displays the working status of the job, and if the job has been canceled, the Cancel Status column will be used. Otherwise, the Cancel Status column will display None. When you finish checking the status, click on the Close button.


Defining Alerts


Alerts are useful for warning the network administrator of certain conditions. One of the more commonly used examples of an alert is to check for computers that have a low amount of disk space. SMS already has a query defined for checking disk space of inventoried computers, so the administrator simply has to define the query and the threshold for how much available disk space is considered as low. Alerts can be logged in the Windows NT Event Log, trigger a program execution, or send a message directly to a user or computer on the network.

To create a SMS alert, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program. Be sure you have created a query for use by the alert. For more information on creating queries, see the previous section titled Defining and Running Queries.

  2. Open the Alerts window by selecting the Alerts icon on the SMS Administrator toolbar or by selecting the Alerts item on the Open SMS Window list. The Alerts window will be displayed with any SMS alerts that have been created.

  3. Create a new alert by selecting File, New from the menu while the Alerts window is highlighted, or click on the New icon from the toolbar when the Alerts window is selected. An Alert Properties window is displayed (see Figure 36.19 for an example).

    FIGURE 36.19. The Alert Properties window enables you to create an alert and define the conditions for that alert.

  4. In the Alert Properties window, type the name and a comment for the alert. Two buttons are displayed at the bottom of the Alert Properties window: Query and Actions.

  5. Click on the Query button to select the query options for the alert. This will display the Alert Query window, shown in Figure 36.20. This window enables you to select which query to use for the alert from a drop-down list of existing queries. The Alert Query window also enables you to limit the query to certain sites, define the repeat interval for the query in minutes, and specify what conditions are needed to generate the alert.

    FIGURE 36.20. The Alert Query window enables you to select the query to use for the alert.

  6. When you finish defining the options in the Alert Query window, click on the OK button. If more information is needed about the query options, a warning dialog will be displayed and a Resolve Query window will be displayed (see Figure 36.21). Type any required information in the resolve window and click on the OK button.

    FIGURE 36.21. The Resolve Query dialog is shown only when SMS needs more information about the query items for the alert.

  7. After returning to the Alert Properties window, click on the Actions button. This displays the Alert Actions window. Here, you can select to log the event in the event log, execute a program using the command line, or notify a user account or computer on the network. After selecting the appropriate options, click on the OK button.

  8. In the Alert Properties, click on the OK button to add the query to the Alert window. When the OK button is pressed, SMS gives the alert a unique ID used to identify the alert in the event log.


Once the alert conditions are met, the alert will not be triggered again in the later intervals unless the conditions have changed or the Alert Properties window is opened. For example, if you have an alert checking for low disk space and three computers trigger that alert, the next alert interval will not trigger an alert if those same three computers report low disk space. However, if another computer meets the conditions for the low disk space alert, the alert will be triggered.

Using Program Groups and Shared Packages


In order to use Program Groups, you have to have network applications using a shared SMS package. Program Groups create a standardized group or folder for shared network applications created by SMS. SMS versions 1.0 and 1.1 support only program groups for Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, and Windows NT computers. Version 1.2 of SMS enables program groups to be created for Windows 95 clients.

To create a shared SMS package, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not already started, start the SMS Administrator program. The Microsoft SMS Administrator program is displayed.

  2. Open the Packages window by clicking on the Packages icon or by selecting Packages from the Open SMS Windows dialog box. This icon is the third icon from the left of the toolbar.

  3. While the Packages window is active, select File, then New from the main menu. This will display the Package Properties window shown in Figure 36.22.

    FIGURE 36.22. The Package Properties window enables you to configure the SMS package.

  4. The Package Properties window enables you to define the package to install Windows NT. In the Name: box, type a descriptive name for the package. Optionally, you may also type comments for the package in the Comment: box.

  5. On the bottom of the Package Properties window, there are three buttons: Workstations, Sharing, and Inventory. Because you want to create a shared package, click on the Sharing button. The Setup Package for Sharing window appears. An example of the Setup Package for Sharing window is shown in Figure 36.23.

    FIGURE 36.23. The Setup Package for Sharing window enables you to select items such as the source directory and the share name.

  6. In the Source Directory box, type the directory where the package files can be found. You may also click on the Browse button to search the directory tree for the desired directory. Type a share name for the directory in the Share Name: box.

  7. At the Bottom of the Setup Package for Workstations window, you will see a box titled Program Items. Because you are creating a new package, there should be no command-line options in the box. Beside the box, click on the New... button to create a new command-line option. The Program Item Properties window is displayed, shown in Figure 36.24.

    FIGURE 36.24. The Program Item Properties window enables you to enter the appropriate share parameters for a shared network application.

  8. In the Program Item Properties window, type a description for the application in the Description: box. In the Command Line: box, you can either type in the command name to start the shared application, or you can browse for the file by clicking on the button at the end of the box. The Registry Name: box is used for shared applications that will be run on computers that use a Registry. The name that is put in this box will be used as a subtree for the application’s registry information. You can specify other options, such as running a local copy if it is available. Be sure to select the operating system that is going to be used to run the shared network package. When you finish entering the appropriate information, click on the OK button.

You will have to create and run a job to distribute the shared package. This is similar to creating a job to deliver a run on workstation type of package, but some of the windows will be different for the shared job.

To create an SMS job to deliver the SMS package, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Jobs window by clicking on the Jobs icon, which is the second icon from the left on the SMS toolbar.

  3. While the Jobs window is active, choose File, New. This will open the Job Properties window. The Job Properties window is displayed in Figure 36.25.

    FIGURE 36.25. The Job Properties window enables you to enter the settings for an SMS job.

  4. The Comment box in the Job Properties window is optional. If you want, you can type a descriptive comment for the job. The Job Type is a drop-down list. Select the Share Package on Server item from the Job Type drop-down list.

  5. You should also see three buttons located at the bottom of the window: Details, Schedule, and Status. To configure a new job for the shared application, click on the Details button. The Details button will display the Job Details window for a shared application, shown in Figure 36.26. With this window, you can select the package to run and which computers will receive the job. Note that the window is different for shared network packages than for workstation packages.

    FIGURE 36.26. The Job Details window enables you to set many job options.

  6. Choose the package you created in the earlier procedure from the Package drop-down list.

  7. In the Job Target box, you can choose to limit to a site or to send the job to all sites on the network.

  8. There are other options in the Job Details window. In the Send Phase box, you can choose whether to send the package only if it has not be sent before or even if it has been sent before. In the Distribute Phase box, you can determine which SMS site servers to use to distribute the package. After you finish making selections in the Job Details window, click on the OK button until you return to the main SMS Administrator screen.

Once the shared network application is distributed using SMS, you can use the SMS Program Group window to create a program group on client machines containing the shared packages.

To create a program group for shared network applications, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Program Group window from the Program Group icon on the toolbar or from the Open SMS Windows dialog.

  3. Create a new item by clicking on the New icon on the toolbar or by selecting File, New from the menu. The Program Group Properties window is displayed, enabling you to configure options about the shared program group, such as which shared packages are to be contained in the group (see Figure 36.27).

    FIGURE 36.27. The Program Group Properties window enables you to configure options about the shared program group

  4. In the Program Group Properties window, type the name of the program group in the Name: box. This name will be displayed at the bottom of the program group on all client computers using this group. You also may type an optional comment in the Comments: box.

  5. Click on the Packages button to add or remove the shared SMS packages that have been created. Once you have selected the shared packages you want to be placed in the program group, click on the OK button.

  6. Click on the User Groups button to configure the groups that have access to this program group. The User Groups button enables you to add or remove Windows NT user groups that can access the program group. When you are finished, click on the OK button.

  7. Click on the OK button in the Program Group Properties window to add the program group to the window.


Viewing SMS Events


SMS has an event log, just like Windows NT does, to record specific SMS events and errors. You can view this information from the Events window. To view the entries in the SMS event log, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Select the Events icon in the SMS Administrator toolbar; or, in the Open SMS Window dialog, select the Events item in the list.

  3. The SMS Events window will be displayed. At the top of the window, the number of events in the log and a timestamp, with the last recorded date and time, will be shown. Below these items, a listing of the various SMS events will be shown with the date and time of the occurrence, the machine name where the event occurred, and an event ID and type. Figure 36.28 shows an example of the Event window.

    FIGURE 36.28. The Event window lists all the events that have been recorded in the SMS event log.

  4. If you need more information about a particular event in the SMS log, you can double-click on the entry in the list to display more information. You can also select File, Properties when the event is highlighted to display the same information. The Event Detail window is displayed, shown in Figure 36.29. A description of the event, and possibly what caused it, is displayed at the bottom of the window.

    FIGURE 36.29. The Event Detail window provides more information about an SMS event.

  5. The Event Detail window displays more information about the event, including a more lengthy description of the event and what caused it. From this window, you can view the next event by clicking on the Next button or the previous event by clicking on the Previous button. To close the window, select the Close button.


SMS Help Desk Options


One of the most powerful features of SMS is the capability of using remote help desk options for certain computers in the SMS Site. These options enable a variety of functions, such as remote control of a computer, remote reboot of a computer, and transfer of files between the SMS computer and a remote computer, etc. Not all operating systems support the SMS help desk options, however. Computers with the following operating systems can use the remote help desk features:

Although Windows NT computers cannot use the help desk options, in SMS versions 1.1 and 1.2, the SMS Administrator program enables the administrator to view diagnostic information of a remote Windows NT machine. It also enables the User Manager and other options to be controlled via the SMS Administrator program.


All the SMS Help Desk and Diagnostic options require the Remote Control Agent to be running when the computer is being accessed. The Remote Control Agent is found in the SMS Client program group or folder. The options for remote access must be configured in the Help Desk Options program on the client machine. This is designed as a security measure to ensure that unauthorized personnel are not able to take control of another computer. Be sure to contact the user before performing any remote Help Desk or Diagnostic functions.

Because the SMS help desk options are very powerful, the potential for abuse by unauthorized personnel exists. To help prevent this situation, the SMS Remote Control Agent has to be running on the client computer before an administrator can access the machine. The Remote Control Agent also has to be configured to enable the remote functions to work. To set the configuration for remote administration, the Help Desk Options program is used. The Help Desk Options program is displayed in Figure 36.30.

FIGURE 36.30. The Help Desk Options window enables the remote user to determine which remote functions are available to the administrator trying to access that computer.

The Help Desk Options program simply enables the user to select which remote options are available to the SMS Administrator. The options are selected or deselected by using checkboxes. If an item is checked, that function is available to the administrator for the remote computer. The button sets on the side—Current and Default—are used to set options for either the current session or the default options set. The Status: item at the top of the window displays the current set being used.

The window is broken into two sections: Remote Viewer Options and Local Options. Remote Viewer Options contain items that can be performed on the machine from the SMS computer. Local Options contain items that provide signals to inform the user that the computer is being remotely accessed. The Local Options group also contains an item turning off the explicit permission of the user before the machine is accessed remotely.

Performing a Remote Reboot



Use the Remote Reboot option with extreme care! Inform the user before the reboot to save any data, and close all applications to ensure that no unsaved data is lost.

To reboot a remote computer, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Sites window by clicking on the Sites icon on the SMS Administrator toolbar, or by choosing File, Open and selecting Sites from the Open SMS Window dialog.

  3. On the left of the Sites window, highlight and expand the site where the computer you want to remotely reboot is located. Once the site is expanded, select the domain of the desired computer. Once this is selected, the right side of the Sites window will list the computers in the SMS inventory.

  4. On the right side of the Sites window, double-click on the computer you want to remotely access. The Personal Computer Properties window for that computer will be displayed. You can also open the Personal Computer Properties window by highlighting the desired computer and selecting File, Properties from the menu.

  5. The user of the remote computer will have to be sure that the Remote Control Agent is running on the computer before the Help Desk options are available. Once the agent program is started on the remote computer, click on the Help Desk item in the Properties listing.

  6. Select Remote Reboot from the items on the top right of the window. Once this is selected, the remote computer will display a dialog asking users if they want to allow remote access of the computer. The user must click on the Yes button.

  7. Once the Yes button is selected by the remote user, a confirmation dialog box will be displayed, similar to the one shown in Figure 36.31. If you are sure you want to reboot the remote computer, click on the Yes button.

    FIGURE 36.31. A Remote Reboot confirmation box is displayed before the remote reboot is performed, to ensure that an accidental reboot isn’t performed.

  8. Once the Yes button is selected, the remote computer will reboot. The message Request Acknowledged will be displayed in the Current Status field of the SMS Administrator window.


Remotely Executing a Program


To remotely execute a program, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Sites window by clicking on the Sites icon on the SMS Administrator toolbar, or by choosing File, Open and selecting Sites from the Open SMS Window dialog.

  3. On the left of the Sites window, highlight and expand the site where the computer you want to remotely execute a command is located. Once the site is expanded, select the domain of the desired computer. Once this is selected, the right side of the Sites window will list the computers in the SMS inventory.

  4. On the right side of the Sites window, double-click on the computer you want to remotely access. The Personal Computer Properties window for that computer will be displayed. You can also open the Personal Computer Properties window by highlighting the desired computer and selecting File, Properties from the menu.

  5. In the Properties listing of the window, scroll down until you find the Help Desk item. Before selecting it, however, make sure the user of the remote computer is running the Remote Control Agent on that machine. The client Remote Control Agent is found in the SMS Client program group or folder. If this program is not running, the SMS Administrator program will not find the computer and you cannot use the Help Desk options.

  6. After the user has started the Remote Control Agent, click on the Help Desk item in the Properties listing. The SMS Administrator program then tries to establish a remote session with the client computer. If it connects correctly, the icons on the right side of the window change from a grayed-out state to an active state. If it fails, an error message will be displayed on the screen.

  7. When a correct connection is established, users of the client machine will be asked whether they want to allow remote control of the computer. They must click on the Yes button in order for the process to continue! This is designed as a security measure in SMS to prevent unauthorized users from remotely controlling a computer. Be sure to contact the user prior to remote administration to ensure the proper responses.

  8. After the user has allowed remote control over the computer, the Run Program at the User’s Workstation window will be displayed. This window is shown in Figure 36.32.

    FIGURE 36.32. The Run Program at User’s Workstation window enables a command to be typed and executed on a remote computer in the SMS Site.

  9. Type the command and any required parameters in the Run Program at User’s Workstation window. After you type the command, press Enter or click on OK. The command will be executed on the remote computer.

  10. After the command is successfully executed, the message Executed is listed in the Current Status field.


Taking Remote Control over a Network Computer


To use the Remote Control feature to control a client machine from the SMS Administrator computer, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Sites window by clicking on the Sites icon on the SMS Administrator toolbar, or by choosing File, Open and selecting Sites from the Open SMS Window dialog.

  3. On the left of the Sites window, highlight and expand the site where the computer you want to remotely control is located. Once the site is expanded, select the domain of the desired computer. Once this is selected, the right side of the Sites window will list the computers in the SMS inventory.

  4. On the right side of the Sites window, double-click on the computer you want to remotely access. The Personal Computer Properties window for that computer will be displayed. You can also open the Personal Computer Properties window by highlighting the desired computer and selecting File, Properties from the menu.

  5. In the Properties listing of the window, find the Help Desk item. Before selecting it, make sure the user of the remote computer is running the Remote Control Agent on the client machine. If it is not running, the SMS Administrator program will not find the computer and you cannot use the Help Desk options.

  6. After the user starts the Remote Control Agent, click on the Help Desk item in the Properties listing. The SMS computer and the remote computer will make contact, and the icons at the top of the SMS window will become active.

  7. Click on the Remote Control icon in the Help Desk toolbar. Once this item is selected, the user of the remote computer will be prompted to allow remote access. The user should click on the Yes button for the remote control function to work.

  8. A window with a yellow and black border will appear on the SMS computer containing a portion of the display from the client computer. If the display size is smaller than the actual screen size of the computer being controlled, scrollbars will appear. From this window, the administrator is able to act as if sitting directly in front of that computer. The mouse and the keyboard can be used to control both the SMS computer and the remote computer. An example of the remote control window is shown in Figure 36.33.

    FIGURE 36.33. The remote control window displays the screen of the client computer.

  9. When you finish with the remote control session, you can close it by selecting another Help Desk Option or by selecting another item in the Properties list.


Using Remote Chat


To open a remote chat session between the SMS Administrator computer and a remote client on the network, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Sites window by clicking on the Sites icon on the SMS Administrator toolbar, or by choosing File, Open and selecting Sites from the Open SMS Window dialog.

  3. On the left side of the Sites window, highlight and expand the site where the computer you want to establish a chat session on is located. Once the site is expanded, select the domain of the desired computer. Once this is selected, the right side of the Sites window will list the computers in the SMS inventory.

  4. On the right side of the Sites window, double-click on the computer on which you want to start a remote chat session. The Personal Computer Properties window for that computer will be displayed. You can also open the Personal Computer Properties window by highlighting the desired computer and selecting File, Properties from the menu.

  5. Assuming the user has the Remote Control Agent running on the client machine, click on the Help Desk item in the Properties listing. Once the remote computer is connected, the Remote Chat item will be available.

  6. Click on the Remote Chat item in the top right side of the window. This sends a request to the client machine asking for permission to access the client remotely.

  7. The remote user needs to select the Yes button to allow the rest of the operation to be completed. After the Yes button has been selected, a window similar to Figure 36.34 will appear on both the SMS Administrator computer and the remote computer. The top text box on the SMS Administrator computer shows the user name and the computer name of the remote workstation. This text box displays any text that the remote user types. The bottom text box enables the administrator to type text back to the client computer.

    FIGURE 36.34. The Remote Chat window enables the SMS administrator and a remote user to communicate with each other.

  8. To close the chat session, either computer may close the chat window or the administrator of the SMS computer may choose another Help Desk option.


Transferring Files Between an SMS Server and a Remote Client


To transfer files between the SMS server and a remote client on the network, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Sites window by clicking on the Sites icon on the SMS Administrator toolbar, or by choosing File, Open and selecting Sites from the Open SMS Window dialog.

  3. On the left side of the Sites window, highlight and expand the site where the desired computer is located. Once the site is expanded, select the domain of the desired computer. Once this is selected, the right side of the Sites window will list the computers in the SMS inventory.

  4. On the right side of the Sites window, double-click on the computer you want to remotely access. The Personal Computer Properties window for that computer will be displayed. You can also open the Personal Computer Properties window by highlighting the desired computer and selecting File, Properties from the menu.

  5. In the Properties listing of the window, find the Help Desk item. Before selecting it, make sure the user of the remote computer is running the Remote Control Agent on the client machine. If it is not running, the SMS Administrator program will not find the computer and you cannot use the Help Desk options.

  6. After the user starts the Remote Control Agent, click on the Help Desk item in the Properties listing. The SMS computer and the remote computer will make contact and the icons at the top of the SMS window will become active.

  7. Click on the File Transfer icon in the Help Desk toolbar. Once this item is selected, the user of the remote computer will be prompted to allow remote access. The user should click on the Yes button for the file transfer process to continue.

  8. Once the File Transfer icon is selected, a window similar to Figure 36.35 will be displayed. This window displays four listboxes containing individual files or drive/directory listings. The left box contains files in the current directory of the local SMS computer. The next box displays all the available drives and directories on the local SMS computer. The third box contains the drives and directories of the remote client computer. The last box displays the files of the current directory in the remote client computer. You can use the Copy>> or Copy<< buttons to transfer files between the two computers.

FIGURE 36.35. The Remote File Transfer window enables the SMS administrator to transfer files to and from the local SMS computer to and from the remote client computer on the network.

Viewing Remote Diagnostic Information


To view remote diagnostic information for a remote computer, use the following steps:

  1. If it is not running, start the SMS Administrator program.

  2. Open the Sites window by clicking on the Sites icon on the SMS Administrator toolbar, or by choosing File, Open and selecting Sites from the Open SMS Window dialog.

  3. On the left side of the Sites window, highlight and expand the site where the computer you want to view diagnostic information for is located. Once the site is expanded, select the domain of the desired computer. Once this is selected, the right side of the Sites window will list the computers in the SMS inventory.

  4. On the right side of the Sites window, double-click on the computer on which you want to view remote diagnostic information. The Personal Computer Properties window for that computer will be displayed. You can also open the Personal Computer Properties window by highlighting the desired computer and selecting File, Properties from the menu.

  5. Be sure the client computer has the Remote Control Agent running and click on the Diagnostics item in the Properties list. Once the item is selected, SMS will try to find the remote computer on the network. Once it is found, the toolbar at the top of the window will turn from a grayed-out state to an active state.

  6. Once the toolbar is active, click on the desired diagnostic information you want to view. When the item is selected, the remote computer will prompt the user at that machine to verify permission for remote access. The user should select the Yes button for the process to continue.

  7. Once the user allows remote access, the diagnostic information will be displayed. Figure 36.36 shows an example of a Ping Test that checks to see whether packets transmitted from the SMS computer make a complete trip to and from the remote computer.

    FIGURE 36.36. The Ping Test is one example of the remote diagnostic information available in the Diagnostics item.

  8. To exit the Diagnostics display, click on another item in the Properties list.


Summary


The SMS Administrator program provides a wealth of useful tools to help a network administrator manage the network. This chapter covered how to use a number of these tools. However, due to space limitations, not all the features of the SMS Administrator were introduced. As you work with the SMS Administrator program and explore its capabilities, you will probably find it a very useful tool for network administration.

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