Client Management Suite

Greetings

We are working on an Altiris Client Management Suite 7.1 implementation. One of the things we have found in our CMS implementation is the install of the PCAnywhere QuickConnect. We do want to use Altiris to allow us to remote control PC’s however we do not want to allow the clients this access. In fact, we don’t even want them to see that PC Anywhere is installed. In the old Altiris DS 6.9 days, you could remote to a PC and the only thing that a user “could” see is when a PC is in the process of being remote accessed by our Helpdesk support team, the red Altiris agent icon would change to a flashing eye. I’m totally fine with that however with 7.1, the installation of PC Anywhere also seems to give the clients remote access. Not only do we not want to give our clients remote access, we don’t want them to see that PCAnywhere is even installed. If they see the software in their program menu, clients will then just start asking to use the software when it is against our policy. Is there any easy method to configure PC remote control access in CMS 7.1 but set a policy so QuickConnect is not available to clients as well as remove the visible installation of the software on the PC?

Also, is there method to disable the wait time to remote to a PC using PCAnywhere? When remote controlling a client, a prompt appears on the client giving them the ability to cancel the remote access and then counts down to 30 seconds. We want it configured so that when we are remote controlling a PC, that prompt does not appear and there is no wait time

Thank you for any help on this question

Greg

The only way I've seen to remove QuickConnect is to run a task after the pcA plugin has been deployed that deletes these 3 pcAQuickConnect files.

• pcAQucikConnect.exe
• pcAQucikConnectDLL.dll
• pcAQuickConnectRes.dll

It would be handy if those files could be removed from the pcA plugin package or perhaps a check box to disable/enable the feature.

One can hide the system tray icon but that's about it, as far as I can see.

Unchecking the user approval box should do away with the time out. Remember though that the client will have to 'phone home' to update its policy.

You should vote up this idea here, to allow customers to implement PCAnywhere without quick connect

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/ideas/need-deploy-pcanywhere-agent-without-deploying-quickconnect-application

In the meantime, there is a task here you can run to delete the Quick Connect shortcut on clients.  You can set it up as a managed policy that is ongoing if you want.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO60776

Thank you for the reply. I just want to confirm, if we run a task to remove the three files on our deployed desktops, can we still remote control a client/PC via CMS? We just want to prevent our clients access to PCAnywhere, not our Helpdesk staff through CMS.

Also, where do we uncheck the user approval box? Is that also through CMS or on the client?

I appreciate your assistance!

Thanks,

Greg

<<I just want to confirm, if we run a task to remove the three files on our deployed desktops, can we still remote control a client/PC via CMS?>>

I sent the job to a test machine and confirmed this to be true, but I would suggest you testing before sending it as well.

<<Also, where do we uncheck the user approval box>>

In CMS, settings, Agents and Plugins, all agents, remote mgmt, remote control, windows, pcanywhere settings, "Require user to approve connection" and there is also a timeout value there.  There's also an authentication tab there that you should set if you haven't already probably, such as AD group containing Helpdesk Techs.