FAQ

Is Desktop Authority Remote Management Gateway an option for Desktop Authority?  

It is a standalone product which is marketed as part of the Desktop Authority product family because it is a key part of a user and desktop management infrastructure for IT administrators.  

Can Desktop Authority Remote Management Gateway be used standalone or only with Desktop Authority?  

Desktop Authority Remote Management Gateway can be used as a standalone product for remote control and assistance on computers on the LAN and on the Internet.  However, if it is used together with Desktop Authority it is possible to configure more granular Remote Management security settings on each computer, especially with the power of Desktop Authority’s patented Validation Logic.

Desktop Authority can set permissions for each administrator so it is possible to prevent them from viewing the remote desktop, or copying files to the computer, or running the command prompt, etc...  

Does Desktop Authority Remote Management Gateway let me remotely perform policy-based management of groups of desktops that aren’t on the domain?  

No.  Desktop Authority Remote Management Gateway extends the reach of Desktop Authority’s Remote Management technology (which provides individual remote control and assistance) to computers everywhere on the LAN and across the Internet.  It does not extend Desktop Authority’s desktop configuration and personalisation capabilities to non-domain computers, nor does it perform software deployment, patch management or other end-point security functions on desktops.  

What do I need to set it up?  

Desktop Authority Remote Management Gateway is a product that you install yourself on your network.  For a quick evaluation you can choose a “1-box” install, where all components go on one server.  For full installation in a secure environment with 2 firewalls and a DMZ you will need a Windows Server in your DMZ, which is where the Remote Management Gateway (RMG) “core” is installed.  The RMG core also requires Internet Information Services (IIS) and Certificate Services to be installed on the DMZ server.  See the Installation Guide for more information on system requirements.  

Why does every Remote Management Gateway client computer use its own certificate?  

Desktop Authority Remote Management Gateway uses a unique certificate for every client that can connect.  This is automatically created and installed, transparently to the user and administrator.  RMG uses certificates rather than the computer name to authenticate and authorise the client, because using the computer name would be problematic in a global network where two computers could have the same name.  Use of certificates to authenticate each client to the gateway, rather than the computer name, is much stronger and more reliable.