e2e_appmon and RDP

Products

• DX Unified Infrastructure Management (Nimsoft / UIM)

Issue/Introduction

e2e_appmon and RDP

 

Environment

Release: UIM 20.3/20.4
Component: e2e_appmon

Resolution

As e2e_appmon emulates a user running an application on a client, it exactly emulates this by logging into the workstation and 'pressing the buttons' just like a user would. This is intrinsic to it's success and value.

An RDP session will create a separate login which will disrupt the probe’s operation. A remote console viewer of some kind is required, e.g., VNC, Lan Manager, it is a requirement from WinTask, the underlying software.

For customers with security issues, try running a workstation in a VMWare guest. You can lock the host but leave the guest unlocked with the application running. This has been very successful at many sites. There is a large insurance company and a worldwide pharma company (with 4 major points of presence testing 16 applications) who have satisfactorily arranged positive security using vmware hosts/guests..

We understand that there are concerns with VNC. We are not tied to VNC. Dameware and other console view tools are fine. I think an ILO would be ok as well (though I have not tried it). The problem with RDP is that it is a virtual image of the console rather than the console itself. We've had a terrible time with it sometimes being satisfactory and sometimes not. So, we recommend that RDP not be used.

Alternate ideas to RDP:
- VNC
- Dameware
- ILO
- Lan Manager
- Vmware
- Physical system