Getting Started: Remote Administration

I began my computer consulting career when the word "windows" meant little more to me than a semiannual household chore involving vinegar and paper towels. My clients ran UNIX or Novell NetWare networks. When a client called with a problem, I dialed in to the network. When I started installing and maintaining Windows NT networks, dialing in was a complicated affair that often failed or was too slow because of the GUI bandwidth requirements (the lack of command-line tools was a real problem). As a result, when a client with an NT network called with a problem, I had to drive in.

If you're an administrator, you’re probably not as physically far from your servers as I was, but without remote administration tools, you must leave your workstation and go to the server, which might be down the hall, on another floor, or in a remote branch office. Life as an administrator is a lot easier when you can administer your servers remotely, from the comfort of your own office or cubicle. . . .