Apple Remote Desktop
Administrator???s Guide
Includes setup instructions and solutions for managing client computers remotely
K Apple Computer, Inc.
?? 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Apple.
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Contents
System Requirements for Apple Remote Desktop 5
Setting Up Apple Remote Desktop on Client Computers 6
Installing the Client Software 6
Upgrading Existing Client Software 6
Setting Access Privileges for Client Computers That Use Mac OS X 6
Setting Access Privileges for Client Computers That Use Mac OS 8.1 Through 9.2 8
About Access Privilege Settings 9
Setting Up Apple Remote Desktop on Administrator Computers 10
Using Apple Remote Desktop With Computers in an AirPort Wireless Network 11
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Using Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop gives you the ability to remotely control and manage Macintosh desktops. It???s your complete solution for remote desktop access, remote assistance, system management, and software distribution. You can use Apple Remote Desktop to
mmanage client computers and maintain, upgrade, and distribute software
mprovide help and remote assistance for users when they encounter problems
minteract with users by sending text messages, observing and controlling users??? screens, and sharing their screens with other client users
muse documents and applications when you???re away from the of???ce
With Apple Remote Desktop software, you can access your of???ce computer, documents, and applications while you???re away from the of???ce. Used in a classroom, Apple Remote Desktop enhances the learning experience and allows teachers to monitor and control students??? computers. In corporate environments, it???s the ideal solution for managing remote systems, reducing administration costs, and increasing productivity.
System Requirements for Apple Remote Desktop
Administrator computers
meMac, iMac, iBook, Power Mac G3 or G4, or PowerBook G3 or G4 computer
mMac OS X versions 10.1.5 and 10.2.3 or later
mMac OS Extended (HFS+) formatted hard disk
mEthernet (recommended) or AirPort network connection
Client computers
meMac, iMac, iBook, Power Mac G3 or G4, PowerBook G3 or G4 computer, PowerPC based Macintosh, or Xserve
mMac OS 8.1 through Mac OS 9.2 or later (Mac OS 8.6 or 9.2.2 recommended) and Mac OS X versions 10.1.5 and 10.2.3 or later.
mEthernet or AirPort network connection
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File servers (for scheduled operations)
m Mac OS X Server version 10.1 or later, or AppleShare IP 6
NetBoot and Network Install
m Mac OS X Server with NetBoot and Network Install services enabled
Setting Up Apple Remote Desktop on Client Computers
To set up Apple Remote Desktop, you ???rst install the client software on the client computers you plan to administer. Then, you set access privileges for client computers.
Installing the Client Software
Use the client software Installer on your Apple Remote Desktop CD to install the client software on the computers you plan to use with Apple Remote Desktop. For Mac OS X computers, you need the name and password of a user with administrative privileges on the computer.
Follow the onscreen instructions.
Important If you need to use languages other than English, make certain the language script in use on the client computer matches the language script in use on the administrator computer. For example, if you use Japanese on the administrator computer, all client computers you plan to monitor using Apple Remote Desktop from the administrator computer must also use Japanese.
Upgrading Existing Client Software
For Mac OS X computers using Apple Remote Desktop client software version 1.1, you can use the Remote Desktop Client Update feature to update client software automatically. When you open the administrator software, modify a computer list, or switch to a different computer list, the application scans for updatable clients. If any are found, the application will prompt you to perform the update. If you want to prevent the application from searching for updatable clients, choose Preferences from the Remote Desktop menu and deselect ???Scan for remote desktop client updates.???
Setting Access Privileges for Client Computers That Use Mac OS X
You activate Apple Remote Desktop on a Mac OS X computer and set access privileges to the computer by using the Apple Remote Desktop pane of the computer???s System Preferences. You set access privileges separately for each user account on the computer. Follow the steps in this section to set access privileges on each client computer that uses Mac OS X.
To make changes on a Mac OS X client, you must have the name and password of a user with administrative privileges on the computer.
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To change privileges on each computer, follow these steps:
1On the client computer, open System Preferences and click Apple Remote Desktop.
If necessary, enter the user name and password of a user with administrative privileges on that computer.
2To activate the Apple Remote Desktop client, make sure to select ???Start Apple Remote Desktop client at system startup.???
3Select the checkbox of each user account that you want enabled for Apple Remote Desktop.
4Highlight a listed user whose access privileges you want to change, and then make the changes you want to the access privileges. Your changes take effect immediately.
See ???About Access Privilege Settings??? on page 9 for more information.
5If you wish, enter information in any or all of the four Computer Information ???elds.
This information appears in Apple Remote Desktop System Information reports. For example, you can enter an inventory number for the computer, a serial number, or a user???s name and telephone number.
6Repeat steps 4 and 5 for additional listed users whose access privileges you want to change.
7If you changed the setting of ???Start Apple Remote Desktop client at system startup,??? you must restart the client computer for the change to take effect.
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Setting Access Privileges for Client Computers That Use Mac OS 8.1 Through 9.2
After you install the client software on a Mac OS 8 or 9 computer, you can choose Remote Desktop access privileges.
To change access privileges on each client computer that uses Mac OS 8.1 through 9.2:
1On the client computer, locate and open the Remote Desktop Security application and enter the password (the default password is
The following window appears:
2Make changes to the access privileges and password. Your changes take effect immediately.
You can use the New button to de???ne up to ???ve sets of administrator privileges, each with its own password. This way you can give different administrators different privileges to the client computer. For more information, see ???About Access Privilege Settings??? on page 9.
3If you want, click Change Info and enter information about the computer.
This information appears in Apple Remote Desktop System Information reports. For example, you can enter an inventory number for the computer, a serial number, or a user???s name and telephone number.
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After you are ???nished, you can delete the Remote Desktop Security application from the client computer as an extra security measure. You may need to install it later if you want to make more changes.
About Access Privilege Settings
Access privileges allow an Apple Remote Desktop administrator to add computers to a list and then interact with them. If no access privileges are allowed on a client computer, that computer cannot be used with Apple Remote Desktop.
The recommended access privileges for a client computer depend on how it???s used.
mIf the computer is used in a public area, such as a computer lab, you may want to allow administrators full access privileges.
mIf the computer is used by one person, you may not want to give administrators full access privileges. Also, you may want the user to take responsibility for creating passwords and setting the access privileges for the computer.
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Setting Up Apple Remote Desktop on Administrator Computers
To set up Apple Remote Desktop on administrator computers, you install the software on the computer you plan to use to administer remote computers. Then, you open the application and create a main list of computers.
To install Apple Remote Desktop on administrator computers:
1Install the Apple Remote Desktop software.
Use the Installer on your Apple Remote Desktop CD to install Apple Remote Desktop on the administrator computer. You need the name and password of a user with administrative privileges on the computer. Follow the onscreen instructions.
2Open the Apple Remote Desktop application.
Once the client computer software is installed and set up, open the Apple Remote Desktop application on the administrator computer.
3Create a main list of computers by adding at least one computer to the list.
Make sure you???ve installed and set up computers with the Apple Remote Desktop client software before trying to add them to a list.
Select a computer???s name in the left list, click Add, and enter the requested authentication information for the selected computer. If you selected a Mac OS X computer, you enter the user name and password of a user that has been enabled for Apple Remote Desktop on that computer. If you select a Mac OS 8 or 9 computer, you enter an administrator password that was set in the Remote Desktop Security application on that computer.
To add computers from the left list, each computer must have a unique computer name.
You can also specify a range of IP addresses if necessary. Apple Remote Desktop will search the range of addresses for computers whose dynamic addresses have changed each time you choose the list from the popup menu in the Computer Status window.
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The administrator computer may appear in the left list if the computer has more than one network interface enabled, such as an AirPort card and an Ethernet interface.
Important If computers on your network have dynamic TCP/IP addresses, do not put computers that get their addresses from different DHCP servers in the same computer list.
For more help adding computers to a list, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Using Apple Remote Desktop With Computers in an AirPort Wireless Network
Using Apple Remote Desktop to observe or control client computers connected through an AirPort wireless network can sometimes result in impaired performance or cause communication errors to appear in the Computer Status window.
To get the best performance from Apple Remote Desktop with computers in an AirPort wireless network:
mMake sure that all AirPort Base Stations and all Apple Remote Desktop client computers have the latest versions of Apple Remote Desktop software, AirPort software, and Mac OS software installed.
mDisplay shared screens in black and white rather than in color. Choose Preferences from the Apple Remote Desktop menu and select ???Black & White.???
mDon???t connect the Apple Remote Desktop administrative computer to the network via AirPort. Connect it directly to the Ethernet network to which your AirPort Base Station is connected.
mCon???gure your AirPort Base Station with a station density of High and increase the multicast rate to 11 Mbps using the AirPort Admin Utility. Using these AirPort Base Station density and multicast rate settings limits the range of each AirPort Base Station???s network, requiring client computers to be fewer than 50 meters from a base station.
Using Remote Desktop With Firewall and NAT Routers
If you wish to use the Apple Remote Desktop application from behind a NAT router, you will need to set UDP port forwarding for port #3283 to your administration computer. If you wish to access a client computer that is behind a NAT router, you will need to set the router to forward UDP port #3283 to the client computer you wish to access.
Note: You will be able to access only that client computer.
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Using Remote Desktop With Mac OS X Server
Apple Remote Desktop makes an excellent productivity partner for Mac OS X Server users. You can control a server interactively via the desktop, and when used in conjunction with server features such as NetBoot and Network Install, you can make the tasks of installing operating systems and applications or performing system upgrades on one or more clients more convenient.
It???s simple to change startup settings for multiple computers. From one administrator computer in a computer lab, for example, you can use the Set Network Startup command in the Manage menu to set up any number of Mac OS X clients to start up from a NetBoot disk image, saving you the time and effort of con???guring each client computer manually. For instructions on setting a network startup disk, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Keeping Administration Computers More Secure
Remote Desktop can be quite a powerful tool for teaching, demonstrating, and performing maintenance tasks. For security, the administrator name and password used to access Remote Desktop cannot be stored in a keychain and must be typed each time you open the application. However, the login name and password for each client computer is always stored in the administrator???s keychain, providing strongly encrypted storage for this sensitive data.
If you wish to further limit access to the administration application:
mNever give the administrator name or password to anyone.
mQuit the Remote Desktop application when you have ???nished using it. When you open it again, it will prompt you to enter the administrator name and password.
mIf you want to leave the Remote Desktop application open, but need to be away from the computer, use Screen Effects settings in System Preferences to set up a password- protected screen saver and select a Hot Corner for instant activation.
mTo disable or limit an administrator???s access to a client, open System Preferences on the client computer and make changes to settings in the Remote Access preference pane.
Using the Set Scheduled Copy Command
The Set Scheduled Copy command in Apple Remote Desktop lets you automate the task of copying ???les to a computer. For example, you can make sure a particular application or a speci???c set of fonts is always available on a client computer. The computer can check the server regularly (every night, for example) to make sure certain items on the computer???s hard disk match items on the server. Then, the computer can download a new copy of the application if needed or remove extraneous fonts and download any fonts that are missing.
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When you schedule an automated task, information about the scheduled event is saved on the remote computer. At the appointed time, the Remote Desktop client software on that computer activates and initiates the ???le transfer. For more instructions about using the Set Scheduled Copy command, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Note: Before using Apple Remote Desktop to copy ???les from your administrator computer to a client computer that uses Mac OS X, set the permissions for the ???les you want to copy as you want them to be on the client.
Copying Items to Mac OS X Clients
Remote Desktop makes it easy to update items (other than the system software) on one or more Mac OS X client computers. You may want to start by creating a disk image containing the Mac OS X applications and items you want to copy. Alternatively, you can copy ???les from any local disk, such as a hard disk, CD, disk partition, or other disk.
Note: If a client computer is asleep when you attempt to copy items, Remote Desktop will try to wake the client before issuing a copy command. If a message appears and the copy does not proceed, you should use Apple Remote Desktop to wake the target computer, and then attempt the copy again. For instructions on waking a client computer, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
When you use Copy Hard Disk, all
Important You cannot use the Copy Hard Disk feature to copy Mac OS X system software to client computers.
To copy items to Mac OS X clients:
1Make sure the disk image, CD, or other disk containing the items you want to copy is mounted on the desktop of your administrator computer.
2Open Apple Remote Desktop and select one or more computers to which you want to copy items.
3Choose Copy Hard Disk from the Manage menu.
4Select the disk you wish to copy.
5Click Copy.
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Other Remote Desktop features, such as reports and the ability to drag and drop items you wish to copy, can make the task of updating remote computers more ef???cient. For more instructions about using copying features, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Copying Items to Mac OS 9 Clients
You can update items on a Mac OS 9 client computer???s hard disk, including the system software, using Apple Remote Desktop. You may want to start by creating a disk image containing the Mac OS 9 applications and items you want to copy. Alternatively, you can copy ???les from any local disk, such as a hard disk, CD, disk partition, or other disk.
Note: If a client computer is asleep when you attempt to copy items, Remote Desktop will try to wake the client before issuing the command. If a message appears and the copy does not proceed, you should use Apple Remote Desktop to wake the target computer, and then attempt the copy again.
To copy items to Mac OS 9 clients:
1Make sure the disk image, CD, or other disk containing the items you want to copy is mounted on the desktop of your administrator computer, then open Apple Remote Desktop.
2Select the Mac OS 9 computer to which you want to copy items.
3Choose Copy Hard Disk from the Manage menu.
4Select the disk containing Mac OS 9 ???les and folders you wish to copy.
5Select Copy System Folder or ???Copy other items??? (you can select both if you wish).
If you copy the System Folder, the client computer will restart when copying is complete. For more instructions about using copying features, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Installing Items on Remote Clients
You can install new software behind the scenes by copying installer packages (.pkg or .mpkg ???les) to one or more remote Mac OS X clients. Remote Desktop copies the package to the location you choose, runs the installer with no visible window or user interaction required, and then erases the installer ???les upon completion.
The client computers must use Mac OS X version 10.2 or later, and Remote Desktop allows only one package to be copied at a time. However, an administrator with access to Apple developer tools can use the PackageMaker application to create a metapackage that contains several installers to be run in sequence. More information about making and using a metapackage is available through the Apple Developer Connection website:
developer.apple.com/techpubs/macosx/Essentials/SystemOverview/InstallIntegrate/
Installers.html
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To copy and install software using a package file:
1Open Remote Desktop.
2Select one or more computers in the computer status window.
3Choose Install Package from the Manage menu.
4Select a .pkg or .mpkg ???le, and click Install.
During installation, a progress bar appears on the administrator???s screen. No progress bars appear on the client computer. The package copied to a remote computer is deleted if an error occurs during installation. However, a failed installation may leave behind other ???les created by the installer.
Note: Client computers are not restarted automatically after an installation is complete. If restarting is necessary, use the Reboot command to restart selected computers after using the Install Package feature.
Using Different Types of Installers
The Install Package feature only works with installers that use the .pkg or .mpkg ???le formats.
To use Remote Desktop to automate installations that use other ???le formats, ???rst use the Copy Items command to distribute the installer to client computers, and then use the Open Application command to open the installer on each client computer. You can then control the screen of each client computer and complete the installation process interactively.
Creating Reports
You can create reports about computers to check their software and hardware, check for performance problems, and check the administrator access privileges.
For instructions about creating a report, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Types of Reports
Software Version report: Compares version numbers of up to ten applications on client computers to the same software on the administrator computer. Ideal for verifying that all client computers have the correct version of an application installed.
Software Difference report: Compares applications and fonts on a group of computers to those on any other computer and reports differences. Ideal for auditing applications on all the client computers on your network and for tracking down software incompatibilities.
Software Search report: Determines if an item is on a computer by checking the
following kinds of information about the item: size, kind, label, version, Info window comments, date created or modi???ed, location, ???le type, and creator (the application that created the ???le). Ideal for ???nding applications or documents that have been misplaced.
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System Information report: Checks a variety of hardware and system settings, allowing you to diagnose problems and determine a computer???s compatibility with various Apple Remote Desktop features (for more on the System Information report, see ???Using the System Information Report??? on page 17).
Hard Disk report: Shows information about a computer???s mounted hard disks, including disk name, total disk space, amount of free space in MB, percentage of space free, format, disk driver, driver version, whether the disk is the startup disk, and if the disk is removable.
Disk Veri???cation report: Examines the directory structure of Mac OS Standard or Mac OS Extended disks. You can then repair disk problems that are found. Depending on the number of disks and ???les being checked at once, this report may take a few minutes to complete. This report collects information from Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9 clients only.
Network Performance report: Provides a way to evaluate the performance and reliability of the network, as described next in ???Evaluating the Network Performance Report.???
Administrator Access report: Reports the administrator access privileges set on a client computer. (You use the Apple Remote Desktop pane of System Preferences on Mac OS X clients or the Remote Desktop Security application on Mac OS 9 clients to change computer privileges.)
Evaluating the Network Performance Report
The Network Performance Report reveals problems such as a computer that is improperly connected to the network.
To check network performance, Apple Remote Desktop sends packets of information to the client computers you select and measures how long it takes for the packets to return. If a packet does not return from a client within a speci???ed time, Apple Remote Desktop counts the packet as lost.
Use these guidelines to evaluate the results of the Network Performance report:
mIf the number of routers seems incorrect, there may be a problem with your network.
mIf the maximum time it takes for a packet to return from a particular computer (Max. Time) is signi???cantly greater than that for other computers in the same area of your network, there may be a problem with that computer.
Note: The number of routers between computers can affect the time packets take to return. Compare times for computers in the same area of the network or with the same number of intervening routers.
mIf one computer shows a large number of lost packets, there may be a problem with the network connection to that computer or with that computer???s hardware or software.
mIf several computers in the same area of the network show a large number of lost packets, there may be a network connection problem or a problem with an intervening router
or bridge.
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Using the System Information Report
You can choose any of the following types of information to display in the System Information report:
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1 Does not apply to client computers with Mac OS X installed.
Using Report Windows to Work With Computers
After you???ve created a report, you can use it to select computers and then do any of the following:
mcreate other reports
mmanage computers
minteract with users
mschedule automated copying
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To create new computer lists from a report window:
m Select computers in the report window and click the New List button.
To delete an item from a computer:
m Select the item in any software report window and click the Delete button.
Strategies and Tips for Apple Remote Desktop
Following are some tips you may ???nd helpful while using Apple Remote Desktop. For more information on the tips, see Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Demonstrating Software
You can use Apple Remote Desktop to demonstrate software to users in several ways:
mYou can display your screen, or the screen of another computer, on the screen of every computer in the lab by using the Share Screen command.
mYou can use the Control command to demonstrate a task, and then have the user repeat what you did or complete the task.
mYou can use Text Chat to send text messages and coach a user through a procedure.
mYou can use the Lock Screen command to prevent users from working while you address the group
You can observe users??? activities by using the Observe
Preparing a Computer Lab Between Classes
Apple Remote Desktop can help you accomplish a number of routine tasks that restore computers in a lab to their original state:
mCheck for ???les created during previous classes that you want to delete from computers. To do this, create a Software Difference report to compare the computers to your disk or to a disk you set up as a standard. Use the Delete button or the Delete Selected command to delete the unnecessary ???les from the report window.
mEmpty the Trash on all computers using the Empty Trash command in the Manage menu.
mQuit any open applications using the Logout command in the Manage menu.
mRestart computers by using the Restart command in the Manage menu.
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mOpen applications and documents by using the Open Selected, Open Item, or Open Application command in the Manage menu.
mLock the computer screens until you???re ready for the class to begin working by using the Lock Screen command in the Interact menu.
Getting the Best Performance
To get the best performance when using the Share Screen, Observe, and Control commands:
mReduce the use of animation on remote computers. For example, you can simplify Dock preference settings by turning off animation, automatic hiding and showing, and magni???cation effects.
mUse fewer colors and a lower screen resolution on the screen you???re sharing.
mUse a sold color for the desktop of the screen you???re sharing.
mShare screens only on local networks. If you share a screen with a computer connected across a router, screen changes happen more slowly.
mOrganize computers you???re administering using Apple Remote Desktop into small groups, and close the administrator software when not in use. This helps reduce the number of status queries, thus reducing network traf???c.
mConsider using switches instead of hubs to improve performance.
Solving Problems With Apple Remote Desktop
Interpreting Status Messages
The Computer Status window shows a message next to each computer in the current list. Usually the message shows the name of the active application on the computer, but other messages may appear.
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If the message is dimmed, another administrator is managing the computer.
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Interpreting Error Messages
If a message appears in red and begins with the word ???Error??? in the Status column in the Computer Status window, the last command you tried to use on a computer did not work.
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Error messages remain in the Status column for about 45 seconds, or until you perform another command on the computer.
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Where to Find More Information About Apple Remote Desktop
For additional information related to Apple Remote Desktop, try these resources.
mYou???ll ???nd more information in the Apple Remote Desktop Read Me ???le and on the Apple Remote Desktop Web site:
www.apple.com/remotedesktop
mVisit the Apple Remote Desktop Support website provides a database of technical articles about product issues, usage, and implementation.
www.info.apple.com/usen/ard
mTo provide feedback about Remote Desktop software, visit the feedback page. www.apple.com/feedback/remotedesktop.html
mFor details about how to join the Apple Remote Desktop Mailing list, visit
mYou can also take part in online discussions via the Apple Remote Desktop Discussions Forum. To share information and learn from others, visit the website below and click Apple Remote Desktop in the Networking & Server Discussions section.
discussions.info.apple.com
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