Portal Administration for Remote Support

Introduction

This topic describes several key areas of the Admin Portal that can be used to manage Remote Support Settings  and Sub Settings.

Fields that can be set and/or configured in the portal are presented in tables, with each table showing:

  • Setting - the name of the field that controls the setting

  • Type - the type of value that can be entered or selected and its default value

  • Description - how the setting is used and notes about any implications it may have on other settings

To change any of the settings in the portal, log in to the portal and select the setting from the menu.

In this topic

Remote Support Settings

Authorization

Endpoint

Settings

Security

Emails

Sub Settings

Remote Support Settings

Portal menu: SRA > Settings > Remote Support Settings

Settings here are the global settings for all endpoints participating in the feature. You can overrule settings for listed domain users or computers under the sub-settings menu.

Portal menu: SRA > Settings > Remote Support Settings > Authorization

AUTHORIZATION tab

Remote Support  allows users to remotely assist other users with issues. It is often combined with the EPM feature Support Assist  to perform installs without logging the user out and without giving the user admin rights.

Remote Support requires Windows endpoint software 8.4+ and is part of the Secure Remote Access product suite.

Setting

Type

Description

Allow Remote Support

Toggle
On | Off

Default: On

On - Allows computers to be accessed remotely, provided a user is present (i.e. remote user must confirm).

Note that supporting user might only be able to watch and not take control (see Security settings (VIEW ONLY tab)).

Off - Computers cannot be accessed remotely regardless of whether a user is present or not.

Note that Unattended Access  might still be possible, depending on Unattended Access settings.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

NOTIFICATION tab

Email notification to administrators is available when Require approval is checked under Authorization.

Notifications can be sent for the following scenarios:

  • Each new request for approval (Run As Admin) or admin session access (Admin Session)

  • When malware is detected (Workstation Settings > [OS] Settings > Malware)

  • When unattended remote access is requested (Unattended Access)

  • When either an end user or portal admin initiates a Remote Support session.

As with other request types, new requests for approval always appear under Requests > Pending in the Portal top menu. This is the case for both Endpoint Privilege Management and Secure Remote Access.

The Notification setting enables and configures additional email notification for new requests. If multiple email addresses are specified, they must be on separate lines.

NOTE:

Phone notification is separate and happens automatically via push notifications to phones with the mobile app installed.


Setting

Type

Description

Send email notifications

Toggle
On | Off

Default: Off

On - Additional email notifications are sent to the email addresses listed in Email addresses.

Off - Email notifications are not sent.

Email addresses

Text

Standard email address format. Use a new line for each address.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

Portal menu: SRA > Settings > Remote Support Settings > Endpoint

ICON tab

An icon for Remote Support appears in the system tray at install time.

This setting lets you optionally also place an icon on the user's desktop. If you enable the desktop icon, but do not specify a desktop icon name, the default "Administrator Access" text will be used in a localized version (English, German, French, Spanish, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian).

Setting

Type

Description

Create desktop icon

Toggle
On | Off

Default: On

On - Place icon on the desktop.

Off - Do not place icon on the desktop. Only the tray tool icon will be available.

.

Desktop icon name

Text

Label to use for the icon. If left blank, Administrator Access is used as the label.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

Portal menu: SRA > Settings > Remote Support Settings > Settings

RECORDING tab

Screen recording means that the remote session is recorded.

Files are stored locally and can be requested in the auditlog by expanding the relevant line.

Setting

Type

Description

Screen recording

Toggle
On | Off

Default: Off

On - Screen recording is enabled.

Off - Screen recording is disabled.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

Portal menu: SRA > Settings > Remote Support Settings > Security

MFA tab

MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) requires the portal user to re-authenticate with single sign-on when connecting remotely to an endpoint.

If the logged-on portal user does not  log on with SSO (single sign-on), the user will be denied access to the endpoint.


Setting

Type

Description

Require MFA

Toggle
On | Off

Default: On

On - The logged-on portal user must authenticate via SSO when connecting remotely to an endpoint.

Off - Portal user does not need to authenticate via SSO to remotely connect.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

VIEW tab

View Only means that the portal user can watch, but not interact with the endpoint.

This is useful for sensitive endpoints, such as c-level computers. You can create sub settings for sensitive computers based on computer groups.


Setting

Type

Description

Assist Only

Toggle
On | Off

Default: On

On - The portal user can only watch, but not interact with the endpoint.

Off - Portal user can take control of screen and keyboard during a session.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

SESSION EXPIRY tab

Session expiry is the maximum length a remote session may last. When this time expires, the remote session will be disconnected.

NOTE:

Selecting Unlimited is not recommended, as this would result in no expiry on the remote session.


Setting

Type

Description

Session expiry

Selection

Default: 4 hours

Select a value between 15 minutes and Unlimited.

Custom is also available - if selected, choose the required number of Hours and Minutes.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

Portal menu: SRA > Settings > Remote Support Settings > Emails

Emails go out when Require approval is turned On under Authorization. You can create your own email templates here with information specific to your company, such as a Help Desk phone number and custom instructions.

Setting

Type

Description

Email template

Selection

Default: Approved email

Approved email - Loads a template that advises the user (i.e. requester) that the request for access has been approved.

Denied email - Loads a template that advises the request for access has been denied without giving a reason.

Denied with reason - Loads a template that advises the request for access has been denied and provides the reason.

Administrator notify - Loads a template that advises the administrator (i.e. person who approves or denies) that a request for access is waiting for attention.

Email sender

Text

Default: Admin By Request Team

The email address to be used as the sender for the email. Can be used with custom domains. Use the Email address button to set up custom domains.

Refer to Email Domain for more information on configuring an email address to be used as the sender for all user notifications.

Email subject

Text

Default: Admin By Request

Text that will appear in the subject line of emails.

Get default

Button

Loads the default Email template for the option selected.

NOTE:

  • Default email templates are created by Admin By Request. Contact us if you wish to customize a default email template.

  • Using this button will overwrite any customization you might have done in the Template body.

Email address

Button

Switches to Email Domain in Tenant Settings in the portal, allowing you to use a custom domain as the sender.

This allows sending email from domains other than @adminbyrequest.com.

NOTE:

This is optional, but you cannot add an email sender field of e.g. "tom@mydomain.com" unless  you have first set up the custom email domain "mydomain.com" via the Email Domain setting in the portal (Settings > Tenant Settings > Email Domain).

Template body

Formatted text

The body of the email to be sent.

Includes three views:

  • Design: WYSIWYG view of content. Enter and format body text here.

  • HTML: The same content in HTML format. Can also be edited if necessary and changes will be reflected in Design and Preview.

  • Preview: What the recipient sees. Read only - switch to Design view to make changes.

Dynamic content tags

Tags can be used in the body, which are place holders in curly braces. These are replaced with actual request values when emails are sent.

The following tags are available:

  • {UserFullName} Name of requesting user

  • {UserEmail} Email address of requesting user

  • {UserPhone} Phone number of requesting user

  • {UserReason} Reason the requesting user gave

  • {DenyReason} Admin's reason for denial (only used for denial with reason)

  • {ComputerName} Name of requesting computer

  • {AdminUserName} Name of administrator receiving notification (only for admin notify)

  • {AuditlogURL} URL to this entry in the auditlog

  • {RequestURL} URL to this entry in requests

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

You can set up an email notification to your ticketing system and embed the tags below for dynamic content.

Setting

Type

Description

Ticket system email

Text

The email address to which emails intended for your ticket system will be sent.

For example: itsupport@mycompany.com

Email sender

Text

Default: Admin By Request Team

The email address to be used as the sender for the email. Can be used with custom domains. Use the Email address button to set up custom domains.

Email subject

Text

Default: Admin By Request

Text that will appear in the subject line of emails.

Get default

Button

Loads the default Email template for the option selected.

NOTE:

  • Default email templates are created by Admin By Request. Contact us if you wish to customize a default email template.

  • Using this button will overwrite any customization you might have done in the Template body.

Email address

Button

Switches to Email Domain in Tenant Settings in the portal, allowing you to use a custom domain as the sender.

This allows sending email from domains other than @adminbyrequest.com.

NOTE:

This is optional, but you cannot add an email sender field of e.g. "tom@mydomain.com" unless  you have first set up the custom email domain "mydomain.com" via the Email Domain setting in the portal (Settings > Tenant Settings > Email Domain).

Template body

Formatted text

The body of the email to be sent to the ticketing system.

Includes three views:

  • Design: WYSIWYG view of content. Enter and format body text here.

  • HTML: The same content in HTML format. Can also be edited if necessary and changes will be reflected in Design and Preview.

  • Preview: What the recipient sees. Read only - switch to Design view to make changes.

Dynamic content tags

Tags can be used in the body, which are place holders in curly braces. These are replaced with actual request values when emails are sent.

The following tags are available:

  • {ID} Unique auditlog trace no

  • {APIID} ID for looking up this entry through the public Auditlog API

  • {Status} Requested, Approved, Denied, Started, Finished

  • {UserFullName} Name of the requesting user

  • {UserEmail} Email address of requesting user

  • {UserPhone} Phone number of requesting user

  • {UserReason} Reason the requesting user gave

  • {DenyReason} Admin's reason for denial

  • {ComputerName} Name of requesting computer

  • {AdminUserName} Admin approving or denying request

  • {InstallList} Installed programs

  • {UninstallList} Uninstalled programs

  • {AuditlogURL} URL to this entry in the auditlog

  • {RequestURL} URL to this entry in requests

Ticket ID

You can find a ticket by its ticket ID using the Search button in the Auditlog.

Voided text

If a line has one or more tags and all tags in the line are empty, the entire line is automatically removed.

Remote Access notification events

Setting

Type

Description

User requests approval

Toggle
On | Off

Default: On

On - Sends a notification for User requests approval.

Off - Does not send a notification.

Admin approves user request

Toggle
On | Off

Default: On

On - Sends a notification for Admin approves user request.

Off - Does not send a notification.

Admin denies user request

Toggle
On | Off

Default: Off

On - Sends a notification for Admin denies user request.

Off - Does not send a notification.

User starts remote session

Toggle
On | Off

Default: Off

On - Sends a notification for User starts remote session.

Off - Does not send a notification.

User finishes remote session

Toggle
On | Off

Default: Off

On - Sends a notification for User finishes remote session.

Off - Does not send a notification.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

Sub Settings

Portal menu: SRA > Settings > Remote Support Sub Settings

Sub settings will overrule the global settings for the users or computers to which they apply. Both users and computers can be in Active Directory groups or organizational units.

If a user or computer hits multiple sub settings, the first in listed order that includes the setting concerned  wins.

As with sub-settings for EPM servers and workstations, SRA sub-settings mirror their respective global settings, with the addition of an Overrule global settings switch.

The following table lists the settings and sub-settings structure for both Unattended Access and Remote Support:

Unattended Access

Remote Support

Authorization

Authorization

Settings

Endpoint

Security

Settings

Gateways

Security

Emails

Emails

Each of these can be on or off, which is controlled by a Global Settings Overrule:

Setting

Type

Description

Overrule global settings

Toggle
On | Off

Default: On

On - This setting will overrule its associated global setting.

The global setting fields are then undimmed and become available for editing.

Off - This setting will not overrule its associated global setting.

The global setting fields remain dimmed.

The key to sub-settings is to define and activate their Scope.

In the portal sub-settings, Scope is the second-top menu item, immediately below the < Back button.

Setting

Type

Description

Active

Toggle
On | Off

Default: Off

On - Sub-settings are active for the set named in Sub settings name.

Off - Sub-settings are not active .for the set named in Sub settings name.

Sub settings name

Text

The name assigned to this set of sub-settings.

Portal user in group

Text

A list of groups into which users are placed, with multiple groups on separate lines.

Computer in group

Text

A list of groups into which computers are placed, with multiple groups on separate lines.

Computer in OU

Text

A list of organizational units into which computers are placed, with multiple OUs on separate lines.

Network scope

Toggle
On | Off

One entry for each Gateway

Default: Off

On - Scope is active for this gateway.

Off - Scope is not active for this gateway.

Network scope means that these sub settings only apply to the selected gateway combination. A gateway represents an on-premise LAN - if no toggles are on, there is no network scope.

Save

Button

Saves customization and changes to any fields.

Note that reloading any defaults does not take effect until Save is clicked.

Note the following:

  • Tiering can be achieved by setting up a gateway on each tier and set portal user and sub settings network scopes.

  • Computer scope does not work for discovered devices, because the server endpoint software is required to collect groups and OUs.

  • Entra ID / Azure AD groups require you to set up the Entra ID Connector.

  • All scopes must be met. If multiple user groups and computer Organizational Units (OUs) are specified, the user must be member of at least one of the groups and the computer in one of the OU locations.

In the portal text fields, multiple groups or OUs (Organizational Units) must be specified on separate lines. OUs can be specified as either:

  • The bottom name, e.g. Sales. Any OU named Sales will match.

  • Path from root using backslashes, e.g. \US\Florida\Sales.

  • The fully distinguished name, e.g. C=US,ST=Florida,OU=Sales.