Tips + Favorite Integrations from Remote Desktop Manager Advocates

The Avengers are a group of superheroes who fight for freedom and justice. Well, Remote Desktop Manager Advocates have a similar mission, except that instead of fighting the battles that S.H.I.E.L.D. never could, they are dedicated to securing and controlling the IT chaos. Hey, it’s a difficult job, but someone has to do it, right?

Remote Desktop Manager Advocates assemble in our VIP community called Devolutions Force, where they:

• Enjoy privileged access to updates, news, events, and tips.
• Share advice with and gain insights from other Power Users.
• Are among the first to participate in beta testing programs.
• Connect directly with our team of experts.
• Solve challenges and perform tasks to earn points, which can be redeemed for all kinds of Devolutions goodies.

By the way, are you interested in feeling the Devolutions Force and joining our roster of Power Users? If so, email me at dsthilaire@devolutions.net and I’ll send you an invitation!

Tips & Tricks

Recently, we asked our Remote Desktop Manager Advocates to share some tips and tricks for getting the most out of the solution. Here is what they recommend:

• Set up notifications so you know when a colleague is using a session. Learn more.
• Run Password Analyzer from time to time to make sure all of your passwords are secure. Learn more.
• Use Remote Desktop Manager in portable mode within a Veracrypt Volume and integrate KeePass. All supporting tools are portable as well. This comes in really handy! Learn more.
• Use the password generator tool to easily create new passwords. Learn more.
• Set your personal database in Google Drive, which makes it super easy to access it from any device (PC, Mac, tablet, and phone). Learn more.
• If you feel overwhelmed with too much stuff on your screen, auto-hide the navigation bar to free up some space.
• When rebooting a server, use the “Check is Online” macro, and then “connect automatically” so that when the server comes back online, you’re already connected.
• Use the "Keep tab on disconnect" feature, which makes it a lot easier when you’re working on something that requires multiple reboots.
• Use the custom installer generator to make the install specific to the user that you’re installing the software for. Learn more.
• Run two versions of RDM side-by-side, which is very useful for testing before a rollout. You can make sure everything is working properly before sending it to production.
• Connect your RDP connection to a password manager to save time during login. You no longer have to enter passwords manually.

Favorite Integrations

We also asked our Remote Desktop Manager Advocates to share some of their favorite integrations and features:

ConnectWise Control

Commented an Advocate: “We have a lot of different customers, and hence a lot of different ways to remotely connect to their servers. The direct RDP sessions are easy, but the VPN connections are not. With over 140 colleagues, it is not possible to install multiple VPN clients locally on their laptops. Therefore, we have about 20 virtual machines on our network to build up the VPN connection. We RDP into the virtual machines, build up the VPN connection there, and then RDP into the customer’s server. Although this works, it takes quite some time to establish the connection (because of the jumps). To solve this, I advised our customers to use ConnectWise Control, which we have integrated in Remote Desktop Manager. It saves us time, money, and hassle.” Learn more.

Multiple Web Consoles

Commented an Advocate: “Everything is related to time in IT! I normally have to open up several tabs and remember all the console addresses, etc. Having them all stored in RDM saves me a considerable amount of time, and being able to mix and match browsers without having to launch them separately also helps a lot.”

Password Managers (Dashlane, Keypass, etc.)

Commented an Advocate: “Keypass was used by my company for a long time before I joined, and when I showed them how easy and painless RDM was, what it was capable of — beyond just password connections — and how it integrated with the tools already being used (meaning no migration times), it was quickly put on the table to be added to the next budget.”

BeyondTrust Bomgar Connections

Commented an Advocate: “The integration of Bomgar in RDM means that our people do not have to launch separate programs. They can find what they need in one place quickly and easily. I also use the Command Line feature to start BeyondTrust Bomgar Connections using their API. I simply double click in RDM, Bomgar launches the relevant Jump Client, and away we go.”

Flexibility Is Strength

As you can see, Remote Desktop Manager is quite flexible. Different IT pros use it in various ways to solve their problems and achieve their objectives. This has always been very important to us, and it’s a philosophy that dates back to when Remote Desktop Manager was first created by our CEO David. Like many of you, David was a consulting IT pro who needed an affordable solution that was powerful and professional grade, but also very versatile and efficient. Since he couldn’t find what he needed, he created his own solution. As the say, “necessity is the mother of invention!”

While Remote Desktop Manager is MUCH more sophisticated and multi-faceted today than it was in the beginning, this core commitment to a flexible user experience has always remained — and it always will. Whenever we add a feature or improve an existing one, we always ask, “will this help IT pros be more efficient and successful?” If the answer is yes, then we proceed. If the answer is no, we don’t.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these tips from our Advocate community — and remember: if you have what it takes to join the ranks of Devolutions Force, then we want you on our roster of superheroes to help secure and control the IT chaos!