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It used to be that software that let you control remote systems were for large
networks only. Now that Windows
XP (a Windows NT-based operating system) is
universally in use, and many homes have more than 1 computer, remote management
tools are not just for the Network Administrator anymore. Windows
XP comes
with a variety of tools that lets you control what services run, view logs,
and other system information of the local and remote workstations. Unfortunately
there isn't a single tool that does everything. This is where Remote
Task Manager by SmartLine Inc. comes in handy. Remote
Task Manager provides a straight-forward interface that
lets you control services, shares, security patches, running processes, etc
from a single window.
Installation
I installed Remote Task Manager on a computer with Windows
XP and a computer
with Windows Server
2003. The software
installed easily and without problems on both computers. At the end of the
installation, you are prompted for the license file. If you do not have one,
the software runs as a trial. This trial is fully functional other than you
can't view a summary of the system information.
Testing
If you've pulled up the Windows
Task Manager in Windows
XP, then you'll be
familiar with the main window for Remote
Task Manager. It uses a tabbed interface to
control 11 different features of the software.
All of the features described below are available when viewing information for
your local system, as well as when connected to another system. In the screenshot
below, I connected from my Windows
XP computer to another Windows
XP computer.
The first time I tried to connect, it told me that the remote computer didn't
have Remote Task Manager installed,
and I was able to install it from my local workstation. Once that was done,
I was able to view the various tabs complete
with information.
- Applications
The Applications tab lists all of the running applications on the system.
The process with a lightning bolt (in the screenshot above it is Microsoft
Outlook) is the active program. From this window you can see a total number
of applications running, you can end a task, and you can also start a task.
When you click on the New Task... button you can choose what application
to start on the system and under what credentials.
- Processes
The Processes tab lists all running process on the system. It has all the
basic information that the Windows
Task Manager shows, along with a lot
more. You can see the standard process name, id, username of account running
that process, CPU usage, time, and then a variety of resource information
such as memory, page file, threads, handles, etc. The columns shown is
customizable.
From this window you can also view the Process Tree (what process started
which other processes) and you can end (commonly called kill) a process.
- Services
The Services tab shows all software services installed on the system. The
default screen shows the service name, the state, the startup type, the
path to the executable, and the dependencies. You can start, stop, pause,
continue, and restart services as well as edit or delete them. You can
also create a new service if you'd like something to run automatically
at startup.
- Devices
The Devices tab lists the same basic information as the Services tab and
allows you to perform the same functions as the Services tab
- Events
The Events tab lets you view the event logs on the system. Double-clicking
or clicking the Detail... button bring up the details of the event. You can
also change the settings for the size of the log, as well as save the log.
A very useful feature is the Filter option. If you want to see all Errors,
then you can choose to view only Errors. If you want to view Errors that
have event ID 33 that happened within the last 7 days, this can be setup.
 Performance
The Performance tab is very much like the Performance tab in the Windows
Task Manager. You can view CPU usage and Memory usage in chart form, and
view some basic resource information- Shares
The Shares tab lists all shares on the system, include hidden system shares.
You can create new ones or delete existing ones. You can also change settings
and permissions for each share.
- Networking
The Networking tab is very much like the Network tab in the Windows
Task Manager. You can see network traffic history, as well as information on each "network" you
have setup on the system.
- Hardware Resources
The Hardware Resources tab lets you view DMA, IRQ, I/O, and Memory information
on your system.
- NetStat
The NetStat tab shows all of the network connections you have open, either
to or from your system. It shows either the port number that it is connected
to, or the name of that port (epmap, netbios, etc). It also shows the state
and the protocol. You can also close connections if there is someone connected
to your system that you don't want.
- Security Patch Analyzer
The Security Patch Analyzer uses the hfnetchk.xml file to check for patches.
On my system it said I had 3 patches missing. The first one was in error
as it isn't possible to install that patch on my system. The other two were
indeed missing. You can click on a missing patch and press the Detail... button and it will show you what version of the software you have installed,
as well as what patch your missing. There is also a link that should let
you download the patch. This worked perfectly on the Windows
Server 2003 system as it took me to the appropriate page on the Microsoft site to download
the update. However it did not work on the Windows XP system. When I clicked
on the Download Patch link, Dreamweaver opened up trying to edit the file.
This is most likely a problem with a file association on the test system,
not a problem with the software.
In the bottom left corner of the main screen there is a button called SysInfo.
This brings up a window that shows the operating system version, registration
information, and other critical system (including hardware) information.
Another great feature of the software is that whenever you are on a tab, you
can choose to export a list of what is showing. From the File menu, choose
Export List and you can export the window contents to a tab or CSV delimited
file.
Purchase
A single license for Remote
Task Manager sells for $40 while
multi-license packs are also available. The software comes with
free upgrades and email technical support for one year.
Conclusions
This is a phenomenal program. I realize that Microsoft offers tools for free
that will do everything here, but you'd have to pull up at least 6-10 different
programs or applets in order to do it. Remote
Task Manager provides you with
a single, easy-to-use interface to manager your workstations. If you have more
than one Windows 2000 or XP computer at home, then you will certainly find
this useful. If you manage computers on a larger network, then you will find
Remote Task Manager indispensable.
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