Providing phone support to a user who has limited computer skills not only frustrates both parties but also is much less efficient than being onsite with the user. In response to the cries of support staff and end users alike, Microsoft includes Remote Assistance, a remote control tool for troubleshooting and support, in Windows XP.
Remote Assistance uses Microsoft's proven Windows 2000 Server Terminal Services technology to provide what amounts to a Terminal Services session between a support professional's computer and an end user's computer. Through a Remote Assistance session, a support technician can see exactly what's happening on the user's screen and can even remotely control the user's computer. Despite some features that target home users, Remote Assistance is a usable, secure solution for corporate Help desks and support staff, especially when coupled with Group Policy in an Active Directory (AD) environment.
Remote Assistance has some similarities to XP's Remote Desktop feature, but you shouldn't confuse the two. Both features use Terminal Services technology, but Remote Desktop concentrates on increasing productivity by providing access to a session on a Windows system (e.g., accessing files and applications on your work computer from your home computer), whereas Remote Assistance lets a support person chat with a user and view and control the user's system with the intent of resolving a problem. For a description of Remote Desktop's unique capabilities, see "What's Remote Desktop?" May 2002, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 24539.
Establishing a Session
That Remote Assistance seems geared toward home users is most apparent when you look at the methods available for initiating a Remote Assistance session. The Remote Assistance links within XP's Help and Support Center provide three options for inviting help.
The first option, Use Windows Messenger, can be a good way for a home user to establish a support session with a friend, assuming that both parties have Windows Messenger accounts. However, this method relies on Windows Messenger for user authentication and doesn't let the user specify a password for the Remote Assistance session.
The second option, or use email, lets you send a request for assistance through your Simple Messaging API (MAPI)—compliant email client. Attached to the email message is a file that has the extension .MsRcIncident. This attachment, known as an invitation file, is an XML file that, when executed by the target user, launches Windows Help and Support, which in turn starts Remote Assistance to initiate the support session to the requester's computer.
The third option, Save invitation as a file (Advanced), lets users save the invitation file and transfer it to the target user through another method, such as an Internet-based mail application or removable media. Both the second and third options let you specify a password so that unintended recipients of the invitation don't have an open door to the end user's system.
The invitation file alone doesn't give the recipient (aka the helper) explicit permission to connect to and control the requesting user's system. The requesting user can always grant or deny the initial connection and, after the connection is made, allow or deny the helper's request to take control of the system.
Although the typical methods for requesting and providing assistance might suit the needs of small companies and home users, most corporate IT organizations will want to tighten the reins a bit. You can modify Remote Assistance settings on individual machines, but using Group Policy in an AD environment provides more control as well as easier administration. For further security, you can also configure your corporate firewall to minimize Remote Assistance—related security risks.