One of the most common requests I receive from readers is for guidance about remote management tools for Windows 2000 Server. This request always surprises me because Win2K Server lets as many as two users use Win2K Server Terminal Services to remotely perform server management tasks. Windows XP Professional Edition includes a Terminal Services Client Access License (CAL) and the Terminal Services software, which is installed by default on XP clients. Often, however, reader questions concern managing groups of Win2K servers, or groups of Win2K servers that include some Windows NT 4.0 servers, which precludes using Terminal Services.
Windows & .NET Magazine regularly covers remote management in depth, and one consistent reader reaction to this coverage is, Why don't you include AT&T Laboratories Cambridge's Virtual Network Computing (VNC) product? The answer is, We do. To read some recent articles about VNC, see "Related Reading." Because reader requests for information about VNC keep coming, I've made an effort to use VNC and research the product's current status. What I've discovered is that VNC is a product worthy of your attention if you need to support NT 4.0 servers or need cross-platform support.
What Is VNC?
VNC is an open-source platform-independent remote control software application that is well supported by its user community. The VNC software and its documentation are available as a free download from AT&T Laboratories Cambridge's VNC Web site at http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc. Business users have unique needs, and if you're interested in VNC for your shop, I recommend that you evaluate the freeware to determine whether it's suitable for your environment. Then, evaluate a commercial version of VNC, such as TridiaVNC Pro, available from Tridia at http://www.tridiavnc.com. (Tridia also offers a proprietary freeware VNC version on the company's Web site.) Commercial versions of the software can relieve corporate users' concerns about support and viability.
I don't advocate using third-party remote control software for systems management when you can use Terminal Services. For XP and Win2K environments, Terminal Services works well, and Microsoft recommends Terminal Services to remotely manage Win2K Server (which is why every Win2K Server includes two Terminal Services licenses). However, I recognize that remote control software has a place in the corporate sphere, particularly in mixed OS environments. Being able to manage your servers from the desktop of your choice—a task that's often necessary in mixed NT/UNIX environments—can make your job much easier. And VNC is well suited for managing servers remotely in mixed OS environments. Both freeware and commercial versions of VNC are available for many versions of Windows and UNIX.
Putting VNC to the Test
To develop my test environment, I began by setting up on Win2K Server, NT Server 4.0, Sun Microsystems' Solaris, and Red Hat Linux. Because the VNC client software totals less than 150KB and easily fits on a 3.5" disk, I first tried using the disk individually on the various computers in my network without installing the client, just to see what I could discover. I found that I didn't need to install the client locally to successfully run a remote session—running VNC from the 3.5" disk worked well.
I use Terminal Services to manage the Win2K servers in my network from my XP Pro desktop. I did so originally because of space considerations: Keeping monitors and keyboards attached to a half-dozen server systems takes a lot of room. I first addressed the problem by adding a keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) switch so that all of my servers attached to one console, but I had to switch computers to use the console. Then I began to use Terminal Services and discovered how compelling its ease of use can be. But to access my two UNIX boxes, I needed to either telnet into them or use the console. One convenient feature that VNC makes possible with the UNIX servers is that I don't need to keep VNC running all the time. I can telnet into a UNIX system and launch VNC, then bring up the VNC client and use the UNIX machine's GUI to get a full-screen interface.