Scenario: You sit down to work and need to watch a Lynda.com video to refresh skills before tackling a big project. You can’t open the video because you get an error message that your web browser needs an upgrade to see the video. But, you don’t know the administrator password that is required to update the web browser. Help Desk!
While waiting for the Help Desk to respond to an email about updating Chrome on one of the student iMacs in our office, we turned to other tasks. All the student and staff members of the team were busy working on individual projects and no one noticed the Help Desk had already responded and fixed the computer. Everyone had been working in the office. No one from the Help Desk came by. When and how did the magic happen?
What may seem like a minor miracle is simply a tool used by IT support staff when customers need quick fixes –like installing the latest release of an existing application. Bill Klemm, one of IT’s most senior divisional representatives (Support Specialist III), describes his behind-the-scenes magic, “We use Apple Remote Desktop or ARD to manage computers. I can run unix commands or copy files to the computer.”
IT staff who support Windows computers can use a similar tool, Symantec’s desktop Management Agent (sometimes referred to by its working title, Altiris). “ARD and Altiris make it easy for us to manage labs and student-use computers without having to be present –we can be in two places at once,” said Klemm. What’s more, these tools can be used on multiple computers at once. “I used the Apple Remote Desktop tool to run [a script] on all the Macs I manage at once — about 100. BOOM! Done. Saves me lots of time and shoe leather. Also helps people get ‘instant gratification’ for their requests. Cool, eh?”
ARD is a handy tool for Klemm and other Mac support staff. “I have it on all of the Shepherd School Macs. I can get hardware reports, run Unix commands, run updates, realign system settings, run repairs, remote control, etc. So customers get quick help and I can even run preventative maintenance if I see trouble in the reports – solving problems before they happen. I get so much more done by not having to run all over the place! Charles Wright, [another senior IT Support Specialist III] uses ARD and similar tools to manage Mac labs in other schools. Tools like ARD for Macs and Symantec for Windows help IT staff work smarter, plus the tools close the gap in time between the requests for assistance and delivery of support.”
Marty Merritt, Facilities Manager at the Shepherd School of Music
Marty Merritt, Facilities Manager for the Shepherd School of Music, agrees.”We’ve been very happy with ARD support. The best thing about it is that it allows Bill to respond very quickly and it minimizes distractions and potential noise during lessons and rehearsals. Installations and troubleshooting can be managed without having to have the professor or staff member any more involved than they need to be.”
Music professors’ offices double as their teaching space and private lessons are booked back to back throughout the day. A music professor can call or email the Help Desk before lessons begin or during a brief break in lessons and Klemm can apply the necessary updates without ever knocking on the office door. “It’s been tremendously helpful at the Shepherd School and I don’t know of any disadvantages,” concluded Merritt.
To learn more about remote support tools like ARD or Altiris installed on your Rice-owned computer, contact the Help Desk: helpdesk@rice.edu or 713.348.4357.