Having a faultlessly running IT infrastructure is a dream of every organisation, and the ongoing challenge that faces every single Managed Service Provider or IT department the world over. When you’re in charge of somebody’s network, there are many objectives and goals that vie for your attention every minute of every day; security, storage, software, internet access, and performance are all important individual factors, but the overarching goal for all IT professionals is to ensure that their network is running smoothly overall.
Tools Of The Trade
You simply cannot do this without certain tools, and the most important tool (and the one that usually sees the most use) in the IT pro’s arsenal is the Remote Monitoring and Management system, or RMM. This is a management platform that runs software agents installed on network endpoints. An endpoint can be any device - a server, workstation, laptop, even a tablet or phone – that connects to your network and essentially performs tasks. The RMM software monitors everything that happens on the endpoint; it has access to system logs, performance metrics such as system temperature, Hard Drive speed, memory and CPU usage, and is able to perform system tasks at an administrator level. It regularly checks in with a handler system – often a server in the cloud – which runs the management platform and collates all the reports and system messages from endpoints on networks it is monitoring. This is then presented via a sophisticated Graphical User Interface (GUI) to an IT professional responsible for the health of the network.
It’s a two-way connection, meaning that at any point the IT professional can access your endpoints remotely, either overtly, with the knowledge and assistance of the user, or covertly, when the system is locked or there is no operator. Depending on the setup, there’s also the possibility of turning on systems remotely, completing tasks, then shutting down again. Remotely accessing a customer’s endpoints makes troubleshooting and repairing difficult software and system issues far easier. It’s far more efficient than attempting a fix solely over the phone, via email, and even in person, as RMM platforms seamlessly integrate with password management and antivirus software, so there’s no scratching around for logins, passwords and product keys - they’re all available at the click of a mouse.
If there are clear advantages to break-fix scenarios for customers’ networks by using RMM software, then these are very much secondary when compared to the bonuses gained in preventing software and hardware issues.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
RMM software is an incredibly useful tool for predicting when and where a network will fail, where the security holes are, and which machines are on their last-legs or in dire need of a tune-up. It can even show you which machines are running certain software, when that software was last patched, and how often launching that software creates problems for the rest of the operating system or indeed the rest of the network. Patching this software is a doddle and can be scheduled to be done out-of-hours or across certain parts of the network only. Installing certain patches and skipping others is also a feature of many platforms, keeping bloating of endpoints to a minimum. With scripting an option on many RMM platforms, entire user profile or software suite installs can be scheduled to run when a business is closed, or when a user signs-out for the day.
Is There A Catch?
So what are the downsides to having an RMM deployed on your network? Surely there are issues with having an all-powerful monitoring and management suite deployed on every machine in your network, silently collecting data and keeping a hidden eye on every task, click, and keystroke? Well, not really. If you’re worried about the security of your data, the depth of functionality of RMM software is completely adjustable when it comes to each network, and only you and the administrator, be they in-house or working for your MSP, can control the level of access and see the data that these systems collect.
The More You Know…
There’s always a place for refined data in keeping your network healthy, and in terms of system usage analytics, working out when you need to make changes to IT processes, or make purchases to replace ailing infrastructure or software, then RMM deployments are invaluable. If you’re interested in introducing an RMM system to your network, or elevating your service plan to include some of the more useful functionality of your existing RMM deployment, then get in touch with Pearce IT, and we can help you to make your network more secure and more efficient for a very low cost per-endpoint.
After all, the more you know about your network, the more you can do with it.