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MSP University - Backup and Disaster Recovery

How to Restore an Image-Based Backup to a Drive with a Different Partition Structure

How to Restore an Image-Based Backup to a Drive with a Different Partition Structure

Sometimes, you need to reconfigure the partitions of your image-based backup for your backed-up system to fit a new computer or a new system structure – for example, when one of the updates for Windows 10 has changed the partition structure, and this modification might cause failures if you restore an “older” backup. Another common situation is when backed-up and target physical drives have different sizes.

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PowerShell vs CMD

PowerShell vs CMD: the Difference Explained

PowerShell vs CMD: the Difference Explained

In Windows 10, the “traditional” command prompt that we’ve been using for years (dozens of years, to be exact) has been replaced by PowerShell. Of course, you can still call good old cmd.exe, but all menus and hotkeys now contain PowerShell as a default option, instead of CMD. Let’s sort things out: why did this happen and what’s the difference between these console applications? Continue reading

MSP Branding

Guide to MSP Branding

Guide to MSP Branding

When an MSP grows and becomes more mature, its owners eventually recognize the need for sales and marketing operations. And yet, many still overlook branding. Although not essential and, for sure, not the first thing to build your MSP around, recognizable branding, such as the vision and the mission statement, the elements of design embedded into various details of your website, office interior, and clothes might become a small, yet visibly shining gem that will allow you to stand out from the crowd even more. Continue reading

Managed Backup Service

Remote Deploy: Use Cases

Remote Deploy: Use Cases

Although an MSP’s job is challenging overall, many tasks are routine. And changing backup plans is a part of this routine. Doing this on a single computer is easy but, when you have a customer with 100+ PCs, changing all the plans might take way too long. However, you can significantly reduce the number of working hours you’re going to spend on it. Try our PowerShell module!

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MSP University - Product

MSP360 Managed Connect (Formerly Remote Desktop) Advanced Use Cases

MSP360 Managed Connect (Formerly Remote Desktop) Advanced Use Cases

In MSPs’ daily work, some cases might seem fast to resolve but others require additional attention, although they are quite ordinary. Almost everyone faces them with at least one of their clients. In this guide, we’re going to describe several situations that are very common in our business and cover solving the associated issues with the help of MSP360 Managed Connect. We’ll also show you some advanced features of the solution.

Teamwork on a Single Issue

Use Case

Your user has an issue with an app and calls for help. One of your administrators connects remotely and tries to resolve the issue. However they realize that they can’t manage it and they need assistance.

Solution

MSP360 Managed Connect supports multi-user sessions, meaning that several admins can access one remote session simultaneously. If a junior administrator can’t handle a problem, it’s possible to call a more experienced colleague who will be able to check what’s happening and either give advice or do the job themselves, depending on its complexity.
In this case, the senior administrator receives a message or a call, enters the web console, finds the computer on which the junior encountered the issue, and connects.

Keep in mind that multi-user sessions work only with attended access, which means that you need to select Join an active Windows session when connecting to the computer, and then enter that computer’s PIN.

After successful connection, you’ll see a control admin panel. Click on the icon next to the microphone, and a window will pop up, showing the connected admins and their roles. The “eye” icon indicates view mode; the pencil means full control. To pass control to another admin, hit the “eye” icon next to the name of their computer.

eye icon

In this way, MSP360 Managed Connect provides your team with the opportunity to work together on the same issue without the need to interrupt a session or use any third-party tools to communicate. This makes their job easier, and helps users to have their issues solved faster.

Bulk Installation

Use Case

You need to set up remote access to dozens of new machines. Manual installation might take too long.

Solution

Managed Connect has the option for bulk installation within a single company. You’ll just need to get a configured build to customize configuration settings and then utilize the Group Policy feature or an RMM solution.

Create a build with a token for the new company as usual: Downloads / Connect to / Remote Computer Installation. After setting up all the options, you’ll get a link to download this build, or command line keys to use in the deployment process. Please note: if you rename the URL or keys, they won’t work.

Bulk installation script

The next step depends on which method you prefer: manual installation, the Group Policy feature, or an RMM solution.

  • Manual installation is when users install the Connect agent themselves. You’ll need to send them their company’s build or the generated URL. Users then launch the file and follow the installation wizard instructions. This isn’t the best method, because you can’t control the installation process. It may happen that you won’t be able to access users’ computers when you need to, because they’ve forgotten to install the agent.
  • Another option is Group Policy, which allows the deployment of the Connect agent quickly and easily. Download the build, put it on the file share, or simply open access to it to all users who need the agent installed. Then, create the Group Policy Object with the installation file and run the bulk installation.
  • The last method is to use MSP360 RMM or other RMM solution. Download the Connect user build with a company token, then deploy it within your RMM. Another way is to use command line keys. The choice depends on RMM preferences.

After successful installation, all the machines will be shown on the Computers tab.

Remote Monitoring of Several Sources

Use Case

An engineer is assigned to maintain and monitor four remote radio stations that relay very important communications data between builders of electrical lines. These stations need to maintain a connection, even at a lower connection speed. The location of stations varies from the southern point of the US to the most northerly point of Canada.

Solution

All the stations are controlled by computers running the Windows OS. So, the Connect agent can be installed on every computer. Our servers are located across most of the Amazon AWS regions, so we maintain good latency. After installing the agent, several functions are available.

  • Picture optimization. Of course, in such a case you need to monitor all the computer controllers and you’ll need to transfer data from all four of them. By lowering the size and resolution of the picture you see on your screen, you consume less bandwidth and can see what’s happening, even if the connection is poor. Click Adjust image quality. Customize the preferences.

Remote monitoring of several sources

Remote monitoring of several sources

  • Parallel connection. You can connect to all the stations and observe all of them at once, for example on your second screen as a separate window. You’ll then see if something goes wrong and there will be no need to switch from one station to another.

parallel connection

  • Sound monitoring. MSP360 Managed Connect can transfer both picture and sound from remote computers, so you don’t have to just stare at screens. If the station has a specific sound signal for an emergency situation, you’ll be able to hear it. This feature is enabled automatically.

As you can see, with MSP360 Managed Connect , you can master specific tasks without effort.

Conclusion

MSP360 Managed Connect is a highly customizable solution that is suitable for many situations. With it, you can manage both ordinary and out-of-the-usual cases with the same ease. The solution provides the ability to work as a team, flexibility of installation, and a large variety of features that allow you to change the configuration according to your particular needs.

If you have any remaining questions, please contact our pre-sales team.

Managed Backup Service

Security Considerations and Best Practices

Security Considerations and Best Practices

It is sometimes thought that only big companies are affected by cyberattacks because their data might be worth a fortune. In fact, intruders may prefer smaller ones, since it is easier to compromise their security. When you’re working remotely with a company of any size, it is necessary to keep everything protected. Safety is our first priority, and we do our best for your data to be secure. Continue reading

MSP University - Product

MSP360 Managed Connect (Formerly Remote Desktop) Essential Features

MSP360 Managed Connect (Formerly Remote Desktop) Essential Features

MSP360 Managed Connect is a remote access solution with various features that make your remote working processes easier while providing a high degree of safety. With this, you can get access to any services on your customer’s computer, chat or talk with a user to fully understand an issue, and send or receive files. Continue reading

Managed Backup Service

Setting Up Backup and Recovery Plan Notifications in MSP360 Managed Backup

Setting Up Backup and Recovery Plan Notifications in MSP360 Managed Backup

When you create a backup or a restore plan, you need to know whether everything goes well. If not, you might want to learn about this immediately, so as to make the necessary corrections. That’s where notifications matter.

MSP360 Managed Backup allows you not only to create various notifications and reports but also to customize them, adding data that you might need in case of emergency. So, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to react to it without delay, having the maximum information about what has happened.

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