pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

Introduction
The pcAnywhere Solution Advanced Configuration Guide is provided to assist customers with advanced features once they
have the Symantec Management Platform with pcAnywhere Solution installed. This document will explain how to configure
and enable two sets of platform-specific policies:
1. Host Configuration policies
2. pcAnywhere Plug-in policies
In addition, this document explains how to configure Access Server for use with pcAnywhere Solution and how to initiate
Remote Control sessions to host computers (directly and through an Access Server) from within the Symantec Management
Console.

Target Audience
Administrators who wish to customize the initial implementation of pcAnywhere Solution in their environment.

Considerations prior to the implementation of pcAnywhere Solution

There is no set order for which sets of policies, Host Configuration and Plug-in, must be configured or enabled; however,
this guide explains reasons to configure and enable the Host Configuration policy first.

It is a matter of choice whether to enable the pcAnywhere plug-in policies during installation from SIM or at a later time.
Once the pcAnywhere plug-in policies are On, these policies will automatically deploy the pcAnywhere plug-in to the
target computers.

The pcAnywhere Plug-in must be installed on each managed computer in order to remotely control them using
pcAnywhere Solution.

In order to automatically deploy the pcAnywhere plug-in to managed computers, it is necessary to enable or turn On the
pcAnywhere plug-in policies for supported platforms.

Prior to enabling the pcAnywhere plug-in policies, ensure that the policies apply to only the target computers on which
you want to install the pcAnywhere Solution plug-in.

If customizations to the pcAnywhere Host Configuration policies are necessary prior to deployment of the pcAnywhere
plug-in, then do not check the three pcAnywhere plug-in policies during installation of pcAnywhere Solution (at the
Enable Management Features screen).

pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

Here is the Enable Management Features installation page:

Note that pcAnywhere Solution requires that the Software Management Solution features are turned On, so it is best to
enable those on the Enable Management Features page during installation.

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pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

Host Configuration Policies
By default, the pcAnywhere Host Configuration policies are turned Off. Note that it is not necessary to enable these policies
prior to using pcAnywhere Solution to connect to managed clients because default host settings will be applied. For example,
even if the host configuration policy for the Windows platform is Off, the default pcAnywhere host running on the managed
computer will allow its local administrators credentials to connect.
In the Symantec Management Console, the following pcAnywhere host settings are configurable:
Connection
a. Approve connection This provides the flexibility of allowing the end-user of the managed computer to
accepting or reject the connection request
b. A customized approval message
c. Use encryption for better security
d. Allow connections to hosts behind firewalls and NAT devices
Authentication
e. pcAnywhere
f. Native NT This is the default authentication and Local Machine\Administrators is added as default user.
g. Active Directory To give rights to domain users and groups
Security
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.

Logoff host computer on connect

Restart host computer on disconnect (Note that this is not checked by default)
Hide host tray icon system tray icon will be hidden when no user is connected
Lockout for offending systems
Maximum number of login attempts
Timeout connection attempt
Remote control mode You can configure session control mode such as Full control, view only

Access Server
o. A host can be docked to pcAnywhere Access Server. Access server helps in connecting pcAnywhere host
machines that are behind router, firewall or other NAT devices.
To modify these host settings:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Open the Symantec Management Console

Click Settings > All Settings
Expand Settings > Remote Management > pcAnywhere
Click the link for the platform which you would like to configure,
such as pcAnywhere Settings Windows (as shown below).
5. If it is desirable to modify the settings or target of a default policy, leave the default policy intact and work with a
cloned version:
a. disable the default install policies
b. right-click the default policy
c. click Clone
d. name the cloned policy accordingly
e. adjust the Schedule options as needed
f. remove the default Applied to target
g. apply the policy to the desired target(s)

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pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

6. Note that on the Security tab, the setting Restart host computer on disconnect is not checked by default for good
reason. Checking this option will instruct the pcAnywhere host to perform a reboot of the host computer at the end
of each session.

7. To enable the pcAnywhere plug-in configuration policies once the configuration options are set, click the drop-down
arrow beside the red Off radio button, and then click the green On radio button.
8. Click Save changes
Target computers which already have the pcAnywhere plug-in installed will receive the updated policy configuration settings
at their next scheduled update. The default interval for Altiris Agent configuration updates is 1 hour.
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pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

pcAnywhere Plug-in Policies
All Agent Plug-ins, including pcAnywhere plug-in, depend on the Altiris Agent for communication with the Symantec
Management Platform.
If the pcAnywhere Plug-in policies are enabled during installation, it is possible to modify the policies at a later time, and the
managed computers will receive the modified settings at their next Altiris Agent configuration update.
If the pcAnywhere Plug-in policies were not enabled during installation (as shown above), they can be enabled as follows:
1. Open the Symantec Management Console
2. Click Settings > All Settings
3. Expand Settings > Agents/Plug-ins > Remote Management > pcAnywhere
4. Click the link for the policy which you would like to enable.

For example, to turn on the policy to install the Plug-in for Windows client computers, click pcAnywhere Plug-in for
Windows Install No Reboot. (Note that the pcAnywhere host will run without a reboot on Windows computers, but
the optimized graphics are not available until after a reboot.)
5. This is an ideal time to ensure that the policies apply to only the target computers on which you want to install the
pcAnywhere Solution plug-in. For example, the default target of Windows Computers with no pcAnywhere plug-in
Installed includes Windows Server versions. If you do not wish to deploy the pcAnywhere plug-in to Windows
servers, modify the target to include only the desired Windows versions.
If you plan to modify the settings or target of a default policy, it is best to leave the default policy intact and work
with a cloned version.
a. Disable the default install policies
b. right-click the default policy
c. click Clone
d. name the cloned policy accordingly
e. adjust the Schedule options as needed
f. remove the default Applied to target
g. apply the policy to the desired target(s)

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pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

6. With the policy open in the results pane, click the drop-down arrow beside the red Off radio button, and then click
the green On radio button.
7. Click Save changes

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pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

Initiate a Remote Control Session from multiple locations
1. Click Actions >
Remote Control

2. From filter
results,
right-click a
computer,
select
pcAnywhere,
and then select
Remote Control

3. From Resource
Manager with
while viewing a
computer, select
Remote Control
under Rightclick actions.

Access Server use with pcAnywhere Solution

To use an Access Server with pcAnywhere Solution, add its name or IP address, password, and optional group information to
the host configuration policy.
In an enterprise environment with more than one Access Server, create a clone of the host configuration policy and specify
the information for each Access Server in its own host configuration policy
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pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

To connect to hosts which are docked to an Access Server, specify the name or IP address of the Access Server, not the host,
in the Computer field of the Remote Control dialog

Type the Access Server password and click OK

Double-click the Group (defined in the Access Server manager software) to which the host is docked
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pcAnywhere Advanced Configuration Guide

Double-click the desired host to select it

When prompted, type the credentials for the host connection and click OK

For More Information

pcAnywhere Solution help on your SMP server: Click Help > Context > pcAnywhere Solution help.
Symantec Management Platform Installation Guide
pcAnywhere Solution Users Guide
pcAnywhere Solution Quick Start Guide
Symantec pcAnywhere Access Server Implementation Guide

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