Help Desk App - Need ideas or directions

[cfps.Christian]

We're in need of a program preferably ASP/ASP.NET (I realize the
chances but we'll just start here) that will allow our help desk staff
or other view what is on a user's computer without taking any control
at all. This will be used to protect user's sensitive information but
allow our staff to see what the problem is. My original idea was
something that worked similar to remote desktop and preferably with
less overhead since we don't need any more features than what is going
on with the user's pc.

This is not going to be a troubleshooting util (their computer is
borked) more or less this will be used to diagnose web issues.

Our two options as we see it are to have the help desk person log into
the user's account in some kind of readonly status which entails a TON
of work, or to somehow generate images from the user's pc and feed
them to the remote pc.

I'm thinking some kind of ActiveX/Client script style control that
takes screens and sends them via webservice or otherwise across the
network into another application. Since there is no need to control
the pictures would not have to be regularly updated, just enough to
get a feel for what is going on.

How feasible is this or has anyone done something similar?

[Cor Ligthert[MVP]]

cfps. probably is for this an ASP/ASP.Net or whatever webbased solution the
worst you can think about.

A webpage is meant to show what is on a server and not visa versa. Even
more, most security is done to prevent others to see on a workstation while
the browser is used.

But you can of course install on all your desktops IIS making servers of
that.

With most more expensive versions of the Microsoft OS that is possible. You
can then as well enable FTP on those computers to make it possible to
install the websites online.

Be aware that you then direct have to install as well all kind of firewall
software as your computers are also used to go to internet.

Be aware that this will never be as good as any terminalservice solution. A
print or what ever of the computers will probably be more effective then
your solution using ASP/ASPNET.

Just my idea.

Cor

[cfps.Christian]

On Dec 5, 3:51 pm, "Cor Ligthert[MVP]" <[e-mail]>
wrote:

cfps. probably is for this an ASP/ASP.Net or whatever webbased solution the
worst you can think about.

A webpage is meant to show what is on a server and not visa versa. Even
more, most security is done to prevent others to see on a workstation while
the browser is used.

But you can of course install on all your desktops IIS making servers of
that.

With most more expensive versions of the Microsoft OS that is possible. You
can then as well enable FTP on those computers to make it possible to
install the websites online.

Be aware that you then direct have to install as well all kind of firewall
software as your computers are also used to go to internet.

Be aware that this will never be as good as any terminalservice solution. A
print or what ever of the computers will probably be more effective then
your solution using ASP/ASPNET.

Just my idea.

Cor

Its not really my idea to do this in ASP, my shop just thinks
everything must be done in a webpage and I can't stress enough how
wrong that is. My particular idea was to allow the user to run a
quick windows app that would just send screens from the user's pc to
the help desk pc (similar to remote desktop). After the program is
run it removes itself and everyone is happy.

[Andrew Morton]

cfps.Christian wrote:

Its not really my idea to do this in ASP, my shop just thinks
everything must be done in a webpage and I can't stress enough how
wrong that is. My particular idea was to allow the user to run a
quick windows app that would just send screens from the user's pc to
the help desk pc (similar to remote desktop). After the program is
run it removes itself and everyone is happy.

Can't you write a "prototype" for "evaluation purposes only" the way you
want?

Then they'll have something which works, even if further development of the
web-based app is, errr... "slower than expected"?

Or fit web-cams to the back of everybody's chairs, peering over their
shoulders :-o

Andrew

[cfps.Christian]

On Dec 6, 11:06 am, "Andrew Morton" <[e-mail]>
wrote:

cfps.Christian wrote:

Its not really my idea to do this in ASP, my shop just thinks
everything must be done in a webpage and I can't stress enough how
wrong that is. My particular idea was to allow the user to run a
quick windows app that would just send screens from the user's pc to
thehelpdeskpc (similar to remote desktop). After the program is
run it removes itself and everyone is happy.

Can't you write a "prototype" for "evaluation purposes only" the way you
want?

Then they'll have something which works, even if further development of the
web-based app is, errr... "slower than expected"?

Or fit web-cams to the back of everybody's chairs, peering over their
shoulders :-o

Andrew

I will probably do the prototype thing but I might do it on my own
time so if I want to do something else with it I have that option.