Apple today released a pair of updates to its Apple Remote Desktop management system aimed at administrators who oversee large numbers of computers, allowing them to assist users remotely, administer their systems, and deploy software updates.
Apple Remote Desktop 3.3 Admin (51 MB) and Apple Remote Desktop 3.3.1 Client (4.1 MB) address several reliability and security issues with the system. Full details of the improvements are provided in Apple's accompanying support document.
- Improves support for accessing client computers and task servers behind NAT (Network Address Translation) routers.
- Includes Task Server and Directory Server scanners, for finding client computers known by your task server and clients in computer groups on a directory server.
- New "Reporting" tab in client computer Info window, to set a single reporting policy for the client computer, shared by all Remote Desktop administrator computers.
- New "Administrators" tab in client computer Info window, to display and control which admin computers and task servers are associated with each client computer.
- Client settings configurable by Managed Preferences in Workgroup Manager.
- Support for finding and adding client computers via wide-area Bonjour.
- Resolves an issue using Lock Screen or Curtain mode on a client computer that's at the login window.
- Improves stability when running Remote Desktop Admin on a Task Server.
- Resolves an issue that could cause build_hd_index files to become very large.
- Improves compatibility with the Application Firewall.
- Change Client Settings task now works when the Remote Desktop administrator has an Active Directory account.
- Improves client stability when Sharing Screen.
- Scheduled UNIX Commands stay scheduled.
- When controlling a remote client, function keys and key combinations for actions such as Force Quit, Log Out, and the Application Switcher are now all sent to the remote computer.
- Improves screen sharing performance with RealVNC.
- Improves performance of encrypted file copies.
