Remote access

Remote access is not required, but very convenient. The farm runs around the clock, and you don't need to sit next to it. You can start, pause and view reports right in the Telegram bot. But sometimes you need to get onto the PC itself: restart a VM or fix something. That's what a remote access tool is for.

The options

• AnyDesk — simple and popular, but the free version often complains about "commercial use" and drops sessions.
• TeamViewer — the same restriction issues, and heavier on top of that.
• RustDesk — a free AnyDesk alternative, works fine.
• Parsec — very smooth picture, but it's built for gaming, not for managing several machines.
• Windows Remote Desktop (RDP) — built into the system, but exposing it to the internet is unsafe.

Our choice — MeshCentral

The farmers' favorite and the most convenient option is MeshCentral.

• Free and unlimited. No trial periods and no dropped sessions.
• All machines in one window. The main PC and all VMs are listed in the browser with their online/offline status. For a farm with several VMs this is the key point.
• Works from the browser, including on your phone. Nothing needs to be installed on the device you connect from.
• More than just the screen. There's a terminal, a file manager (handy for dropping files onto a VM), reboot and power-on for machines.
• The agent starts with Windows, so after a reboot the machine comes back online by itself.

Security

Enable two-factor authentication in MeshCentral. Access to the farm can lead to the accounts and their inventories.