Tech, ExplainedEnterprise SaaS and software
Part

Remote monitoring and management (RMM)

Every client machine watched from one screen.

↑ IT service desk
INSIDE: MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER PLATFORMHOW IT WORKS · A FULL DISK AT A DENTAL CLINIC CHAIN IN THRISSUR, FIXED AT1:10 A.M.The agent on theclinic's 500 GB fileserver reports to RMMevery few minutes1:10 a.m.: itreports the disk94% full, abovethe MSP's 90% limitRMM runs the clean-upscript that the MSPwrote in advanceThe script deletestemporary files andbackups older than 30days, freeing 120 GBThe disk is now 70%full, and RMM logsand closes a ticketin the PSAINSIDE: MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER PLATFORMHOW IT WORKS · A FULL DISK AT A DENTAL CLINICCHAIN IN THRISSUR, FIXED AT 1:10 A.M.The agent on theclinic's 500 GB fileserver reports toRMM every few minutes1:10 a.m.: it reports thedisk 94% full, above theMSP's 90% limitRMM runs the clean-upscript that the MSP wrotein advanceThe script deletestemporary files andbackups older than 30days, freeing 120 GBThe disk is now 70% full,and RMM logs and closes aticket in the PSAINSIDE: MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER PLATFORM · AFULL DISK AT A DENTAL CLINIC CHAIN IN THRISSUR,FIXED AT 1:10 A.M.The agent on the clinic's 500 GB fileserver reports to RMM every few minutes↓1:10 a.m.: it reports the disk 94% full,above the MSP's 90% limit↓RMM runs the clean-up script that the MSPwrote in advance↓The script deletes temporaryfiles and backups olderthan 30 days, freeing 120 GB↓The disk is now 70% full, and RMM logsand closes a ticket in the PSA
Inside the managed service provider platform, RMM sees a dental clinic's file server reach 94% full at 1:10 a.m., runs a clean-up script that frees 120 GB, and logs the closed ticket in the PSA.
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Remote monitoring and management (RMM) is the part of a managed service provider platform that watches every client's computers from one screen and fixes many problems without anyone visiting. A managed service provider, or MSP, is an outside IT firm that acts as the IT department of small companies.

RMM depends on a small program installed on every client machine, called an endpoint agent. Every few minutes, the agent reports the machine's health to the RMM software. It reports how full the disk is, how busy the processor is, whether the antivirus is running, whether the backup finished, and which software fixes are still missing. The MSP sets a limit for each measure. When a machine crosses a limit, RMM raises an alert.

Many alerts do not need a person. The MSP writes scripts in advance. A script is a short program that carries out a fix, such as clearing temporary files or restarting a stopped service. RMM runs the right script as soon as the alert arrives.

Here is a typical case at an MSP in Kochi that looks after 2,600 machines for 90 clients. One of its clients is a chain of dental clinics in Thrissur. The chain's file server has a 500 GB disk, which stores X-ray images. At 1:10 a.m., the agent on the server reports that the disk is 94% full. The MSP's limit is 90%. RMM immediately runs the clean-up script. The script deletes temporary files and backup copies older than 30 days, and frees 120 GB. The disk is now 70% full. RMM records the alert and the fix as a ticket in professional services automation (PSA), and closes it. In the morning, a technician sees the fix in the night's report. If the script had failed, RMM would have called the technician on duty instead.

RMM also does planned work. Every Thursday night, it installs the approved Windows fixes on the clients' laptops in small groups. This is patch management. It also keeps a list of every client's hardware and software, so the MSP knows when a laptop is too old to keep.

How is RMM different from unified endpoint management (UEM)? UEM is used by one company's own IT team for its own devices, including phones. RMM is built for an MSP. It keeps each client's machines separate, shows them client by client, and mostly manages Windows computers and servers. Most RMM products can also manage Mac and Linux machines.

Concepts

Endpoint agent

Who builds it

ConnectWiseKaseyaKaseya SoftwareN-ableNinjaOne
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