How to minimise data going over satelite internet

[t40t40]

Hello

We got some servers on ships that we need to monitor.

We are using Inmarsat FBB that is why I ask.

It is windows 2003 server.

We need remote login with graphics because of Mathlab,(remotedesktop)

What client is best for that (windows) I am thinking of getting less data over the link.
How do we configure the server to send less data.(remove all you can on the desktop and make it black)?

Also I need some software that can monitor the bandwith ussage in up /Down stream.
I also need software that can count the mb used also up/down.

One more thing.

We got static IP of the ships. But you get 3 IP for a ship. to cover the hole world NA EMEA and EAST.

Is it posible to configure our own in house DNS, so that I just got one host name and it will try 3 ip addresses?

That is all for now brains

Thanks

T40T40

[Bobiskey]

Remote Desktop.

Plenty of options out there. I would surgest you try microsoft solution first, then shop around if it doesn't do what you require.

On the server side you need to allow remote desktop logins. For this you need to either be then Administrator account or a member of that group, you also need to use a passworded acount as windows won't allow remote logins without a password. This acount also needs to be a member of the "remote login" user group. The Administrator alrdy is. Other user accounts will need to be added to that group. It walks you through that as you go.

On the client side, start up remote desktop connection and click on Advanced (options for vistaor later machines) play about with the settings to reduce the bandwidth you require to display the desktop and add the ip address (or hostname) to the connection interface, hit connect and login useing the username/password you added to the remote users group.

Bandwidth monitoring.

Again Windows can handle this through "Performance" in the administrators tools. Just a case of of adding a new "counter log" to performance logs and allerts section useing the network side and use the correct counter. There are a few, each has a little explained about it. Just bare in mind. Any monitoring of systems consumes resources. Set your interval, Save the log file as either binary file for processing through the performance window or as a delimited text file for processing through performance or something else later on. Log files can grow to to a size then start overwriting there own data so be carefull with this. Setting it to start new log files once it reaches the limit or stop/start at set times will create a new log file.

DNS/IP

Not sure about this one. Not done much DNS for a while. I know you can use multi IP addresses to a single hostname for load balancing, but i think for what you need you'd have to get the server to update its own Host(A) record in your DNS server, something for you IT admins to look at.

[chroma]

UltraVNC
Simple client server video net client, the client can also be configured for bandwidth, <19kbps 4color to 2mbps experimental 32bit color.
You wont get audio but it doesnt seem that thats a requirement.

Plugins are available for encryption (which i imagine will raise your overhead but will provide aditional security)

I use the software personaly to administrate several clients on my network.

Bandwidth monitoring, there are litteraly millions of soloutions out there thanks to capped internet restrictions, ive used BWMonitor in the past Bandwidth Monitor - Monitor Bandwidth, Network Bandwidth Monitor, Bandwidth Monitor Software with good results, but ive never been seriously interested in monitoring my bandwidth so im sure there will be better soloutions out there.

DNS servers, ive used BIND in the past but it was linux only and it had security "issues" that being said apparently these where resolved from the release of BIND9. its a little convolouted to set up too.
Ive heard good things about MaraDNS both in terms of security and usability so that might be an option.

However if your only using a few windows computers it might just be easier to make a few edits to the windows HOSTS file found under system32\drivers\etc its checked before windows performs a DNS lookup so you could siply add in the hostname and the known ips there and windows will try each on the list before resorting to DNS backup.

Just set up a few aliases so that the name will resolve to a list of ip's before worrying about DNS resoloution.

Again however if your using several computers this can quickly become an impractical soloution.

[t40t40]

Hello

Good replys

I think I will need to work with Microsoft client as It need to use a seperate session.

I am looking at Bandwith monitor and it looks like it can do whta I need.

Also the host info is good. I didnt know that you could have one host name pointing at more than one ip.

Best Regards
T40T40

[chroma]

Hello

Good replys

I think I will need to work with Microsoft client as It need to use a seperate session.

I am looking at Bandwith monitor and it looks like it can do whta I need.

Also the host info is good. I didnt know that you could have one host name pointing at more than one ip.

Best Regards
T40T40

The hosts thing from what i can remember (its been a while) is fairly convolouted, i had to mess about with aliases and link those if i remember rightly.

I had an FTP set up on a dynamic IP (before DYNDNS came to fruition) and remember spending a lot of time on the problem, it was a bit of a headache but it can definately be done.