This set of Frequently Asked Questions about Desktop Central tries to answer your queries. Kindly mail us if you have any questions that remain unanswered. What are the system requirements for Desktop Central? What operating system are supported by Desktop Central? What is the difference between Free and Professional Editions? Do I have to write scripts for using Desktop Central? What is scope of management? Do I need to define configurations separately or can I group them and define? When are the configurations applied? How to access Desktop Central UI or console from the remote? What is "Define Target"? My free trial expired before I was through evaluating Desktop Central. Can I receive an extension? How is Desktop Central licensed? Why is Desktop Central configuration done through a web interface?

1. What are the system requirements for Desktop Central?

Hardware Requirements

No. of Computers Managed	Processor	RAM	Hard Disk Space
Upto 250 Computers	Single processor Intel P4 ~1.5 GHz	1 GB	2 GB*
251 to 500 Computers	Single processor (Intel P4 or Xeon 2.0 Ghz (Dual Core), 800+ Mhz FSB, 4 MB cache)	2 GB	2 GB*
501 to 1000 Computers	Single processor (Intel Xeon ~2.4 Ghz Dual Core, 800+ Mhz FSB, 4MB cache)	4 GB	3 GB*
1001 to 3000 Computers	Dual processor (Intel Xeon ~2.0 Ghz Dual Core, 1000 Mhz FSB,4 MB cache)	4 GB	5 GB*
3001 to 5000 Computers	Dual Processor (Intel Xeon processors Quad-Core at 2 ~ 3 GHz, 1000+ MHz FSB, 4 MB Cache)	6+ GB @ 667 Mhz. ECC	20 GB (HDD speed @ 7200 ~ 10,000 rpm)
5001 to 10000 Computers	Quad Processor (Intel Xeon processors Quad-Core at 2 ~ 3 GHz, 1000+ MHz FSB, 4 MB Cache)	8+ GB @ 667 Mhz. ECC	50 GB (HDD speed @ 7200 ~ 10,000 rpm)

* May dynamically grow according to frequency of scanning

When managing computers above 1000, it is advisable to install Desktop Central on a Windows 2003 Server Enterprise Edition

Software Requirements

Supported Platforms - ManageEngine Desktop Central supports the following Microsoft Windows operating system versions:

Desktops

• Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows Vista

Servers

• Windows 2000
• Windows 2003
• Windows 2008

and Terminal Clients

Supported Browsers - ManageEngine Desktop Central requires one of the following browsers to be installed in the system for working with the Desktop Central Client.

• Internet Explorer 5.5 and above
• Netscape 7.0 and above
• Mozilla Firefox 1.0 and above

Preferred screen resolution 1024 x 768 pixels or higher

2. What operating systems are supported by Desktop Central?

Desktop Central supports the following operating systems:

• Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows Vista
• Windows 7
• Windows 2000 Server
• Windows 2003 Server
• Windows 2008 Server
• Virtual Servers (VM Ware)

3. What is the difference between Free and Professional Editions?

While the free edition can be used to manage up to 25 desktops free of cost, the professional edition can be used to manage the number of desktops for which it is licensed for. The free edition can be upgraded to professional edition at any point of time by obtaining a valid license from ManageEngine.

4. Do I have to write scripts for using Desktop Central?

No, you do not have to write scripts for using any of the pre-defined configurations provided by Desktop Central. Just select the configuration, specify the required inputs, and deploy.

5. What is scope of management?

Scope of Management is used to define what are the computers to be managed using this software. When an Administrator use this software first time, he/she can use it with small set of computers then can slowly add more computers under management.

6. Do I need to define configurations separately or can I group them and define?

Configurations that are intended for the same set of targets can be grouped and defined as collections. However, when the targets differ, you have to define them separately.

7. When are the configurations applied?

1. All user configurations, except Custom Script configuration, are applied during user logon.
2. All computer configurations, except Custom Script configuration, are applied during system startup.
3. Custom Script configuration can be applied during user logon/logoff or system startup/shutdown.
4. Both user and computer configurations are applied every 90 minutes through Windows Group Policies.

8. How to access Desktop Central UI or console from the remote?

To access the Desktop Central client from remote, open a supported browser and type http://<host name>:<port number> in the address bar,

where <host name> refers to the name / IP Address of the machine running Desktop Central,

<port number> refers to the port at which the product is started, the default being 8020.

9. What is "Define Target"?

Define Target is the process of identifying the users or computers for which the configuration have to be applied. The targets can be all users/computers belonging to a Site, Domain, OUs, Groups, or can be a specific user/computer. You also have an option to exclude some desktops based on the machine type, OS type, etc.

10. My free trial expired before I was through evaluating Desktop Central. Can I receive an extension?

Customer satisfaction is our prime motive. During the trial period of 30 days, unlimited number of desktops can be managed by Desktop Central. After the trial period the Software automatically switches to the free edition where only 25 desktops can be managed.

If you feel you would like to test the software for more number of desktops, but your trial period has expired, Kindly contact us so that we can arrange for a temporary license for few more days as per your requirement. You may note that the transition is smooth with no data loss and the configurations are not lost at any point of time. We want to make sure you are completely satisfied that the software is satisfying your need and solving your problem before buying it.

11. How is Desktop Central licensed?

Desktop Central is licensed on annual subscription based on the number of Desktop it would manage. You can get the Pricing for the specific number of desktops from our online store.

12. Why is Desktop Central configuration done through a web interface?

Desktop administrators are always on the move. Desktop Central, with its web-based interface, facilitates the administrators to access the product from anywhere in the network not requiring them to be glued at one place for managing the desktops using the product.