Restriction in managing WAN computers using Distribution Server

Summary

You had configured the Distribution Server to manage Remote Office computers while using the Trial Version. You have now purchased the Standard/Professional edition of Endpoint Central and applied the license key over the trial version. However you encounter a warning message that says "Incompatible License - Cannot manage WAN Computers". This problem will occur as the Distribution Server features are restricted to the Enterprise/Trial Editions. Therefore the Agent-Server communication will be lost as Endpoint Central Agents previously managed by the Distribution Server will not be able to communicate with the Endpoint Central Server any more.

Solution

You can elect one of the following options to overcome this limitation:

  1. Upgrade to Enterprise Edition
  2. Enable Direct Communication with the WAN Agents

1. Upgrade to Enterprise Edition

Applying the Enterprise Edition license over the existing version of Endpoint Central will automatically make the Distribution Server fully functional and restore the earlier settings. Contact sales@manageengine.com for a quick upgrade and uninterrupted Distribution Server services. Following is the list of advantages of Enterprise Edition over the others.

Enterprise Edition - Advantages

  • Low bandwidth utilization
  • No separate VPN infrastructure is required.
  • Secured communication between the Server and the Agent.
  • Centralized management of computers from a single console.

2. Enable Direct Communication for Remote Office Agents

In case you are not willing to upgrade to the Enterprise Edition, you will need to enable direct communication between the Remote Office Agents and the Endpoint Central Server. Following are the steps to modify Remote Office in the Endpoint Central web console:

  1. Go to Scope of Management(SoM).
  2. In the Remote Office tab, click the Modify icon under the Actions column.
  3. Specify the Remote office settings you want, and then click Modify.
    Note: The Agent-Server Communication will automatically get enabled during the subsequent Refresh Cycle(90 minutes)/ User Logon/ System Start-Up, whichever is earlier. To remove the Distribution Server, you will need to manually uninstall it from the Add/Remove Programs of Windows Control Panel.

Applies to: Remote Office, Distribution Server Installation

Keywords: Remote Office, Manage Computers Across WAN, Distribution Server, SoM, Distributed Management

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