Hello RDMers,
Some choices in life are difficult to make, such as buying a new car. There are so many brands and models, and many questions to answer! Why would a Hyundai be better than a Ford? Should you go with a truck or with a compact? Do you really need to have the heated seat (actually, if you live where we do, the answer is YES!!!!)? Well, we’ve realized that it’s also not easy to figure out if Devolutions Server is necessary for your organization or if Remote Desktop Manager Enterprise is all you need, so we’ve decided to give you a little hand when it comes to making a decision about using Devolutions Server.
1. 2-Factor Authentication
2-factor authentication (2FA) is a major advantage of Devolutions Server. While an advanced data source only supports some of the 2FA methods, Devolutions Server supports Google Authenticator, Yubikey, Safenet, Duo, AuthAnvil, email and SMS.
Please remember that the 2FA is at the Devolutions Server instance level, and not simply at the application. For example, SQL Server allows you to use 2FA and forces it on all users. However, each user has to configure their 2FA, and has the option of choosing a preferred 2FA method. But with Devolutions Server, you can force 2FA on all users when connecting to the data source, PLUS you can pre-configure it so that there is one standardized 2FA method across all users (e.g. Google Authenticator). This makes user management much easier and safer, too!
2. Active Directory Integration
One of the most important advantages is the Active Directory Integration. Devolutions Server allows for users management by Active Directory group membership. Meaning that after you’ve configured the Remote Desktop Manager security groups and permissions, you can simply assign users in an Active Directory group in order for that user to obtain access to the system.
3. Database isolation
You could see the Devolutions Server as an extra layer of security; it’s kind of like having one big door open with the Terminator as your security guard, verifying everyone’s security badge vs. a lot of little open doors that could make it easier for an intruder to get in. Your users do not have access to the database, because they must go through the Devolutions Server to get the information. It also offers a mid-level cache to reduce the workload of the database server, which is quite important for large organizations.
4. Web Interface
The Devolutions Server has a web interface; it’s a light interface allowing you to manage basic administration tasks, such as managing accesses, rights, resetting 2-factor authentication settings, viewing connection logs, and more. You don’t even need to have Remote Desktop Manager installed on your machine! (However, you would need it to open any connection.)
5. Web API
Another reason to use the Devolutions Server is the Web API layer. This layer was created to allow connecting to a Devolutions Server from your mobile devices (Android/iOS), and therefore connect to your server anytime and from anywhere. You can see how useful this can be for remote workers who spend more time away from their desk than sitting in front of it! These mobile clients still have limitations in regards to remote access technologies, but you will always be able to get your credentials.
Wrapping it up
In conclusion, if your goal is to collaborate with your team and access a rich security system with full logging, Remote Desktop Manager Enterprise with an Advanced Data Source is probably the perfect fit for your organization.
But if the 2-factor authentication with an easy user management, a higher level of security, a web interface, the ability to connect to your server via iOS or Android, and an Active Directory Integration to Remote Desktop Manager, is key to your team, then Devolutions Server is the mac to your cheese, the cream to your coffee, the peanut to your butter… you get the idea!!
You can compare the features of RDM Enterprise and Devolutions Server here: http://server.devolutions.net/Home/FeaturesGrid
Download a free 30-day trial here: http://server.devolutions.net/Home/Trial
As always, please let us know your thoughts by using the comment feature of the blog. You can also visit our forums to get help and submit feature requests, you can find them here.