Enhance Remote Machine Management with Mesh Commander and MCP Support

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Overview of Mesh Commander
3. New Feature of Mesh Commander: MCP Support
4. Enabling and Disabling MCP Pings
5. Scanning for Machines on the Network
6. Adding Machines to the Mesh
7. Editing Machine Properties
8. Using Mesh Central 2
9. Creating a Mesh with Agent or Agent-less Machines
10. Scanning Network in Mesh Central 2
11. Remote Desktop Access with Mesh Commander and Mesh Central
12. Conclusion

New Feature of Mesh Commander: MCP Support

In this article, we will explore a new feature of Mesh Commander in Mesh Central 2, which is MCP (Mesh Command Protocol) support. We will discuss how this feature works and how it can enhance the functionality of Mesh Commander for remote machine management.

Mesh Commander, a web-based tool developed by Intel, allows users to remotely manage and control machines within a network. With the addition of MCP support, Mesh Commander now provides a more efficient and reliable way to determine the presence of machines on a network.

1. Introduction

Mesh Commander is a powerful tool that simplifies remote machine management and control. With its web-based interface, users can easily access and manage machines within their network. The recent update to Mesh Commander introduces a new feature called MCP support, which enhances the visibility and reliability of machine presence detection.

2. Overview of Mesh Commander

Before we dive into the new feature, let's briefly understand the overall functionality of Mesh Commander. Mesh Commander allows users to remotely connect to machines, perform administrative tasks, and troubleshoot issues. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and features that make remote machine management efficient and convenient.

3. New Feature of Mesh Commander: MCP Support

The newest feature of Mesh Commander is the integration of MCP support. MCP is a specialized protocol developed by Intel for communication between Mesh Commander and machines on the network. With MCP support, Mesh Commander sends out MCP pings to the machines and receives responses, which are then used to indicate the presence of machines on the network.

By incorporating MCP support, Mesh Commander enhances its machine detection capabilities. The presence of machines is indicated by little green dots on the left side of the Mesh Commander interface. These green dots denote that the machines are Present and responsive. If a machine fails to respond after several attempts, the dot turns red, signaling that the machine is no longer present on the network.

4. Enabling and Disabling MCP Pings

To ensure the accurate display of machine presence, it is important to enable the MCP ping feature. By default, the "respond to ping ICMP and our MCP" option is enabled in the network settings. This option allows machines to respond to MCP pings sent by Mesh Commander. It is recommended to leave this option enabled to see the green dots indicating the presence of machines.

However, if there is a need to manage network traffic or disable machine scanning, users can choose to turn off the MCP ping feature. In the help menu of Mesh Commander, users can find the option to remove the "scan for presents" feature. Disabling this feature removes the green dots and stops the scanning process.

5. Scanning for Machines on the Network

Another useful feature of Mesh Commander is the ability to scan for machines on the network. Previously, Mesh Commander relied on TCP scanning for this purpose. However, with the new MCP support, scanning has become more efficient and accurate.

In the scan dialog box, users have the option to specify the IP address range they want to scan. This can be done by entering the IP address and mask or a range separated by a dash. Once the scan is initiated, Mesh Commander sends out MCP ping requests to the specified range of IP addresses.

The scan results show machines with or without TLS (Transport Layer Security) and also indicate if the machines are activated or not. Users can select the desired machines and add them to the list for further management. Machine properties, such as the version number and TLS settings, are automatically set based on the polling results.

6. Adding Machines to the Mesh

With the enhanced machine scanning capabilities, adding machines to the Mesh has become quicker and more convenient. Once the desired machines are scanned and listed in Mesh Commander, users can easily add them to the Mesh.

By right-clicking on a machine, users can access the option to edit the machine properties. This provides flexibility in customizing the settings for each machine. Additionally, the green dot next to the machine indicates that it has been pulled immediately after the addition.

7. Using Mesh Central 2

In addition to Mesh Commander, Mesh Central 2 offers another platform for remote machine management. Mesh Central 2 provides the option to create a mesh with agent or agent-less machines. This allows users to manage machines with or without the Mesh Agent installed.

8. Creating a Mesh with Agent or Agent-less Machines

To create a mesh in Mesh Central 2, users can choose between agent or agent-less machines. If the agent-less option is selected, machines on the network without the Mesh Agent installed can still be added to the mesh. Users can add these machines by specifying the IP address, username, and password.

9. Scanning Network in Mesh Central 2

Similar to Mesh Commander, Mesh Central 2 also offers the capability to scan the network for machines. Using the same scan dialog box as in Mesh Commander, users can initiate a scan from the Mesh Central 2 interface. The scan is performed on the server's network, and the results are displayed on the web page.

10. Remote Desktop Access with Mesh Commander and Mesh Central

One of the key features of Mesh Commander and Mesh Central is the ability to remotely access the desktop of machines. By clicking on a computer in the list, users can access the remote computer's desktop directly from the Mesh Commander or Mesh Central interface. This feature provides convenient remote troubleshooting and administration capabilities.

11. Conclusion

In conclusion, the integration of MCP support in Mesh Commander and Mesh Central 2 enhances the functionality and reliability of remote machine management. With the ability to detect and manage machines more efficiently, users can streamline their workflow and simplify network administration. The combination of Mesh Commander and Mesh Central provides a comprehensive solution for remote machine management.

Highlights:

• Mesh Commander, a web-based tool, simplifies remote machine management and control.
• The new MCP support feature enhances machine presence detection.
• MCP pings determine machine presence and display green or red dots accordingly.
• Enabling MCP pings allows accurate detection of machine presence.
• Scanning for machines on the network is made efficient with MCP support.
• Adding machines to the mesh is quick and convenient.
• Mesh Central 2 offers remote machine management with or without the Mesh Agent.
• Scanning the network is possible in Mesh Central 2, providing comprehensive machine visibility.
• Remote desktop access is available through Mesh Commander and Mesh Central.
• The integration of MCP support improves the functionality of Mesh Commander and Mesh Central.