shutdown  manager		introduction
ID Shutdown Manager Remotely shutdown and audit PCs over the network

ID Shutdown Manager provides the ability to remote shutdown, reboot or logoff networked computers running Microsoft Windows (95/98/Me/NT4/2000/XP) from a remote location on your network. Remote Shutdown Manager allows remote execution of programs, remote installation on computers under Windows NT/2000/XP, Wake on LAN and comprehensive system auditing.

The two principle components of the ID remote shutdown manager system are explained below:-

Remote Shutdown Console - This is the graphical application from which the administrator can call shutdowns on remote machines. It is run when required and allows the user to select one or more computers from a list (computers may be grouped in folders) and then call for a log-off, reboot, or shutdown etc. The shutdown manager can be set to allow users the option to cancel (with a specified time-out) or force an immediate logoff. Command line options are fully supported in the separate SDMANCMD program. The remote shutdown console is responsible for maintaining the database of computers for all of the disparate programs in the Shutdown Manager suite including the CGI package (which allows multiple users with different permissions access to shutdown manager via a webbrowser) and command line packages.

Shutdown Client - When this application is running on a machine, it listens for a signal from it's sister application Shutdown Manager and initiates a log-off, reboot or shutdown, executes a program gathers system information or broadcasts a ‘magic packet’ (Wake on LAN) when called for. Unless it has been instructed otherwise by Remote Shutdown Manager, it will warn the user of the machine of its intended action and give them the chance to cancel it. A scrolling text message can also be shown. The Shutdown Service is intended to be run automatically at start-up and will run in the background, transparent to the user. There are two versions of this file one for Windows NT/2000/XP , and one for Windows 95/98/Me. Under Windows NT/2000/XP, it can be installed as a service. Under Windows 95/98/Me the also runs as ‘simple service’, launching at start-up and before a user logs-on and is transparent to users logging on and off. The Shutdown Console provides for automatic installation of the Shutdown Service on windows NT/2000/XP machines. The Shutdown Console can also generate scripts for easy installation on Windows 9x based computers.

SDMANCMD is a command line only version of the remote shutdown console intended to be used for automated tasks such as timed shutdowns and data backups.

SDMANCGI and it’s sister application HTTP User Manager together provide a web based interface to the application’s functionality. User permissions can be set as to set which users can access which features of the program. The CGI (Common Gateway Interface) set of programs requires the use of a third party webserver such as Internet Information Services or Apache.