The Send Message feature is used to send network messages to a select group of users. Messages can be sent immediately at the next client machine check-in, or can be scheduled to be sent at a future date and time. Users can also be notified by a conventional Windows dialog box or through a browser window, which can automatically display an administrator-selected URL. This feature can be handy, for example, to automatically take users to a Web page displaying an updated contact sheet or other relevant information.

The following elements are displayed in the Send Message function:

Enter message/URL sent to remote machines (dialog box or URL)

Enter the message that is to be sent to client machines.

Select Display Window

This selects the manner in which the user is notified on the client machine. The default is dialog box, which displays a standard Windows dialog box with the network message. The browser selection displays the message in a Web browser window.

Send Now

Pressing send now sends the message when the recipient's machine conducts its next check-in. If a future date and time is set in the Specify Time to Run Script field and Send Now is pressed, the future date and time settings are ignored and the message is sent immediately at the next client machine check-in.

Clear Messages

Pressing Clear messages clears the queue from any messages that have not been delivered to client machines. The queued message can be viewed in the Messages Not Yet Sent column of the display. Select the checkbox next to the client machine whose message queue is to be cleared, then press clear messages.

Specify time to run script

Sends the message at a future date and time. Enter the text message and schedule a future date and time, then press Schedule. The message is queued and appears in the Messages Not Yet Sent column until the recipient client machine(s) conduct their next scheduled check-in.

Schedule

Pressing Schedule queues the message so that it is sent at a future date and time specified in the Specify Time to Run Script field.

Display Immediately/Flash Icon

This setting determines how client machine users are notified once their message has been retrieved from the Server. Display Immediately notifies the user immediately; Flash Icon flashes the Agent icon in the system tray until the user clicks the icon. The message is then displayed according to the settings in Select Display Window.

Machine.Group ID

Lists the client machines according to the Specify Accounts criteria.

Messages Not Yet Sent

This columns shows the message queue. Once message are sent, the queue is cleared. If messages are still displayed, they can be cleared by selecting the appropriate client machines checkbox and pressing Clear Messages.

Select All/Unselect All

Select All will select all user accounts on all account pages. Unselect All will unselect selected user accounts on all account pages. For individual accounts, select the checkbox next to the machine.group ID.

Check-in status

The check-in status of the machines shown in the client machine list is indicated by the icon shown to the left of the client machine ID. The icons and their status are as follows:

Agent has checked in  

Agent has not recently checked in

Agent has never checked in