Browser-based remote support: An early demonstration

This video shows an early proof of concept of the remote support platform I have been building at Sheridan Computers, now called Sheridan Control.

An agent is installed on the computer being supported, while the technician accesses it directly through a browser tab. There is no separate viewer application to install.

Watch the demonstration below to see it handling remote sessions, file transfers and changes between Windows console and RDP sessions. The video has music rather than spoken commentary.

What the demonstration shows

Remote support involves more than viewing a desktop. A technician may need to connect before anyone has logged in, access an existing RDP session, or work on the system in the background.

This demonstration shows how the platform handles those situations, including session changes and monitor changes without requiring a reconnection.

Features shown include:

• Unattended remote access

• Awareness of console, RDP and pre-logon sessions

• Switching between sessions

• Access to active RDP sessions without disconnecting users

• Backstage access to PowerShell, the registry and system tools

• File transfers using native operating system dialogues

• On-screen annotations

• Screen recording and screenshots

• Multiple monitors and resolution detection

• Session changes without reconnecting

Self-hosted infrastructure

The platform runs on our own infrastructure. The dashboard sits behind a VPN, with the relay separated from the systems that manage access and connections. Agents make outbound connections, and the platform does not depend on an external cloud service.

It also includes internal facilities for distributing the software and updating agents.

The agent and relay are written in Rust, with a browser-based viewer and a dashboard built using PHP and Mezzio.

This is an early look at the platform in action, showing real Windows session transitions and remote support tasks.