Playbook: PCL - Introduction

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many organizations to support remote work or remote learning with very little lead time. This playbook collects planning points that were useful then and are still useful for any event that pushes users offsite for an extended period.

Some of this preparation can be done ahead of time; some of it only becomes urgent once disruption starts. Either way, having a plan is a lot better than improvising when everyone is already at home.

Considerations

Start with the basics:

• Do users have devices and accessories they can actually take home?
• Do they need access to office-only resources such as file shares or internal web apps?
• Can FileWave still manage those devices once they are offsite?
• How will teachers, students, staff, or other teams stay in contact day to day?

Common areas to review include:

VPN

A VPN can give users access to internal resources while they are offsite and can reduce the amount of special-case remote access you need to build.

External Device Management

If your FileWave server was designed for internal-only access, decide how offsite devices will check in. That may mean exposing the correct ports externally, using split-horizon DNS, or revisiting server naming so devices can reach the same address internally and externally. Review the KB on port requirements before making those changes.

Updates

OS and application updates can be large. If devices are still on-site, consider pre-downloading content that you expect to deploy later so users do not have to pull everything over home internet connections.

Bandwidth

Do not just think about home-user bandwidth. Check whether your own internet connection, VPN concentrators, identity providers, and file services can handle many more remote users than usual.

Controlling Devices

Remote support tools help, but they still depend on the user's network connection and the permissions the operating system allows. Plan for situations where a user must approve screen sharing or local prompts themselves.

Documentation

Give users short, easy-to-find instructions for the basics: how to connect to VPN, how to reach file shares, how to approve remote-control prompts, and how to get help. If you want a general remote-work checklist outside the FileWave KB, GitLab's remote work starter guide is still a useful reference.

Classroom

Apple Classroom depends on local network proximity, so it is not a substitute for fully remote teaching. Make sure your remote-learning plan uses tools that work offsite.

Hardware Failure

If a device fails, have a plan for replacement shipping, pickup, or loaner equipment.

Device Purchasing

Keep spare-device planning in mind. In any wide disruption, replacement hardware can take longer to source than usual.