Offline mode

The Offline Mode connects to a local copy of the data source when you are not connected to the data source. This is useful when working from a remote location and the network is unreachable or if there is any kind of connectivity issue.

The read/write offline mode adds to users the possibility to manipulate entries while disconnected from the data source. This is useful for off-site personnel or when working in environments that have sporadic network availability.

This feature is not available for all data sources, please consult the help topic of the respective data source to know if it supports offline mode.

The offline cache is first encrypted using our own private key mixed with some information taken from the local computer. This makes it impossible for a copy on another machine to be readable. By default it is also encrypted with Windows NTFS encryption, in which case there is no key saved anywhere.

For added security, offline files are set to expire after a delay. The default expiry is set to 7 days but can be modified via the System Settings.

Remote Desktop Manager will prompt for offline mode when the application is unable to reach the data source but the offline mode can be toggled manually with File – Go Offline.

Several features are not available in offline mode, such as:

Availability

The offline mode availability relies on several settings:

  • The data source offline cache in File – Data Sources – Advanced – Caching Mode must be set to File or In-Memory. This step needs to be done before you export your data source to other computers.
  • The user's account must be enabled in Administration – Users – Edit – Settings – Offline mode.
  • The user groups policies (only for the Devolutions Server data source) in Administration – User groups – Edit – Settings – Offline mode.
  • The data source System Settings in Administration – System Settings – Cache/Offline – Offline mode and Expiration.
  • For each vault, Administration – Vault Settings – Security Settings – Allow offline.

The lowest setting (in terms of security) prevails over the others, which may prevent you from using the offline mode. If the Go Offline button is not available, please consult your administrator.

The Data Source Information displays the size of the offline cache file along with the effective modes (disabled, read-only, or read/write).

File – My Data Source Information – Offline mode
File – My Data Source Information – Offline mode

Caching mode

The caching mode must be set to In-Memory or File to enable the offline mode.

This step cannot be modified remotely once you have exported your data source settings. You should take a moment and think about the needs of your data source and select what is appropriate before moving on to exporting.

Caching mode
Caching mode

OPTION DESCRIPTION
Disabled Prevent an offline cache from being used.
In-Memory Use the offline cache only for recent changes, but prevent it from writing on the disk (in-memory only).
File Use the offline cache only for recent changes. The cache will write on the disk.

Some features of Remote Desktop Manager are unavailable while offline. Even with the read/write access mode, you may not be able to perform all actions, such as adding attachments or managing users, since these features are not cached locally. On the other hand, the user vault is still available in offline mode.

Grant/deny Offline

OPTION DESCRIPTION
Disabled Prevents an offline cache from being used.
Read-only Allows to view and use entries only. The content of the data source cannot be modified.
Read/Write Allows to view, use, and edit entries. Conflicts caused by offline modifications are managed when back online.

Beyond the group policies, the Offline mode is controlled on multiple levels:

  • User permissions
  • System Settings
  • Vault settings

A user must be granted Read/Write at all levels to allow read/write privileges.

USER PERMISSIONS SYSTEM SETTINGS Vault SETTINGS EFFECTIVE ACCESS
Disabled or Read-only or Read/write Disabled or Read-only or Read/write Allow offline disabled Disabled
Disabled or Read-only or Read/write Disabled or Read-only or Read/write Allow offline enabled Disabled
Disabled or Read-only or Read/write Disabled Allow offline enabled Disabled
Disabled Disabled or Read-only or Read/write Allow offline enabled Disabled
Read-only or Read/write Read-only or Read/write Allow offline disabled Disabled
Read-only or Read/write Read-only or Read/write Allow offline enabled Read-only
Read-only or Read/write Read-only Allow offline enabled Read-only
Read-only Read-only or Read/write Allow offline enabled Read-only
Read/write Read/write Allow offline enabled Read/write

To find out what offline mode is in effect when you are logged in, see My Data Source Information.

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