“How do I get devices to refresh in RMMmax?”
The “simple” answer, when using Datto RMM, is to log in to RMMmax, wait a minute or two, and hit F5. This is the fastest way. Although there are several actions taking place that will eventually update the agent, typically within 10 minutes of login. If Clients and or Computers lists are really large then maybe 20 minutes.
RMMmax has automated backend tasks that it processes daily. Some of these processes may run several times a day depending on the type and urgency of the task, basic client and computer scans are done 6 times a day via automation. The Datto APIs have request limits that prevent floods of requests from one user dominating the API. This limits the number of commands and other communications we can send to any one Datto API under the account information provided. This is one reason we separate refresh requests over hours instead of making repeated request per hour to RMM API for status changes.
RMMmax manually fires off a “Client and Agent Scan” in the background each time you log in to the system, so your primary view gets refreshed and is as current as possible. This allows you to continue into the application without being halted, waiting for the RMM to fully respond. Datto is a bit unique in how they operate their API. They only allow a request for devices like Windows agents, Linux agents, and Mac agents in 250 device intervals (pages). MSPs that have 1500 devices trying to execute a single Client and Agent scan would need to request 6 pages from the Datto API. For reference, ConnectWise Automate, ScreenConnect, and Tactical RMM all handle the same request in a single request.
RMMmax also automates this request 6 times a day to catch any offline agents, allowing any tool automation to include these agents.
Since Datto’s API is inherently slower than the other RMM platforms, you will need to give it more time to completely respond or complete a task. We develop the application to interface with just about any RMM platform that supports API access. Not all APIs operate in the same way or at the same speed. Datto users will need to have some patience. You will see this when you monitor your jobs list. Jobs that happen instantaneously in other RMM platforms sit in a jobs queue in Datto. Datto may take minutes or more to start running and completing the job. Just the job creation time can be 30 seconds (the point in time you click our control, and you see the job created in Datto).
We provide a Sync with RMM set of manual controls (see image below) that will allow you to refresh the Client and Computers (agents) in RMMmax and every other tool we provide. Online and offline agents’ statuses are updated when the Clients and Computers function is run. Again, this is kicked to the background and the browser application is released to allow you to continue to use the application without a spinner having you wait for the request to complete. The application will refresh its data every 10 minutes or a quick F5 will draw in fresh data from RMMmax, not the RMM platform.
Requests to the RMM platform’s API could potentially take minutes or longer for a response from the end computer (agent), then it takes another scan action from RMMmax to retrieve the new status.
Here’s an example of the flow for installing an application using the software manager, assuming everyone is online and enabled:
- You use the app to install “wGet” to the Linux_001 agent.
- The application sends a request to RMM to create a job to have Linux_001 install wGet using the RMMmax LUM update component.
- Datto creates and schedules the job to start now.
- Over a period of time, the agent gets the job and starts.
- The agent is instructed via the RMMmax component to install wGet.
- The agent completes the job and produces a STDOut output, which is not available to fetch via Datto API.
- The RMMmax automation scheduled task cycle arrives (twice daily) and requests the RMM job to scan agents for the Software Manager tool.
- The agent reports back the new software list, including the new wGet package, to RMMmax.
You can speed this up some by using the manual functions under “Sync with RMM,” which rescans all enabled agents across the environment or inside any tool to scan just the clients or a selected set of agents.
Do not hesitate to use the scanning functions at each level to get more current information, but allow enough time between requests and refreshes for Datto to process the request to agents.
On a side note, there are several main tools, but only the Software Manager supports Linux and Mac. Each of the other tools is Windows only. This includes Device State, an MSAD report on the Windows domain status of agents, SurfLog, Bitlocker, Windows Defender, and BleachBit.
If you attempt to run scans at the environment level, the tools skip any agent that does not match its type.
RMMMax is meant to be a companion to your RMM environment and not to overwhelm the environment with requests that may not provide any added abilities.