Dell™ Remote Console Switch Software User's Guide
Notes NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. Third Party Software. You acknowledge that the SOFTWARE PRODUCT may contain or be provided with copyrighted software of Dell's suppliers as identified in associated documentation or other printed or electronic materials (“Third Party Software”) which are obtained under a license from such suppliers.
Contents Product Overview 7 Features and Benefits Powerful Customization Capabilities Extensive Remote Console Switch Management Authentication and Authorization 7 7 8 8 System Components RCS Explorer Window Video Viewer Interoperability with Avocent® Products 9 9 9 10 Operating Features Target Device Naming Target Device Name Displays Sorting IPv4 and IPv6 Network Address Capabilities 10 11 11 12 12 Installation 15 Supplied with the Software 15 Supported Operating Systems 15 Hardware Configur
Configuring Switches and Target Devices 20 Web Interface Installation and Setup 22 Basic Software Operation 25 Viewing Your System in the Explorer 25 Customizing the Window Display 27 Adding a Remote Console Switch (Dell or Avocent) 28 Accessing Your Remote Console Switch 37 Launching the VNC or RDP Viewer 39 Changing Server and Switch Properties General Properties Server Network Properties Switch Network Properties Information Properties Server Connections Properties VNC Properties RDP Prop
Modifying the Selected View on Startup Changing the Default Browser 58 58 Managing Your Local Databases Saving a Database Loading a Database Exporting a Database 59 59 60 60 Using the Viewer 63 Accessing Servers from the RCS Software 63 Interacting With the Server Being Viewed Viewer Window Features Adjusting the Viewer Adjusting the Viewer Resolution Adjusting the Video Quality Minimizing Remote Video Session Discoloration Improving Screen Background Color Display Setting Mouse Scaling Minimizing M
Virtual Media Connection Status Virtual Media Sessions 100 100 Appendix A: Updating RCS Software 105 Appendix B: Keyboard and Mouse 107 Appendix C: TCP Ports 111 Appendix D: Technical Support 113 Contentsxxx | xxx6
1 Product Overview The Dell™ Remote Console Switch (RCS) software is a cross-platform management application that allows you to view and control the switches and all attached servers. The cross-platform design ensures compatibility with most popular operating systems and hardware platforms. The RCS software provides secure switch-based authentication, data transfers, and username/password storage. Each switch handles authentication and access control individually for more decentralized system control.
and icons for maximum flexibility and convenience. Using names that are meaningful to you makes it easy to quickly find any system unit. Extensive Remote Console Switch Management The RCS software allows you to add and manage multiple switches in one system. Once a new switch is installed, you can configure switch parameters, control and preempt user video sessions, and execute numerous control functions, such as rebooting and upgrading your switch.
Access Protocol (LDAP) feature eliminates the need to update access permissions in individual Remote Console Switches by drawing permissions from a single network-wide authentication source. The Remote Console Switch can authenticate using the standard Active Directory schema, or the Dell Extended Schema in order to maximize compatibility with all of your Dell hardware. NOTE: Dell 1081AD and 2161AD switches do not support LDAP. System Components The software contains the following major components.
The Video Viewer also provides access to the Virtual Media window. You can use the Virtual Media window to map a physical drive such as a disk, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM data drive, onto a target device so that the media device is available to the target device even though it is not directly connected. For more information on the Virtual Media window, see "Using the Viewer" on page 63. Interoperability with Avocent® Products The RCS software can be used to access some Avocent switches.
Mouse" on page 107 lists the Explorer navigation shortcuts. Other components also support full keyboard navigation in addition to mouse operations. Target Device Naming The software requires that each switch and target device have a unique name. To minimize the need for operator intervention, the software uses the following procedure to generate a unique name for a target device whose current name conflicts with another name in the database.
• The Explorer only shows the target devices listed in its database, with the name specified in the database. In other words, the Explorer does not talk to the switch to obtain target device information. • The Resync Wizard overwrites locally-defined target device names only if the switch target device name has been changed from the default value. Non-default target device names that are read from the switch during a resynchronization override the locally-defined names.
boot firmware flash downloads cannot be performed. To perform a flash download, you must temporarily connect to an IPv4 network with a TFTP server. NOTE: For Dell 1081AD and 2161AD switches, IPv6 mode is a stateful connection.
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2 Installation Before you install the RCS software on a client computer, make sure that you have all the required items and that the target devices and RCS client computers are running the supported operating systems, browsers, and Java Runtime Environment. Supplied with the Software The software is shipped with appliances on a Remote Console Switch Software CD. The user documentation is available as an option on the Help menu from the Remote Console Software Explorer window.
• SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server 10 and Server 11 • Ubuntu 8 Server and Workstation Target devices must be running one of the following operating systems: • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server (32-bit) and Advanced Server • Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Standard with Service Pack 3 • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Web, Standard, and Enterprise • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Web, Standard, and Enterprise • Microsoft Windows Vista Standard, Business with Service Pack 1, and Enterprise • Micros
• Color palette must be a minimum of 65,536 (16-bit) colors Supported Browsers Computers used to access the Web interface and client computers running the software must have one of the following browsers installed: • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6.x SPI or later • Firefox version 2.0 or later JRE Requirements Computers used to access target devices using client computers running the software must have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.6.0_11 or higher installed.
2 If AutoMount is supported and enabled, proceed to step 3. -orIf your system does not support AutoMount: Mount the CD-ROM volume by executing the following command: mount -t iso9660 -ro mode=0555 Replace “device” with the name of the CD-ROM on your machine and mount point with the name of the desired mount point.
1 Open a command window and change to the RCS install directory used during installation. The default path for Windows 32-bit operating systems is the program files directory. 2 Change to the UninstallerData subdirectory and enter the following command (the quotation marks are required): “Uninstall Dell Remote Console Software.exe” The uninstall wizard starts. Follow the on-screen instructions.
If the product was installed in a directory other than the default, then execute the following command from a shell: /Dell_Remote_Console_Switch_Software -orIf a desktop shortcut was created on installation, double-click the shortcut. Configuring Switches and Target Devices This section provides an overview of configuration steps for the switch and for user access to target devices. For switch-specific information, see the Installation and User Guide for the switch.
You can configure user accounts using the RCS software or through the Remote Console Switch integrated Web interface. For more information see the Dell Remote Console Switch Installation and User’s Guide. To configure the Remote Console Switch, complete the following steps: 1 Connect a terminal or PC running the terminal emulation software to the configuration port on the back panel of the switch using the supplied serial cable.
1 You will see the Main menu with eleven options. Select the option number for Set Web Interface Ports to open the Web Interface Port Configuration Menu. 2 Select option 1 to set the port numbers. Type the port numbers you wish to use for the HTTP port and the HTTPS port. 3 If the values are correct for your network, type and press the key. 4 At the local user station, input the target device names.
NOTE: If you changed the default HTTP/HTTPS ports in the serial console and are using an IPv4 address, use IP address format: https://:, where “port#” is the number you specified in the serial console. If you are using an IPv6 address, use format: https:// []:, where “port#” is the number you specified in the serial console. If you are using an IPv6 address, you must enclose the address in square brackets. 2 The log in window opens.
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3 Basic Software Operation The RCS software Explorer (which is called Explorer from here on) is the main GUI interface for the software. You can view, access, manage, and create custom groupings for all supported units. Viewing Your System in the Explorer When you start the software, the main Explorer window opens. The Explorer is divided into several panes: the View Selector tabs, the Group Selector pane, and the Unit Selector pane.
Figure 3.1: Explorer Window 1 Menu bar: Allows you to access many of the features in the RCS software. 2 View Selector tabs: Contains four View Selector tabs for choosing the Explorer view. 3 Group Selector pane: Contains a tree view representing the groups that are available for the current View Selector tab. The selected group controls what is displayed in the Unit Selector pane when the Remote Console Switches, Sites or Folder tabs are selected.
6 Search bar: Allows you to search the database based on the text entered in the search box. 7 Unit list: Displays a Unit list of units contained in the currently selected group, or the results of the search executed from the Search bar. 8 Task buttons: Contains buttons representing tasks that can be executed. Some buttons are dynamic based on the type of unit(s) selected in the Unit list while other buttons are fixed and always present.
Adding a Remote Console Switch (Dell or Avocent) In addition to the Dell Remote Console Switch, the RCS software can also be used to manage Avocent switches. Therefore, as part of the process of adding a Remote Console Switch to your RCS software database, you will be prompted to select the vendor and product type for the switch you want to add. Once a Remote Console Switch or Avocent switch is added, it appears in the Unit list. You may either manually add or discover a Remote Console Switch.
Figure 3.2: Product Type Dialog Box 3 Select a Vendor. For each vendor, the supported product names appear in the Product list. Select a product. If the Remote Console Switch model you wish to add is not available in the Product list, select Other. Once this switch is discovered, it will be available in the Product list the next time you add a Remote Console Switch. NOTE: Each dialog box in the New Remote Console Switch Wizard indicates the type of switch you have selected from the Product list.
6 The Locate window appears. Type the hostname or IP address, the HTTP port, and the HTTPS port, and click Next. IPv4 addresses are entered in xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx dot notation. IPv6 addresses are entered in hexadecimal FD00:172:12:0:0:0:0:33 notation or compressed FD00:172:12::33 notation. 7 The RCS software searches for the indicated unit as well as all the powered SIPs, Avocent IQ modules, and server names, if any.
Figure 3.3: Configure Tiered Switches Dialog Box 10 When you reach the final page of the Remote Console Switch Wizard, click Finish to exit and return to the main window. Your Remote Console Switch should now appear in the Unit Selector pane. To add a new Remote Console Switch that does not have an assigned IP address: 1 Select File - New - Remote Console Switch from the Explorer menu. -orClick the New Remote Console Switch task button. The New Remote Console Switch wizard appears.
Figure 3.4: Product Type Dialog Box 3 Select a Vendor. For each vendor, the supported product names appear in the Product list. Select a product. If the Remote Console Switch model you wish to add is not available in the Product list, select Other. Once this switch is discovered, it will be available in the Product list the next time you add a Remote Console Switch. 4 Click Next. 5 You are prompted to indicate if the Remote Console Switch has an assigned IP address. Click No and then click Next.
wish to assign to the unit and click Next. IPv4 addresses are entered in xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx dot notation. IPv6 addresses are entered in hexadecimal FD00:172:12:0:0:0:0:33 notation or compressed FD00:172:12::33 notation. NOTE: The Remote Console Switch supports DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration protocol) and static IP addressing. Dell recommends that IP addresses be reserved for each unit and that they remain static while the Remote Console Switch units are connected to the network.
Figure 3.5: Configure Tiered Switches Dialog Box 10 When complete, click Finish to exit the Wizard and return to the main window. Your Remote Console Switch should now be in the Unit Selector pane. To discover a Remote Console Switch: 1 Select Tools - Discover from the Explorer menu from the software. The Discover Wizard appears. Click Next to continue. 2 The Address Range page appears.
If you are using IPv6 mode, select Use IPv6 address range, and type the range of IP addresses you wish to search on the network in the To Address and From Address boxes. IPv6 addresses are entered in hexadecimal FD00:172:12:0:0:0:0:33 notation or compressed FD00:172:12::33 notation. 3 You may also change the default HTTP and HTTPS port numbers, if the Remote Console Switch has changed from the default on the serial console, by typing the new port numbers in the HTTP Port and HTTPS Port fields.
Figure 3.6: Select Remote Console Switches to Add Dialog Box 6 Repeat step 5 for all Remote Console Switches you wish to add. Click Next to continue. 7 The Adding Remote Console Switches progress bar appears while the new switches are being added. Once all of the selected switches have been added to the local database, the Discover Wizard Completed page appears. Click Finish to exit the Wizard and return to the main window. Your new switches should now be in the Unit Selector pane.
database and if not, why the process failed. Click Done when you are finished reviewing the list. NOTE: If a Remote Console Switch already exists in the database with the same IP address as a discovered unit, then the discovered switch will be ignored and will not display on the next Wizard page. Accessing Your Remote Console Switch When you click the Remote Console Switches tab in the software, you will see a list of the switches currently defined in the local database.
To log into a Remote Console Switch: 1 Click the Remote Console Switches tab in the Explorer. 2 Double-click a Remote Console Switch in the Unit Selector pane. -orSelect a Remote Console Switch from the Unit Selector pane, and click the Configure Remote Console Switch task button. -orRight-click on a Remote Console Switch in the Unit Selector pane. A pop-up menu appears. Select Configure Remote Console Switch. -orClick a Remote Console Switch in the Unit Selector pane and press .
4 Review the results of your search. -orClick the Clear Results button to display the entire list again. Launching the VNC or RDP Viewer The RCS software supports user-defined Virtual Network Computing (VNC) and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) viewers. To launch either the VNC or RDP viewer, select the Server tab from the RCS software Explorer. Select a server from the units list, then click on either the VNC or RDP button at the bottom right of the screen.
-orRight-click the unit and select Properties. The Properties dialog box appears. Figure 3.8: General Properties Tab for a Server 3 Type the name of the unit. Duplicate names are not allowed. 4 (Servers Only - Optional) Select the server type. If the selection is not in the drop-down list, type the name of the new server type in the text field. Once entered, the option becomes available in the drop-down list for future assignment. 5 Select the icon to display for the unit.
Click OK to save the new settings and close the Properties window. -orClick Cancel to exit without saving the new settings. Server Network Properties The Network tab lets you set a browser URL for that server if you want to launch a browser to the server’s web server instead of launching a Viewer session. To change network properties: 1 In the software, click the Server tab and then select an individual server in the Unit Selector list. 2 Select View - Properties from the Explorer menu.
1 In the software, click the Remote Console Switches tab and then select an individual unit in the Unit Selector list. 2 Select View - Properties from the Explorer menu. -orClick the Properties task button. -orRight-click the unit and select Properties. The Properties dialog box appears. 3 Click the Network tab and type in the address of the Remote Console Switch. This field can contain an IP dot notation or a domain name. Duplicate addresses are not allowed and the field cannot be left blank.
1 In the software, click the Remote Console Switches or Server tab and then select an individual unit in the Unit Selector list. 2 Select View - Properties from the Explorer menu. -orClick the Properties task button. -orRight-click the unit and select Properties. The Properties dialog box appears. 3 4 (Optional) Click the Information tab and type a description of the unit. You can enter any information in the following fields. a. In the Description field, enter 0 to 128 characters. b.
Click the Properties task button. -orRight-click the server and select Properties. The Properties dialog box appears. 3 Click on the Connections tab to view the connections of the server. Connections properties are available only for servers and are read-only. The display indicates the physical connection path that is used to access this device and the connection type, such as video. 4 When finished, click OK or Cancel to close the window.
5 In the Port field, enter a port number in the range 23-65535. If blank, port 23 is used. 6 Mark to enable or clear to disable the Use Default check box. When this setting is enabled, the default global setting specified in Options will be used and all other portions of the Application to Launch area are disabled. 7 Enter the directory path and name or click the Browse button to locate the path and name. 8 Enter command-line arguments in the box below the path and name.
Click the Properties task button. - or Right-click on the unit. Select Properties from the pop-up menu. The Properties dialog box appears. 3 Click the RDP tab, as appropriate. 4 For servers only, in the IP Address field, enter an IP address in dot notation or a 1-128 character domain name. Spaces are not allowed. Duplicate addresses are allowed. You may use an IPv4 or an IPv6 address, or both an IPv4 and IPv6 address, simultaneously.
Accessing a Server via a Browser Window As a convenience, you can configure the software to open a connection to a server in a web browser. First, select a server and define the web server network in the Properties dialog box. Then, when you select the server, the Browse task button appears. NOTE: You can select the browser to use in the Explorer’s Options dialog box.
Figure 3.9: Options Dialog Box - Custom Field Labels 2 Select the field label you wish to modify and click the Modify button. The Modify Custom Field Label dialog box appears. 3 Type the singular and plural versions of the field label. The length can be from 1 to 32 characters. A blank value is not allowed. Spaces are permitted in the middle but leading and trailing spaces are not allowed. 4 Click OK to save the new field label. -orClick Cancel to exit without saving changes.
1 Select Tools - Options from the Explorer menu. The General Options window opens. 2 Complete one of the following steps: 3 • In the Browser field, select the Launch Default Browser check box to specify the default browser. • Clear the Launch Default Browser check box. Click the Browse button and select a browser executable on the computer. You can also enter the full path name of the browser executable. Complete one of the following steps: • Click another tab to change additional properties.
NOTE: The DirectDraw check box will only appear for Windows based Operating Systems. HTTP/HTTPS Options The Remote Console Switch and software use port 80 as the default HTTP port and port 443 as the default HTTPS port. You can change the default port numbers used in the HTTP/HTTPS Ports tab of the Options dialog box. 1 Select Tools - Options from the Explorer menu. The Options dialog box appears. 2 Click the HTTP/HTTPS Ports tab. 3 Type the new default HTTP and HTTPS port numbers. 4 Click OK.
To insert a predefined macro at the cursor location in the commandline, click the Insert Macro list box and select a macro from the dropdown menu. The RCS software will automatically replace these variables when the application runs. 5 Enable/disable the Launch in command window check box. When enabled, the user-specified VNC application will be launched from within an OS command window. 6 Click OK. RDP Options The software supports user-defined RDP viewers via the properties page.
5 Enable/disable the Launch in command window check box. When enabled, the user-specified RDP application will be launched from within an OS command window. 6 Click OK. Organizing Your System The Sites and Folders view tabs in the RCS software allow you to organize and manage your Remote Console Switches and servers by custom groups. Site organization is based on where your servers are located and refers to the column headings Site and Department, which can be customized to suit your needs.
Figure 3.10: Sites View Tab Selected Modifying Custom Field Names Custom field names allow you to change the Site, Department, and Location column heading names that appear in the Group and Unit Selector panes in the software. This allows you to group Remote Console Switches and servers in ways that are meaningful to you. The Department field is a subset of Site. If you customize these field names, you should keep this hierarchy in mind. Figure 3.
To create a new site, department, or location: 1 Select View - Properties from the Explorer menu. -orClick the Properties task button. The Properties dialog box appears. 2 Click the General tab and select the drop-down list for Site, Department, or Location. If a name is not in the drop-down list, type the name you want in the text field. The name can be from 1 to 32 characters long. Names are not case sensitive and can consist of any combination of characters entered from the keyboard.
Assigning a Unit to a Site, Location, or Folder You can assign a Remote Console Switch or server to a Site, Department, Location or Folder in the software. This menu item is only enabled when a single Remote Console Switch or server is selected in the Unit Selector pane. These custom targets are defined in the General Properties dialog box. To assign a unit to a site, location, or folder: 1 Select a unit in the Unit Selector pane. 2 Select Edit - Assign from the Explorer menu.
Deleting and Renaming The delete function is context-sensitive based on what is currently selected in the Group and Unit Selector panes in the software. When you select and delete a unit in the Unit list, the unit is removed from the local database. When you select and delete an item in the tree view of the Group Selector pane, you will delete Server Types, Sites, Departments, and Folders. However, none of the actions result in units being deleted from the local database.
Press the key on your keyboard. A dialog box appears confirming the number of units that will be affected by this deletion. 3 Click Yes to confirm the deletion. Additional message prompts may appear depending on your configuration. Respond as appropriate. The element is deleted. -orClick No to cancel. To rename a unit, site, department, or folder: 1 Select the server type, site, department, or folder you wish to delete from the Group Selector pane in the RCS software. 2 Select Edit - Rename.
Modifying the Selected View on Startup When Default is checked under the Selected view on startup option, the Explorer will determine which view to display. If you have one or more servers defined, the Servers tab will appear by default. If you do not, the Remote Console Switches tab will appear. When Default is unchecked, the Explorer will display the view selected in the drop-down list shown below the check box.
-orClick Cancel to exit without saving changes. Managing Your Local Databases Each client workstation running the software contains a local database that records the information that you enter about your units. If you have multiple client workstations, you may wish to configure one station and then save a copy of this database and load it into the other stations to avoid having to reconfigure each station. You might also wish to export the database for use in another application.
Loading a Database This function allows you to load a database that was previously saved. No other activity is allowed, and all other windows must be closed. If other windows are open, a message appears prompting you to either continue and close all open windows or quit and cancel the database save process. To load a database: 1 Select File - Database - Load from the Explorer menu. The Database Load dialog box appears. 2 Browse to select the database you wish to load. 3 Click Load.
Browser URL Telnet Port NOTE: The Address field only applies to Remote Console Switches and the Browser URL field only applies to servers. In the exported file, the Address field data will be empty for servers and the Browser URL field data will be empty for Remote Console Switches. The first line of the exported file contains the column names for the field data. Each additional line contains the field data for a Remote Console Switch or server.
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4 Using the Viewer You can connect to a server in the Remote Console Switch system using the Viewer. The Viewer allows you full keyboard, monitor, and mouse control over a server. You can also scan through a customized list of servers by enabling individual servers to appear in the Thumbnail Viewer. This view contains a series of thumbnail frames, each containing a small, scaled, non-interactive version of a server's screen image.
Figure 4.1: RCS Software - Servers Tab To access a server: 1 Click the Servers tab in the Explorer. 2 Select a server in the Unit Selector pane. 3 Click the Connect Video task button. -orRight-click on the server. A pop-up menu appears. Select Connect Video. -orDouble-click the server name. -orPress . The Viewer launches in a new window. To search for a server in the system: 1 Click the Servers tab and insert your cursor in the search text box.
2 Type the search information. This can be the server name or any information you have entered in the other Unit Selector list headings such as Type or Location. 3 Click the Search button. The results appear in the Unit list. 4 Review the results of your search. -orClick the Clear Results button to display the entire list again. Interacting With the Server Being Viewed Once you have connected to a server, you will see the desktop window of the server on your screen. This opens in a separate window.
Viewer Window Features Figure 4.2: Viewer Window 1 Menu bar: Access many of the features in the Viewer. 2 Accessed server desktop: Interact with your server through this window.
Viewer Menu Bar Figure 4.3: Viewer Menu Bar 1 Thumbtack: Click to lock the menu bar in place. This prevents the menu bar from hiding once you have moved the mouse cursor away from the menu bar. 2 Menu Options: The menus provides access to functions available through the Viewer. 3 Toolbar Buttons: You may add up to 10 buttons to the tool bar. These buttons allow you to provide easy access to defined functions and keyboard macros.
Connection Status Indicator Sharing Mode Active Sharing (Primary User) Active Sharing (Secondary User) Passive Sharing Stealth Mode Scanning 5 Smart Card Status Indicator: The smart card status is indicated by the smart card icon at the far right side of the Video Viewer toolbar. Table 4.2: Smart Card Status Indicators Icon Description A smart card is not in the smart card reader, or a smart card reader is not attached. A smart card is in the smart card reader but has not been mapped.
Adjusting the Viewer Toolbar You may add up to 10 buttons to the toolbar. These buttons allow you to provide easy access to defined function and keyboard macros. By default, the Align Local Cursor, Refresh Image, and Single Cursor Mode buttons are displayed. To add buttons to the toolbar: 1 From the Tools menu in the Viewer, choose Session Options. The Session Options toolbar is displayed. 2 Click the Toolbar tab. 3 Click to select the items you want to add to the Viewer toolbar.
of the mouse cursor and the disappearance of the toolbar by adjusting the Toolbar Hide Delay time. To change the Toolbar Hide Delay time: 1 From the Tools menu in the Viewer, choose Session Options. The Session Options toolbar is displayed. 2 Click the Toolbar tab. 3 In the Toolbar Hide Delay field, type the number of seconds for which you want the toolbar to display, after the mouse cursor is removed.
To refresh the screen: Click the Refresh Image button on the Viewer toolbar. -orFrom the Viewer menu, select View - Refresh. The digitized video image will be completely regenerated. To align the mouse cursors: Click the Align Local Cursor button on the Viewer toolbar. The local cursor will align with the cursor on the remote server. To enter full screen mode: Click the Maximize button in the top right-hand corner of the Viewer. -orFrom the Viewer menu, select View - Full Screen.
To adjust the size of the Viewer window: From the menu bar, select View - Scaling - Auto Scale to allow the server image to be scaled automatically. -orFrom the menu bar, select View - Scaling - Full Scale -orSelect a screen resolution from the Scaling sub-menu. Figure 4.6: Viewer Scaling Adjusting the Video Quality The Viewer offers both automatic and manual video adjustment capability. Generally, the Automatic Video Adjustment will optimize the video for the best possible view.
Adjusting Color Depth NOTE: The Color command may only be used by the primary user. The command is not available to non-primary users who are sharing the session. NOTE: If Background Refresh is enabled from the Session Options dialog, the color depth will be set automatically to Best Color Available and cannot be changed. The Color sub-menu allows you to set the color depths at which the digital image can be compressed.
Manual Video Adjust Dialog Box Options Figure 4.7: Manual Video Adjust Dialog Box NOTE: If you use theon-board web interface to launch the Viewer, the Manual Video Adjust dialogbox will appear as shown above. If you use the RCS softwareto launch the Viewer, there will also be a Help button above the Close button.
6 Brightness 7 Noise Threshold 8 Priority Threshold 9 Automatic Video Adjustment 10 Refresh Image 11 Adjustment bar 12 Video Test Pattern 13 Help 14 Performance Monitor 15 Close box Minimizing Remote Video Session Discoloration When establishing remote video sessions, pixel discolorations may occur due to network conditions. This condition occurs most often with a solid color background. This condition is minimized by using a black background.
NOTE: Reducing the noise threshold to zero causes constant video refresh, high network usage, and a flickering video. Dell recommends that the noise threshold be set to the highest level that allows efficient system performance, while still being able to recover pixel colors over which the mouse cursor travels. NOTE: When adjusting the noise threshold, use the slider bar for large adjustments and the Plus (+) and Minus (-) buttons at the ends of the slider bar for fine-tuning.
Figure 4.8: Viewer Mouse Session Options dialog box Setting Mouse Scaling You can choose between three preset mouse scaling options or set your own custom scaling. The three preset settings are: Default (1:1), High (2:1), or Low (1:2). In a 1:1 scaling ratio, every mouse movement on the desktop window will send an equivalent mouse movement to the server. In a 2:1 scaling, the same mouse movement will send a 2X mouse movement. In a 1:2 scaling, the value will be 1/2X.
Minimizing Mouse Trailing During a remote video session, as the mouse moves on the screen, some pixels will remain discolored. This condition is referred to as mouse trailing, and is due to varying levels of network and other noise in different environments. To minimize mouse trailing, you may need to reduce the Noise Threshold in the Manual Video Adjust dialog box. To reduce the Noise Threshold: 1 From the Viewer menu, select Tools - Manual Video Adjust. The Manual Video Adjust dialog box appears.
NOTE: See the documentation included with your Windows operating system for specific instructions. Red Hat Linux: 1 Select the Mouse settings from the Desktop Controls. 2 Set Acceleration to 1.0. 3 Apply the changes and use the Align Local Cursor/Mouse button in the Viewer to resynchronize the mouse.
Scanning Your Servers Using the Thumbnail Viewer, you can set up a scan sequence of up to 16 servers to monitor your servers. The scan mode moves from one thumbnail image to the next, logging into a server and displaying an updated server image for a userspecified length of time (View Time Per Server), before logging out of that server and moving on to the next thumbnail image. You can also specify a scan delay between thumbnails (Time Between Servers).
a server, the server will be skipped and a red “X” will be displayed in the indicator light below the frame. The RCS software can scan connected servers on multiple Remote Console Switches. Accessing Scan Mode from the RCS Software Figure 4.10: RCS Software- Scanning Servers To access the Scan mode in the RCS software: 1 In the Explorer, select the Remote Console Switches, Servers, Sites, or Folders tab. 2 Select two or more servers in the Unit Selector pane by pressing the key.
Thumbnail View Status Indicators The green LED indicates that a server is currently being scanned. The red X indicates that the last scan of the server was not successful. The scan may have failed due to a credential or path failure (the server path on the Remote Console Switch was not available), or because of some other reason. When the mouse pointer is placed on the red X a tool tip appears and indicates the reason for the failure.
To enable or disable a server in the scan sequence: 1 Select a server thumbnail. 2 From the Thumbnail Viewer, select Thumbnail - [server name] - Enable. -orRight-click a server thumbnail and select Enable. That server will be included/excluded in the server thumbnail scan sequence. NOTE: The Enable menu item state can be toggled from checked (enabled) to unchecked (disabled) each time it is selected.
Figure 4.11: Viewer Macro Menu Expanded - Windows Option Figure 4.
Figure 4.13: Viewer Macro Menu Expanded - Linux Option Session Options - General Tab The General tab in the Session Options dialog box allows you to control the Keyboard Passthrough option in non-full screen mode, the Menu Activation Keystroke, and the Background Refresh selection. The Keyboard Pass-through check box allows you to specify whether Keyboard Pass-through mode is enabled, or not. The Keyboard Pass-through option is not selected by default.
Figure 4.14: Session Options - General Tab The Menu Activation Keystroke list (None, Pause, and F1-F12) allows you to select a keystroke that activates the toolbar. The Background Refresh check box allows you to specify whether background refreshing occurs. When this option is selected the Viewer is sent a constant stream of data from the device whether or not a change has occurred on the device. To change session options: 1 From the Tools menu in the Viewer, choose Session Options.
To capture a screen as a file: 1 In the Viewer, choose File - Capture to File. The Save dialog is displayed. 2 Browse to the location where you want to save the file. 3 In the File Name field, type a file name and click Save. To copy a screen to the clipboard: In the Viewer, choose File - Capture to Clipboard. The image is saved to the clipboard and can be pasted into a document or image editing application. NOTE: The Capture to Clipboard function is not available in Linux.
accept sharing, No to reject sharing, or click the Passive Share box to allow the new user to share without having any control over the connection. When you attempt to open a Video session with a device that is already being viewed by another user, you are notified that the device is already being viewed. Depending on the configuration of sharing settings, you may be offered the option to share or preempt the video session. You may also be offered the option to open a stealth Video session.
• Select a Remote Console Switch from the Unit list, then click the Manage Appliance button. • Right-click on a Remote Console Switch in the Unit list. Select Manage Appliance from the pop-up menu. • Select a Remote Console Switch in the Unit list and press Enter. 3 Select the Global - Sessions subcategory. 4 Select Enable Share Mode in the Connection Sharing area. 5 You can choose to select Automatic Sharing.
• Click OK or Yes. If Automatic Sharing is not enabled, a share request is sent to the primary user, who can accept the share request as either an active or passive (read-only) session, or reject the share request entirely. • Click No to cancel the share request.
• Select a Remote Console Switch from the Unit list, then click the Manage Appliance button. • Right-click on a Remote Console Switch in the Unit list. Select Manage Appliance from the pop-up menu. • Select a Remote Console Switch in the Unit list and press Enter. 1 Select the Global - Sessions subcategory. 2 Select the Enable Shared Sessions check box in the Connection Sharing area. 3 Select Exclusive Connections in the Connection Sharing area.
1 Click the Appliances button in the Explorer. 2 Complete one of the following steps: • Double-click on a Remote Console Switch in the Unit list. • Select a Remote Console Switch from the Unit list, then click the Manage Appliance button. • Right-click on a Remote Console Switch in the Unit list. Select Manage Appliance from the pop-up menu. • Select a Remote Console Switch in the Unit list and press Enter. 3 Select the Global - Sessions subcategory.
A KVM session to the target device opens, and the administrator can view all video output of the target device while remaining undetected.
Current User Preempted by Preemption can be rejected Remote Console Switch Administrator Local User Yes Remote Console Switch Administrator Remote Console Switch Administrator Yes Remote Administrator Local User No Remote Administrator Remote Administrator Yes Remote Administrator Remote Console Switch Administrator No Local User Remote Administrator Yes Local User Remote Console Switch Administrator Yes Preemption of a Remote User by a Remote Administrator If a remote administrator
connected user can accept or reject the preemption request. A message appears asking the connected local user or remote administrator whether they want to accept the preemption request. If the preemption request is rejected a message appears informing the remote administrator that their request has been rejected and that they cannot access the server. NOTE: If the server being viewed is attached to an Avocent switch, the user is not given the option to accept or reject preemption.
5 • Click OK or Yes. A preemption notification is sent to the primary user. Depending on your access rights, the primary user might be able to reject the preemption. • Click No to let the primary user retain the connection. If the preemption completes, the Video Viewer of the target device session opens. Virtual Media With virtual media support, a USB media device can be connected directly to the appliance USB ports and made available to any target device that is connected to the appliance.
• To use virtual media on a given server, a Dell USB2 SIP, Dell USB2+CAC SIP, Avocent MPUIQ-VMC, DSAVIQ-PS2M, or DSAVIQ-USB2 module must be used to connect that server to the KVM. • A virtual media session cannot be opened to a server that is connected to a passive expansion module. • The target device must support the types of USB2-compatible media that you virtually map. In other words, if the target device does not support a portable USB 2.
If User B has access to that KVM session (the Reserved option is not enabled), User B could control the media that is being used in the virtual media session. In some environments, this might not be desirable. By using the Reserved option in a tiered environment, only User A can access the lower appliance and the KVM channel between the upper appliance and lower appliance is reserved for User A. Preemption levels offer additional flexibility of combinations. See "Preemption Mode" on page 93.
1 Open a virtual media session from the Video Viewer toolbar by selecting Tools - Virtual Media. 2 To map a physical drive as a virtual media drive, complete the following steps: a. In the Virtual Media window, select the Mapped check box next to the drive or drives you want to map. b. If you want to limit the mapped drive to read-only access, select the Read Only check box next to the drive prior to mapping the drive.
(more than one DVD or mass storage device), a message is displayed. If you still want to map a new drive, you must first unmap an existing mapped drive, then map the new drive. After a physical drive or image is mapped, it can be used on the target device. To unmap a virtual media drive: Eject the mapped drive from the target device. Clear the Mapped check box. Virtual Media Connection Status The status section displays specific information about the virtual media connections.
• Locked - A virtual media session that is associated with a specified KVM session. If the KVM session is closed, the virtual media session will end. (For example, if the KVM session is preempted, closed by a user, or stopped when the screen saver starts, the appliance will close the associated virtual media session). However, closing a locked virtual media session will not close the corresponding KVM session. • Mapped drive access - You can set the access mode for mapped drives to read-only.
responding. To reset the USB bus: 1 In the Virtual Media window, click Details. 2 Select USB Reset. Closing a Virtual Media Session To close the Virtual Media window, complete the following steps: 1 Click Exit or X to close the window. 2 If you have any mapped drives, a message indicates that the drives will be unmapped. Click Yes to confirm and close the window or click No to cancel the close.
(HID). If the BIOS of the connected computer does not support this type of device, the keyboard and mouse might not work until the operating system loads USB 2.0 device drivers. If this occurs, there might be a BIOS update provided by the computer manufacturer that will provide BIOS support for a USB 2.0 connected keyboard and mouse. Booting a Computer Using Virtual Media In many cases the virtual media feature can boot an attached computer from a device attached to the USB port on the switch.
Web site from the target device manufacturer to determine if a later BIOS is available that might support booting from a composite USB 2.0 device. If so, update the BIOS and retry. 3 If the target device is not capable of booting from an external USB 2.0 device, try the following methods to remotely boot this target device: • Some BIOS versions provide an option to limit USB speeds. If this option is available to you, change the USB port setting to “USB 1.1” or “Full Speed” mode and try booting again.
A Appendix A: Updating RCS Software For optimal operation of your system, ensure that you have the latest version of the RCS software available from Dell support website at dell.com/support. To update the RCS software: 1 Download the update file from the Dell support website - dell.com/support. 2 Double-click on the installer. The installer will check to see if a previous version of the RCS software resides on your system.
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B Appendix B: Keyboard and Mouse Table B.1: Divider Pane Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts Operation Description F6 Navigates between the split-screens and gives focus to the last element that had focus. F8 Gives focus to the divider. Left or Up Arrow Moves the divider left if the divider has the focus. Right or Down Arrow Moves the divider right if the divider has the focus. Home Gives the right pane of the split-screen all of the area (left pane disappears) if the divider has the focus.
Table B.2: Tree View Control Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts Operation Description Mouse Single-Click Deselects the existing selection and selects the node the mouse pointer is over. Mouse Double-Click Toggles the expand/collapse state of an expandable node (a node that has children). Does nothing on a leaf node (a node that does not have children). Up Arrow Deselects the existing selection and selects the next node above the current focus point.
Operation Description Down Arrow Deselects current selection and moves selection down one row. Page Up Deselects current selection and scrolls up one page then selects the first item on the page. Page Down Deselects current selection and scrolls down one page then selects the last item on the page. Delete Performs the Delete function. Works the same as the EditDelete menu function. Please see that section for more information.
Operation Description Ctrl + Mouse Click Toggles the selection state of the row the mouse pointer is over without affecting the selection state of any other row. Mouse double-click Launches the default action for the selected unit.
C Appendix C: TCP Ports The following table lists the functions performed by the Remote Console Switch and which ports are used. Table C.1: Ports Used Port Function TCP 80/443 Default HTTP/HTTPS. TCP 2068 Video Viewer video, keyboard, mouse, user authentication, and virtual media. TCP/UDP 3211 Management and install/discovery. NOTE: The TCP/IP ports are fixed and cannot be altered. NOTE: All data on ports 2068 and 3211 is encrypted using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.
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D Appendix D: Technical Support Our Technical Support staff is ready to assist you with any installation or operating issues you encounter with your Dell product. If an issue should develop, follow the steps below for the fastest possible service. To resolve an issue: 1 Check the pertinent section of this manual to see if the issue can be resolved by following the procedures outlined. 2 Check our web site at dell.com/support to search the knowledge base or use the on-line service request.
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