ADDERnet Manual

							ADDER.NET
User Guide
contents
ADDER.NET
DEVICES
HOSTS
USERSPC
PC
PC
PC
KVM-over -IP
device
KVM-over -IP
device
[Version 1.10]  
						

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Contents
Welcome
Introduction ........................................................................\
.........2
A brief glossary of terms ........................................................2
ADDER.NET operation ............................................................3
Getting started
Installation ........................................................................\
...........4
Logging on ........................................................................\
...........5
Specific device requirements ......................................................5
Browser requirements .................................................................5
The Manager
Using the Manager ......................................................................6
Getting started with the Manager .............................................6
Adding new devices ................................................................7
Devices........................................................................\
..................7
Managing device entries ......................................................11
Advanced Control (Hardware Manager) ........................12
Power control devices ...........................................................14
Altering outlet allocation ................................................14
Device clusters .......................................................................15
Adding new hosts .................................................................18
Hosts ........................................................................\
...................18
Managing host entries .........................................................20
Host groups ........................................................................\
...22
Users ........................................................................\
...................25
Adding new users .................................................................25
Managing user entries ..........................................................26
User groups ........................................................................\
...27
Tools ........................................................................\
...................30
Active Directory Import .............................................................31
Active Directory Import Options ..........................................32
Active Directory Synchronisation  ........................................33
Using logs ........................................................................\
...........34
Device auto-configuration ........................................................35
The Connector
Accessing the Connector  ..........................................................36
Searching for hosts, devices or clusters  ...................................36
Using hosts ........................................................................\
.........37
Connector preferences ..............................................................38
Further information
Troubleshooting ........................................................................\
39
Getting assistance ......................................................................39
Appendix 1 - What are Secure Tickets? ....................................40
Appendix 2 - What are S3 connections? ..................................41
Appendix 3 - Backing up and restoring ...................................42
Appendix 4 - Firmware upgrades .............................................44
Appendix 5 - Configuring firewalls ..........................................45
Appendix 6 - Console server connections ................................46
Index  
						

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HOSTS
USERS
PCPCPC
PC PCPC
PC PCPC
KVM-over-IP
evice
dKVM-over -IP
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dKVM-over -IP
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d
LAN / WA N
Connection
Welcome
Introduction
Adder KVM-over-IP devices provide the ability to control large numbers o\
f host 
computers from remote locations. When controlling larger groups of dispe\
rsed 
computers using numerous KVM-over-IP devices, the major challenge become\
s 
one of management – retaining active control over a complex mix of devices, 
host computers and registered users. 
ADDER.NET has been developed as a common interface to help you to remote\
ly 
manage any number of KVM-over-IP devices together with all of their conn\
ected 
host computers and the access rights of the users.
Security
To ensure maximum security, ADDER.NET does not retain any passwords with\
in 
its database for the KVM-over-IP devices that it controls. Instead, a va\
lid password 
is used once only to gain access to each device during the ‘acquire’\
 stage where 
ADDER.NET establishes a Secure Ticket with the device. In all subsequent 
accesses to each device, the relevant secure ticket is used to gain acce\
ss. 
Remote ADDER.NET serverManaging the details and relationships between multiple KVM-over-IP devices, host computers and registered users  
SECT 1
A brief glossary of terms
Throughout the ADDER.NET application and also this guide, you will fin\
d the 
following terms used to describe the constituent parts of a typical KVM-\
over-IP 
system:
Device - Any KVM-over-IP apparatus that allows remote access to one or more 
computer systems (hosts).
Device cluster - KVM-over-IP devices can be grouped together to provide 
multiple redundant connections to computer systems - such groups of devi\
ces 
are called Clusters. Users are able to connect to the first available device in a 
cluster rather than a specific device.
Host - A computer system that is accessible remotely via a KVM-over-IP devic\
e. If 
a KVM-over-IP device serves a single host, then they are usually conside\
red to be 
the same logical entity and there is no need to separately define the \
host. 
Host group - A logical collection of host computers linked to the same or 
different KVM devices which can be managed collectively and represented \
by a 
single entry within ADDER.NET. 
Manager - A user of the system with certain special privileges, in particular t\
he 
ability to manage the database associated with ADDER.NET.
Power control device (PCD) - A power switch (usually with multiple outlets) 
that can control the mains supply being fed to computer hosts or KVM dev\
ices, 
under the command of a remote user via a network connection.
Target - A target is anything that a user can make a connection to and that 
can have user rights allocated to it. A target may be a device, a host o\
r a device 
cluster. 
User - A registered user of the system who has a defined access rights pro\
file.
User group - A logical collection of users who require the same access rights to 
devices and hosts within the system. They can be represented by a single\
 entry 
within ADDER.NET and managed collectively.  
     
						

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ADDER.NET operation
ADDER.NET operates as a server application running on a system that can \
be 
completely separate from any of the KVM-over-IP devices – it merely r\
equires 
an IP-network or Internet connection. ADDER.NET uses an intuitive HTML u\
ser 
interface which means that registered users can access and control it re\
motely 
using a standard web browser. Like all Adder KVM-over-IP products, ADDER\
.NET 
employs high specification security techniques to ensure that only aut\
horised 
users may gain access. 
ADDER.NET has two main modules: The Manager and the Connector.
The Manager
This module is accessible only to managers and is where details about al\
l 
devices, hosts and users are configured and stored.
The Connector
This module can be used by registered users to allow quick access to all\
 of the 
targets for which they have access rights. Targets may be devices, hosts\
 or device 
groups, as appropriate.   
						

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Getting started
Installation
ADDER.NET may be supplied on CD-ROM or as a self-installing application.\
  
There are two components to the installation of ADDER.NET - the ADDER.NE\
T 
Server, and the ADDER.NET VNC-URI client.
In a typical installation, the ADDER.NET Server is installed just once, \
but the 
ADDER.NET VNC-URI client may be installed on any PC from which ADDER.NET\
 
Server needs to be accessed.  
ADDER.NET Server requires a Windows Server 2003 or 2008, Windows XP Pro,\
 
Windows Vista or Windows 7 PC (‘Home’ versions not supported) th\
at has an IP 
LAN/WAN/Internet connection to the devices that it will be monitoring. A\
DDER.
NET VNC-URI client is launched by a standard web browser.
There are three installation steps that are followed - Stage 1 will inst\
all the 
ADDER.NET Server and is typically performed just once. Stages 2 and 3 wi\
ll 
install the ADDER.NET Client components and need to be carried out on ea\
ch 
computer that will be used to access the ADDER.NET Server.
Note: Cookies are used by ADDER.NET to streamline installation and opera\
tion. 
You are recommended to allow cookies to remain intact within your browse\
r 
to ensure that installation reminder messages are suppressed. If you pre\
fer 
to delete cookies, you can use the ‘Ignore the installation checks’\
 link (once 
installation has taken place) and then bookmark that link. If you then \
use the 
bookmark to access ADDER.NET, the installation reminders will not be sho\
wn.     
Stage 1: Installing the ADDER.NET server
To install the ADDER.NET server:
1 Insert the CD-ROM or run the install executable.
2  Follow the on-screen instructions. During the installation, you will be \
asked to 
select the link that you will normally use to access the system. Options\
 are: 
•	 The	host	name	(e.g.	host1),	
•	 The	fully	qualified	domain	name	(e.g.	host1.yourcompany.local),	or	
•	 The	IP	address	(e.g.	192.168.1.22).	
  ADDER.NET’s secure access method requires you to specify how you will\
 
address the ADDER.NET server when connecting through a browser. This 
ensures that the correct security certificates are generated.
 The system will generate a security certificate which will avoid brows\
er 
security warnings being displayed when you access the system - this will\
 be 
installed during the next stage.
SECT 2
Stage 2: Installing the security key authority certificate
The Security key authority certificate provides your browser with the \
necessary 
reassurance that the software is from a known good source and as a resul\
t, you 
will not need to provide a security confirmation every time ADDER.NET \
is used.
Note: These instructions are specific to Microsoft Internet Explorer (\
IE) running 
on Windows XP. The procedures for other browsers and operating systems w\
ill 
be similar but may vary. The procedure for IE on Windows Vista and 7 req\
uires 
manual location of the certificate, detailed instructions for which ar\
e provided in 
the installation-page on-screen help.
To install the security key authority certificate
1 Within the ADDER.NET logon page, click the following link:
 Install the key authority certificate on this PC     
2  In the resulting dialog box, click the Open button.
3 In the next dialog box, click the Install Certificate... button and follow the 
on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Stage 3: Installing the VNC-URI client
The VNC-URI client is necessary to allow connections to be made from ADD\
ER.
NET to KVM-over-IP devices. The VNC URI client should be installed on al\
l 
machines that will make use of ADDER.NET.
To install the VNC-URI client 
1 Within the ADDER.NET logon page, click the following link:
 Install the VNC-URI client for ADDER.NET on this PC      
2 In the resulting dialog box, click the Run button.
3 If a subsequent security dialog gives a security warning, click the Run button 
to continue.
4 In the next dialog box, click the Next > button and then follow the on- 
screen instructions to complete the installation. 
Note: We recommend that you take regular back-ups of certain folders and\
 files 
- please see Appendix 3: Backing up and restoring.     
						

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Specific device requirements
Due to the close working relationship between ADDER.NET and the devices \
that it controls, the various Adder KVM-over-IP devices must adhere to c\
ertain 
minimum specifications for their firmware revisions:
 Device Minimum firmware revision
 AdderLink IP   v3.0
 AdderLink IP Gold    v1.0
 AdderLink iPEPS    v1.0
 AdderView CATx IP    v2.1
 AdderView CATxIP 1000   Any
 AdderView CATxIP 5000   Any
 WTI - VMR and MPC series  Any
IMPORTANT
To ensure correct operation of ADDER.NET, no device is permitted to use \
the 
‘Force VNC Protocol 3.3’ option. This is because ADDER.NET uses th\
e advanced 
security features available in VNC protocol 4, and for this reason VNC P\
rotocol 
version 3.3 is not supported.
Browser requirements
It is recommended that you use the later versions of the most popular br\
owser 
applications. For best results please use the versions listed below:    \
 Browser   Minimum version
 Chrome    v5 or later
 Firefox    v3.1 or later
 Internet Explorer     v7 or later
 Opera    v10 or later
 Safari    v5 or later
Logging on
The ADDER.NET server uses standard HTML to produce a user interface that\
 can 
be viewed with any web browser. Before proceeding to log on to ADDER.NET\
, 
please ensure that JavaScript is enabled in your browser. 
To log on to ADDER.NET
1 Open your web browser and use the link that you specified during the 
installation,	e.g.	host1,	host1.yourcompany.local,	192.168.1.22,	http://
localhost, etc. 
 ADDER.NET will display the logon page: 
2 [When accessing for the first time since installation] 
 Enter a valid user name and password and then click the Logon button.
 Note: The default administrator user name is admin and the default 
password is adder. Ensure that these are changed as a first step once 
ADDER.NET is running. 
 The first time that you log-on as a Manager user you will be presented\
 
with the ‘User Manager’ page and be prompted to change the admin u\
ser 
password. Once this is done, future logons will begin with the Start Pag\
e 
that has been defined for each user. The defaults are: the ‘Alert B\
rowser’ for 
the admin user and the ‘How To…’ page for newly created users.   
						

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The Manager
Using the Manager
Among its menus, the Manager has three main options to represent the thr\
ee 
key areas of information that it holds: 
•	 Devices	(KVM-over-IP	equipment),	
•	 Hosts	(computers),	and	
•	 Users.	
General page layout 
Both the Manager and the Connector module pages use similar layouts, wit\
h a 
consistent menu bar and drop down menus:  
Standard icons 
On many ADDER.NET pages you will see one or more of the following icons:\
 /   Click to display/hide contextual help on the displayed page items,
   Click to display list items in alphabetic form,
  Click to display list items in tabular form,
  Device is listed in your favourites,
 Device has been acquired,
 Device is not yet acquired,
  Device is not acquirable or does not need acquisition,
   [Green] Device is active, not in use, and available for access,
  [Orange] Device is active, in use, but in “Shared” mode and can be accessed\
,
 [Red] Device is active, in use, and in “Private” mode and cannot be acce\
ssed,
  [Grey] Device appears to be offline,
  [White] No information is available about the status of this device.
Getting started with the Manager
When commissioning a new installation, the starting point usually lies w\
ith the 
Devices, although Hosts or Users may be added at any time. It is advantageous 
to begin with the Devices because once located, they can automatically p\
rovide 
information about their connected host computers, saving you time and ef\
fort.
continued
SECT 3
LogoffOnce you’ve finished interacting with the ADDER.NET server you should log out by clicking here.
Column sort orderClick a column heading to sort the list according to the contents of that column (a triangular arrow head will appear). When the white arrow is pointing up, the column is sorted alphabetically. Click the same column heading once more to invert the arrow and change to reverse alphabetic order.  
Page selection controlsThe controls given on the base bar are there to help you when there are many items listed and you need to view entries within other pages. You can control how many entries should appear in each page using the ‘Page Size’ parameter located within (Manager view) To\
ols > Configure ADDER.NET    
						

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Adding new devices
When adding new devices to ADDER.NET, you can choose to: 
•	 Scan	the	network	to	locate	and	add	devices	(see	below),
•	Add new devices manually, or
•	 Use	the	device auto-configuration service. 
To scan the network to locate and add devices  
1 On the ADDER.NET Manager menu bar, place your mouse pointer over 
Devices and then choose Scan Network from the drop down list. The 
screen will show:
2 Enter your search parameters and click the Scan button. 
 Notes: 
 Ensure that the KVM-over-IP device(s) that you seek are switched on, 
correctly configured and are connected to an IP network that can be 
accessed by ADDER.NET.
 If the ADDER.NET server system is on the other side of a firewall from\
 the 
device(s) that you seek, ensure that an exception is registered with t\
he 
firewall for port 5900. Please see Appendix 5 - Configuring firewalls for 
more details.
 Power control devices (PCDs) cannot be added by scanning the network, \
instead use the manual method or the device auto-configuration 
service.
 
continued
Enter the base IP address for your search  (e.g. 192.168.0.0)
Unless the device for which you are searching has had its port number changed, leave this option at 5900. If a device port number has been altered, change this value to match.
Enter the number of IP addresses to check from the base address (or enter the final IP address)
Devices
Devices are KVM-over-IP equipment (such as the AdderView CATxIP 5000) \
through which a remote connection can be made to one or more host 
computers. 
The Devices menu provides access to the following items:
Browse – Displays the Device Browser page so that you can see a list of the\
 
registered devices, each one showing its name, type, status, description\
, IP 
address (including port) and location details. Click the Manage button\
 for 
the required device to see further information.     
Search – Allows you to enter various criteria on which to search for a 
particular device.
Scan Network – Allows you to define a range of IP address locations in 
which to seek new devices. 
Add – Allows you to define the characteristics of a new device and add\
 it to 
the list manually.
Browse Clusters – Displays the Cluster Browser page so that you can see 
a list of the registered device clusters. Click the Manage button for th\
e 
required device cluster to see further information.
Search Clusters – Allows you to search for device clusters by name or 
description.
Add Cluster – Allows you to define the characteristics of a new device 
cluster and add it to the list manually.   
						

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 After a short delay (depending on how many addresses you requested to 
check) the page will show the results of the search. The results are gr\
ouped 
and colour coded depending upon the items found:
3 Click the checkbox(es) of the device(s) that you wish to add and cli\
ck the 
Add button. The selected device(s) will be shown within the Device Browser 
page:
Any new KVM-over-IP devices will be shown with a white background containing a checkbox. Click the checkbox to mark the device for inclusion. 
Note: Power control devices (PCDs) will appear in the Other 
Device Types and from there cannot be properly configured. To 
add PCDs, use either the manual method or the device auto-
configuration service.   
						

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4 Click the Manage button of the newly discovered device that you wish to 
configure. The Device Manager page will display connection and control 
details for the selected device:
5 When all details have been completed, including a relevant (or new) 
password for the device, click the Acquire button to form the bond 
between the device and ADDER.NET. 
 If the acquisition process is successful, the Status box will change to \
a green 
background and show the word ‘Acquired’. This means that a secure \
key 
link has been set up between ADDER.NET and the device.
 If the acquisition fails, check:
•	 That	the	password	is	correct,
•	 That	the	device	is	switched	on	and	responds	to	a	ping	operation,
•	 That	the	device	does	NOT	have	any	“FORCE	VNC	protocol	3.3”	option	
enabled. 
Indicates the device type as declared by the device itself.
If a DNS name is available it will be shown here, otherwise the IP addre\
ss will be used.
If available, lists the device’s unique MAC address. Not shown for so\
ftware servers.
Allows you to send a test IP packet to the device to ensure that it is r\
esponding correctly.
Optionally enter details for the device that will assist with recognitio\
n, physical location, asset status and also allow it to be located using a keyword s\
earch. These can be added or changed later.
The Status window initially shows “Not acquired” until a secure ti\
cket has been configured between ADDER.NET and the device.  Not shown for software s\
ervers.
Enter the relevant admin password for the device. This password will be \
used once during the acquisition stage and then discarded from ADDER.NET in o\
rder to maintain security. If a password has not yet been configured within th\
e device, the password entered here will be programmed into the device automatically a\
s part of the acquisition process – blank passwords are not permitted. As a mat\
ter of course and good practice, please ensure that sufficiently complex and secure \
passwords are set on all devices. Not shown for software servers.
Extract Hosts:  For KVM switches only, this checkbox determines whether \
ADDER.NET should extract and store the list of hosts from the device. Note: If\
 this box is unticked and the hosts are not extracted at acquisition, ADDER.NET will \
overwrite the host list, permanently deleting any hosts which had been configure\
d on the acquired device. Not shown for software servers. 
Use name from device: If this box is ticked, ADDER.NET will attempt to r\
etrieve the name stored within the device during acquisition. If none is found, or i\
f this box is unticked, the name entered within the ‘Device Name’ field will b\
e used. Not shown for software servers.
Note: If you wish to store details within the ADDER.NET database, but no\
t proceed with the acquisition at this stage, click this link.