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Devon IT OptiPlex VDI Blaster Edition Administration Manual

Echo management console
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  • Page 1 Devon IT Echo Management Console Dell Edition Administration Guide...
  • Page 2 Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell™, the DELL logo, and OptiPlex™ are trademarks of Dell Inc. Devon IT, the Devon IT logo, Devon IT Echo™ Thin Client Management Software, and VDI Blaster™...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Virtual Appliance Installation and Setup ........6 Download and Install the VMware Server or Player ........6 Download the Echo Software ..............6 Install Virtual Machine Setup on VMware ..........7 Troubleshooting a Bad Connection............15 Echo Password and Time Zone Configurations ........16 Echo Network Configuration ..............
  • Page 4 Learning Echo Basics ..............27 Terminology .................... 27 Accessing the Echo Web-Based Interface ..........28 The Echo Administration Screen ............29 Searches ....................31 Thin Client Management ............. 33 Echo Agent Updates ................33 Custom Icons ..................34 Shadowing ....................36 Echo Cloning Overview ................
  • Page 5 Maintenance ................. 62 Backing up Your Server ................62 Server Restore ..................64 Appliance Upgrades ................65 Getting Help.................. 66 Contacting Dell ..................66 Contents | 5...

  • Page 6: Virtual Appliance Installation And Setup

    If you need assistance installing VMware, please visit vmware.com. Download the Echo Software Visit support.dell.com to locate and download the latest Devon IT Echo Management Console Dell Edition software to manage your Dell OptiPlex FX130 and FX170 thin clients.

  • Page 7: Install Virtual Machine Setup On Vmware

    Install Virtual Machine Setup on VMware VMware Server 2.0 This section describes the steps for setting up the virtual machine on VMware Server version 2.0. Open your VMware Infrastructure Access Page. From the toolbar, select Virtual Machine->Add Virtual Machine to Inventory.
  • Page 8 VMware Server 1.0.x This section describes how to set up the virtual machine on VMware Server versions 1.0.0 through 1.0.8. Choose Open Existing Virtual Machine. Choose File->Open and browse to find the echo-x.xx.vmx file on your machine. The virtual machine default name is echo-x.xx. This is added to your Inventory column.
  • Page 9 VMware Player These are the steps for starting an Echo virtual machine on VMware Player. Launch VMware Player on your system. Click the Open icon. Open the echo-x.xx.vmx file located in the Echo folder. Virtual Appliance Installation & Setup | 9...
  • Page 10 Your virtual appliance will immediately begin booting. VMware ESX These are the steps for starting an Echo virtual machine on VMware ESX. Launch VMware Converter Stand Alone. Select VMware Workstation or other VMware Virtual Machine->Browse. 10 | Virtual Appliance Installation & Setup...
  • Page 11 Browse to the location of the extracted Echo appliance folder and select the echo-<x.xx> .vmx file. Select Next. Enter the credentials for an account that has administrator access to the ESX/vSphere server on which the Echo appliance is to be installed. Virtual Appliance Installation &...
  • Page 12 Select the appropriate destination for the Echo appliance on your ESX/vSphere server. Select the appropriate datastore where the Echo appliance will be stored. The Echo appliance will consume approximately 8 GB of hard disk space. 12 | Virtual Appliance Installation & Setup...
  • Page 13 Verify that the settings are correct. Virtual Appliance Installation & Setup | 13...
  • Page 14 Verify that the settings are correct and click Finish. The appliance will now be converted to your ESX/vSphere server. The process will take approximately 5-10 minutes. NOTE: Make sure that this is a newly downloaded appliance and not one that has been opened and run within VMware Player/Server/Workstation.

  • Page 15: Troubleshooting A Bad Connection

    Troubleshooting a Bad Connection Make sure that your Echo appliance has network connectivity and that traffic can flow to and from the appliance. You can typically switch to a different virtual terminal or try in the appliance by hitting <ALT> and the right arrow key. Once at the terminal prompt you will see ws-broker login: _.

  • Page 16: Echo Password And Time Zone Configurations

    Echo Password and Time Zone Configurations Turn on the Virtual Machine. After the bootup process is complete, you will be presented with the Setting Password window. Enter a new password for the bwadmin account. This password will be necessary to log into Echo. Once a password has been entered, use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate to the OK button and press <Enter>...

  • Page 17: Echo Network Configuration

    The next menu allows you to set the time zone for the Echo Virtual Appliance. Select your geographic area from the list and press <Enter>. A list of cities will appear. Select a nearby city located in your time zone and press <Enter>.
  • Page 18 Clicking the Change eth0 option will allow you to make changes to your Echo‟s IP configuration. If no changes are necessary, and no further configuration is required, select No Changes and press <Enter> to continue. Static IP Configuration If DHCP is not available on your LAN, then you must manually set a static IP address for the Echo server.
  • Page 19 Editing DNS for Static IP Configuration When using a static address, you need to edit the Echo server's resolv.conf file. This file contains the IP address to your DNS server(s) as well as domain search paths. From the main menu, select Reconfigure Networks. Select DNS view/editresolv.conf.

  • Page 20: Main Menu

    The Main Menu Once you have completed the initial setup process, the Main Menu screen will be your starting point for all future Echo modifications. 20 | Virtual Appliance Installation & Setup...
  • Page 21 Main Menu Options: Reference Chart Table 1-1. Echo Main Menu Reference Chart Set bwadmin password Select to enter a new password for the bwadmin account Configure active directory Allows users to log into the web front end using Active Directory credentials via an LDAP query Select to change the server‟s current Change time zone...

  • Page 22: Final Configuration Steps

    Final Configuration Steps DNS Configuration On your DNS server, create an entry for ws-broker.<mydomain*>.<mytld*> that points to the IP address of the Echo™ virtual machine. This allows the terminals to find the Echo server automatically. Where <mydomain> is your domain name and <mytld> is the top level domain.
  • Page 23 Alternative Configuration for Environments Without DNS If you don't have access to a DNS server, you can add the IP address of the server to your thin client by following these steps. Follow these steps on each thin client you want to manage with Echo. In the System Tray, double-click on the Echo Agent icon.
  • Page 24 Firewall Ports Table 1-2. What Ports Need to be Open for Echo Functionality Port Protocol Components Purpose HTTP – Standard web port for the Echo Server Echo Web UI HTTPS – Secure (SSL) Echo Server communication over http protocol 5500 & Echo Server Needed for VNC Shadowing 5999...

  • Page 25: Additional Installation Steps For Advanced Configurations

    Thin Manage Virtual Appliance in the same environment. If this does not apply to your environment, skip to Chapter 2, “Learning Echo Basics.” Configure Devon IT Echo Management Console Dell Edition to Use MS-SQL Database By default, Echo is configured to use a single SQLite database that is internal to the Echo virtual machine.
  • Page 26 Main Menu. 14 Select Restart Echo from the Main Menu to activate the database connection. Configure Devon IT Echo Management Console Dell Edition to Use MySQL Database You can choose to connect to a MySQL database. Follow the steps below to configure your management server with your MySQL database.

  • Page 27: Learning Echo Basics

    Learning Echo Basics Terminology You should familiarize yourself with the following list of terms, as they are used throughout this document.  Terminal-This is the device in front of the user, to which their screen, keyboard and mouse are attached. ...

  • Page 28: Accessing The Echo Web-Based Interface

    Accessing the Echo Web-Based Interface Using the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, type the following URL into the address http://<hostname or IP of your Echo server> and press <Enter>. On the Welcome to Echo window, click the image labeled Go to the Web Based Administration Tool.

  • Page 29: The Echo Administration Screen

    The Terminals Table Dell terminals and desktop access devices have a service called the Echo Agent that communicates with the Echo Thin Manage server. The Echo Agent announces its presence to the Echo server by continuously sending XML-based messages known as „heartbeats,‟...
  • Page 30 The Sessions Table When a PC-over-IP (PCoIP) network connection is established between a terminal and a host, details about that connection is reported in the Sessions table. NOTE: If your environment only consists of thin client terminals, then you will only see a Terminals table.

  • Page 31: Searches

    The Context Menu Right-clicking a row in any of the inventory tables displays a Context Menu with various actions that can be performed on that object. A context menu item that has an arrow beside it indicates that sub-menu options are available for this action.

  • Page 32: Thin Client Management

    Echo Agent Updates The Echo Agent is a service that runs on terminal devices and communicates with the Echo server. Periodically, Dell releases new Agent setup programs that provide additional functionality. This section outlines the steps for updating a new Agent to your inventoried thin client using the Echo Administrator User Interface.

  • Page 33: Thin Client Management | 33

    Click the OK button to begin the update. After a few seconds you will receive the message Echo agent request sent. The new agent begins installing itself on the actual device. This may take 30-60 seconds. Once this installation has finished and the new agent heartbeats back to the Echo server, the Agent Version column for that terminal displays the new version number.
  • Page 34 Select the Browse... button to launch a window that will allow you to explore your local machine to find an image to upload. Highlight the image and select Open. Click the OK button at the top of the side panel. You will receive a Success message when completed.
  • Page 35 The screen shot to the right will appear. Below the Name and Description fields will be a dropdown menu entitled Icon. Choose the icon from the dropdown menu. It should have the same nickname as the one given by the Administrator during upload. A preview of the image appears below the drop down menu when you select it.

  • Page 36: Shadowing

    Shadowing To help a user with their terminal, you may activate the Shadowing feature from the Echo Thin Manage Web Interface. Shadowing provides an interactive desktop session between the Echo Administrator and terminal end-user and is an excellent tool for assisting a user with their device in real-time. How to Shadow a Terminal From the table of inventoried Terminals, right-click on the terminal you want to shadow, and select VNC Shadow.

  • Page 37: Echo Cloning Overview

    Echo Cloning Overview There are three types of clones you can create with Echo – Connections, Terminal Settings, and Disk Images.  Connections-Terminals have the ability to connect to remote servers utilizing various types of protocols. The RDP protocol is used to connect to Microsoft Windows Terminal Servers.
  • Page 38  VMware-The connection settings and configurations for the VMware View client.  Firefox-The local web browser and its starting URL. How to Clone Connections From the table of inventoried Terminals, right-click the terminal you want to clone, and select Connections->Clone from Terminal. The details pane on the right-hand side displays the available connections you can clone from this thin client.
  • Page 39 Applying Connections to a Thin Client From the table of inventoried Terminals, right-click the terminal you want to apply settings to. Select Connections->Apply to Terminal. In the list of Connections, select which connections you want to apply. To select multiple connections, hold down the <Ctrl> key while clicking other names, or use the <Shift>...
  • Page 40 When you apply connections to thin clients, the actual ICA and RDP files are saved under C:\Devon IT\Citrix and C:\Devon IT\rDesktop, respectively. Shortcuts to these files are automatically created on the User and Administrator desktops. The end-user can simply double-click these shortcuts to initiate the connection.

  • Page 41: Cloning Thin Client Settings

    Cloning Thin Client Settings Echo allows you to clone the following thin client settings:  Display-The screen resolution, color depth, and refresh rate of the primary display device.  Input-The keyboard and mouse settings.  Password-Configuration settings for the DeTOS Control Panel password (DeTOS-only).
  • Page 42 Click the OK button. After a few seconds you will receive a Success message. From the top of the page, select Admin->Thin Client Settings to open a new screen displaying the current inventory of thin client settings. You will see your recently cloned settings entry now listed in the table. Applying Settings to a Thin Client From the table of inventoried Terminals, right-click the terminal you want to apply settings to, and then select Thin Client...
  • Page 43 In the list of modules, select which settings module you want to apply. To select multiple modules, hold down the <Ctrl > key while clicking other module names, or use the <Shift> key to select a range of modules. You must select at least one module – even if it is the only one available. Click the OK button to apply these settings to your terminal.
  • Page 44 Locales and Keyboard Input You can set the locale and keyboard input for your thin client by changing your settings. Select Control Panel->System->Input/Time. Select Locale. Select your desired locale. Select Keyboard. Select your desired keyboard input. NOTE: Adjustments to the setting will only take place after a reboot. Take note of the IP address of the thin client so that you can clone the settings of this device and apply them to others.
  • Page 45 Cloning the Settings Once the unit has been configured, select the thin client that has been configured from the Echo web UI. Right-click on the line item to launch the Context Menu. Select Thin Client Settings->Clone from Terminal. Select Locale. Select your desired locale. In the Details Pane, ensure that the Input line item is selected.
  • Page 46 Setting the Language in WES7 Follow these steps to change your display language in WES7. Click on the Control Panel. Under Clock, Language, and Region click Change Display Language. 46 | Thin Client Management...
  • Page 47 In the Keyboards and Languages tab, choose your display language from the drop-down menu. Select Change Keyboards…Select Add. Choose your language and keyboard settings and click OK. Thin Client Management | 47...
  • Page 48 The new keyboard layout will appear in the Installed services section. To make it your default setting, select it from the drop-down menu. In the Formats tab, choose your language and country from the drop- down menu. In the Location tab, select the country and location you are in. In the Administrative tab, click Change system locale…You will be prompted to apply your region and language settings.
  • Page 49 In the Administrative tab, select Copy Settings. Select both check boxes to ensure that all accounts, including the system account, is set to your desired language and input configuration. Click OK. 10 When prompted to restart, click Restart now. When the device reboots it will be configured to your language, location, and keyboard style of choice.
  • Page 50 Setting the Language in WES2009 Follow these steps to change your display language in WES2009. Click on the Control Panel. Double-click the icon Regional and Language Options. In the Regional Options tab, change both drop-down menus to the language and location and you want to display. 50 | Thin Client Management...
  • Page 51 In the Languages tab, select the display language you want. In the Advanced tab, select your desired language in the drop-down menu. If you want this language to apply to all users and the welcome screen, check box for Apply all settings to the current user account and to the default user profile Thin Client Management | 51...
  • Page 52 Return to the Languages tab and click Details… In the Settings tab, click Add to add a new keyboard layout and input method. Select the input language and keyboard layout and click OK. To make the new language the default setting, select it from the drop- down menu at the top.

  • Page 53: Profiles

    Profiles The profile feature in Echo allows you to assign terminal connections and settings with one or more thin client terminals. The next two sections describe the necessary steps for creating and applying Echo profiles. How to Create a Profile From the top of the page, select Admin->Profiles to open a new screen displaying the current inventory of profiles.
  • Page 54 Click the OK button to create this profile. You will receive a Success message once it finished. You will see your new profile entry now listed in the profile inventory table on the left-hand side of the screen. 54 | Thin Client Management...
  • Page 55 Applying a Profile Once you finish creating a profile as described in the section above, it will automatically apply the associated connections and settings the next time the terminal is rebooted. However, if you would like the changes to take effect immediately, then you may manually apply the profile by following the steps below.

  • Page 56: Disk Image Cloning

    Disk Image Cloning Echo allows you to perform full disk image cloning of your terminals, utilizing FTP, CIFS, or NFS protocols. How to Clone the Entire Disk Image From the table of inventoried Terminals, right-click the terminal you want to clone, and select Disk Image->Clone from Terminal. The details pane on the right-hand side will display an Image Details form that contains a list of seven fields: ...
  • Page 57  Username-If required, enter the username of an account that has permissions to read and write to the image repository you specified in the Image Location field above.  Password-If required, enter the password needed for the Username specified above. Click the OK button to begin the cloning process.
  • Page 58 From the top of the page, select Admin->Select Disk Images to open a new screen displaying the current inventory of disk images. You will see your recently cloned disk image now listed in the table. Applying a Disk Image to a Thin Client NOTE: When applying disk images to your thin clients, be sure you are using the correct image for that particular model, otherwise you may render that terminal unbootable.
  • Page 59 Click the OK button to begin the re-imaging process. The terminal will reboot and begin re-imaging its flash media with the selected image. This re-imaging process may take 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the image and network traffic. During this time, there is no agent to heartbeat into the Echo server, and therefore the timestamp in the Last Contact field will remain unchanged.

  • Page 60: Supplied Disk Images

    Windows Embedded Standard (WES) operating system image, which is also located at support.dell.com. NOTE: Make sure you download the proper image from support.dell.com. When updating a disk image you will need to use partial disk images that contain only the operating system portion instead of the full disk image that contains both the operating system partition as well as the Update partition.
  • Page 61 NOTE: You may use a hostname or IP address. Examples: ftp://myServerName/path/to/my/image/<name of dell disk image> and nfs://192.168.1.123/path/to/my/image/<name of dell disk image>.  Username-If required, enter the username of an account that has permissions to read & write to the image repository you specified in the Image Location field above.

  • Page 62: Maintenance

    Maintenance Backing Up Your Server You can backup your server from the main Administrator menu. Sometimes, this is referred to as a 'Hotcopy' since the backup happens while the system is running. There is no need to stop or suspend the Echo server for the backup. To execute a Hotcopy, do the following procedure: From the main Echo Administrator menu, with the inventory of terminals, select Admin–>Select Save Server Configuration.
  • Page 63 The result of the Hotcopy will create a binary (.BIN) backup file that will be downloaded to your local machine. Click Save File and make a note of where you save this file, as you will need it in the future to perform a restore.

  • Page 64: Server Restore

    Server Restore A restore deletes all existing configuration and data on your Echo Server and overwrite it with the information contained in a previously created Hotcopy backup file. To perform a Restore, do the following: On the Echo Web Interface, select Admin->Restore Server Configuration.

  • Page 65: Appliance Upgrades

    Step 2- Upgrade- a. Shutdown the Echo Appliance Server (Select option 8, Halt Machine, from the Main Menu). b. Visit support.dell.com to locate and download the latest Devon IT Echo Management Console Dell Edition appliance. c. Extract the contents and point your VMware Server to the new .vmx file that was included in the zip archive.

  • Page 66: Getting Help

    For customers in the United States, call 800-WWW-DELL (800-999-3355). Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues: Visit support.dell.com.

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