Multiple Profiles in Enterprise
The Enterprise installation mode provides a centralized location for administering OutsideView user groups, licenses, permissions and configurations. Administration is performed on a per-profile basis. That is, administrators can define installation parameters, user permissions, license usage, and a standard set of configuration files for various groups.
Defining Network Share Point(s)?
Defining the network share point(s) for installation is a key to successful multiple-profile Enterprise installation.
It is necessary to create one or more network share points for the install before starting the Enterprise installation process. There are several ways to do so.
Creating a Single Share Point
The simplest and most popular method is to create a single share point with access permissions of Domain Users, Full Control. This share point can be named something like OutsideView. Using this method, administrators only need to specify the UNC location and the Enterprise installation process will automatically create the Licenses, Media, and Profiles sub-folders that the install process will use. This is a neat and simple method intended for single-profile environments.
Creating a Multiple Share Points
Your organization may require that different user profiles have different access. For example, assume you have two different user groups, system administrators and sales people.
System Administrators require a license to run OutsideView whenever they want. We should give them dedicated, or Enterprise Per-Seat, licenses. Members of the System Administrators profile will need one Enterprise Per-Seat license per each workstation. Each system administrator will retain a license for their workstation until we choose to recover it. We also want System Administrators to have all permissions within OutsideView, such as creating their own session configuration files, or having the option to connect via unsecured (Telnet) means.
Let’s assume the Sales Group only uses OutsideView intermittently. Out of 100 sales people, only 10 people ever simultaneously use OutsideView. The appropriate license type in this case is Enterprise Concurrent. These licenses individually are a little more expensive than Enterprise Per-seat licenses, but because these licenses can be shared we only need 10. With Enterprise Concurrent licensing, a user holds a license only while actively running OutsideView. The license is automatically released for someone else’s potential use when the user is not actively using OutsideView.
We can also control the Sales Group’s permissions. For example we can prevent them from making their own session configuration files or using an open Telnet connection.
Since user permissions are defined on a per-profile basis, two profiles are required. We will name them respectively SysAdmin, and Sales. And, since license types are not readily mingled, we will create two license ‘pools’ to contain the two license types (preventing crossover usage). The license pool for the System Administrators will contain the Enterprise Per-seat licenses. We will name it LICENSEPOOL-Concurrent. The license pool for the Sales group will contain the Enterprise Concurrent licenses. We will name the Sales Group’s license pool LICENSEPOOL-PerSeat.
Given these assumptions, when we install OutsideView in Enterprise mode, we will do so twice – once for the System Administrators profile, and once for the Sales profile.
Install OutsideView in Enterprise Mode
Creating the First (SysAdmin) Profile
Assume that the first time we install Enterprise, we are installing on behalf of the System Administrators.
1. Navigate to the \Enterprise sub-folder and click on setup.exe.
2. Follow the Windows Installer prompts. When prompted for your Profile Name, enter SysAdmin. The same dialog box prompts for the Enterprise Serial Number (NLPC number).
3. Your Crystal Point sales person will have provided you with 2 license files (or two NLPC numbers); one containing per-seat licenses and one containing concurrent licenses. Since we are installing for the System Administrator profile, we want the Enterprise Per-Seat licenses. These are the persistently-checked out licenses. Enter the license information for the per-user l
4. Click Next. An installation dialog box appears where you specify the Enterprise installation location and the license pool name.
5. Using the Browse button, select the share point you created earlier. In this example it is the folder OV73Ent on the CP-avxs machine. NOTE: This location must be visible to all members of all profiles.
6. Enter the license pool name we decided upon earlier, LICENSEPOOL-concurrent in the License File Name text box.
7. By default OutsideView application files are installed on your user’s machines in the c:\Program Files\Crystal Point\OutsideView folder. You can specify a different location by clicking on the Change button.
8. Follow the Windows Installer prompts until you are done with the Enterprise installation.
9. Confirm you are done with the Enterprise Installation for the System Administrators by ensuring that you have an Install OutsideView and a Supervisor Mode shortcut, in the SysAdmin, install folder.
Creating a Second (Sales) Profile
This time, assume we are creating the Sales profile.
1. Restart the Enterprise installation. When you get to the screen where you have to provide the Profile Name, enter Sales.
2. Select the Use shared directory for session configurations check box to disable multiple profile support.
Normally, each client PC stores OutsideView application files in C:\Program Files\Crystal Point\OutsideView, and session configuration files in each users’ individual Documents and Settings sub-folder, such as C:\Documents and Settings\[USER_NAME]\Crystal Point\OutsideView\7.3.
This enables each user, even if they share a PC, to have their personal set of configuration files. This includes those supplied from the Enterprise share plus any other files locally created by the user.
In our Sales group case we have decided to NOT allow them to create their own local variations of configuration files (this option will be selected later during the Setting User Permissions phase). Therefore, we are choosing to have all machines using OutsideView, via this profile, to store their common configuration information in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Crystal Point\OutsideView\7.3.
3. When you get to the dialog box on the left, enter LICENSEPOOL-PerSeat in the License File Name text box (given our scenario).
4. Confirm that this installation is complete by ensuring you have an Install OutsideView and a Supervisor Mode shortcut in the Sales, install folder.
Installing OutsideView
Up to this point, we have created Enterprise share point(s), and two profiles. We have not yet installed OutsideView to a single workstation. So, let’s do that now.
Remember that given the multiple profile assumptions we made, when we install OutsideView in Enterprise mode, we will do so twice – once for the System Administrators profile, and once for the Sales profile.
Installing the first copy of OutsideView
(To the system administrators’ workstation)
Navigate and then double-click on the SysAdmin/install Install OutsideView shortcut. This installs OutsideView to your PC according to the parameters specified in the SysAdmin profile.
Creating Configuration Files within a Profile
Supervisor Mode
Supervisor Mode is a special OutsideView mode. Once you have installed OutsideView to your local PC via the Install OutsideView shortcut, you activate the Supervisor Mode shortcut within the SysAdmin profile by double-clicking on it. Use the (SysAdmin) Supervisor mode to create whatever configuration files you wish. These are saved within the SysAdmin profile in the Enterprise share, and are automatically provided to all SysAdmin profile members when they use their local copies of OutsideView. (For the SysAdmin profile, files will be replicated locally in each user’s C:\Documents and Settings\[USER_NAME]\Crystal Point\OutsideView\7.3 folder.)
You can also use the (Sales) Supervisor mode to create a group of configuration files for your Sales profile members. Those files are saved within the Sales profile at the Enterprise share, and are automatically provided to all members of the Sales profile whenever they use their local copies of OutsideView. (For the Sales profile, files will be replicated locally to the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Crystal Point\OutsideView\7.3 folder.)
If you want to restrict members of the Sales profile to using only SSL-encrypted sessions, create only SSL-encrypted session configuration files for them. When we define user permissions, we will disable their ability to create any other session configuration files.
Defining User Permissions
Permissions for Members of the Admin Profile
To define Permissions for members of a profile, use the Supervisor Mode to start OutsideView.
1. Select Edit, then Application Settings and then the Settings tab.
2. Select the Enable Override Mode check box.
3. Enter the requested password (crystal, by default).
4. Select Edit. Then Application Settings again. This time two new tabs are available:User Permissions and Client Administration.
The User Privileges tabbed dialog box is used to select session permissions for all members of the Admin profile. This is where you select what they can and can’t do in a session. For the SysAdmin profile, we do not make any changes as the default permissions allow everything.
The User Permissions dialog box, within Supervisor Override mode, uses the Windows User and Group names, to specify what profiles users belong to.
Note: Membership ‘lists’ are kept in the file C:\OutsideView\Profile\profile_users. When a user opens OutsideView, they are looked up in the profile_users file using a top-to-bottom method to find an exact user match. If a match is not found, the application then looks top-to-bottom for a group membership match. First match ‘wins.’ If no match is found, membership in the profile from which the “Install OutsideView” was performed on that PC is used.
Define Permissions for the Sales Profile
1. Start OutsideView using the (Sales) Supervisor Mode.
2. Select Edit, Application Settings and then the Settings tab.
3. Select Enable Override Mode and enter the password (crystal, by default).
4. Select Edit and then Application Settings again. This time two new tabs; User Permissions and Client Administration are available.
The User Privileges tabbed dialog box is used to select session permissions for members of the Sales profile. The options selected on the screen shot on your left are appropriate for the Sales profile.
The User Permissions dialog uses Windows user and group names to determine who belongs to which profile.
Note: Membership ‘lists’ are kept in the file C:\OutsideView\Profile\profile_users. When a user opens OutsideView, they are looked up in the profile_users file using a top-to-bottom method to find an exact user match. If not found, the application then looks top-to-bottom for a group membership match. First match ‘wins.’ If no match is found, membership in the profile from which the “Install OutsideView” was performed on that PC is used.
Distributing OutsideView to Users
Once you have defined the user permissions, the profile memberships and created the configuration files for each profile, you are ready to distribute OutsideView to profile members.
Distribute the link to the (SysAdmin) “Install OutsideView” short cut to members of your SysAdmin group and the (Sales) Install shortcut to the sales group.
Thereafter, you would continue to use the Supervisor mode (either from within SysAdmin or Sales profiles) to administer and maintain various profiles memberships, permissions and files.
If you have any questions, please contact support@crystalpoint.com