User guide

The target device must be intrinsically able to use the types of USB2-compatible media that you virtually map.
In other words, if the target device does not support a portable USB memory device, you cannot map that on the
client server as a virtual media drive on the target device.
The user (or user group to which the user belongs) must have permission to establish virtual media sessions
and/or reserved virtual media sessions to the target device.
Only one virtual media session may be active to a target device at one time.
Sharing and preemption considerations
The KVM and virtual media sessions are separate; therefore, there are many options for sharing, reserving or
preempting sessions. The DSView software has the flexibility to accommodate the system needs.
For example, the KVM and virtual media sessions may be locked together. In this mode, when a KVM session is
disconnected, so is the associated virtual media session. If the sessions are not locked together, the KVM session
can be closed but the virtual media session will remain active. This could be desirable if a user is performing a
time-intensive task using the virtual media session (such as an operating system load), and wants to establish a
KVM session with a different target device to perform other functions while the operating system load
progresses.
Once a target device has an active virtual media session without an associated active KVM session, two
situations can occur - the original user (User A) can reconnect or a different user (User B) can connect to that
channel. You may set an option in the Virtual Media dialog box (Reserved) that allows only the User A to
access that channel with a KVM session.
If User B is allowed to access that session (the Reserved option is not enabled), User B could control the media
that is being used in the virtual media session. By using the Reserved option in a tiered environment, only User
A could access the lower switch and the KVM channel between the upper switch and lower switch would be
reserved for User A.
Virtual Media dialog box
The Virtual Media dialog box allows you to manage the mapping and unmapping of virtual media. The dialog
box displays all the physical drives on the client server that can be mapped as virtual drives. You may also add
ISO and floppy image files and then map them using the Virtual Media dialog box.
After a device is mapped, the Virtual Media dialog box Details View displays information about the amount of
data transferred and the time elapsed since the device was mapped.
You may specify that the virtual media session is reserved. When a session is reserved, and the associated KVM
session is closed, another user cannot launch a KVM session to that target device. If a session is not reserved,
another KVM session may be launched.
You may also reset the USB2 IQ module from the Virtual Media dialog box. This action will reset every form of
USB media on the target device, and should therefore be used with caution, and only when the target device is
not responding.
Opening a virtual media session
To launch a virtual media session:
Select Tools - Virtual Media from the Video Viewer menu. The Virtual Media dialog box will appear. To make
this a reserved session, click Details, then select the Reserved checkbox.
42 MergePoint Unity™ KVM over IP and Serial Console Switch Installer/User Guide