HP Remote Graphics Software 5.2.
© Copyright 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The HP Remote Graphics Sender for Windows uses Microsoft Detours Professional 2.
Acknowledgments—HP Remote Graphics Software was developed using several third party products including, but not limited to: OpenSSL: This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/). This product includes software written by Tim Hudson (tjh@cryptsoft.com). This product includes cryptographic software written by Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.
Contents 1 Introduction to HP Remote Graphics Software 1-1 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 Typical RGS configuration................................................................................................... 12 RGS Sender and Receiver ................................................................................................... 13 RGS features ..................................................................................................................... 14 Additional RGS features....................
3-2-3 3-2-4 Installing audio on the Linux Receiver.................................................................................... 66 Installing the Sender on Linux............................................................................................... 68 4 Pre-connection checklist 4-1 4-2 4-3 4-3-1 4-3-2 4-4 Local Computer (Receiver) checklist ...................................................................................... 73 Remote Computer (Sender) checklist .........................
7 Using Directory Mode 7-1-1 7-1-2 Directory file format.......................................................................................................... 133 Starting the Receiver in Directory Mode .............................................................................. 134 8 RGS properties 8-1 8-2 8-3 8-4 8-4-1 8-4-2 8-4-3 8-4-4 8-4-5 8-4-6 8-4-7 8-4-8 8-4-9 8-4-10 8-4-11 8-4-12 8-4-13 8-5 8-5-1 8-5-2 8-5-3 8-5-4 8-5-5 8-5-6 8-5-7 Property syntax .........................................
A-2-3 Installing the RGS Sender in the virtual machine ......................................................................... 178 A-3 Running RGS diagnostics ............................................................................................................... 178 A-4 Disabling the RGS warning popup .................................................................................................. 178 A-5 RGS operating modes available with VDI......................................................
Figures Figure 1-1 Typical RGS configuration ............................................................................................................ 12 Figure 1-2 RGS Sender and Receiver............................................................................................................ 13 Figure 1-3 Features of HP RGS ....................................................................................................................
Figure 4-3 Determining the first NIC ............................................................................................................ 76 Figure 4-4 Advanced Settings dialog............................................................................................................ 76 Figure 4-5 Restarting the RGS Sender ........................................................................................................... 77 Figure 4-6 NIC binding order numerical sequence ....................
Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure 6-33 logSetup file .......................................................................................................................... 131 6-34 Options available under the Statistics tab .................................................................................. 132 7-1 Starting the Receiver in Directory Mode...........................................................................
1 Introduction to HP Remote Graphics Software This guide provides information that you will need to install, configure, and use HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS). RGS enables you to view and interact with the desktop of a remote computer over a standard TCP/IP computer network. The software is conceptually similar to other remote access solutions such as Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection and Symantec pcAnywhere™. IMPORTANT: Beginning at RGS 5.2.0, HP implemented licensing for the RGS Sender.
IMPORTANT: • For a version of the HP RGS 5.2.0 User Guide that may be more current than this document, visit the HP website www.hp.com/support/rgs_manuals. • For release-specific information, refer to the release notes that are provided with the RGS 5.2.0 product. • For additional RGS 5.2.0 product information, visit the RGS homepage at www.hp.com/go/rgs. 1-1 Typical RGS configuration Figure 1-1 shows a typical RGS configuration, consisting of a blade workstation and a thin client.
1-2 RGS Sender and Receiver Figure 1-2 shows the two primary RGS software components, the RGS Sender and RGS Receiver. The RGS Sender runs on the Remote Computer while the RGS Receiver runs on the Local Computer.
1-3 RGS features HP RGS supports a number of features designed to optimize performance, security, and functionality (see Figure 1-3). Figure 1-3 Features of HP RGS HP-developed compression algorithms are used to minimize data transmission requirements. Performance is enhanced through the use of graphics acceleration hardware Only those sections of the screen which change are captured, compressed and transmitted to the Local Computer.
• Audio follows focus—The RGS Receiver can be configured to enable audio for the session displayed in the Remote Display Window that currently has focus, and is muted for all other remote sessions/windows. • Directory Mode—Directory Mode enables the Receiver to look up a user’s pre-assigned computers from a file. • Easy Login—Enables fewer authentication steps when connecting to an HP blade workstation running Windows XP.
2 RGS overview Before exploring how to use RGS, it’s important to first understand the many features and capabilities provided by RGS, such as: • Supported computers and operating systems • The PC and Workstation versions of RGS • Sender and Receiver interoperability • Application support • Networking support • RGS connection topologies • One-to-one • Many-to-one • One-to-many • RGS operating modes • Multi-monitor configurations • Remote USB operation • Supported keyboards • Securi
2-1 Supported computers and operating systems This section describes the computers and operating systems which support HP RGS 5.2.0 (see Figure 2-1). Any RGS Sender can interoperate with any RGS Receiver—no interoperability relationship is implied by adjacent rows in the two tables. Figure 2-1 Computers and operating systems that support RGS 5.2.
2-2 RGS version numbering The RGS version (for example, version 5.2.0) contains the following three numbers: 1. Version major number 2. Version minor number 3. Version patch number Figure 2-2 shows the positioning of the three version numbers. Figure 2-2 RGS version numbering RGS 5.2.0 major.minor.patch # # # Patch releases are generated only for a security issue or for a major defect in a feature. A patch release is indicated by this number being non-zero. Therefore, RGS 5.2.
Floating licenses require a license server, which can be installed on one of the computers running the RGS Sender, or the license server can be installed on a separate computer. The RGS product includes a setup.exe file that installs the license server—see the HP Remote Graphics Software Licensing Guide, available at www.hp.com/support/rgs_manuals, for further details. 2.
When you purchase RGS, you are entitled to free upgrades to all future patch releases. For example, if you purchase RGS 5.2.0, you are entitled to a free upgrade to patch release 5.2.1, if available. To ensure you can download and install future minor and major releases (such as RGS 5.3 or 6.
2-5 Sender and Receiver interoperability RGS provides interoperability between versions of RGS Senders and Receivers that have the same major version number. For example, Sender version 5.0 and Receiver version 5.1 will interoperate together. However, Sender version 4.2 is not guaranteed to interoperate with Receiver version 5.0. Connection between a Receiver and a Sender should only be attempted when their major version numbers are the same.
NOTE: For clarity in this guide, the bitmapped image contained in the Remote Computer frame buffer will often be shown in association with the Remote Computer, independent of whether a monitor is actually connected (or can be connected) to the Remote Computer. 2-8-2 One-to-one connection The simplest RGS connection is a single Local Computer making a connection to a single Remote Computer. The entire frame buffer of the Remote Computer is displayed in a window on the Local Computer (see Figure 2-6).
2-8-3 Many-to-one connection The RGS Receiver supports a many-to-one connection, allowing a single Local Computer to connect to multiple Remote Computers (see Figure 2-8), each running a desktop session—see Section 2-11, “RGS operating modes,” specifically Directory Mode. The frame buffer of each Remote Computer is displayed in a separate Remote Display Window on the Local Computer.
The one-to-many configuration is ideal for collaboration because each user can interact with the applications running on the Remote Computer (subject to RGS policies which arbitrate which user is able to provide keyboard and mouse inputs to the Remote Computer at any particular time). As one user interacts with the applications on the Remote Computer, all other users can view these interactions. See Section 5-6, “Collaborating,” for details.
If another user is already logged into the Remote Computer, the second authentication step is replaced by an authorization step, in which the currently logged-in user receives an authorization prompt to allow or disallow the new user to join (connect to) the existing desktop session (see Figure 2-12). The new user is allowed to connect to the existing RGS connection only if the currently logged-in user authorizes the connection.
2-11 RGS operating modes RGS supports two basic operating modes: 1. Normal Mode—This mode enables RGS to connect to a single Remote Computer, as described in Section 28-2, “One-to-one connection.” Normal Mode is described in Chapter 5, “Using RGS.” 2. Directory Mode—This mode enables RGS to connect to multiple Remote Computers, as described in Section 2-8-3, “Many-to-one connection.” Directory Mode is based on a user-created file which specifies which Remote Computers the RGS Receiver should connect to.
2-12 Multi-monitor configurations Many computers have a frame buffer that is larger in size (as measured in horizontal pixels by vertical pixels) than what can be displayed on a single monitor. In these situations, the default operation is that a portion of the frame buffer is used, allowing the utilized portion (containing the Windows desktop) to be displayed on a single monitor.
Multiple monitors on the Local Computer are also useful in the configuration described in Section 2-8-3, “Many-toone connection.” If the Local Computer is connected to two Remote Computers, each Remote Computer frame buffer can be displayed on its own monitor if the Local Computer has two monitors (see Figure 2-15).
2-15 Image quality RGS provides high-quality, high-performance image compression and decompression. Image compression is performed on the Remote Computer to reduce the network bandwidth requirements—this enables RGS to be used on standard networks. Image decompression is performed on the Local Computer. RGS supports setting of the Image quality on a per-Receiver basis. Image quality is adjusted using the slide bar in the Remote Display Window Toolbar (see Figure 2-16).
2-16 Remote USB overview RGS supports remote USB, which allows USB devices connected to the Local Computer (local USB devices) to be attached to a Remote Computer. Remote USB is supported on Remote Computers running Windows XP, and enables the Remote Computer to have direct access to the local USB devices as if they are connected directly to the Remote Computer (see Figure 2-17). For details on remote USB, see Section 6-3, “Remote USB operation.
2-16-3 Install-time configuration of remote USB This section provides an overview of install-time configuration of remote USB—see Chapter 3, “Installing RGS,” for more details. NOTE: The Remote USB configuration cannot be changed after installation of the Sender and Receiver—to select a different USB configuration option, the Sender or Receiver must be uninstalled and reinstalled. During installation of the RGS Sender, you have the option to enable or disable Remote USB (see Figure 2-19).
Figure 2-21 USB device accessibility for the setting “USB devices are Local/Remote” USB devices are Local/Remote These devices will only be locally accessible (never remotely) because they were plugged in while no RGS connection was established. USB device #1 plugged in USB device #2 plugged in Device #3 will be remotely accessible because it was plugged in during an RGS connection. This device will be remotely accessible during the current RGS connection and any subsequent RGS connections.
Figure 2-22 Smartcard reader accessibility pre- and post-RGS connection for settings “USB devices are Remote” or “USB devices are Local/Remote” USB devices are Remote or Smartcard reader will be locally accessible. smartcard reader plugged in smartcard plugged in USB devices are Local/Remote Smartcard reader will automatically become remotely accessible. smartcard reader plugged in RGS connection power-on RGS connection established Smartcard reader will be remotely accessible.
2-16-5 Computers supporting remote USB Remote USB connections are supported by the computers and operating systems shown in Figure 2-23. Operating systems that don’t support remote USB are grayed out.
2-17-1 Remote audio on Windows RGS on Windows supports remote audio, allowing audio generated by the application on the Remote Computer to be captured and transmitted to the Local Computer for playback. In addition, microphone input on the Local Computer can be sent to the application running on the Remote Computer. Figure 2-24 shows the RGS audio subsystem (green boxes) for Windows, and the audio data paths—these data paths are described in Table 2-1.
2-17-2 Remote audio on Linux RGS on Linux also supports remote audio, allowing audio generated by the application on the Remote Computer to be captured and transmitted to the Local Computer for playback (presuming the Remote Computer has a physical audio device installed). In addition, microphone input on the Local Computer can be sent to the application running on the Remote Computer. However, unlike Windows, microphone input on Linux can be provided only via the remote USB driver.
2-17-3 Support of sound recording devices on Windows NOTE: The Windows Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog allows the user to select the “sound recording device”. For simplicity, “microphone” is used below instead of “sound recording device”. Prior to RGS 5.2.0, a Receiver-attached USB microphone couldn’t be remotely connected to the Sender in the same manner as other remote USB devices (see Section 2-16, “Remote USB overview”).
2-17-4 Computers and operating systems which support RGS audio Figure 2-26 shows the computers and operating systems that support RGS audio. Operating systems that don’t support remote audio are grayed out. For further details on Remote Audio, see Section 6-2, “Remote audio operation.
2-18 Remote Clipboard overview Remote Clipboard was originally supported with RGS 5.1.3, enabling the user to cut or copy data between a window on the Local Computer (the Local Window) and a Remote Display Window (provided that both the Remote and Local Computers are running Windows, and the applications being used support cut and paste, and copy and paste. NOTE: For simplicity, the phrase “cut and paste” is used subsequently to refer to both cut and paste as well as copy and paste. At RGS 5.
In order for Remote Clipboard to be usable, it must be enabled during both the Sender and Receiver installations (see Figure 2-28). See “Receiver installation on Windows XP and “Sender installation on Windows XP” for further information on Remote Clipboard installation.
2-19 Interoperability of RGS and Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection This section discusses interoperability considerations for RGS and Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection (RDC). Because RGS and RDC both provide connection to a remote desktop, their interoperation is important to understand. If a local user is connected to a Remote Computer using RDC, and then attempts to establish an RGS connection, the RGS connection only works if the local user credentials match for both connections.
2-21 Remote Computer power saving states In order for a Local Computer to establish connection to a Remote Computer, the Remote Computer cannot be in a power saving state, such as Windows hibernate or standby. Furthermore, the Remote Computer cannot utilize wake-on-LAN in an attempt to power-up in order to respond to a connection request from the Local Computer—the Remote Computer must be powered-up, and able to respond to an RGS connection request at all times.
2-23 RGS security features Because of the distributed nature of an RGS connection, providing connection security is critically important. RGS implements many features to provide connection security, including: • Authentication: When a local user attempts to connect to a Remote Computer, the user credentials are validated using the native authentication method on the Remote Computer. If the credentials are not authenticated, the connection is closed. On Windows, authentication uses NTLM or Kerberos.
3 Installing RGS This chapter describes the following aspects of installing RGS: • Installing the RGS Receiver on Windows XP • Installing the RGS Sender on Windows XP • Installing the RGS Receiver on Linux • Installing the RGS Sender on Linux IMPORTANT: Beginning at RGS 5.2.0, HP implemented a licensing mechanism for RGS based on FLEXnet Publisher (“FLEXnet”) by Acresso Software.
NOTE: For many USB devices, the Windows XP operating system provides default USB drivers. While these default drivers may, in fact, work with your USB devices, it is recommended that you install the manufacturersupplied USB drivers to optimize functionality and performance of your USB devices. The manufacturersupplied driver should be installed on the computer, Local or Remote, where the USB devices will be logically (not physically) attached. 4.
Command line options /autoinstall This option performs one of the following: • Installs the Receiver if it's not already installed. • Updates the Receiver if a prior version of the Receiver is already installed. • Repairs the Receiver if the version being installed is the same as the version that is already installed. The Receiver will not be reinstalled if the version of the Receiver being installed is older than the version of the Receiver already installed.
3-1-2 Installing the Sender on Windows XP IMPORTANT: The Sender can only be installed on the computers and operating systems shown in Figure 2-1. Installing the Sender on a non-supported computer will prevent an RGS connection from being established. This section covers the following topics: • Sender installation • The Sender diagnostics tool, rgdiag.exe • Starting the Sender on Windows • The Sender GUI • Manually starting and stopping the Sender NOTE: Starting with RGS 5.1.
4. Next you’ll be asked if you would like to configure Single Sign-On or Easy Login (see Figure 3-4). If you’re not sure, you will be able to configure them later using the rgadmin.exe tool. Figure 3-4 Single Sign-on/Easy Login Configuration window If you indicate yes, you’ll be presented with a dialog to enable one of the two login capabilities (see Figure 3-5). Figure 3-5 Dialog to enable Single Sign-On or Easy Login 5.
6. Next, the Sender installer will run the rgdiag.exe diagnostics tool. If the tool detects a problem, the dialog shown in Figure 3-7 is displayed. This dialog allows you to run rgdiag.exe directly—refer to the Section “Using the RGS Diagnostics Tool on Windows XP” for information about using this tool. Figure 3-7 Diagnostics prompt dialog 7. You will be prompted to restart your computer after the Sender installation is complete. Select yes when asked to restart the system.
The RGS Diagnostics Tool can be run any time after RGS Sender installation. To run the Diagnostics Tool, use Windows Explorer to display the RGS Sender installation folder, and locate the rgdiag.exe program with the RGS icon. On a 32-bit Windows system, this tool is normally located at: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Remote Graphics Sender\rgdiag.exe Note that the rgdiag.exe tool does not run as part of an unattended install. Starting the Sender on Windows XP The Windows Sender (rgsender.
The Windows Sender runs as a Windows Service. When the Remote Computer boots, the installed services are typically started. When the RGS Sender is installed, an entry is added in the Windows Registry for the Remote Graphics Sender service. regedit can be used to modify the command line that is used for starting the Sender service as follows: 1. Start regedit—This can be done by opening a Windows command prompt and executing the command “regedit” or using the "run" command line from the Start menu. 2.
Figure 3-10 The Remote Graphics Sender service Setting the Windows Sender process priority This section describes how to adjust the process priority of the Windows Sender. The default process priority of the Windows Sender is normal. In some cases, increasing the process priority of the Sender will improve interactivity—for example, when the Windows scheduling algorithms does not give the RGS Sender sufficient CPU time to maintain smooth interactivity.
Setting the Sender process priority using regedit This section describes how to use the Windows regedit command to increase the process priority of the Sender service when it starts. Under normal operation the Windows Sender runs as a Windows Service. When the system boots up, the installed services are started. When the RGS Sender is installed, an entry is added in the Windows Registry for the Remote Graphics Sender service.
After the changes are made, the registry should appear as shown in Figure 3-13. Note the addition of the “-high” command line option to the end of the command line. Figure 3-13 The registry after the change Setting the Sender process priority using PTF The HP Performance Tuning Framework (PTF) can be used adjust the priority of the Sender without having to use regedit. PTF is available for HP Workstations only from this location: www.hp.com/workstations/software/framework/index.
Using the rgadmin tool This section describes use of the Sender rgadmin.exe tool. For a normal Sender installation, this tool can be found at: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Remote Graphics Sender\rgadmin.exe When run, the rgadmin.exe program displays two tabs. The 3D Updates tab (see Figure 3-14) can be used to enable automatic 3D updates from the application to the Sender. These updates inform the Sender what screen rectangles have been changed by 3D applications.
The GINA Setup tab on the rgadmin tool can be used to enable Single Sign-on and Easy Login (see Figure 3-15). When rgadmin is brought up, it reports the current status of Single Sign-on and Easy Login. To change the status, check the desired radio button. After clicking Apply, you’ll be requested to restart your computer—this is required in order for the new setting to take affect.
Installing and enabling Single Sign-on CAUTION: Installing RGS Single Sign-on is for experienced users and IT administrators only. Please read all directions completely before proceeding, and exercise caution when installing. Single Sign-on is only supported on HP blade workstations running the RGS Sender. The RGS shared library, hprgina.dll, enables Single Sign-on. The file hprgina.dll is a GINA (Graphical Identification and Authentication) module that is loaded by the Windows WinLogon.exe process.
2. Using the rgadmin tool to enable Single Sign-on The rgadmin tool can be used to enable Single Sign-on—check the Enable Single Sign-on radio button in Figure 3-17, and click Apply. Enabling Single Sign-on installs the hprgina.dll module. Using the rgadmin tool to enable Single Sign-on is preferred over the manual method, described next. Figure 3-17 Using the rgadmin tool to enable Single Sign-on 3.
4. Set the value of the GinaDLL key to the text "hprgina.dll". Confirm the spelling before closing. Figure 3-18 shows the registry key contents. Figure 3-18 Addition of the GinaDLL key to the registry 5. Add the GinaDllMode registry key if does not already exist. This can be done through the use of regedit as well. Create the key as type RGS_SZ (a string type). The full path of the key is: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Hewlett-Packard\Remote Graphics Sender\GinaDllMode 6.
deleted, it will no longer show up as a key in the WinLogon subkey. When the system reboots, the default GINA module, msgina.dll, will be loaded by the WinLogon.exe process. If there is a custom GINA DLL module on the system, and if it replaces the default msgina.dll, change the value of the GinaDLL value from hprgina.dll to the name of the custom GINA module. To change the value of the GinaDLL key, select the GinaDLL key in regedit, and then select the Modify entry in the Edit menu.
6. To actually enable Easy Login, set the value of the GinaDllMode key to the text "HprEasyLogin". Confirm the spelling before closing. Figure 3-20 shows the registry key contents: Figure 3-20 Addition of the GinaDllMode key to the registry 7. Restart the computer. The hprgina.dll module will be loaded by WinLogon when started. Summary—If the GinaDLL key does not currently exist in the registry, Microsoft's default GINA DLL (msgina.dll) is loaded by WinLogon.
3-1-2-1 Setting the Local Security Policy The local security policy "Interactive logon: Do not require CTRL-ALT-DEL" must be disabled to support Easy Login. This can be set in the Windows "Local Security Settings" under "Security Options." The RGS Diagnostics Tool programmatically detects if this local security policy is set correctly. See the section “Using the RGS Diagnostics Tool on Windows XP“ for more information.
Automatic installation of the RGS Sender on Windows XP The RGS Sender can be installed or removed in automatic mode. Automatic mode allows the Sender to be installed or removed without any user interaction. Automatic mode will also restart the computer, if required, after the installation process completes.
/rgslicensefile= The license to run the RGS Sender is acquired from the specified file. The filename may be omitted by specifying the option as “/rgslicensefile=”, in which case the Sender will be installed without a license, and the license file can be manually copied to the install folder at a later time. Only one of /rgslicenseserver= or /rgslicensefile= may be specified.
3-2 Installing RGS on Linux This section describes how to: • Install and uninstall the RGS Receiver on Linux • Install audio on the Linux Receiver • Install and uninstall the RGS Sender on Linux. IMPORTANT: Support of RGS on RHEL 5.2 (or later versions) requires that certain components be installed during the installation of RHEL 5.2. During RHEL 5.2 installation, you’ll be presented with a dialog titled Installation Number.
3-2-2 Uninstalling the Receiver on Linux To uninstall the RGS Receiver on Linux find the name of the RedHat RPM package for the Remote Graphics Receiver, by typing: rpm -q -a | grep -i rgreceiver If the Receiver is installed on the system, you will see rgreceiver_linux_32-5.1-0 or a similar Receiver package.
Customized Audio Installation The following remote audio installation process for Linux is used when the RGS Receiver is installed through the ./install.sh script. For those installations that require customization or need to use other features from the rgs_audio_support script, here are additional details for its use. The audio support bundle ships as hp_rgs_4_audiosupport.tar.gz. It is accessed by the RGS install.
3-2-4 Installing the Sender on Linux IMPORTANT: The Linux RGS Sender can only be installed on the computers and Linux operating systems shown in Figure 2-1. Installing the Sender on a non-supported computer will prevent an RGS connection from being established. Like the Windows RGS Sender, the Linux RGS Sender also requires a License Key in order to establish an RGS connection. For information on RGS Sender licensing on Linux, see the HP Remote Graphics Software Licensing Guide, available at www.hp.
b. The Linux Sender uses the Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) for authentication. If you are using the GNOME Desktop Manager or KDE Desktop Manager, add the following line to the files listed below: session optional pam_rg.so Files (and all related derivatives): /etc/pam.d/gdm /etc/pam.d/kde /etc/pam.d/xdm c. 6. Some Linux distribution versions utilize newer or older PAM support modules and support conventions. The rgsender_config_64*-.
7. If the PAM system has been configured to use custom PAM authentication modules then you may need to manually configure the PAM module that is used by the RGS Sender. You should consult your Linux documentation when configuring PAM. If you are using a custom PAM authentication module called “libpam_custom.1” you may need to edit the PAM configuration file "/etc/pam.d/rgsender” to specify the PAM authentication module to be used by the RGS Sender.
Starting the Sender on Linux The Linux Sender (rgsender.sh) command line options are: [-nocollab] [-timeout value] [-authtimeout value] [-l logSetupFile] [-v | -ver | -version] [-h | -help | -?] [-noautostartgui] [-display value] The functionality of each option is as follows: -nocollab—Disables collaboration. When specified, only the primary user can connect to the Sender. -timeout value—The timeout in milliseconds used to detect and disconnect an inactive connection.
Uninstalling the Sender on Linux To uninstall the RGS Sender on Linux, perform the following steps: 1. Log in as root. 2. If the default install.sh was used, then the following command should report some variation of the following packages: # rpm -qa | grep -i rgsender rgsender_linux_64-5.1.0-1 rgsender_config_64-5.1.0-1 3. To remove the rgsender package (and corresponding configuration rpm if used), execute the command: rpm -e --allmatches rgsender_linux_64 rgsender_config_64 4.
4 Pre-connection checklist Establishing an RGS connection from a Receiver to a Sender requires that the Local and Remote Computers be in the correct state. This chapter provides a checklist of items that should be verified before attempting an RGS connection. IMPORTANT: This chapter can also be used as a troubleshooting aid. If a connection attempt fails, the checklists below can be used to help diagnose the problem. NOTE: The RGS Sender listens on TCP/IP port 42966.
4. OPTIONAL: Disable Guest login access—By default, Windows XP allows any user who can access a computer over the network to login with Guest access. Because this is a potential security issue, HP recommends that you disable Guest logins on the Remote Computer.
4-3 NIC binding on the Sender If the Remote Computer has multiple NICs, you’ll need to be careful when establishing a connection from the Local Computer. For example, the HP ProLiant xw460c Blade Workstation has two NICs. It is possible for the RGS Sender to be “listening” on one NIC while the RGS Receiver is trying to establish a connection to the other NIC. There are three methods to deal with multiple NICs: 1.
3. To determine which NIC is the first NIC, click Advanced>Advanced Setting (see Figure 4-3). The Advanced Settings dialog is displayed (see Figure 4-4). The “first NIC” is listed at the top in the Connections box. In Figure 4-4, the first NIC is Local Area Connection 3, which (from Figure 4-2) has an IP address of 10.10.42.59.
Figure 4-5 Restarting the RGS Sender 4-3-2 NIC reconfiguration using the NIC binding properties At RGS 5.1, several new Sender properties were added to allow the administrator to configure which NIC(s) the RGS Sender will listen to for connection requests. For a description of these properties, refer to Section 8-5-6, “Sender NIC binding properties.
4-4 Using RGS through a firewall New at RGS 5.1.5 is the ability for the Receiver to use the public IP address of the Sender. This feature has been added to allow RGS to be used through a firewall. To take advantage of this feature, the Sender and Receiver firewalls must both support NAT (Network Address Translation). In addition, the Sender firewall must support port forwarding (see Figure 4-7). Figure 4-7 RGS operation through a firewall NAT source IP: port dest IP: port source IP: port 15.2.A.
5 Using RGS This chapter describes how to use RGS to establish a connection from a Local Computer to a Remote Computer, including: • Using RGS in Normal Mode • Functionality and use of the Receiver Control Panel • Setup Mode • Remote Display Window Toolbar • Remote Computer monitor blanking • Linux connection considerations • RGS login methods • Receiver command line options • Collaborating 5-1 Using RGS in Normal Mode Normal Mode is one of the two RGS operating modes—see Section 2-11, “RG
To create an RGS connection, enter the hostname or IP address of the Remote Computer in the Hostname dialog box, and then press Enter or click Connect. Provide a username and password, as prompted. If the connection succeeds, the Remote Display Window will be displayed on the Local Computer, showing the desktop session of the Remote Computer (see Figure 5-3).
• Display help: Click Help to display the online help. On Linux, the online help is displayed separately in a web browser, such as Mozilla. On Windows, the online help is displayed using the CHM file viewer hh.exe. • Display program information: Click About to display RGS program and copyright information. The Receiver Control Panel contains a status bar at the bottom of the window. The status bar provides information that describes the current state of the RGS receiver.
When the Receiver detects this key sequence, it does not send the key sequence to the Remote Computer— instead, the Receiver activates Setup Mode on the Local Computer, as denoted by dimming of the Remote Display Window (see Figure 5-4). Figure 5-4 Dimming of the Remote Display Window in Setup Mode The default hotkey sequence can be changed using the Hotkeys tab in the Receiver Control Panel (see Section 6-5, “Hotkeys”).
The Remote Display Window selection dialog is only displayed in Directory Mode—this is the mode that supports multiple Remote Display Windows. While the Remote Display Window selection dialog is active, navigate between windows (thumbnails) by: • Pressing TAB to select the next window. • Clicking on the number displayed beneath the thumbnail. • Clicking directly on a thumbnail. • Double clicking the mouse on a thumbnail (this will also immediately close the selection dialog).
5-1-4 Remote Computer monitor blanking operation For an overview of Remote Computer monitor blanking, see Section 2-13, “Remote Computer monitor blanking overview.” Monitor blanking on the Remote Computer is provided for security, so that the primary user’s desktop session on the Remote Computer is not visible if a monitor is connected to the Remote Computer.
The Remote Computer monitor blanking feature can be disabled by setting the following Sender property to 0 (false). Rgsender.IsBlankScreenAndBlockInputEnabled If this property is set to 0, monitor blanking will be disabled, meaning that a monitor connected to the Remote Computer will display the user’s desktop session. Furthermore, because monitor blanking is disabled, the warning dialog shown in Figure 5-7 will not be displayed.
5-3 RGS login methods RGS provides three methods for the local user to log into a Remote Computer: • Standard Login—supported on Windows and Linux Senders. For an overview of Standard Login, see Section 2-9, “Establishing an RGS connection using Standard Login.” • Easy Login—supported on Windows Senders on HP blade workstations • Single Sign-on—supported on Windows Senders on HP blade workstations and HP personal workstations.
Figure 5-10 Local user Standard Login process and primary user flowchart local user attempt to log in using Standard Login primary user N Attempt to connect to Remote Computer Remote Display Window did someone else log in with my credentials ? RGS authentication dialog Windows-to-Windows connection AND local user credentials match any credentials on Remote Computer ? Y If another user attempts to connect to the Remote Computer with the same credentials as the local user, the local user Remote Displ
5-3-2 Easy Login The Easy Login flowchart is shown in Figure 5-11. If the Easy Login conditions are met, the RGS connection authentication step is skipped, and the local user is presented either with the Welcome to Windows login dialog or the locked screen dialog.
5-3-3 Single Sign-on The Single Sign-on flowchart is shown in Figure 5-12. If the Single Sign-on conditions are met, the user authenticates the RGS connection, and the Windows log in or unlock step is skipped. The user is presented with the Windows desktop following RGS connection authentication.
5-4 Changing your password In RGS 5.0 and earlier, attempting to make a connection with an expired password would generate an Authentication failed! error message. In this situation, the user would either need direct access to the Remote Computer to change the password, or would need to call IT to have the password changed. Starting at RGS 5.1, you can change an expired password from the RGS Receiver.
5-6 Collaborating RGS enables the primary user to share his or her desktop session with several local users simultaneously (see Section 2-8-4, “One-to-many connection”). This feature can be used in a variety of collaborative scenarios including classroom instruction, design reviews, and technical support. 5-6-1 Creating a collaboration session A collaboration session is created when one or more local users are authorized by the primary user to connect to the primary user’s desktop session.
Connection between a Local Computer and a Remote Computer is permitted only if the primary user allows the connection. A question dialog, stating the domain and user name of the local user attempting a connection, is displayed on the Remote Computer desktop when a local user attempts to connect (see Figure 5-17). All currentlyconnected local users will also see this dialog because they are currently viewing the Remote Computer desktop.
All non-primary users can be disconnected using the Sender GUI. Figure 5-19 shows the Windows Sender GUI selection that can be used to disconnect non-primary users. Figure 5-19 Windows Sender GUI to disconnect non-primary users Prior to RGS 5.2.0, the collaboration notification dialog could not be hidden (although it could be moved elsewhere on the desktop by clicking in the dialog and dragging it). Beginning at RGS 5.2.0, a new Sender property has been added—the Rgsender.
6 Advanced capabilities This chapter discusses the many advanced capabilities of RGS. Click on the Advanced>>> button in the Receiver Control Panel to display the tabs shown in Figure 6-1. Figure 6-1 Tabs to access advanced RGS capabilities The capabilities available under each of these tabs will be described in detail. Unless required for clarity, the portion of the Receiver Control Panel above the tabs will not be shown.
6-1 General options The options available under the General tab are shown in Figure 6-2. Figure 6-2 General tab options The options available under the General tab are: • Prompt for username and password—In certain scenarios (such as silent authentication as described in Section 5-3-1, “Standard Login”), the Receiver will not prompt the local user for a domain, username, and password.
6-2 Remote audio operation For an overview of remote audio, see Section 2-17, “Remote audio overview.” Before describing the RGS audio capabilities available under the Receiver Control Panel Audio tab, Sender audio configuration and calibration are described. 6-2-1 Configuring audio on the Sender Audio on the Sender is only supported on Windows. To configure audio on the Sender, open the Sound and Audio Devices Properties dialog in the Windows Control Panel, and select the Audio tab (see Figure 6-3).
Figure 6-4 Microphone device selection and audio playback device selection on the Sender If the Remote Computer doesn’t have an audio device installed, RGS will automatically load the HP Remote Audio virtual device (as described in Audio Playback device selection below)--therefore, HP Remote Audio will be listed in the pull-down menu. To enable remote microphone, ensure that HP Remote Microphone (default) is selected, not HP Remote Audio.
The HP Remote Audio device has only the mixer available in the recording control panel and the volume level for this line cannot be adjusted. If an audio device is detected during installation, an attempt is made to select the mixer as the recorder input. Due to wide variations in naming and volume levels, it is likely that the mixer line will need to be selected by hand. To select the mixer as the input line, click the Volume button in the Sound recording section of Figure 6-3.
Press the OK button and the Recording Control window should now have the mixer line as one of the controls (see Figure 6-7). Make sure this item is selected, and the volume level is not at the lowest setting. Figure 6-7 Recording Control window After selecting the mixer, the Sender should record audio information and send it to the Receiver. See the following section to improve the audio quality. If you are not receiving an audio signal, refer to the Windows Audio Troubleshooting section.
The next volume control to adjust is the mixer line in the Recording Control window. The name of this line varies with different audio devices. See the Windows Sender Audio Installation section for information on how to determine the name of this control. For our example, the control is called Wave Out Mix. Adjust this volume control while playing a sound. At higher levels, the audio signal gets clamped and the signal becomes distorted. Decrease the level until the sound becomes clear.
The best sound to play to calibrate your audio device is a low frequency sound with high amplitude. By default, Windows has a program event that meets these requirements. To play this sound, open up the Sound and Audio Devices Properties window, and click on the Sounds tab as shown in Figure 6-10. Figure 6-10 Sound and Audio Devices Properties window Select the Critical Battery Alarm program event, and press the play button (the triangle located next to the Browse button).
6-2-4 Using audio The audio controls in the Receiver Control Panel are shown in Figure 6-11. Figure 6-11 Audio controls Microphone Button: Click to enable and disable microphone input from the Local Computer to the Remote Computer. audio playback volume control Speaker Button: Click to enable and disable remote audio playback from the Remote Computer to the Local Computer. The Speaker Button on the Receiver Control Panel enables and disables remote audio playback.
• Quality—This pull-down menu allows the local user to select one of three different audio quality settings: • Low—Specifies a sampling rate of 11 KHz. • Medium—Specifies a sampling rate of 22 KHz. • High—Specifies a sampling rate of 44 KHz, which is equivalent to CD quality audio. Higher quality audio (and its higher sampling rate) requires more network bandwidth, and can impact the performance of RGS, especially over bandwidth-constrained networks.
6-3 Remote USB operation For an overview of remote USB, see Section 2-16, “Remote USB overview.” This section provides an example of using remote USB. A USB drive key is plugged into the Local Computer, and remote USB is used to attach the drive key to a Remote Computer. This example assumes the Receiver was installed with the remote USB configuration option shown in Figure 6-12. For a discussion of the USB installation options, see Section 3-1-1, “Installing the Receiver on Windows XP.
6-3-1 Attaching a local USB device to a Remote Computer The options available under the USB tab in the Receiver Control Panel are shown in Figure 6-13. Figure 6-13 USB tab options The USB options are: • Enable Remote USB—This checkbox can be used to dynamically (during an active RGS connection) enable or disable USB connections to the Remote Computer. When enabled, USB devices plugged into the Local Computer appear to the Remote Computer as locally attached devices.
Figure 6-14 shows the presence of the USB drive key on the Local Computer before the remote USB attachment is made. Figure 6-14 Prior to remote attachment of the USB drive key Remote Computer Local Computer To connect the USB drive key to a Remote Computer in Directory Mode, perform the following steps: 1. Click the USB tab on the Receiver Control Panel. 2. Click the Enable Remote USB checkbox to enable the remote USB connection. 3.
6-3-2 USB session switching New with RGS 5.1.3 is the ability to dynamically move USB devices from one Remote Computer to another. This enables USB devices to be detached from one Remote Computer, and made accessible by another Remote Computer without first needing to disconnect the RGS connections. To move USB devices to a different Remote Computer in Directory Mode, simply specify the new Remote Computer (Sender) in the Select sender: dropdown menu (see Figure 6-16).
6-3-4 Remote USB Access Control List RGS supports a per-Remote Computer access control list (ACL) file that specifies which USB devices are allowed to be remotely attached to the Remote Computer from a Local Computer, and which USB devices are denied attachment. The ACL file, which resides on the Remote Computer, supports allowing/denying USB device attachments based on the following nine USB descriptor fields: 1. Device Class 2. Device Subclass 3. Device Protocol 4. Vendor ID 5. Product ID 6.
Rules may contain filters based on the 11 parameters listed previously. These parameters are repeated below along with the name of the filter element. 1. Device Class—bDeviceClass 2. Device Subclass—bDeviceSubclass 3. Device Protocol—bDeviceProtocol 4. Vendor ID—idVendor 5. Product ID—idProduct 6. Device BCD—bcdDevice 7. Manufacturer—manufacturer 8. Product Type—product 9.
6-3-5 Determining USB device information This section describes how to obtain several of the most-used USB device parameters. Determining USB device information for Windows XP To obtain the Vendor ID and the Product ID for a USB device on Windows, perform the following steps: 1. Open the device manager. • Go to the Control Panel and run "System" • Select the "Hardware" tab • Select the "Device Manager" button, this runs the device manager program. 2.
The registered classes and subclasses are documented by the USB Device Working Group. The DWG's latest document for 1.0 defined class codes is hosted at: www.usb.org/developers/defined_class 6-3-6 Troubleshooting remote USB If you have problems connecting a remote USB device from a Local Computer to a Remote Computer, the following checklist may help identify the problem.
Enable Remote USB Verify that Remote USB is enabled under the USB option tab of the Receiver Control Panel (see Figure 6-17).
HP Remote Virtual USB Driver Verify that the HP Remote Virtual USB driver is installed and active on the Remote Computer. Open the Windows Device Manager, and verify that HP Remote Virtual USB is listed under Universal Serial Bus Controllers (see Figure 6-18).
If the HP Remote Virtual USB driver is not reported, reinstall the RGS Sender software. During installation, verify that the Remote USB box is checked in the Configuration window (see Figure 6-19). Figure 6-19 Enable installation of remote USB USB device drivers and program support Verify that the device drivers and programs required by the device are installed and available on the Sender system. Many USB devices require manufacturer-supplied software to work on a system.
6-4 Network timeouts The options available under the Network tab in the Receiver Control Panel are shown in Figure 6-20. Figure 6-20 Options available under the Network tab RGS supports three classes of user-settable timeouts: 1. Receiver network timeout properties—After the Receiver has established a connection to the Sender, the Sender transmits sync pulses (consisting of network messages) to the Receiver every second to permit the Receiver to determine connection integrity.
Receiver network timeouts RGS provides two user-settable Receiver timeout properties to allow you to optimize RGS for your particular network conditions (such as low-bandwidth or high-latency conditions). These properties allow you to specify timeout values that, if exceeded, will cause the RGS Receiver to take specific actions, such as displaying a warning dialog or closing the RGS connection.
Figure 6-22 shows the sequence of events commencing when sync pulses cease being detected by the Receiver. Figure 6-22 Receiver timeout sequence • TCP/IP stack may detect & resolve problems. • Network disruption may not be noticeable. • Serious network problems may cause the RGS connection to close.
Sender network timeout The RGS Sender supports the Sender error timeout property, Rgsender.Network.Timeout.Error. This property can be set only by using the rgsenderconfig file or on a command line—the Sender doesn’t have a dialog to set this property. The Sender error timeout property is independent of the Receiver timeout properties. For legacy reasons, the Sender begins by using the maximum of the Rgsender.Network.Timeout.Error property and the Rgsender.Network.Timeout.
Network timeout issues Listed below are several timeout-related issues and their potential causes. • Remote Display Window repeatedly dims, and displays a connection warning message—This is likely caused by frequent network disruptions between the Receiver and Sender. The dimming of the display serves as a notification to the user that the Remote Display Window may contain stale information.
Receiver’s, the Sender may close the connection sooner than the Receiver, disconnecting the Receiver. If the issue continues, consider increasing the Sender's error timeout value. See Section 6-4, “Network timeouts,” for further details on setting timeouts. 6-4-2 Dialog timeouts RGS supports dialog timeouts, which specify how long user interactions between the Local Computer and Remote Computer are allowed to take.
6-5 Hotkeys Hotkeys are key sequences that cause special action to be taken by the Receiver. Such key sequences are processed by the Receiver, and are not sent to the Remote Computer. However, a hotkey sequence may initiate some type of interaction with the Remote Computer. The Receiver Control Panel provides a number of options under the Hotkeys tab (see Figure 6-23).
• Setup Mode Hotkey: The text dialog and the Set and Reset buttons allow you to redefine the Setup Mode hotkey sequence from its default value. As shown in the Receiver Control Panel of Figure 6-23, the default hotkey sequence to activate Setup Mode is: 1. Press and hold down the Shift key. 2. At the same time, press then release the space bar—this activates Setup Mode. You will remain in Setup Mode until you release the Shift key.
6-6 Remote Clipboard operation For an overview of Remote Clipboard, see Section 2-18, “Remote Clipboard overview.” Remote Clipboard was introduced with RGS 5.1.3, and enables you to cut or copy data between a window on the Local Computer and a Remote Window (provided that both the Remote and Local Computers are running Windows, and the applications being used support cut/copy/paste functionality). Both cut and paste, and copy and paste, were supported in the following scenarios at RGS 5.1.
6-6-1 Remote Clipboard data transfers Figure 6-25 shows the data transfer that occurs when a cut and past is performed using Remote Clipboard. In this example, the cut occurs from within the Remote Computer application (as initiated from the Remote Display Window), and the paste occurs into the Local Computer application (via the Local Window). When the cut is performed, the data that is cut from the Remote Computer application is transferred to the clipboard on the Remote Computer.
As we’ve seen, the terms “Remote Computer” and “Local Computer” have very specific meanings in the context of RGS. In the context of Remote Clipboard, however, we use terms that are centric to each computer involved in a Remote Clipboard operation. If a cut and paste is being performed from Computer A to Computer B, Computer A will refer to itself (for example, in the DEBUG LOG) as the local computer, while referring to Computer B as the remote computer.
6-6-2 Remote Clipboard filtering When a cut is performed, applications typically store their data in the clipboard in multiple formats. For a word processing application, the application might store data in the clipboard as both ASCII text and Rich Text Format. This increases the likelihood that, when the paste occurs, there will be a format recognized by the receiving application. For example, when a cut is performed within Microsoft Word, one of the clipboard formats supported by Word is ASCII text.
• 16 (CF_LOCALE)—Locale identifier associated with text in the clipboard • 17 (DIBV5)—Bitmap color space and bitmap data • Ole Private Data—A private application format understood only by the application offering the format. • Object Descriptor—OLE2 object descriptor • Link Source Descriptor—Link to OLE2 object • HTML Format—Text is in Hypertext Markup Language format • Rich Text Format—A text format that includes special formatting features, such as bold, italics, and centering.
To demonstrate use of the RGS logs to view Remote Clipboard information on the Receiver and Sender computers, an example is presented in which a copy and paste is performed from a Sender computer to a Receiver computer. The steps in this example are: 1. Set the Rgreceiver.Clipboard.FilterString="|1|2|13|Object Descriptor|HTML Format|" 2. Establish an RGS connection from the Receiver to the Sender. 3. Open Notepad on the Receiver computer. 4.
Now that the filter string has been sent from the Receiver to the Sender, we’ll switch to the Remote Clipboard nomenclature of Figure 6-28. Figure 6-31 shows the Remote Clipboard log entries as the cut and paste is performed.
6-7 Receiver and Sender logging Both the RGS Receiver and the RGS Sender have the ability to log various types of information to files during their operation. Receiver logging can be enabled from the Receiver Control Panel, while Sender logging is controlled by a file on the RGS Sender. Both types of logging are described below. 6-7-1 Receiver logging The RGS Receiver logs various types of information during its operation.
6-7-2 Sender logging RGS Sender logging is not controlled by a GUI—instead, Sender logging is controlled by a particular file on the RGS Sender. In Section 3-1-2, “Installing the Sender on Windows XP,” the following command line option for Rgsender.exe is described: -l logSetupFile—Specifies the "logSetupFile" file used to describe various logging parameters for Sender error and informational output.
6-8 Statistics The options available under the Statistics tab in the Receiver Control Panel are shown in Figure 6-34. Figure 6-34 Options available under the Statistics tab The Statistics tab displays aggregate data for all connected sessions. • Total network usage (Mbits/sec)—The combined network traffic received from all Remote Computers. • Image updates per second—The combined number of image updates per second received from all connections.
7 Using Directory Mode Directory Mode enables the local user to automatically open connections to multiple Remote Computers based on the computers assigned to each user. When the user starts the Receiver in Directory Mode, the Receiver looks for a directory file containing user names and their assigned Remote Computers. The Receiver reads this file to identify the Remote Computers assigned to the current user, and then attempts to automatically connect to each specified Remote Computer.
7-1-2 Starting the Receiver in Directory Mode Before attempting a connection in Directory Mode for the first time, HP recommends that you verify that RGS can connect to each computer individually in Normal Mode (see Section 5-1, “Using RGS in Normal Mode”). As noted in Section 5-1, the pre-connection checklist (see Chapter 4, “Pre-connection checklist”) can be used to verify that the computer and network parameters are set correctly.
8 RGS properties RGS allows the user to specify many properties of the RGS connection, both on the Sender and Receiver. By specifying properties, the user can modify RGS characteristics such as: • Display of borders on the Remote Display Window • Codec quality • Audio quality • Connection timeouts This chapter describes each of the RGS properties, their default values, and how they can be changed.
8-3 Setting properties on the command line Properties can also be set on the command line when the Receiver and Sender are started. Property values entered on the command line override any properties set with other methods. All properties must begin with a "-" on the command line to be recognized as a valid property. For example (on Linux): rgreceiver.sh -Rgreceiver.Network.Timeout.Warning=10000 This command will start the RGS Receiver with the Rgreceiver.Network.Timeout.
Receiver command line properties See Section 8-3, “Setting property values on the command line.” rgreceiverconfig file properties See Section 8-2, “Setting property values in a configuration file.” Archive file properties When the Receiver is run, the user can change a number of properties using menus on the Receiver Control Panel and the Remote Display Window. When the Receiver exits, it saves the state of any properties that were changed by the user—these are known as archive file properties.
• • • • • • Network properties group • Rgreceiver.Network.Timeout.IsMutable • Rgreceiver.Network.Timeout.Warning • Rgreceiver.Network.Timeout.Error • Rgreceiver.Network.Timeout.Dialog Hotkey properties group • Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsMutable • Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.SetupModeSequence • Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsSendCtrlAltEndAsCtrlAltDeleteEnabled • Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsSendFirstKeyInSequenceEnabled • Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsKeyRepeatEnabled • Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.
individual IsMutable property is true, the user is allowed to interactively change the associated property, that is, the Rgreceiver.Network.Timeout.Error property. NOTE: For clarity, the individual IsMutable properties are not shown in the previous list; however, they are included in the following detailed description of each property. NOTE: In order for the user to be able to interactively change a property, the group IsMutable property and the individual IsMutable property must both be 1 (true).
8-4-3 Receiver general properties The general properties are listed below. After each property, the default value is listed in parenthesis. Rgreceiver.IsBordersEnabled=bool (default=1) Rgreceiver.IsBordersEnabled.IsMutable=bool (default=1) If set to 1, the borders on the Remote Display Window will be enabled (displayed). If set to 0, the borders will be removed creating a borderless windows to display the Remote Computer desktop. The default value is 1—the borders are enabled. Rgreceiver.
Rgreceiver.IsMatchReceiverPhysicalDisplaysEnabled=bool (0) Rgreceiver.IsMatchReceiverPhysicalDisplaysEnabled.IsMutable=bool (1) If the following conditions are met: 1. This property is enabled. 2. Rgreceiver.IsMatchReceiverResolutionEnabled is enabled (see previous property). 3. Rgreceiver.Session..VirtualDisplay.IsPreferredResolutionEnabled is disabled.
NOTE: The following property, while supported, has been deprecated. HP recommends using the per-session Remote Display Window X and Y positioning properties described in Section 8-4-13, “Windows placement and size properties.” Rgreceiver.RecentWindowPositions=int vector (10 10) Rgreceiver.RecentWindowPositions.IsMutable=bool (1) This property can be used to set the positions of the Remote Display Windows. The position of each Remote Display Window is controlled by an (xpos,ypox) 2-tuple.
Rgreceiver.IsGlobalImageUpdateEnabled=bool (0) Rgreceiver.IsGlobalImageUpdateEnabled.IsMutable=bool (1) If set to 1, the Receiver updates the area of the screen with the extents of all the areas of the screen that have changed. If set to 0, the Receiver limits updates of the screen to just the areas that have changed, using individual update rectangles. If image updates in the Remote Display Window show image tearing, setting the value to 1 (enabling global image updates) may reduce the tearing.
The sequence chart in Figure 8-6 shows operation for the default property value of 4. In this case, the Receiver can have up to 4 image update requests outstanding at any given time. When image update response #1 is received (meaning that there are now 3 outstanding image update requests), the Receiver can issue image update request #5 (again, up to a maximum of 4 outstanding image update requests at any given time).
8-4-5 Receiver audio properties (1) Rgreceiver.Audio.IsMutable=bool If set to 1, the user will be able to modify all audio controls in the RGS Receiver. If set to 0, none of the audio controls can be modified by the user. The default value is 1—the audio controls can be modified by the user. Rgreceiver.Audio.IsEnabled=bool (1) Rgreceiver.Audio.IsEnabled.IsMutable=bool (1) If set to 1, the RGS audio subsystem will be enabled.
Rgreceiver.Usb.ActiveSession=int (0) Rgreceiver.Usb.ActiveSession.IsMutable=bool (1) When the Receiver is in Directory Mode, the Local Computer can connect to one or more Remote Computers. This property specifies the Remote Computer that the local USB devices are attached to. To have all local USB devices attached to the first Remote Computer, use value zero. To have all local USB devices attached to the second Remote Computer, use value one, and so on.
Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsSendFirstKeyInSequenceEnabled=bool (0) Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsSendFirstKeyInSequenceEnabled.IsMutable=bool (1) When enabled, the first key in the hotkey sequence is sent to the Remote Computer. The default value is 0—don't send the first key in the hotkey sequence. Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsKeyRepeatEnabled=bool (0) Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsKeyRepeatEnabled.IsMutable=bool (1) The hotkey sequence is very particular (for example, shift down, space down, space up).
Rgreceiver.Clipboard.FilterString=string (see below for default value) IMPORTANT: This property is for advanced users only. The property string should be changed from its default value only if Remote Clipboard doesn’t support the clipboard format required by your application. For more information on clipboard formats, see the Microsoft Development Network article Clipboard Formats at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms649013.aspx.
Rgreceiver.Log.Filename=string (“rg.log”) Rgreceiver.Log.Filename.IsMutable=bool (1) This property specifies the path to the log file, and is only used if RgReceiver.Log.IsFileLoggerEnabled is set to 1. The default path on Windows is located in the directory where the RGS Receiver is installed, normally C:/Program Files/Hewlett-Packard/Remote Graphics Receiver/rg.log. The default path on Linux is $HOME/.hpremote/rgreceiver/rg.log. Rgreceiver.Log.Level=string (“INFO”) Rgreceiver.Log.Level.
8-4-13 Windows placement and size properties As described previously, these properties are per-session (per-connection) properties. If, for example, the Receiver connects to two Remote Computers, these properties can be used to specify the properties of each of the two Remote Display Windows on the Local Computer. These properties contain the parameter , which ranges from 0 to N-1 for the creation of N sessions (connections).
8-5 RGS Sender properties RGS supports the following hierarchy of methods to set the Sender properties (see Figure 8-7). Figure 8-7 Sender properties hierarchy Highest Sender command line properties rgsenderconfig file properties Sender default properties Lowest Properties set by methods higher on the list override properties set by methods lower on the list. For example, a Sender command line property can override a property specified in the rgsenderconfig file.
• • • USB access control list properties group • Rgsender.Usb.Acl.RulesetPath • Rgsender.Usb.Acl.SchemaPath • Rgsender.Usb.Acl.RulesetErrorTimeout NIC binding properties group • Rgsender.Network.IsListenOnAllInterfacesEnabled • Rgsender.Network.Interface.n.IsEnabled • Rgsender.Network.AllowIpAddressSubnet Clipboard property group • Rgsender.Clipboard.IsEnabled 8-5-2 Sender general properties Rgsender.
blanking is enabled. For details on monitor blanking, see Section 5-1-4, “Remote Computer monitor blanking operation.” Rgsender.IsIloRemoteConsoleEnabled=bool (0) This property is supported only on Linux. If set to 0, the iLO (integrated Lights-Out) console is disabled when an RGS connection is made. This prevents the user’s desktop session from being visible through the iLo remote console. When set to one, the user’s desktop session will be viewable through the iLO remote console.
8-5-4 Sender network timeout properties Rgsender.Network.Timeout.Error=int (30000) The timeout in milliseconds used to detect and disconnect an inactive connection. The default value is 30,000 milliseconds (30 seconds). See Section 6-4, “Network timeouts,” for more details. Rgsender.Network.Timeout.Dialog=int (15000) The timeout in milliseconds used to display and wait on responses from input dialogs, such as the authorization dialog and PAM authentication dialog.
Rgsender.Network.AllowIpAddressSubnet=string (all IP addresses) This property is used to specify the range of IP addresses that the Sender will listen on for an RGS connection request from the Receiver. A NIC must be enabled, and its IP address must be in the range specified by this property, in order for the Sender to listen on the NIC. The format for this property is: xx.xx.xx.xx/yy — IP address and netmask in CIDR notation If Rgsender.Network.
9 Sender event logging on Windows The RGS Sender on Windows supports event logging. Event logging provides information useful for troubleshooting connection problems, and can also be used to automatically terminate applications on the Sender in case the connection is lost between the Sender and the Receiver. This chapter describes the Sender event logging capabilities while the next chapter describes how to use event logging to terminate applications on the Sender.
To view the properties of a particular event, double-click on the event of interest—this brings up the Event Properties window. Figure 9-2 shows the Event Properties window for the highlighted (fifth) event in Figure 9-1. As you can see, the Sender event that has been logged is reporting on the connection state. Figure 9-2 Event Properties The highlighted radio buttons allow viewing of the connection data (in this case, the number of primary and nonprimary connections) in byte and word formats.
New in RGS 5.1.5 is reporting of the IP address and port number of the Local Computer whenever the Local Computer either establishes a connection to the Sender or disconnects from the Sender. In Figure 9-3, a connection has been established to the Sender from a Local Computer with IP address 15.2.76.60 and port number 3279.
9-3 Additional information on event logging For additional information on Windows event logging, search Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) as shown in Figure 9-4. Clicking on the first search result will typically display the page shown.
10 Remote Application Termination This chapter describes how to create a Windows agent on the Sender that provides Remote Application Termination. “Remote application” refers to user applications that are running on the Remote Computer (Sender). The sample agent described in this chapter is designed to terminate applications on the Sender when an RGS disconnect occurs.
Event Viewer Example: Primary connections: 1 Non-primary connections: 0 RGSENDER_CONNECT EventID: 4 NOTE: Parameter %2 is new in the RGS 5.1.5 release. A new connection was established with an associated name. If Easy Login is enabled, the name assignment will be deferred until login and the associated name may be “Anonymous”. Event Viewer Message: Connect %1.
RGSENDER_SET_NONPRIMARY A connection with an associated name is assigned to a non-primary status. This may happen as a result of a logout. EventID: 7 Event Viewer Message: Set %1 as non-primary connection. Strings: %1 = name associated with connection Data: None Event Viewer Example: Set MYDOMAIN\myusername as non-primary connection. RGSENDER_ASSIGN_USER EventID: 8 If Easy Login is enabled, the assignment of the name will be deferred until login.
%2 = USB device vendor ID %3 = USB device product ID Data: None 10-3 Sample agent The sample Windows agent presented below monitors the HPRemote event log and interprets its events. Comments are included in the agent code showing where additional code would be added to determine if the number of primary users has dropped to zero. If so, further code can be added to terminate applications on the Sender. A number of design issues for the Windows agent are described in the next section.
// Set the pointer to our buffer. Strings and data will get appended // to the EVENTLOGRECORD structure. pevlr = (EVENTLOGRECORD *) &bBuffer; // Read the event specified by dwEventNum result = ReadEventLog(h, // event log handle EVENTLOG_SEEK_READ | // start at specific event EVENTLOG_FORWARDS_READ, // advance forward dwEventNum, // record to read pevlr, // pointer to buffer BUFFER_SIZE, // size of buffer &dwRead, // number of bytes read &dwNeeded); // bytes in next record if (CloseEventLog(h) == false) { .
// // // // if If an event is added, either the start or count will change. Get the start and count. Microsoft does not specify what reasons these functions could fail, so we cannot ensure success. Check the return value. (GetOldestEventLogRecord(h, &dwCurrentStart) == false || GetNumberOfEventLogRecords(h, &dwCurrentCount) == false) { CloseEventLog(h); ... report error - unable to obtain event logs ... return; } if (CloseEventLog(h) == false) { ... report error status here ...
10-4 Agent design issues Designing an agent to provide Remote Application Termination requires consideration of a number of issues in order to minimize data loss and determine when a last-resort shutdown of a disconnected desktop session is required. Listed below are several topics to consider when designing application control agents for your environment. The topics are not exhaustive—use them as a starting point for a more complete design that meets your business requirements.
Administrator alerts • Situation—Instead of shutting down an environment, an agent can be designed to alert an administrator or operator to determine the status of the user before taking action. This watchdog approach can further be defined to exploit redundant network connection support to a remote system to allow user-directed shutdowns to occur. • Benefit—System agents are not required to take destructive action—they serve only as alarms and monitors for alternative human intervention.
Figure 10-1 Remote Computer Sender recovery options Microsoft Remote Desktop Recovery If the RGS Sender becomes unavailable and the Receiver can no longer connect to the Sender, a Windows system with Remote Desktop services enabled can access the Remote Computer to diagnose the issue.
11 Optimizing RGS performance This chapter provides suggestions on optimizing RGS performance, including optimizing the Remote Computer display settings and the network configuration. 11-1 Performance tuning for all platforms The following suggestions apply to all platforms: • Set the network to full-duplex mode—To obtain the best performance, the network between the RGS Sender and RGS Receiver should operate in full-duplex mode.
11-4 Configuring your network for optimal performance RGS depends on low network latency and reasonably high network bandwidth. There are several methods to test and measure the network bandwidth, latency, and the number of hops between Sender and Receiver computers: • Use the ping command to measure network latency. From a command prompt on Windows or a terminal window on Linux, execute ping hostname. This will report the network latency. Be sure the ping protocol (ICMP) is not blocked by a firewall.
12 Troubleshooting RGS This chapter provides suggestions on troubleshooting potential issues with RGS. Refer also to Chapter 13, “RGS error messages,” which lists the RGS error messages and their potential causes. 12-1 Potential RGS issues and troubleshooting suggestions Table 12-1 lists several potential RGS issues, and provides a number of troubleshooting suggestions.
13 RGS error messages This chapter lists the error messages reported by the RGS Receiver, and describes potential reasons for the error messages. 13-1 Receiver error messages The following table lists the errors that are reported by the RGS Receiver on the Local Computer. Error Description Connection lost! The RGS Sender has closed the connection. Possible reasons include: 1. The Sender may have explicitly disconnected your connection.
Directory not found or not accessible! The directory file is not available. Possible reasons include: 1. The directory file name or location has been mistyped. 2. The file has been moved or is no longer available. 3. The network is down or experiencing a disruption. 4. The user does not have read permission on the file. User not found in directory! The username of the current user of the HP Remote Graphics Software Receiver is not found in the directory file. Possible reasons include: 1.
Setup Mode hotkey sequence is invalid. The sequence has been disabled. The Setup Mode hotkey sequence specified using a property either on the command-line or in the property configuration file is invalid, and the property Rgreceiver.Hotkeys.IsMutable is disabled. Therefore, hotkeys have been disabled. Connection denied! The iLO remote console is enabled. The iLO remote console is enabled on the HP Blade Workstation. The Blade must be configured in User Mode before connections are allowed.
Appendix A: Using RGS with HP VDI This appendix describes how to use RGS with the HP Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution. For an overview of using RGS with VDI, see Section 2-20, “Using RGS with desktop virtualization.” Using RGS with VDI assumes that you have a comprehensive working knowledge of VMware ESX and running Microsoft products in this environment. RGS is supported on the versions of VMware listed in Table A-0-1.
A-2-2 Modify the underlying ESX configuration (VM .vmx file) The underlying virtual machine configuration file must be modified to support RGS and USB devices over the RGS communication channel. Most values in this file can be set using the Virtual Center GUI. However, a few values must be set by hand editing of the .vmx file for the virtual machine. Administrators may also use scripting to fully automate this process.
Click on the Configuration Parameters… button to display the configuration parameters shown in Figure A-2. Figure A-2 Configuration parameters Note that the new parameter “SMBIOS.reflectHost” has been added and its value set to TRUE. The full set of parameters that affect RGS functionality is listed below. SMBIOS.reflectHost = TRUE This parameter causes the underlying hardware platform SMBIOS records to be mapped into the SMBIOS records of the virtual machine.
Svga.vramSize = This parameter tells the VMware virtual VGA device driver the size of screen buffer to use. This value may only be set by directly editing the .vmx file of the virtual machine and is not propagated by clone and template operations. The default maximum screen resolution for ESX 3.0.1 running XP images is 1180x885 with 16 or 32 bit color depth. This can be changed by setting the three svga. parameters described above.
A-5 RGS operating modes available with VDI Both RGS operating modes can be used in establishing a connection from a client computer to a virtual desktop session: 1. Normal Mode 2. Directory Mode A-6 Using Session Allocation Manager with VDI HP Session Allocation Manager (SAM) 2.1 or later can be used to manage RGS connections from client computers to virtual desktop sessions provided that the HP SAM Registration Service is installed within the virtual desktop. For information on SAM, visit www.hp.
Appendix B: USB devices supported by RGS IMPORTANT: Prior to RGS 5.2.0, this list of USB devices was maintained in a separate document available at www.hp.com/support/rgs_manuals, titled USB Devices Supported by Remote Graphics Software. The list itself was an Excel spreadsheet with an internal description of “Client-attached USB Devices Accessible by the RGS Sender”. Beginning at RGS 5.2.
Table B-2 Trader keyboards USB Devices Bloomberg CTB100 US/UK HP Blade Workstation Clients RGS 4.0.0 Clients based on Windows XP and Windows XPe RGS 5.0 Bloomberg SEA100 US/UK RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 Bloomberg FRE100 US/UK RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 Notes Support for audio was added at RGS 5.2.0 Table B-3 Trader keypads HP Blade Workstation Clients RGS 4.0.2 Clients based on Windows XP and Windows XPe RGS 5.0 Cantor ESpeed 2 RGS 4.2.0 RGS 5.0 Cantor ESpeed 6 RGS 4.2.0 RGS 5.0 Cantor ESpeed 7 RGS 4.2.
Table B-6 USB keys The following client-attached USB devices can be accessed by a Remote Computer running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition if the RGS Sender version is 5.1.1 or later. USB Devices SanDisk HP Blade Workstation Clients RGS 5.0 Clients based on Windows XP and Windows XPe RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 PNY 1G Geek Squad 0.5 G RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 Cruzer Mini 4G RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 Lexar JumpDrive 256M RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 HP 2G RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 HP 128M RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 Memorex RGS 5.0 RGS 5.
Table B-11 Printers USB Devices HP OfficeJet 9110 HP Blade Workstation Clients RGS 5.0 Clients based on Windows XP and Windows XPe RGS 5.0 HP Photosmart 8750 RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 HP LaserJet 3000DN RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 HP Color LaserJet 2820 RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 HP Business Inkjet 2800 RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 HP Officejet Pro L7680 RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 Epson Stylus R800 RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 HP 2015dn RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 HP 3005x RGS 5.0 RGS 5.0 USB Devices HP OfficeJet 9110 HP Blade Workstation Clients RGS 5.
Table B-15 Webcams USB Devices Logitech QuickCam Communicate Deluxe WebCam HP Blade Workstation Clients Clients based on Windows XP and Windows XPe RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 Logitech Pro9000 WebCam RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000 RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 Microsoft LifeCam VX-7000 RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 Intel Easy PC Camera RGS 5.2 RGS 5.2 Creative Web Cam Notebook RGS 5.2 RGS 5.
Table B-19 Character input devices USB Devices Elan Crystal Touch Pen Pad HP Blade Workstation Clients RGS 5.2 Clients based on Windows XP and Windows XPe Notes RGS 5.
Appendix C: Linux remote audio device support As shown in Figure 2-25, an audio device is required to be installed in Linux-based Remote Computers in order for application-generated audio to be sent to the Local Computer. Furthermore, the audio device installed in the Remote Computer must have the ability to record from a control that is the mix of all audio signals. On a Windows computer, by way of comparison, this control is often called “Stereo Mix”.
