Sessions

A session is necessary for you to support a remote system. This session is formed between the Gatekeeper running on the remote system and the CPAM server.

• A session is active when the secure connection is formed.

• A session becomes Inactive 20 minutes after the last user disconnects.

• If the Gatekeeper access is enabled, click Connect to reactivate the session.

Active Sessions

When a session is active, there is no delay connecting to the Gatekeeper. The only Gatekeeper Sessions you are able to see are Customers that your User Groups have access to.

The number of inaccessible sessions is displayed below the list of Active Sessions.

Pending Sessions

A Pending Session represents the state of a session that is in the process of becoming active. It occurs when a user of CPAM clicks Connect, but the Gatekeeper has not yet checked in with the CPAM server. Gatekeepers are typically set to check-in with the CPAM server every few minutes.

Time Remaining: This indicates the estimated time until the session becomes active. This is based on the expected check-in time from the Gatekeeper.

Refreshing the Window: To get the most accurate time remaining, refresh the window. This updates the time estimate based on the Gatekeeper's status.

Once the Gatekeeper connects, the Pending Session transitions to the Active Sessions list.

How to Connect to a Session

To use remote services, you must first connect to a session.

This extends the services to the local desktop, so that they may be accessed directly.

More than one user may be connected to a session at the same time and access the same remote services directly.

When a user disconnects from the session, it remains active until the last user disconnects and the session has been idle for 20 minutes.

To gain access to the remote services, click Connect for a Gatekeeper that has access enabled. The first time you do this from your browser session, you may receive a security pop-up.

If your current platform is Windows or OS X; a one-time download and run of the Universal Connection Manager (UCM) program is needed.

If you are not on a Windows or OS X platform, or you are having trouble with the executable version for your platform, you can try to launch the Connection Manager Java Web Start app.

When you launch the Connection Manager Java Web Start app, a status window opens with the current status of the connection. You may minimize this window while connected.

Possible Connection Statuses

The following are the status values that may be displayed:

Status Values	Description
Downloading Components...	The CM is currently getting the parts it needs to run.
Insufficient Privileges	The logged-in user is not authorized to connect.
Failed to Connect to Service	Logging in to the Application was unsuccessful refer to the diagnostic log.
Connection Failed	Indeterminate error occurred during connection attempt refer to the diagnostic log.
Connection Complete	The connection has completed successfully. The user is now connected to the session.
Connection Disconnected	Either the user has disconnected from the session, or the session has been ended.

Each connected Gatekeeper is assigned a unique local interface.

To utilize a proprietary tool, you need to configure the tool to connect to the designated local interface:

• Alternate interfaces follow the format 127.0.0.x, where x represents the next available interface for a specific remote host.

• The first host, usually the Gatekeeper host, uses the interface name localhost, which corresponds to 127.0.0.1.

• The diagnostic log for this application is named sdcmlog.txt.

  NOTE:

  On Windows systems, this file can be found in the local user's folder under the Users directory, while on Unix systems, it resides in the user's home directory.

Once the connection is established, the available services are displayed in How to View Session Details.

How to View Session Details

To view detailed information for a particular session:

1. Click View for the session from Active Sessions or My Current Sessions on the Dashboard.

2. The Current Session page for that session opens.

   NOTE:

   If you are not currently connected to the session, you can only see the Customer and Gatekeeper names, along with some links for interacting with the session.

3. To begin using remote services, click Connect.

You can click Edit Services whether you're connected or not, as long as the Gatekeeper has allowed Vendor-defined services. If that is not the case, the warning message Vendor-defined services are disabled by the Gatekeeper displays on the View Session window.

Session Information

To view details about a session's Gatekeeper or to see the other users connected to the session, click Session Information from the View a Session section.

Available Options

• View History: Displays the session's detailed history in the reports section, showing all activities and events that have occurred during the session.
• End Session:

  If you're a system Admin or the session Owner, you can manually end the session and disconnect all connected users. However, sessions automatically end when idle, after the last user disconnects. Manual intervention is only required if you want to end the session before this happens.

• Session Access:

  Defines who is allowed to connect to the session. By default, access is restricted based on user group permissions:

  • Users in the same User Group as the session owner are allowed to connect to the session.
  • Users in other User Groups with access to the Gatekeeper's Gatekeeper Group are also allowed to connect.

  The session owner can change access to Restricted to Owner, preventing all other users from connecting except system Admins.

  IMPORTANT:

  Be sure to review and manage session access based on your organization's policies, especially if the session contains sensitive data or if you're working in a multi-user environment.

• Session Users:

  This option displays the users who are currently connected to the session. If you're a system Admin, you can disconnect any user from the session by clicking Disconnect next to their name.

How to Use Quick Connect

Quick Connect generates a single-use key that allows you to quickly support a remote system. It uses the remote user's Java Plug-in, so the remote system does not need a full Gatekeeper installation.

1. If you have access to the Quick Connect Gatekeeper Group, Quick Connectappears in the upper-right corner of the CPAM interface. Click it to open the Quick Connect pop-up window.

2. Enter an email address and select Email the Key to the above address. The remote user receives an email with a link to Quick Connect.

3. If you do not enter an email address, you need to communicate the Key and URL to the remote user manually.

4. If you want the remote user to automatically connect when they click their link, leave the pop-up window open.

   NOTE:

   If you close the pop-up window, you can still connect to the session later from the Dashboard.

Once the connection is established, you can begin using the remote services.

Session Chat

While connected to a session, users can communicate with each other via the Chat menu located on the main navigation bar. Please note that during an active session, users can only receive chat messages sent while they are connected to the session.

Troubleshooting

If you experience connectivity issues, this section provides solutions to common problems.