Version 17 introduces the Parallels RAS Management Portal. This HTML5 browser-based application lets you manage Parallels RAS. Its functionality is limited to helpdesk-related tasks. Note that the new Parallels RAS Management Portal does not replace the standard Parallels RAS Console—you will still manage your Parallels RAS farms using the standard console.
The Parallels RAS Management Portal is intended for the following user categories:
- Full or limited administrators who need to manage a Parallels RAS deployment.
- Helpdesk personnel that may only have limited rights to view and make changes to a Parallels RAS deployment. At the very least, helpdesk representatives should have rights to view the information about user sessions (so they can offer a remote assistance to users) and to monitor a Parallels RAS deployment performance.
A helpdesk professional typically deals with issues brought up by end users (employees). In such support scenarios, helpdesk staff should be able to quickly locate relevant information about the user. In addition, the helpdesk representative should be able to easily assess the health of the Parallels RAS infrastructure.
Using the Parallels RAS Management Portal, a helpdesk representative can easily find information about a user and perform management tasks as follows:
- Find out if the user has any sessions running.
- View the servers where the user sessions are running.
- Disconnect or log off a user, or send a text message with instructions.
- View the list of processes started by the user.
- Manage VDI desktops (guest VMs), including starting, stopping and restarting a VDI desktop.
The Parallels RAS infrastructure health information available in the RAS Management Portal includes the following:
- Secure Gateway and Connection Broker status
- Total sessions count
- License usage and license status
- Server state, including the RAS Agent status
- Server CPU and RAM utilization, number of active sessions and disk performance
- For a VDI host, the number of running guest VMs, their state and assignment info
Read on to learn how to install and use the Parallels RAS Management Portal to perform helpdesk-related tasks.
Prerequisites
The Web Administration Service behind the Parallels RAS Management Portal must be installed on the server where you have RAS Connection Broker installed. The console itself can run in any modern web browser with HTML5 support.
Before installing the web service, make sure that your Windows server has the following updates installed:
- Windows Server 2008 R2: KB2999226 and KB2533623
- Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 SP1: KB2999226
Newer versions of Windows Server do not require any specific updates.
The web service listens to web requests on the following ports by default. If needed, ports can be changed via configuration as described in KB 124701.
- HTTPS: 20443
- HTTP: 20080
Installation
To use the Parallels RAS Management Portal, you need to install RAS Web Administration Service on the server where you have RAS Connection Broker installed. Once the service is installed, you can begin using the console immediately.
To install RAS Web Administration Service:
- Run the Parallels RAS installer (the same one you use to install other Parallels RAS components) on the server where RAS Connection Broker is running.
- On the Select Installation Type page, select Custom.
- On the next page, select to install the Parallels RAS Web Administration Service component.
- Click Next and follow the onscreen instructions.
User permissions
To allow access to Parallels RAS Management Portal features, a user (e.g. a helpdesk representative) must have sufficient rights. When creating a new user in Parallels RAS, use the Power Administrator or Custom Administrator role and grant the user the following permissions:
- Allow viewing of site information
- Allow session management
- Allow connection changes
- Allow viewing of RAS Reporting
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