Server and Desktop Management Software

1. How to enable secure login (HTTPS)?

Description

In Desktop Central, you can use HTTPS to enable you to login to the Desktop Central server in a secure environment. For example, if you are logging into the Desktop Central server from a computer outside your LAN or WAN, you can use a secure login (HTTPS).

Steps

To enable HTTPS in your Desktop Central server, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the Admin tab
2. In the Global Settings section, click Server Settings
3. In the General Settings section, check the Enable Secure Login (HTTPS) checkbox

Note: You can also use a third-party SSL certificate.

4. Click Save Changes

You have enabled the secure login feature (HTTPS) in Desktop Central.

Questions

2. How to change the Web Server port used by Desktop Central?

Description

By default, the Desktop Central server uses port 8020 to complete the following tasks:

• Enable agent-server communication
• Access the Web client

This port is chosen during the installation of the Desktop Central server. You can change the port number after installation, if required.

Steps

You have to complete the following tasks to:

• Change the port numbers in the Desktop Central server
• Update the port numbers in the Desktop Central agents

Changing the port numbers in the Desktop Central server

To change the port number after the Desktop Central server is installed, follow the steps given below:

1. Stop the Desktop Central server. Follow the steps given below:
   1. Click start
   2. Point to Programs>ManageEngine Desktop Central
   3. Click Stop DesktopCentral
2. Open the websettings.conf located in <Install_Dir>\DesktopCentral_Server\conf. For example, C:\Program Files\DesktopCentral_Server\conf.
3. Change the port numbers for the following keys with the required values:
   • http.port
   • https.port
4. Save the file and close it
5. Start the Desktop Central server. Follow the steps given below:
   1. Click start
   2. Point to Programs>ManageEngine Desktop Central
   3. Click Start DesktopCentral

You can now connect to the Web console of the Desktop Central server using the new port numbers that you have specified. You are now required to update the Desktop Central agents with the new port numbers.

Updating the port numbers in the Desktop Central agents

To update the new port numbers in the Desktop Central agents, in your client computers, follow the steps given below:

For computers in a LAN

To update the the new port numbers in the Desktop Central agents in client computers in your LAN, follow the steps given below:

Note: Ensure that the computers in which the agents are installed are switched on.

1. Click the Admin tab
2. In the Global Settings, click Scope of Management
3. Select the required computers
4. Click Install Agent
5. Click OK

The new port numbers will be updated in the Desktop Central agents immediately.

For branch offices using Distribution Servers

To update the the new port numbers in distribution servers in your branch office, follow the steps given below:

1. Download the script configureDCAgentServerCommunication_7.txt
2. Rename it to configure-dc-distributionserver-communication-7.vbs
3. Run this script in each of the distribution servers in your branch offices. Follow the steps given below:
   1. Open a command prompt
   2. Enter the following command

   configure-dc-distributionserver-communication-7.vbs <ServerName> <ServerIP> <HTTP Port> <HTTPS Port> <Protocol>

   where,

   • <ServerName> refers to the DNS name of the computer where the Desktop Central server is installed
   • <ServerIP> refers to the IP address of the computer where the Desktop Central Server is installed
   • <HTTP Port> refers to the normal port that Desktop Central agents use to contact the Desktop Central server. The default port number is 8020.
   • <HTTPS Port> refers to the secured port that Desktop Central agents use to contact the Desktop Central server. The default port number is 8383.
   • <Protocol> refers to the communication protocol between Desktop Central agents and the Desktop Central server. This can either be HTTP or HTTPS.
   3. Press Enter

The new port numbers will be updated immediately in the distribution server. You are now required to update the new port numbers in the Desktop Central agents in the client computers in each branch office in your WAN.

For branch offices in a WAN

To update the the new port numbers in the Desktop Central agents in client computers in your branch office in a WAN, follow the steps given below:

1. Download the script configureDCAgentServerCommunication_7.txt.
2. Rename it to configureDCAgentServerCommunication7.vbs

   Note: If you are using Desktop Central 6, use this script configureDCAgentServerCommunication_6.txt.

3. Run this script from each of your branch office computers. Follow the steps given below:
   1. Open a command prompt
   2. Enter the following command:

      cscript configureDCAgentServerCommunication_7.vbs <ServerName> <ServerIP> <HTTP Port> <HTTPS Port> <Protocol>

   3. Press Enter

The new port numbers will be updated in the Desktop Central agents immediately.

Executing a script on multiple computers

To execute a script on multiple computers, run the script from each of your branch offices using the steps given below:

Note: Ensure that the computers in which the agents are installed are switched on.

1. Create a network share in your computer
2. Download the script configureDCAgentServerCommunication_7.txt.
3. Rename it to configureDCAgentServerCommunication_7.vbs
4. Save the vb script in the network share that you created
5. Download the PsExec utility from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897553.aspx
6. Save it
7. Run the script using the following command. Follow the steps given below:
   1. Click start>Run
   2. Enter the following command:
      
      C:\for /f %f in (c:\computernames.txt) do psexec \\%f -u <domain>\administrator -p <password> CSCRIPT \\MyServer\MyShare\configureDCAgentServerCommunication.vbs <ServerName> <ServerIP> <HTTP Port> <HTTPS Port> <Protocol>

   where,

   • computernames.txt contains the list of computers in which you must install an agent. Specify the complete path for each computer.
   • <domain> refers to the name of a domain or a workgroup
   • <password> refers to the administrator's password for a domain or a workgroup
   • <ServerName> refers to the DNS name of the computer where Desktop Central Server is installed
   • <ServerIP> refers to the IP Address of the computer where Desktop Central Server is installed
   • <HTTP Port> refers to the normal port that the agents use to contact the Desktop Central Server
   • <HTTPS Port> refers to the secured port that the agents use to contact the Desktop Central Server
   • <Protocol> refers to the communication protocol between the atent and the server. This can either be HTTP or HTTPS.
   3. Press Enter

You have executed a script in multiple computers.