Avocent AV Works Installation and maintenance instructions

Installer/User Guide
AV Works™

INSTRUCTIONS
This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

AV Works™
Installer/User Guide
Avocent, the Avocent logo, The Power of Being There and AVWorks
are trademarks of Avocent Corporation. OSCAR is a registered
trademark of Apex Inc. AutoView is a registered trademark of Cybex
Computer Products Corporation. All other marks are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.
© 2003 Avocent Corporation. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Product Overview
About AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2: Installation
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installing AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 3: Basic Operations
Launching AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Navigating AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Appliance/AVWorks Quick Setup Checklist . . . . . . . . . . 13
Adding an Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Accessing an Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Accessing and Managing Your Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Changing AVWorks Device Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Organizing Units with the Local Client Database . . . . 36
Deleting and Renaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Customizing the AVWorks Explorer Window . . . . . . . . 43
Managing Your Local Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Chapter 4: Managing Your Appliance
Viewing and Configuring Appliance Parameters . . . . . 50
Upgrading Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Managing User Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Rebooting Your Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Managing Appliance Configuration Databases . . . . . . 62
Managing User Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Changing Appliance Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Adding and Deleting Product Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Appendices
Appendix A: Updating AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Appendix B: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts . . . . . . . . 70
Appendix C: Sun Advanced Key Emulation . . . . . . . . . 72
Appendix D: TCP Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Appendix E: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Appendix F: Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Index
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Contents
1
Product Overview
About AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter 1: Product Overview 3
Chapter 1: Product Overview
About AVWorks
AVWorks is a cross-platform management application that allows you to view
and control the AutoView 1000R/2000R appliance and all its target devices. The
cross-platform design ensures compatibility with most popular operating
systems and hardware platforms. AutoView 1000R provides secure switch-based
authentication, data transfers and username/password storage. Each appliance
handles authentication and access control individually, placing system control at
the point of need.
AVWorks utilizes browser-like navigation with an intuitive split-screen
interface, providing you with a single point of access for all your servers. Using
AVWorks, you can manage your existing appliances, install a new switch or
launch a video session to a target device. Built-in groupings such as Devices,
Sites and Folders provide an easy way to select the units to view. Powerful
search and sort capabilities allow you to easily find any unit.
NOTE: Throughout the documentation and AVWorks user interface, you will see the word
“appliance” used generically to describe the AutoView 1000R/2000R switch.
Features and Benefits
Easy to install and configure
AVWorks is designed for easy installation and operation. Auto-discovery of
managed appliances enables you to deploy new units in minutes. Wizard-
based installation and online help simplify initial system configuration. The
intuitive graphical interface makes managing and updating appliances simple
and straightforward.
Powerful customization capabilities
Tailor AVWorks to fit your specific system needs. Take advantage of built-in
groups or create your own. Customize unit and field names, icons and macros
for maximum flexibility and convenience. Using names that are meaningful to
you makes it easy to quickly find any target device.
Extensive AutoView 1000R/2000R management
AVWorks allows you to add and manage multiple appliances in one system.
Once a new appliance is installed, you can configure switch parameters,
control and preempt user video sessions and execute numerous control
functions, such as rebooting and upgrading your appliance. From the intuitive
Appliance Management Panel, you can enable Simple Network Management
Protocol (SNMP) traps, configure target devices and cascade switches as well
as manage user databases.

4AVWorks Installer/User Guide

Contents
2
Installation
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installing AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 2: Installation 7
Chapter 2: Installation
Getting Started
Before installing your AVWorks, refer to the following lists to ensure that you
have all the items that shipped with your software as well as all other items
necessary for proper installation.
Supplied with AVWorks
Your AVWorks package contains the following items:
• AVWorks CD
• AVWorks Installer/User Guide
• Download Instructions
Supported operating systems
AVWorks is supported on the following operating systems:
• Microsoft®Windows®2000 Workstation - Service Pack 2
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server - Service Pack 2
• Microsoft Windows NT®4.0 Workstation - Service Pack 6a
• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server - Service Pack 6a
• Microsoft Windows XP (Home and Professional)
• Red Hat Linux®7.1 (2.7 Kernel)
• Red Hat Linux 7.2 (2.7 Kernel)
PC hardware configuration requirements
AVWorks is supported on the following minimum PC hardware configurations:
• 500 MHz Pentium III
• 128 MB RAM
• 10 or 100 BaseT NIC
• XGA Video with graphics accelerator
• Desktop size must be a minimum of 800 x 600
• Color palette must be a minimum of 256 colors
Installing AVWorks
AVWorks can be installed on Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows
XP and Linux platforms. The following instructions will allow you to install
AVWorks on the desired platform.

8AVWorks Installer/User Guide
To install on Microsoft Windows NT, 2000 or XP:
1. Insert the AVWorks CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. If AutoPlay is
supported and enabled, the setup program will start automatically.
-or-
If your system does not support AutoPlay, set the default drive to your
CD-ROM drive letter and execute the following command to start the
install program (replace drive with your CD-ROM drive letter):
drive:\WIN32\SETUP.EXE
2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
To install on Red Hat Linux:
1. Insert the AVWorks CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. If AutoPlay is
supported and enabled, the setup program will start automatically.
-or-
If your system does not support AutoPlay:
a. Mount the CD-ROM volume by executing the following command:
mount –t iso9660 –ro mode=0555 <unit> <mount point>
Replace <unit> with the name of the CD-ROM on your machine
and <mount point> with the name of the desired mount point. For
example, to mount a CD-ROM which is the second IDE unit on
/mnt, execute the command:
mount –t iso9660 –ro mode=0555 /dev/hdb /mnt
b. Execute the following command to change the working directory to
the mount point:
cd /mnt
c. Execute the following command to start the install program:
sh./linux/setup.bin
2. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Contents
3
Basic Operations
Launching AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Navigating AVWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Appliance/AVWorks Quick Setup Checklist . . . . . . . . . . 13
Adding an Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Accessing an Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Accessing and Managing Your Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Changing AVWorks Device Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Organizing Units with the Local Client Database . . . . 36
Deleting and Renaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Customizing the AVWorks Explorer Window . . . . . . . . 43
Managing Your Local Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Chapter 3: Basic Operations 11
Chapter 3: Basic Operations
Launching AVWorks
To launch AVWorks on all Microsoft Windows operating systems:
Select Start - Programs - Avocent AVWorks.
-or-
Double-click the AVWorks icon. AVWorks will launch.
To launch AVWorks on Red Hat Linux (7.1 and 7.2):
From the application folder (/usr/lib/Avocent_AVWorks/), execute the
following command:
./Avocent_AVWorks
-or-
From (/user/bin), execute the following link:
./Avocent_AVWorks
-or-
If a desktop shortcut was created on installation, double-click the shortcut.
AVWorks will launch.
Navigating AVWorks
AVWorks consists of several components: the AVWorks Explorer, the Video
Session Viewer (Viewer) and the Appliance Management Panel (AMP). Once
you launch AVWorks, the main AVWorks Explorer window appears. The
AVWorks Explorer window allows you to view, access, manage and create
custom groupings for all of the supported units in your data center.
When you select a target device, you can click the Connect Video task button in
the AVWorks Explorer to launch the Viewer. This component allows you to
control the keyboard, monitor and mouse functions of individual servers. For
more information, see Accessing and Managing Your Devices in this chapter.
When you select an appliance, you can click the Manage appliance task button
in the AVWorks Explorer to launch the AMP. This component enables you to
configure and control your appliance. For more information, see Chapter 4.
Viewing your system in the AVWorks Explorer
The AVWorks Explorer is divided into several panes: the View Selector tabs,
the Group Selector pane and the Unit Selector pane. The content of these panes
will change based on the type of unit selected or the task to be completed.
Figure 3.1 highlights these navigation features.
Click one of the View Selector tabs to view your system organized by
categories: Appliances, Devices, Sites or Folders. The AVWorks Explorer’s

12 AVWorks Installer/User Guide
default display is user-configurable. For more information, see Customizing
the AVWorks Explorer Window in this chapter. The AVWorks Explorer default
display is set for the Server view once you have added your first appliance.
NOTE: The Group Selector pane does not appear under the Appliances or Devices tab unless you
have more than one type of appliance or device.
AVWorks Explorer Window Features
A
B
D
F
G
H
I
E
C
Figure 3.1: AVWorks Explorer Window
A. Menu bar: Allows you to access many of the features in AVWorks.
B. View Selector: Contains four View Selector tabs for choosing the AVWorks Explorer view.
C. Root node: Each tree consists of a root node and branches.
D. Group Selector pane: Contains a tree view representing the groups that are available
for the current View Selector tab. The selected group controls what is displayed in the
Unit Selector pane when the Appliances, Devices, Sites or Folder tabs are selected.
E. Status bar: Displays the number of units shown in the Unit list.
F. Unit Selector pane: Contains the Search bar, Unit list and Task buttons appropriate
for the selected view or group.
G. Search bar: Allows you to search the database for the text entered in the search box.
H. Unit list: Displays a list of servers, appliances and other selectable devices contained in
the currently selected group, or the results of the search executed from the Search bar.
I. Task buttons: Contains buttons representing tasks that can be executed. Some
buttons are dynamic based on the type of unit(s) selected in the Unit list while other
buttons are fixed and always present.

Chapter 3: Basic Operations 13
Appliance/AVWorks Quick Setup Checklist
The following list is an overview of the steps you will follow to set up and configure
your AutoView system. Each of these steps is explained in detail in separate topics
throughout this and the AutoView 1000R/2000R Installer/User Guide.
To set up the AutoView 1000R/2000R: (See the AutoView 1000R/2000R
Installer/User Guide)
1. Adjust mouse acceleration on each server to Slow or None.
2. Install the AutoView 1000R/2000R hardware, connect the AVRIQ adaptors
and connect the keyboard, monitor and mouse to the analog port.
3. Connect a terminal to the configuration (serial or 101 notation) port on the back
panel of the AutoView and set up network configuration (set network speed and
address type). The IP address can be set from AVWorks.
4. Using the local analog workstation, input all server names via the On-
Screen Configuration and Activity Reporting interface (OSCAR).
To set up AVWorks: (See this installer/user guide)
1. Install AVWorks on each AVWorks client.
2. From one AVWorks client, launch AVWorks.
3. Click the New Appliance task button to add the new switch to the AVWorks
database. The New Appliance Wizard appears. If you configured the IP
address as described above, select Ye s, the product already has an IP
address, otherwise select No, the product does not have an IP address.
AVWorks will find the appliance and all AV RIQ adaptors attached to it.
These names will display in the AVWorks Explorer.
4. Set properties and group servers as desired into locations, sites or folders
through the AVWorks Explorer.
5. Create user accounts through the AMP.
6. Once one AVWorks client is set up, select File - Database - Save to save a
copy of the database with all the settings.
7. From the second AVWorks client , click File - Database - Load and browse
to find the file you have saved. Select the file and click Load.
8. If the local analog workstation (via OSCAR) adds, deletes or renames any
AVRIQ adaptors after you have loaded this file, you can resynchronize
your local database with OSCAR by clicking the Manage Appliance task
button and clicking the Resync button under Settings - Devices.
9. To access a server attached to your AutoView 1000R/2000R, select the
desired server in the AVWorks Explorer and click the Connect Video task
button to launch a server session in the Video Session Viewer.
10. Adjust the resolution (select View - Auto Scale) and quality (select Tools -
Automatic Video Adjust) of the server video in the Video Session Viewer.

14 AVWorks Installer/User Guide
Adding an Appliance
Before you can access your appliance through AVWorks, you must add it to the
AVWorks database. Once an appliance is added, it appears in the Unit list. You
may either manually add or discover an appliance.
To manually add an appliance with an assigned IP address:
1. Select File - New - Appliance from the AVWorks Explorer menu.
-or-
Click the New Appliance task button. The New Appliance Wizard appears.
Click Next to continue.
2. Select the type of appliance you are adding. Click Next.
3. You are prompted to indicate whether the appliance has an assigned IP
address or not. Click Ye s , then click Next.
4. The Find AutoView 1000R/2000R window appears. Type the IP address
and click Next.
5. AVWorks will search for the indicated unit as well as all the powered
AVRIQs and server names you associated with it in OSCAR, if any. If you
want to search for unpowered AVRIQs, you can access the Resync feature
under the Devices category in the AMP and click the Include Offline
AVRIQ adaptors checkbox. For more information, see Viewing server
connections in Chapter 4. Click Next.
6. The Configure Cascade Switches dialog box appears if AVWo rks detects an
attached legacy KVM switch such as an OutLook ES or AutoView 200 or
400 series switch. This box contains a list of all AVRIQ adaptor EIDs
(Electronic Identification Numbers) retrieved from the appliance and the
cascade switches to which they are connected, if any. When this dialog
box first displays, all the switches will be set to None. Switches detected
will have an icon next to the pulldown menu.
a. The Existing Cascade Switches field contains all the current switches
defined in the database. Click Add, Delete or Modify to alter the list.
b. Associate the appropriate switch from the pulldown menus for each
AVRIQ that has a switch attached.

Chapter 3: Basic Operations 15
Figure 3.2: Configure Cascade Switches Dialog Box
7. When you reach the final page of the Wizard, click Finish to exit the
Wizard and return to the main window. Your appliance should now
appear in the Unit Selector pane.
To manually install a new appliance with no assigned IP address:
1. Select File - New - AutoView 1000R/2000R from the AVWorks Explorer menu.
-or-
Click the New Appliance task button. The New Appliance Wizard appears.
Click Next to continue.
2. You are prompted to indicate if the AutoView 1000R/2000R has an
assigned IP address. Click No and then click Next.
3. The Network Address window appears. Type the IP address, subnet mask
and gateway that you want to assign to the unit and click Next.
4. The Select AutoView 1000R/2000R window appears, prompting you to
select the unit to add from the list of new appliances that were found.
Select the unit and then click Next.
5. The Configuring AutoView 1000R/2000R window indicates whether the IP
information was successfully configured. If the configuration was
successful, AVWorks will search for the new appliance as well as all
AVRIQs and server names associated with it. Click Next.
6. The Configure Cascade Switches dialog box appears if AVWo rks detects an