Avocent HMX Manager Installation and maintenance instructions

Installer/User Guide
For Technical Support:
www.avocent.com/support
590-818-501A
HMX Manager

USA Notification
Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Canadian Notification
This class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Safety and EMC Approvals and Markings
FCC Class B, EN 55022 Class B, EN 61000-3-2/-3-3, CISPR 22 Class B, EN 55024/CISPR 24, (EN 61000-4-2,
EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5, EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-8, EN 61000-4-11), EN 60950/IEC
60950-Compliant, UL Listed (USA), CUL Listed (Canada), TUV Certified (Germany), CE Marking (Europe)

HMX Manager
Installer/User Guide
Avocent, the Avocent logo and The Power of Being There are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Avocent Corporation or its affiliates. All
other marks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2007 Avocent Corporation. All rights reserved. 590-820-501A

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

iii
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Product Overview.......................................................................................... 1
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................1
Features and Benefits ........................................................................................................................1
System Components ...........................................................................................................................1
Supported Units .................................................................................................................................2
Target Device..............................................................................................................................2
Explorer Window...............................................................................................................................2
Using the side navigation bar.....................................................................................................3
Displaying pages ........................................................................................................................4
Refreshing a window ..................................................................................................................4
Using keyboard commands.........................................................................................................4
Internet Explorer Considerations......................................................................................................4
Firewalls............................................................................................................................................4
Chapter 2: Hardware Installation and Setup.................................................................. 5
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................5
Safety Precautions .............................................................................................................................5
Rack Mount Safety Considerations....................................................................................................5
Cabling Installation, Maintenance and Safety Tips...........................................................................6
HMX Manager Configuration ...........................................................................................................6
Installing the HMX Manager.............................................................................................................7
Using the serial port to configure the IP addresses of the Management Appliance.........................7
Chapter 3: Managing Units.............................................................................................. 9
Accessing the HMX Manager Web Interface.....................................................................................9
Units View Windows..........................................................................................................................9
Types of Units View windows.....................................................................................................9
Accessing Units View windows.................................................................................................10
Units View windows fields........................................................................................................10
Unit Overview windows............................................................................................................11
Adding Units Via the Add Unit Wizard............................................................................................11
Adding a single appliance ........................................................................................................11
TABLE OF CONTENTS

iv HMX Manager Installer/User Guide
Adding units from a range of IP addresses ..............................................................................12
Adding Units on an IP Subnet ..................................................................................................12
Deleting Units...........................................................................................................................13
Managing units ................................................................................................................................14
Viewing Unit Overview Information.........................................................................................14
Changing Unit Properties ........................................................................................................15
Configuring Network Settings for an IQ or User Station................................................................15
Authentication Server Settings..................................................................................................16
Viewing Version Information....................................................................................................16
Rebooting a unit........................................................................................................................17
Enabling Auto-Login Mode for a user station..........................................................................17
Setting the Operating Mode for an user station .......................................................................17
Managing Firmware Upgrades .......................................................................................................18
Active Media Sessions......................................................................................................................19
All active media sessions..........................................................................................................19
Performing a Forced Log-Out..................................................................................................19
Department and Location Groups...................................................................................................20
Chapter 4: Managing Users........................................................................................... 23
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................23
User Accounts Windows ..................................................................................................................23
Adding User Accounts .....................................................................................................................24
Deleting User Accounts............................................................................................................25
Enabling and Disabling User Accounts ...................................................................................25
Managing User Accounts.................................................................................................................26
Viewing User Account Overview Information..........................................................................26
User Access Configurations.............................................................................................................26
User Passwords........................................................................................................................27
Editing User Account Restrictions............................................................................................28
User Account Restrictions ........................................................................................................28
User Contact Details .......................................................................................................................28
User Authentication Services...........................................................................................................29
Chapter 5: Advanced Operations ................................................................................. 31
IQ Pooling........................................................................................................................................31

Table of Contents v
Backup and Restore .........................................................................................................................31
HMX Manager Upgrade..................................................................................................................32
Firmware Management....................................................................................................................33
Chapter 6: Events and Event Logs............................................................................... 35
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................35
Event Severity and Categories..................................................................................................35
Event severity............................................................................................................................35
Event categories........................................................................................................................35
Displaying the Event Log.................................................................................................................36
Changing the Event Log Retention Period......................................................................................36
Creating an Event Log .csv File ......................................................................................................37
Appendices..................................................................................................................... 39
Appendix A: Technical Specifications .............................................................................................39
Appendix B: Technical Support.......................................................................................................41
License Information....................................................................................................... 43

vi HMX Manager Installer/User Guide

1
CHAPTER
1Product Overview
Introduction
The HMX Manager is a secure, web browser-based, centralized enterprise management solution
that allows users to remotely manage and monitor multiple HMX systems.
The addition of this appliance allows the combination of IQ modules and user stations to operate in
Desktop Mode. This mode allows a user to log in to any user station and the system will connect
automatically to the IQ that has been assigned to that user.
An HMX Manager system comprises three units - a user station that is located at the user’s desk,
an IQ that is attached to a remote computer (target device) and a management appliance.
Features and Benefits
Web-based access and control
The HMX Manager provides secure “point-and-click” web browser-based access to control
virtually any data center device using managed appliances from HMX Manager software clients
that may be located anywhere in the world.
Secure authentication and communication
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption is used to encrypt data traveling within the HMX Manager
system. Users are authenticated using the HMX Manager internal database.
Unit and user management
The HMX system provides centralized network access, control and security for managed units and
users.
System Components
HMX Manager
The HMX Manager provides a centralized database for storing configuration, user, unit and system
information. Through this an administrator can add, remove, delete and change settings for
managed appliances and users. The HMX Manager also allows connection management to control

2HMX Manager Installer/User Guide
the establishment, removal, and monitoring of associations between user stations and IQs. In
addition, it provides access to a range of administration options that include services for
authentication, access control, logging events and monitoring.
Administrators may connect to the HMX Manager via a web browser and use the HMX Manager
Explorer window to communicate with the system.
Management Appliance Software Client
A Management Appliance Software Client is a computer with a web browser that can access the
HMX Manager.
The HMX Manager supports Microsoft®Internet Explorer version 6.0 SP2.
Supported Units
For management functions, the HMX Manager uses HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol with
SSL encryption) to interact with the HMX system.
IQ
The IQ connects externally to the video, audio and USB ports of the target device and is attached
directly to the target device. It draws its power from two USB ports on the remote computer,
eliminating the need for additional power supply connections at the rack.
The IQ captures, compresses and encrypts the computer’s media stream and transmits it to the user
station over a standard TCP/IP network.
User Station
The user station enables the desktop user’s keyboard, video, mouse and audio devices to connect to
the HMX system.
Target Device
A target device is a remote computer that a user can connect to by logging into a user station.
Explorer Window
When a user has been logged in and authenticated, the Explorer window is displayed. From the
Explorer window, you can view, access and manage units, users and the Desktop Management
System.

Chapter 1: Product Overview 3
Figure 1.1: Explorer Window Areas
Using the side navigation bar
The side navigation bar is used to display windows that specify settings or perform operations. The
contents of the side navigation bar vary, depending on the tab and top navigation bar options that
are in use.
Table 1.1: Explorer Window Area Descriptions
Letter Description
ATop option bar - Use the top option bar to log out of a software session, or to access online help.
The name of the logged in user is displayed on the left side of the top options bar.
BTab bar - Use the tab bar to display and manage units, user accounts, system settings and reports.
CTop navigation bar - The options in the top navigation bar vary depending on the active tab in the
tab bar. Topics relevant to each selection display in the side navigation bar.
DSide navigation bar - Use the side navigation bar to select system information to display or edit in
the content area. The side navigation bar contains arrows that affect its display.
EContent area - The information specified by the tab bar, top navigation bar and side navigation bar
selections is displayed and changed in the content area.
A
B
E
C
D

4HMX Manager Installer/User Guide
NOTE: Menus are static and cannot be expanded or collapsed
The arrows displayed in the side navigation bar indicate that a number of sub-options are available.
You can display these items by clicking the main link. Where no arrow is displayed, clicking the
link brings you directly to the option you have selected.
Displaying pages
Multiple page windows contain menu options that may be used to navigate from one display to
another.You can click to enable the Select All checkbox to select all items on a page. Enabling this
checkbox selects all the items listed on a page regardless of whether the entire page is visible.
However, for multi-page displays, items listed on other pages will not be included in the selection.
Refreshing a window
The Units - All screen automatically refreshes every 10 seconds.
Using keyboard commands
In addition to using a mouse, you can use certain keyboard commands to select and change items
in windows.
Internet Explorer Considerations
The HMX Manager operates using the default Internet Explorer settings. In the event that the
default Internet Explorer settings have been altered, SSL and Javascript must be enabled to
successfully access the HMX Manager.
Firewalls
To access the HMX Manager through a firewall, you must ensure that the firewall uses the default
HTTPS port 443.
Table 1.2: General Keyboard Commands
Key Description
Tab Transfers focus to the next control in the window, including the calendar
Shift-Tab Transfers focus to the previous HTML control

5
CHAPTER
2Hardware Installation and Setup
Introduction
This chapter describes how to install and set up the HMX Manager.
NOTE: The first time you access the HMX Manager, enter admin as the user name and password as the
password. The admin account is authorized to perform all configuration and access all managed devices and
cannot be removed or renamed.
Safety Precautions
To avoid potentially fatal shock hazard and possible damage to equipment, please observe the
following precautions:
• Do not use a 2-wire power cord in any product configuration.
• Test AC outlets at the target device and monitor for proper polarity and grounding.
• Use only with grounded outlets.
NOTE: The AC inlet is the main power disconnect.
Rack Mount Safety Considerations
• Elevated Ambient Temperature: If installed in a closed rack assembly, the operating
temperature of the rack environment may be greater than room ambient. Use care not to exceed
the rated maximum ambient temperature of the switch.
• Reduced Air Flow: Installation of the equipment in a rack should be such that the amount of
airflow required for safe operation of the equipment is not compromised.
• Mechanical Loading: Mounting of the equipment in the rack should be such that a hazardous
condition does not exist due to uneven mechanical loading.
• Circuit Overloading: Consideration should be given to the connection of the equipment to the
supply circuit and the effect that overloading of circuits might have on overcurrent protection
and supply wiring. Consider equipment nameplate ratings for maximum current.

6HMX Manager Installer/User Guide
• Reliable Earthing: Reliable earthing of rack mounted equipment should be maintained. Pay
particular attention to supply connections other than direct connections to the branch circuit
(for example, use of power strips).
Cabling Installation, Maintenance and Safety Tips
The following is a list of important safety considerations that should be reviewed prior to installing
or maintaining your cables:
• Maintain the twists of the pairs all the way to the point of termination, or no more that one-half
inch untwisted. Do not cut off more than one inch of jacket while terminating.
• If bending the cable is necessary, make it gradual with no bend sharper than a one inch radius.
Allowing the cable to be sharply bent or kinked can permanently damage the cable’s interior.
• Dress the cables neatly with cable ties, using low to moderate pressure. Do not over
tighten ties.
• Cross-connect cables where necessary, using rated punch blocks, patch panels and
components. Do not splice or bridge cable at any point.
• Keep CAT 5 cable as far away as possible from potential sources of EMI, such as electrical
cables, transformers and light fixtures. Do not tie cables to electrical conduits or lay cables on
electrical fixtures.
• Always test every installed segment with a cable tester. “Toning” alone is not an
acceptable test.
• Always install jacks so as to prevent dust and other contaminants from settling on the contacts.
The contacts of the jack should face up on the flush mounted plates, or left/right/down on
surface mount boxes.
• Always leave extra slack on the cables, neatly coiled in the ceiling or nearest concealed
location. Leave at least five feet at the work outlet side and 10 feet at the patch panel side.
• Choose either 568A or 568B wiring standard before beginning. Wire all jacks and patch panels
for the same wiring scheme. Do not mix 568A and 568B wiring in the same installation.
• Always obey all local and national fire and building codes. Be sure to firestop all cables that
penetrate a firewall. Use plenum rated cable where it is required.
HMX Manager Configuration
A typical HMX Manager configuration includes the appliance and the IQs and user stations
connected to the local area network (LAN). A terminal, or a workstation running a terminal
emulation program, is connected to the serial port for configuring basic network settings. The
HMX Manager, IQs and user stations, and user accounts are then configured from the browser
interface to the HMX Manager.

Chapter 2: Hardware Installation and Setup 7
Installing the HMX Manager
NOTE: The HMX Manager may be rack mounted in a 1U configuration.
To connect and turn on the HMX Manager:
1. Install the HMX Manager on the top of the server rack or where it will be used.
2. The LAN Port 1 Ethernet port on the back panel of the HMX Manager should be connected to
the LAN to which the IQs and user stations are connected.
NOTE: All IQs and user stations must be connected to the same LAN.
3. Attach one end of the supplied power cord into the back panel of the HMX Manager and attach
the other end to an appropriate AC power source, thereby turning on the HMX Manager.
NOTE: The IQs and user stations must be connected to LAN port 1. However, you can access the HMX Manager
using the browser on a computer connected to either LAN port 1 or LAN port 2.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of electric shock or damage to your equipment:
- Do not disable the power cord grounding plug. The grounding plug is an important safety feature.
- Plug the power cord into a grounded (earthed) outlet that is easily accessible at all times.
- Disconnect the power from the target device by unplugging the power cord from either the electrical outlet
or the target device.
Using the serial port to configure the IP addresses of the
Management Appliance
To assign an IP address to the HMX Manager, you must first establish a connection to the serial
menu. You can then use the options on the serial console menu to configure the network settings
for each of the LAN Ports on the HMX Manager.
NOTE: If you are connecting to only one LAN, only LAN port 1 needs to be configured
Perform the following procedure to configure the IP address of the Management Appliance.
To configure the IP address of the HMX Manager:
1. Connect a terminal or a workstation that is running a terminal emulation program to the serial
port on the back panel of the HMX Manager.
2. Start a session with the following port settings:
• Serial speed: 9600 bps
• Data length: 8data bits
• Parity: None
• Stop Bits: 1
• Flow Control: None
3. Once a connection is established, a serial console menu appears.

8HMX Manager Installer/User Guide
4. You then type 2to configure any of the following network settings:
• Set eth speed
• Choose using DHCP or defining an IP address
• Type subnet mask
• Type gateway IP address
• Select default gateway
• Define primary DNS and secondary DNS
NOTE: The IP address on LAN Port 1 must not change during operation of the appliance. Therefore always
configure LAN port 1 with a static IP address or, if using DHCP, ensure that the IP addresses are assigned with
unlimited lease times. There is no restriction on how LAN port 2 can be configured. Itis also possible to configure
DNS on the HMX Manager, if it is required for administrator access through a web browser.
NOTE: If DHCP is selected, the HMX Manager must be re-booted for the change to take effect.
5. Set time and date on the serial menu
6. Type 0to exit.

9
CHAPTER
3Managing Units
Accessing the HMX Manager Web Interface
To access the HMX Manager web interface:
1. Open Microsoft® Internet Explorer.
2. In the Address bar, type the url for the HMX Manager. The address will be in the format http:/
/<addr>> where << addr>> is the IP address assigned to the HMX Manager LAN port 1.
NOTE: If DNS is enabled, the address is the fully qualified host name assigned to the HMX Manager.
3. Press Return. The HMX Manager login screen appears.
4. Enter login user name and password. Default username is ‘admin’. Default password is
‘password’.
NOTE: If you have forgotten your password, contact Avocent Technical Support.
Units View Windows
The Units View windows display the list of units added to the HMX Manager database.
Units are displayed in a table format with column headings. You can use the checkbox to the left of
each unit name to select/deselect the unit for an operation.
Types of Units View windows
There are several types of Units View windows, which are accessed by clicking tabs and side
navigation bar links.
•All Units: The Units - All window lists all managed units.
•Unit Type: Unit Type windows list all managed units of a particular type (for example, All
user stations or All IQs).
The following unit types will always be visible on the side navigation bar:
• Units
• All

10 HMX Manager Installer/User Guide
• All user stations
• All IQs
•Departments and Locations: The HMX Manager provides a means to attach logical location
identifiers to units. This makes it easier for administrators to track and locate units within their
organization. There are two types of logical location identifiers:
•Departments - Units that have been assigned to a department.
•Locations - Units that have been assigned to a location.
Accessing Units View windows
To access Units View windows, click the Units tab.
To display managed units:
1. Click Units in the side navigation bar. The Units - All window will open.
To display a Unit Type window:
1. Click one of the Unit type links in the side navigation bar.
2. You can view a summary of all units - all user stations or all IQs - by clicking the links in the
side navigation bar.
To display active media sessions:
1. Click Active Sessions in the side navigation bar. The Active Media Sessions window will
open. This window lists all the users that are accessing user stations, and shows which IQ is
being accessed by which user. It also displays start times and session duration.
Units View windows fields
The following fields will appear in Units View window.
•Name - Name of the unit as defined in the HMX Manager database. Click the name to display
or change unit information.
•Type - Type of managed unit. Managed unit types cannot be changed.
•Status - Current operating status of a unit. Table 3.1 lists and describes the possible values.
Table 3.1: Unit Status Values- Managed units
Status and Icon Description
Idle Unit is powered up, can be communicated with, and
is not associated with an active media session.
In Use Unit is associated with a session
Upgrading Unit firmware is being upgraded
Not Responding The HMX Manager cannot contact the unit

Chapter 3: Managing Units 11
•IP Address - The IP address of a managed unit.
•Department - The name of the department to which a managed unit has been assigned.
•Location - The name of the location to which a managed unit has been assigned.
•Revision - The current firmware version that is installed on a managed unit.
•IQ name - The name of the IQ. Click the name of the IQ to display or change IQ information.
•IQ address - The IP address of the IQ. Click the name of the IQ to display or change
information.
Unit Overview windows
The Unit Overview window contains the following information about an individual unit:
•Managed Units - Name, Type, IP address, MAC address and Status of the managed units and
the tools that can be used to:
• Reboot
• Upgrade firmware
The available tasks depend on the type of managed unit.
To view overview information for a unit, click the name of a unit.
Adding Units Via the Add Unit Wizard
Before you can manage units in the HMX Manager, you must first add them to the HMX Manager
database. You can add units to the HMX Manager database using the Add Unit Wizard.
The Add Unit Wizard
The Add Unit Wizard allows you to:
• Add a single unit
• Discover units within an IP address range
• Discover units on an IP subnet address
The Add Unit Wizard can be launched from the following Units View windows:
• Units - All
• Units - All user stations
• Units - All IQs
Adding a single appliance
This procedure is valid for IQs and user stations.
NOTE: A unit can only be added to the HMX Manager database if it is powered up and attached to the network.

12 HMX Manager Installer/User Guide
To add a single unit that already has an IP address:
1. In a Units View window containing managed units, click Add. The Add Unit Wizard
Welcome Window will open. Click Next.
2. The Select Add Unit Procedure window will open. Click Add a single unit, then click Next.
3. The Select Unit Type window will open. Select a unit from the product list, then click Next.
4. The Select Address Configuration of Unit window will open. Click Yes, the (Managed Unit
Type) does have an address and type the address of the unit. Click Next.
5. The Search Results window will open. The name and MAC address of the discovered unit
will be displayed. Click Next.
6. The Completed Successfully window will open. To exit the Add Unit Wizard, click Finish.
Adding units from a range of IP addresses
This procedure is valid for IQs and user stations.
To add a unit from a range of IP addresses:
1. In a Units View window containing managed units, click Add. The Add Unit Wizard
Welcome Window will open. Click Next.
2. The Select Add Unit Procedure window will open. Click Discover units within an IP address
range, then click Next.
3. The Enter IP Address Range window will open.
a. Type the IP address in standard dot notation (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx), from which to begin the
search.
b. Type the IP address in standard dot notation (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx), at which to end the
search.
c. Click Next.
4. The HMX Manager will search for managed units within the IP address range. When the
search is completed, the Select Units to Add window will open, listing the results.
5. Add units
• To add one or more managed units, select the managed units in the Units Found list, then
click Add. The managed units will be moved to the Units to Add list.
• To remove one or more managed units, select the managed units in the Units to Add list,
then click Remove. The managed units will be moved to the Units Found list.
6. Click Next.
7. The Completed Successfully window will open. To exit the Add Unit Wizard, click Finish.
Adding Units on an IP Subnet
This procedure is valid for IQs and user stations.