2 DSView 3 Software Installer/User Guide
Secure authentication and communication
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption may be used to encrypt data traveling within the DSView 3
software system. Users may be authenticated through internal or external services such as LDAP,
Active Directory, NT Domain, TACACS+, RADIUS and RSA SecurID.
Unit and user management
The DSView 3 management software provides centralized network access, control and security for
managed appliances. A DSView 3 software administrator may add, remove, delete and change
settings for managed appliances and target devices, including assigning permissions and per-device
contact information, which are stored on the DSView 3 server. A DSView 3 software administrator
may also assign unique permissions which allow individual users or a group of users access to units
or groups of units.
Proxy server access
The proxy server feature allows keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) and serial sessions to be
proxied through the DSView 3 server. When a session is initiated with a target device, the viewer
communicates using the Avocent Proxy Protocol (APP) and the DSView 3 server makes a direct
connection to the appliance.
Virtual media
On supported KVM switches, a virtual media capable IQ module and the virtual media feature
allow the client workstation user to load files onto USB2-compatible target devices when the usual
network resources are unavailable.
Mapping physical drives or image files on the client system as virtual drives on the target device
can accommodate critical tasks required on the target device, such as operating system installation
or recovery, BIOS updating and configuration backups.
System Components
The DSView 3 software system contains the following components.
DSView 3 management software
The DSView 3 software resides on the DSView 3 server (host or hub computer) and provides a web
gateway and services for managing units (appliances and target devices) using a web browser. The
gateway allows for IP-based video, serial management, Telnet Viewer, third party Telnet viewer,
web browser and other supported session types.
Users may connect to the DSView 3 server from DSView 3 software clients and use the DSView 3
Explorer windows to communicate with the system.
DSView 3 server
The DSView 3 server contains the DSView 3 management software. The server provides a
centralized database for storing configuration, user, unit and system information. It also provides
services for authentication, access control, logging events, monitoring and license management.