Commander allows both Commander users and Service Portal users to open console, RDP, VNC and SSH connections to VMs, depending on the cloud platform and the guest OS.
It's possible for both Commander and Service Portal users to connect to VMs using a variety of protocols, depending on their rights and permissions. The Service Portal administrator can choose to allow only connections originating on the same network as the cloud account, or deploy the Commander VM Access Proxy so connections can traverse your firewall.
If your users are all working on the same network as the cloud account to which they will connect (for example quality testers who have access to VMs in the workplace), you don't need to deploy the VM Access Proxy. The same is true if you have remote workers who connect in the cloud account's network using a VPN. When a route exists between the user and the cloud account, the Service Portal establishes the connection directly between the user's web browser and the cloud account.
However, for service providers publishing the Service Portal to the Internet, or who have external users without VPN access to the cloud account's network, the VM Access Proxy can be deployed so that secure connections can be established without having to expose any critical systems to outside networks.
For more information on the Commander VM Access Proxy, see Set Up VM Access Proxies.
For specific instructions for each cloud account type, see:
Enable Key Pair SSH Connections to Amazon EC2 VMs
Troubleshooting console connection issues
When troubleshooting console connection issues, always try the console connection in the cloud account (for example, vCenter). If you're unable to establish a console connection from the cloud account, you need to troubleshoot the issue outside Commander.
Use DNS names or IP addresses for remote sessions
You can specify whether remote sessions are accessed using a DNS name or an IP address.
The default setting, DNS Name, works in most production environments and some development/test environments, where DNS is correctly set up and kept up to date. For environments where the DNS server in not kept in sync with VM deployments, however, connecting with IP address is a better option. If you use Commander IP pools, for example, your DNS server wouldn't be kept up to date (unless a workflow step is configured for this purpose), so you should use an IP address.
Access: | Configuration > System |
Available to: | Commander Role of Superuser |
- Click the Access tab.
- In the Remote Session Settings area of the Access page, click Edit.
- Select DNS Name or IP Address and click OK.
