Assigning remote servers to an asset

By default, the Axeda® Platform uses an algorithm to determine which Axeda® Global Access Server (GAS) is best equipped to handle a remote session with an asset. This algorithm may determine that a separately-installed Global Access Server that is located near the asset or one that is located near the user requesting the remote session is best equipped to handle the remote session. It may also determine that the internal remote access server of the Axeda Platform is best to use. This server is always listed as "Internal" in this page.

If your organization requirements are such that you need to use only one GAS server, you can select that server for the asset from this page. In addition, if the Platform administrator has limited the availability of GAS servers to specific Regions configured in the Platform and assigned to assets, then the list of GAS servers is already limited to those GAS servers assigned to the same Region as the asset. Your Platform administrator can also assign assets to one or more GAS servers; if that is the case, then you may already be limited to one or two GAS servers. For details on how the Platform selects a GAS server for a remote session, refer to the topic, How the Platform selects a GAS server for a remote session.

The page for assigning GAS servers to an asset contains two tables, one that lists the GAS servers available (Available Remote Servers) and one that lists the GAS servers currently assigned to the asset (Selected Remote Servers). By default, the Selected Remote Servers table is empty, which means that the Axeda Platform uses the algorithm each time a user requests a remote session with an asset. By selecting a specific GAS server in this page, you are disabling the algorithm and directing the Platform to always use the GAS server specified here.

The Available Remote Servers and Selected Remote Servers tables display the following information for each GAS server listed:

o Time Zone Offset - the time zone offset defined for this server. The Axeda Platform selects a Global Access Server in part based on the geographical location of the Global Access Server and the asset. Time zone offsets are used to define geographical locations. The time zone offset is the number of hours that the time zone (where the server is located) is ahead of (+) or behind (-) Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). For example, Pacific Standard Time is 8 hours behind GMT; if the GAS server is in the Pacific Standard Time (PST), this column displays -8:00. For Katmandu (5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT), this column would display +5:45.

Notes:

If you assign more than one GAS server to an asset, the Platform uses the same algorithm but only on the specific GAS servers assigned to the asset.

To see and use the Assign Remote Servers button in the Remote Sessions page for an asset, you must either be logged in as the Administrator for the Platform or be a member of a user group that has been assigned the privilege, Service - Asset GAS Assignments - Manage. If you have this privilege and discover that a GAS server assigned to the asset is not available, you can use this page to view details about the assigned GAS server and to change to another GAS server.

Any changes you make here also appear in the page for assigning assets to a selected GAS server of the Administration application.

Procedures from this page

From this page, you can view configuration details for each Global Access Server, assign one or more Global Access Servers to the asset, and remove the assignment of one or more Global Access Servers from the asset.

To view configuration details for a Global Access Server

1. From either table of remote servers, locate the name of the server whose configuration information you want to see.

2. In the Actions column, click Details. The configuration details for the selected GAS server appear in a separate browser window.

3. After reviewing the information, click Close to return to the Assign Remote Servers page.

To assign a Global Access Server to an asset

1. From the table of Available Remote Servers, locate the name of the server you want to use.

2. In the rightmost column, select the check box for the server.

3. Click Add Checked. Alternatively, if you want to add all the servers listed, click Add All.

4. When the screen refreshes, the name of the selected server appears under Selected Remote Servers.

5. To save your changes and return to the Remote Sessions page, click Save Changes. To discard them and return to the Remote Sessions page, click Cancel.

To remove a Global Access Server from an asset

1. From the table of Selected Remote Servers, locate the name of the server you want to remove.

2. In the rightmost column, select the check box for the server.

3. Click Remove Checked. Alternatively, if you want to remove all the servers listed, click Remove All.

4. When the screen refreshes, the name of the selected server appears under Available Remote Servers.

5. To save your changes and return to the Remote Sessions page, click Save Changes. To discard them and return to the Remote Sessions page, click Cancel.

What happens if a GAS server is deleted?

o If an asset assigned to the GAS server has been assigned to other GAS servers, the asset retains the remaining assignments.

o If the asset has not been assigned to any other GAS server, the default algorithm takes over when remote sessions are requested with that asset. The algorithm determines which GAS server is the closest and best equipped to handle the remote session.