Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Parallels Client provides users with the ability to send a support request, together with a problem report, to your organization's help desk.
Note: At the time of this writing, this functionality is only available in Parallels Client for iOS and Parallels Client for Android. Support for other clients will be added in future releases.
To enable Help Desk support for users, do the following:
In the RAS Console, select the Features category.
Select the Enable Helpdesk functionality in Parallels Client option and specify your help desk email address in the field provided. This email address will be updated in Parallels Client every time a user connects to Parallels RAS from it.
Help desk can be accessed in Parallels Client from the Help section (or menu). When the user selects the Request support from helpdesk item, a local email client will open. The following information will be prefilled in the email:
Help desk email address (the one you set in the RAS Console).
Application name.
A screenshot.
User name.
Application version.
Operating system version.
The user can provide their own description of the request.
If you need to configure Parallels Client that is already installed on multiple devices in your organization, you can simplify the procedure by using one of the following mass configuration options:
By exporting Parallels Client settings to a file and then importing them into all other Parallels Client installations.
Using the Parallels Client URL scheme.
Parallels Client includes the Export/Import functionality that lets you export RAS or RDP connection settings to a file and then import them into Parallels Client running on another device. This functionality is available on all platforms, including desktop and mobile versions of Parallels Client (except Parallels Client for Chrome App). The Export/Import functionality is accessed in Parallels Client as follows:
Windows, Mac, Linux:On the main menu, click File > Export Settings or File > Import Settings.
iOS/iPadOS: To export connection settings, tap the [...] icon in the top right corner and choose Share Connection. To import, select the file that you exported earlier and choose to open it with Parallels Client.
Android: To export connection settings, tap the menu icon (three vertical dots) in the top right corner and choose Share connections. To import, select the file that you exported earlier and choose to open it with Parallels Client.
For more information about exporting and importing connection settings, see the Parallels Client Guide for a desired platform.
Parallels RAS uses a URL scheme to perform actions in Parallels Client installed on user devices. Specifically, the URL scheme can be used to configure RAS and RDP connections using predefined settings. For the information about the URL scheme please see RAS Web Client API and Parallels Client URL scheme.
The URL scheme is used in invitation emails when you send an email to your users to install Parallels Client on their devices. An invitation email includes a link, which is a complete URL that uses the Parallels Client URL scheme. When you mass install Parallels Client on user devices, you simply send an invitation email to your users. If you need to reconfigure existing Parallels Client installations (and don't want to do it by sending an invitation email), you can do the following:
Create an invitation email containing configuration profiles for all required platforms and send it to yourself.
Open the email and copy Parallels Client configuration URLs to a local intranet portal.
Let your users know where the URLs are.
To configure Parallels Client, your users will need to simply click a URL for their platform. This will automatically configure Parallels Client on their devices.
RAS console and Management Portal provide custom administrators with the ability to send a support request to your organization's help desk.
To enable Help Desk support for custom administrators, do the following:
In the RAS Console, select the Features category.
Select the Overwrite the local support actions with the following URL option and specify the link to to your local support portal in the field provided. This link will open when a custom administrator clicks on Help > Request Support in RAS Console or Help and Support > Request Support in Management Portal.
This chapter describes tasks that a Parallels RAS administrator can perform to manage user devices, such as desktop computers, phones, or tablets.
Device monitoring allows you to view devices which are connected to the Farm or have established a connection at least once in the past. To monitor devices, select the Device Manager category in the Parallels RAS Console and click the Devices manager tab in the right pane. The information for a device includes:
Device name
IP address
State (see below for the list of states)
Last user (who used a device)
MAC address
OS version
Parallels Client version
Group (if a device is a member of a device group)
Gateway name (the RAS Secure Gateway a device is connected to)
Gateway IP address
Devices that connect to Parallels RAS can have any of the following states:
Off: Device is switched off.
Connected: Device is connected.
Logged On: Devices is logged on to the system.
Standalone: Device has previously connected to the Parallels RAS but is not using Parallels Client, therefore it cannot be managed.
Not Support: Device is not supported by the Parallels RAS.
Foreign Managed: Connecting to the Farm but managed by a different Farm.
Not Manageable: Client not manageable due to incompatible client version or uninstalled component.
Locked. Device has an active session in locked status.
Pair Pending. Connection should be refreshed on the client side; port UDP 20009 is blocked from the client to gateway; client management port is disabled on the gateway.
If you use third-party endpoint management solutions and do not need Parallels RAS device monitoring, you can switch it off on the Device Manager > Options tab. It helps you to save computing resources and may improve performance of the RAS Console.
To switch off device monitoring:
In the RAS Console, navigate to Device Manager > Options.
Clear the Enable device manager option.
Click Yes and Apply.
As soon as you switch off device monitoring, the RAS Console stops tracking connected devices and deletes device connection history, which is displayed on the Device Manager > Device Manager tab. After that you can still view information about current connections in the Sessions category.
The Device Manager feature allows the administrator to convert Windows devices running Windows 7 up to Windows 11 into a thin-client-like OS. In order to be managed, Windows devices must be running the latest version of Parallels Client for Windows.
Read the instructions below to learn how to set up Parallels Client on a Windows computer and how to enroll and manage it in Parallels RAS.
To install and configure Parallels Client for Windows, follow the steps below. You can also read the Parallels Client for Windows User's Guide for complete instructions on how to install and configure Parallels Client.
Download the Parallels Client for Windows from https://www.parallels.com/products/ras/download/client/.
Double-click the RASClient.msi
or RASClient-x64.msi
and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation wizard.
Create a new Parallels RAS connection by clicking File > Add New Connection.https://www.parallels.com/products/ras/download/client/.
Select Parallels Remote Application Server and click OK.
Next, configure the following connection properties:
Primary Connection — Specify the Parallels RAS FQDN or IP address.
User Credentials — Enter username, password, and domain.
Click OK to create the connection and then double-click it to connect to Parallels RAS.
Upon completion, the Windows device will appear in the Parallels RAS Console in Device Manager > Devices.
You can configure Parallels RAS to enroll a Windows device automatically or you can opt to do it manually.
To manually enroll a Windows device in Parallels RAS:
In the RAS Console, navigate to Device Manager > Devices.
Select a device on the Devices tab.
Click Tasks > Manage Device.
The device state will change to Pair pending until the device reconnects. Ensure the Device Manager Port option is enabled for a gateway. To verify this:
Navigate to Farm > <Site> > Secure Gateways.
Select a gateway and click Tasks > Properties.
Click the Network tab and make sure that the Device Manager Port option is selected
Once the device reconnects, the enrollment process is complete and the device state is updated to Logged On, which indicates that it's now managed by Parallels RAS. The user running Parallels Client on their Windows PC can also verify that the PC is managed by clicking Help > About on the main Parallels Client menu. The information includes the RAS Secure Gateway information that the Parallels Client uses to communicate with Parallels RAS.
You can also set Parallels RAS to automatically manage Windows devices. To do so:
In the RAS Console, select the Device Manager category.
Click the Options tab.
Enable the Automatically manage Windows devices option.
The administrator can now check the state of the device and perform power operations, such as Power On, Power Off, Reboot, and Logoff.
Note: Devices running some older versions of Parallels Client cannot be managed and are marked as Not Supported.
To lock a Windows device that has an active session, select it in the list and then click the Lock item in the toolbar at the bottom. Note that the Lock icon is only enabled when the selected device is in the Logged On state.
You can also lock a device (or a device group) using the scheduler, which is described in the Scheduling Windows devices & group power cycles section.
By shadowing a Windows device, you gain full access to the Windows desktop on the device and can control local and remote applications.
To shadow a Windows device:
In the RAS Console, navigate to Device Manager > Devices.
Select a device and click the Shadow item in the toolbar at the bottom.
The Windows user will be prompted to allow the administrator to take control over the device and can choose to deny access. The Request Authorization prompt can be deactivated by the administrator. To do so:
In the Parallels RAS Console, select the Device Manager category and click the Windows Device Groups tab in the right pane.
Right-click a group and choose Properties.
In the Windows Device Group dialog, select the Shadowing tab and clear the Request Authorization option.
The Replace desktop feature limits users from changing system settings or installing new applications. When this feature is enabled, the Windows desktop is replaced by Parallels Client, which converts it into a thin-client-like OS without actually replacing the operating system. This way the user can only deploy applications from Parallels Client, which gives the administrator a higher level of control over connected devices.
Additionally, the Kiosk mode allows you to limit the user from power cycling a device (power actions are still available in the Admin mode; see below for details.).
To enable the Replace desktop feature:
In the Device Manager category, select the Windows Device Groups tab.
Right-click a group and choose Properties.
Click the OS Settings tab.
Enable the Replace desktop option and optionally the Kiosk mode option.
Click OK.
Note: This feature requires an administrative password set to switch between User and Admin mode on the Windows device.
In User mode, the user is restricted to use only the applications provided by the administrator. In order to change system settings, switch the device to the Admin mode.
To switch to the Admin mode, right-click on the system tray icon and select Switch to admin mode. Type the password when prompted.
The following table outlines features that are available in Admin and User modes.
Parallels Client Global Options
X
Parallels Client Farm Connection Properties
X
Configuration of Local Applications
X
Add a new RAS Connection
X
Add a new RDP Connection
X
Manage Standard RDP Connections and Folders
X
Display Settings
X
X
Mouse Settings
X
X
Printer Settings
X
Task Manager
X
Control Panel
X
Command Prompt
X
Windows Explorer
X
Import / Export Settings
X
With the Replace Desktop option enabled, the administrator’s goal should be to deploy remote applications or remote desktops and use the native OS to simply deploy the software needed to connect remotely. However, in some instances, local applications may be required. The administrator still has the ability to configure local applications to be shown within the Parallels Client Desktop Replacement, however it is necessary to switch to the Admin mode prior to it.
Publish a local application according to the following steps:
Shadow the user’s session or use the user device station directly.
Switch the Parallels Client Desktop Replacement to admin mode.
Click File > Add New Application
Fill in the application information
Applications added will be visible in the Application Launcher.
Switch back to user mode once all the applications needed are configured.
Parallels RAS supports multiple platforms ranging from desktop PCs and Mac computers to mobile devices and ChromeApps. The Invitation Email feature is designed to reduce the complexities involved in the installation and client rollout process. This feature allows the administrator to send client installation and automatic configuration instructions to end users right from the Parallels RAS Console.
Before proceeding, please confirm that you've configured the mailbox as described in Configuring SMTP server connection for email notifications. To send an invitation email to users, use the Start category in the RAS Console. For more information see Invite users.
The Windows device groups tab (Device Manager category) allows you to group managed Windows devices and administer them together.
To create a Windows Device Group:
Navigate to the Windows device groups tab in the Device Manager category and click Tasks > Add.
On the Main tab page, specify a group name and an optional description.
On the OS Settings tab, set the following options:
Disable removable drives. Disable mounting of removable drives on managed Windows device.
Disable Print Screen. Disable the Print Screen key.
Replace desktop. This feature makes a Windows computer behave like a thin client. It limits users from changing system settings or installing new applications. The administrator can add local apps (which are already installed on a computer) to the app list in addition to published resources from Parallels RAS. If you select this option, specify an administrator password in the Admin Mode Password field (below) to be used to switch a computer between user and admin modes.
Kiosk mode. Enable the kiosk mode.This will disable power cycling functions (reboot, shutdown) on computers in the group. Note that power functions will still be available when the computer is switched to the Admin mode.
Use client as desktop. If this option is selected, Parallels Client will run in full screen mode. A user will not be able to minimize it. Select this option to overcome an issue with Parallels Client breaking out of the kiosk mode on Windows 8.x. The issue may manifest itself in the tile-based UI or while using the "drag to close" feature.
Admin Mode Password. Specify a password to switch between user and admin modes when a Windows desktop is replaced (see Replace desktop above).
On the Firewall Settings tab, enable or disable the firewall and add the inbound ports if necessary.
On the Shadowing tab, select the Request Authorization option to prompt a Windows device user before remotely controlling their desktop. If enabled, the user can choose to decline the connection. For more information, see Managing Windows devices.
To add a Windows device to a group:
Navigate to the Device Manager > Device Manager tab.
Select one or more devices, then click Tasks (or right-click) and choose Move to Group.
Select a group and click OK to save the settings.
The administrator can now perform standard Windows power operations (Power On, Power Off, Reboot, Logoff, Lock) on groups of devices.
To see the additional device information, right-click a device and choose Get Device Information in the context menu. In the dialog that opens, review the following properties:
Name: Device name.
IPs: Device IP address (or multiple addresses if applicable).
MAC Address: MAC address.
State: State (see below for the list of states).
Last User: The user who logged in from this device the last time.
Last Logon Time: The time of last logon.
OS Version: The operating system version running on the device. Windows portable and U3 clients are marked as "Portable".
Client Version: Parallels Client version installed on the device.
Gateway IP: The RAS Secure Gateway IP address (the gateway the client is using).
Secure Gateway: The RAS Secure Gateway name.
Last Activity: The date and time when any activity was detected from this device.
To configure the appearance of Parallels Client, select the Appearance node and then configure the groups of settings described below.
Parallels Client interface. Select the style of interface for Parallels Client for Windows.
Prompt user to switch to Modern interface. Select this option if you want the user to see a prompt that allows them to switch to Modern interface.
Items under the Session node in the Policy Properties dialog include connection, display, printing, network, and other settings that will be enforced on a client if defined and enabled.
For a particular group of settings to be enforced on a client device, it must be selected (checked). Unselected groups will not be enforced, so end users will be able to configure them themselves. For example, you can check the Connection node, but only check the Primary connection and Secondary connections groups under it. This will enforce only the two selected groups of settings on client devices.
The Scheduler tab of the Device Manager category can be used to schedule automatic power operations on devices.
To schedule a task:
On the Scheduler tab, click Tasks > Add to open the Device Scheduler Properties dialog.
Select the Enable this scheduled entry option.
Select an action in the Action drop-down list:
Device group switch on
Device group log off
Device group switch off
Device group reboot
Device group lock
Select a device group in the Target drop-down list.
Specify the task start date and time.
Select the Repeat option from the following choices:
Never (a task will run only once, as specified in the Start and Time fields)
Every day
Every week
Every 2 weeks
Every month
Every year
On specific day(s) of the week. When selecting this option, select the day(s) of the week.
Enter a task description in the Description field.
Click OK to create the task.
To modify an existing task, right-click it in the Schedule List and click Properties in the context menu.
To enable or disable an event, right-click it, click Properties, and then select or clear the Enable this scheduled entry option.
To execute a scheduled task immediately, right-click it and click Execute Now in the context menu.
To delete a task, right-click it and then click Delete.
On the Scanning node in the Policy Properties dialog, you can specify a scanner that should be used when one is required by a published application:
Use. Allows you to select a scanning technology. RAS Universal Scanning uses TWAIN and WIA redirection allowing an application to use either technology depending on the hardware type connected to the local computer. If you select None, scanning will disabled.
Redirect Scanners. Select scanners attached to your computer for redirection. You can select All (all attached scanners will be redirected) or Specific only (only the scanners you select in the provided list will be redirected).
To configure display settings, select the Display node and then configure the groups of settings described below.
Select the desired video acceleration mode and color depth.
Specify which monitors should be used for a session if more than one monitor is connected to the user's computer.
The following options are available:
All: All displays.
Primary: User's primary display.
Selected: User can select one or several displays manually. To use this option for a published desktop, you need to select Full Screen in Publishing category > select the published desktop > Desktop tab > Desktop Size.
Specify the options as follows:
Use primary monitor only. Select this option to start published applications on the primary monitor. Other monitors connected to a user's computer will not be used.
Use dynamic desktop resizing. Select this option if you want published resources to use the display settings of the local desktop.
Specify the desktop options as follows:
Smart-sizing: Choose a smart sizing option. The Scale (fit to window) option scales a remote desktop to fit the connection window. The Resize (update resolution) option updates the resolution dynamically (without the need to reconnect) based on the window size. To disable smart sizing, select Disabled.
Embed desktop in launcher. Enable this option to access a published desktop inside Parallels Client.
Span desktop across all monitors. Enable this option to span published desktops across all connected monitors.
Connection bar in full screen. Specify whether the connection bar should be pinned, unpinned, or hidden when connecting in full-screen mode.
This section applies to Parallels Web Client only. Specify whether a remote application should open in the same or a new tab in a web browser by default.
The Printing node in the Policy Properties dialog allows you to configure printing options.
In the Technology section, select the technology to use when redirecting printers to a remote computer:
None. No printer redirection will be used.
RAS Universal Printing technology. Select this option if you want to use RAS Universal Printing technology.
Microsoft Basic Printing Redirection technology. Select this option if you want to use Microsoft Basic printing technology.
RAS Universal Printing and Microsoft Basic redirection technologies. Select this option to use both Parallels RAS and Microsoft technologies.
Note: The following rules apply when using printing in RAS HTML 5 Client. If None or Microsoft Basic Printing is selected, then no printing redirection will be available in a remote session. If RAS Universal Printing or RAS Universal Printing and Microsoft Basic Printing is selected, then RAS Universal Printing will be used in a remote session.
If you selected RAS Universal Printing technology, use the Redirect Printers drop-down list to specify whether to redirect all printer on the client side, default printer only, or specific printers.
If you select Specific only in the step above, click Tasks > Add. Type a printer name and then click the Options button. In the dialog that opens, specify settings described below.
In the Choose Format drop-down list, select a data format for printing:
Print Portable Document Format (PDF). Adobe PDF. This option does not require you to install any local applications capable of printing a PDF document. All the necessary libraries are already installed together with Parallels Client.
View PDF with external application. To use this option you must have a local application installed which is capable of viewing a PDF document. Note that not all applications are supported. For example, the built-in PDF viewer in Windows is not supported, so you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader (or a similar application) installed.
Print PDF with external application. This option works similar to the View PDF option above. It also requires an application capable of printing a PDF document installed locally.
Enhanced Meta File (EMF). Use vector format and embedded fonts.
Bitmap (BMP). Bitmap images.
In the Client printer preferences section, select one of the following:
Use server preferences for all printers. If this option is selected, a generic printer preferences dialog will be shown when a user clicks Print in a remote application. The dialog has only a minimal set of options that they can choose.
Use client preferences for all printers. With this option selected, a local printer preferences dialog will open when a user clicks Print in an application. The dialog will contain a full set of options for a particular printer that the user has installed on their local computer. If they have more than one printer installed, a native preferences dialog will open for any particular printer that they choose to print to.
Use client preferences for the following printers. This option works similar to the Use client preferences for all printers option (above), but allows users to select which printers should use it. Select this option and then select one or more printer in the list below. If a printer is not selected, it will use the generic printer preferences dialog, similar to the first option in this list.
To configure default printer settings, click the Change Default Printer settings button.
The default printer list shows printers that can be redirected by the client to the remote computer:
To disable the default printer, select <none>.
To redirect the default local printer, select <defaultlocalprinter>.
When <custom printer> is selected, you can specify a custom printer. The first local printer that matches the printer name inserted in the Custom field will be set as the default printer on the remote computer.
Select Match exact printer name to match the name exactly as inserted in the Custom field. Please note that the remote printer name may not match the original printer name. Also note that local printers may not redirect due to server settings or policies.
The Force Default printer for option specifies the time period, during which a printer will be forced as default. If the default printer is changed during this time after the connection is established, the printer is reset as default.
Select the Update the remote default printer if the local default printer is changed option to change the remote default printer automatically when the local default printer is changed. Please note that the new printer must have been previously redirected.
Windows 10 and 11 have a feature that automatically sets the default printer to the one used most recently or more often. This can break the default printer control on RD Sessions Hosts, guest VMs, and Remote PCs. To resolve this issue, the default printer management in Windows 10 and 11 should be disabled. To disable this feature using the Group Policy, do the following:
Open the group policy editor.
Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Printers.
Find the Turn off Windows default printer management policy and enable it.
Force the group policy to all computers attached to the domain.
You can also disable the default printer management in Windows 10 and 11 locally by using the GUI or the registry editor:
On a Windows 10 or 11 computer, click Start, then click the "gear" icon which will open the Settings page.
On the Printers and Scanners tab, set the Let Windows manage my default printer option to OFF.
Using the registry editor:
Open the registry editor (regedit).
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows.
Create a new DWORD item and name it LegacyDefaultPrinterMode.
Change the item's Value data to hexadecimal and set the value data to 1.
In addition to disabling the default printer management, the Download over metered connections option should be enabled in Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners.
This section explains what happens when the Replace Desktop option is enabled and why it is useful to administrators.
When enabled, the Replace Desktop feature allows the administrator to convert a standard desktop into a limited device similar to a Thin Client without replacing the operating system.
The end user will not have access to Windows Explorer, Taskbar, or any other Windows components that usually allow them to install new applications or change system settings. The user can now only deploy applications configured within the Parallels Client, including remote applications, remote desktops, and locally configured applications. Local applications are allowed, so if a specific application is needed but is not available remotely (e.g. software that communicates with specific peripherals), the user can still deploy it.
When the Replace Desktop option is enabled, the following features take effect on the corresponding versions of Windows (7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11):
Replace Desktop with Parallels Client
X
X
X
X
X
Disable Start Button
X
X
X
X
n/a
Restrict Control Panel Access
X
X
X