Parallels RAS 20 Administrator's Guide
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  • Parallels RAS 20 Administrator’s Guide
    • Introduction
      • Parallels RAS release history
      • About Parallels RAS
      • About this guide
      • What's new
      • Terms and abbreviations used in this guide
    • Installing Parallels RAS
      • System requirements
        • Hardware requirements
        • Software requirements
        • Microsoft license requirements
      • Install Parallels RAS
      • Log in and activate Parallels RAS
    • Getting Started with Parallels RAS
      • The Parallels RAS Console
      • Set up a basic Parallels RAS Farm
        • Add an RD Session Host
        • Publish applications
        • Invite users
        • Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Conclusion
    • Farm and Sites
      • Connecting to a Parallels RAS Farm
      • About Sites
      • Sites in the RAS Console
      • Adding a Site to the Farm
      • Replicating Site settings
      • Managing Licensing Site
      • Managing administrator accounts
        • Adding an administrator account
        • Administrator account permissions
        • Managing administrator accounts
        • Configure RAS Console idle sessions
        • Using instant messaging
        • Joining Customer Experience Program
    • RAS Connection Broker
      • Configuring RAS Connection Brokers
      • Secondary Connection Brokers
      • Managing Secondary Connection Brokers
      • Using computer management tools
    • RAS Secure Gateway
      • Overview
      • Adding a RAS Secure Gateway
      • Manually adding a RAS Secure Gateway
      • Checking the RAS Secure Gateway status
      • Configuring a RAS Secure Gateway
        • Enable or disable a Secure Gateway
        • Set public address
        • Set IP addresses for client connections
        • Site defaults (Secure Gateways)
        • Gateway mode and forwarding settings
        • Gateway network options
        • SSL/TLS encryption
          • SSL server configuration
        • Configure User Portal
          • Using Site defaults
          • Enable or disable User Portal
          • Client settings
          • Network load balancers access
        • Wyse ThinOS support
        • Secure Gateway security
        • Web request load balancing
      • Secure Gateway tunneling policies
      • Configure logging
      • Viewing Secure Gateway summary and metrics
      • Using computer management tools
    • RD Session Hosts
      • RD Session Host types
      • Add an RD Session Host
        • Installing the agent manually
      • Add a template-based RD Session Host
      • Manage RD Session Hosts
        • Manage host pools (RD Session Hosts)
          • Add host pools (RD Session Hosts)
          • Upgrading Agents (RD Session Hosts)
        • Manage templates (RD Session Hosts)
          • Creating an RD Session Host template
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (RD Session Host)
          • Managing RD Session Hosts based on a template
        • Manage hosts (RD Session Hosts)
          • Viewing RD Session Hosts
          • Check an RD Session Host Agent status
          • Change RD Session Host Site assignment
          • View and modify RD Session Host properties
            • Using default settings
            • General
            • Agent settings
            • User profile
            • Application Packages
            • Optimization
            • Desktop access
            • RDP printer
          • User profile
            • User Profile Disks
            • FSLogix
              • Configure managing existing profiles by Parallels RAS
              • FSLogix antivirus exclusions
          • Optimization
          • Drive redirection cache
          • Configure logging
        • Manage sessions (RD Session Host)
        • Using scheduler (RD Session Hosts)
      • Planning for high availability
      • Managing logons
      • Using computer management tools
      • Publishing from an RD Session Host
      • Viewing published resources
    • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
      • Supported providers
      • Add a provider
        • RAS Provider Agent information
          • RAS Provider Agent installation options
        • Add a hypervisor provider
        • Add a cloud Provider
          • Microsoft Azure
            • Introduction and prerequisites
            • Create Microsoft Entra ID application
            • Add Microsoft Azure as a Provider
            • Microsoft Azure and templates
          • Amazon Web Services
            • Introduction and prerequisites
            • Design considerations
            • Step 1. Creating an IAM user for programmatic access
            • Step 2. Adding AWS as a Provider
      • Manage VDI
        • Manage providers (VDI)
          • Installing RAS Provider Agent using the installer
          • Checking the RAS Provider Agent status
          • Using a Provider in multiple farms
        • Manage host pools (VDI)
          • Add host pools (VDI)
          • Delete host pools (VDI)
          • Add and delete host pool members
          • Using a wildcard to filter VMs
          • Managing hosts in pools
          • Upgrading Agents (VDI)
        • Manage templates (VDI)
          • Virtual desktop templates
          • Multi-provider template distribution
          • Creating a VM template
            • Step 1: Check and install the Agent
            • Step 2: Configure the template
              • Properties
              • Distribution
              • Advanced
              • Preparation
              • Optimization
              • License keys
              • Summary
              • Host naming
            • Parallels Test Template Wizard
            • Modifying template properties
          • How hosts are created from a template
          • Manually adding a host
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (VDI)
          • Template maintenance
          • Template status
          • Managing multi-provider template distribution
          • Managing template-based hosts
        • Manage hosts (VDI)
          • Persistent hosts
          • Configuring hosts to interact with RAS Provider Agent in a different subnet
        • Manage sessions (VDI)
        • Using scheduler (VDI)
      • Configure logging
      • Enabling high availability for VDI
      • Site defaults (VDI)
      • Using computer management tools
      • Viewing Provider summary
      • Remote PC pools in VDI
        • Adding a Provider
        • Adding Remote PCs to a Provider
        • Adding Remote PCs to a pool
        • Managing Remote PCs in a pool
        • Persistent Remote PCs
        • RAS Guest Agent installation options
    • Azure Virtual Desktop
      • Introduction
      • Prerequisites
      • Deploy Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Enable Azure Virtual Desktop and add a provider
        • Add workspaces
        • Add host pools (Azure Virtual Desktop)
      • Manage Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Manage providers (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage workspaces (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage host pools (Azure Virtual Desktop)
          • Upgrading Agents (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage templates (Azure Virtual Desktop)
          • Create a template
          • Manage existing templates
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage hosts (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage sessions (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Using scheduler (Azure Virtual Desktop)
      • Site defaults (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Site defaults for single-session hosts
        • Site defaults for multi-session hosts
      • Using Parallels Client with Azure Virtual Desktop
      • Verify the deployment
    • Remote PCs
      • Overview
      • Manage host pools (Remote PC)
      • Manage hosts (Remote PC)
        • Adding a Remote PC to a Farm
          • Admin-initiated Remote PC enrollment
          • Self-service Remote PC enrollment
        • Configuring a Remote PC
      • Viewing Remote PC summary
      • Using computer management tools
    • Publishing
      • Overview
      • Publishing a desktop
      • Publishing an application
      • Publishing local applications
      • Publishing an application with MSIX app attach
      • Publishing a web application
      • Publishing a network folder
      • Publishing a document
      • General management tasks
      • Manage published applications
      • Manage published desktops
      • Manage published documents
      • Manage folders
      • Site defaults (Publishing)
      • Using filtering rules
      • Configuring preferred routing
      • Understanding session prelaunch
      • Checking effective access
      • Specifying client settings
      • Quick keypad
    • Session Management
      • Overview
      • Session information
      • Monitoring settings
      • Managing sessions
      • The Resources tab
    • SSL Certificate Management
      • Generating a self-signed certificate
      • Generating a certificate signing request (CSR)
      • Let's Encrypt certificates
        • Requesting a Let's Encrypt Certificate
        • How Parallels RAS requests certificates from Let's Encrypt
      • Importing a certificate
      • Exporting a certificate
      • Assigning a certificate to Secure Gateways and HALBs
      • Auditing certificates
      • Permissions to manage certificates
      • Upgrading from an older RAS version
    • Connection and Authentication Settings
      • RAS Connection Broker connection settings
      • Remote session settings
      • Logon hours settings
      • Restricting access by Parallels Client type and build number
      • Multi-factor authentication
        • Adding an MFA provider
        • Using RADIUS
          • Connection
          • Attributes
          • Automation
          • Advanced
          • Configuring Azure MFA
          • Configuring Duo
        • Using TOTP
          • Configuring TOTP
          • Configuring Google Authenticator
          • Configuring Microsoft Authenticator
        • Configuring email OTP
        • Using Deepnet DualShield
          • Supported tokens
          • Configuring DualShield 5.6+ Authentication Platform
          • Configuring Parallels RAS to use the DualShield Authentication Platform
          • Connect to a RAS Farm
        • Using SafeNet
          • Configuring SafeNet
        • Configuring MFA rules
      • Allowing users to change domain password
      • Allowing users to discover RAS connections via email address
    • Load Balancing and HALB
      • Resource based & round robin load balancing
        • Configure CPU optimization
      • High availability load balancing (HALB)
        • Prerequisites
        • Deploying a Parallels HALB appliance
        • Adding a HALB virtual server
        • HALB Device status and version number
        • HALB maintenance
        • HALB connection and session information
        • Changing the HALB appliance password
    • RAS Multi-Tenant Architecture
      • Overview
      • Architecture description
        • Implementation overview
        • User connection flow
      • Deploying Tenant Broker and Tenants
        • Deploying Tenant Broker
        • Deploying a Tenant
          • Join a Tenant to Tenant Broker
          • Joining with a secret key
          • Verify join status
          • Configure network
          • Assign a public domain address
          • Configure an SSL certificate
          • Set up routing for incoming traffic
        • User authentication
        • Unjoining from Tenant Broker
      • Managing Tenants
        • Tenant configuration
        • Deleting a Tenant object
        • Opening a Tenant console
      • Shared Gateways
      • Third-party network load balancers
      • Web Client and Themes
      • Monitoring Tenants
      • Tenant Broker compatibility and updates
      • Upgrading from an older RAS version
      • Configuring notifications
      • Communication ports
    • SAML SSO Authentication
      • Introduction
      • System requirements
      • SAML basics
      • SAML configuration
        • Prerequisites
        • IdP side configuration
        • SP side configuration (RAS side)
        • Active Directory user account configuration
        • Configure certificate authority templates
          • Create an Enrollment Agent template
          • Create a smartcard logon certificate template
        • RAS Enrollment Server configuration
        • RAS Enrollment Server high availability
        • SAML integration examples and tips
          • User account attributes
          • Security tip
      • Parallels Client configuration
      • Parallels client policy configuration
      • Test the SAML SSO deployment
      • Error messages
    • Parallels Web Client and User Portal
      • Configure Web Client
      • Configure Themes
        • General settings
        • Access settings
        • Message settings
        • Web Client settings
          • URLs
          • Branding
          • Colors
          • Language bar
          • Messages
          • Input prompt
          • Gateway
          • Legal policies
        • Parallels Client for Windows settings
        • General Theme tasks
        • Delegating session management permissions
      • Open Parallels Web Client
      • Main menu options
      • Running remote applications and desktops
        • Using drag and drop functionality
        • Native clipboard experience
        • Other useful features
      • Auto login
      • Direct App access
      • Using the toolbar
        • Using the toolbar on desktop computers
        • Using the Toolbar on Mobile Devices
        • Using the remote clipboard
        • Hiding toolbar items
    • Universal Printing
      • Managing Universal Printing Settings
      • Universal Printing drivers
      • Font management
    • Universal Scanning
      • Managing Universal Scanning
      • Adding scanning applications
    • User Device Management and Client Policies
      • Inviting users to connect to Parallels RAS
      • Mass configuring user devices
      • Enabling Help Desk support for users
      • Enabling Help Desk support for custom administrators
      • Monitoring devices
        • Getting additional device information
      • Windows device groups
      • Managing Widows devices
        • Windows desktop replacement
      • Scheduling Windows devices & groups power cycles
      • Client policies
        • Add a new client policy
        • Configure session settings
          • Appearance
          • Connection
          • Display
          • Printing
          • Scanning
          • Audio
          • Keyboard
          • Local devices and resources
          • Experience
          • Network
          • Server authentication
          • Advanced settings
        • Configure client policy options
        • Configure control settings
        • Configure Gateway redirection
        • Client policy backward compatibility
        • Policy information in Parallels Client
      • Configuring remote file transfer
        • Configure file transfer to a server
        • Configure file transfer in User Portal
        • Configure file transfer for a client policy
    • Reporting
      • System requirements
      • Install Microsoft SQL Server
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2016 or earlier
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2017 or 2019
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2022
      • Install Parallels RAS Reporting
      • Running Parallels RAS Reports
      • GDPR compliance
    • Performance monitor
      • Overview
      • Install RAS Performance Monitor
      • Using Parallels RAS Performance Monitor
      • Configure RAS Performance Monitor security
      • Updating RAS Performance Monitor
    • Common Management Tasks
      • Recovery – add a root administrator
      • Host name resolution
      • Computer management tools
      • Site information
      • Site settings
      • Using MSIX application packages
      • Using template versions
      • Settings audit
      • Upgrading RAS agents
      • Licensing
      • Configure HTTP proxy settings
      • System event notifications
        • Configuring notification handlers
        • Configuring notification scripts
        • Configuring SMTP server connection for event notifications
      • RAS session variables
      • Resolving z-order issues
      • Maintenance and backup
        • Importing and exporting Farm settings from the command line
      • Problem reporting and troubleshooting
      • Logging
      • Suggest a feature
    • Parallels RAS Management Portal
      • Overview
      • Prerequisites
      • Installation
      • Log in to RAS Management Portal
      • Configure RAS Web Administration Service
      • RAS Management Portal user interface
    • Parallels RAS APIs
      • RAS PowerShell API
      • RAS REST API
        • Installation
        • Permissions
        • Getting started
        • Logging in and sending requests
        • More information
      • RAS Web Client API and Parallels Client URL scheme
    • Appendix
      • Microsoft license requirements in Parallels RAS
      • Port reference
        • Parallels Client
        • Web browsers
        • HALB
        • RAS Secure Gateway
        • RAS Connection Broker
        • RAS Console
        • SSRS
        • RAS Reporting
        • RAS Web Administration Service (REST/Management Portal)
        • RAS PowerShell
        • RAS Provider Agent
        • RAS Enrollment Server
        • RAS RD Session Host Agent
        • RAS Guest Agent
        • RAS Remote PC Agent
        • Tenant Broker
        • Active Directory and Domain Services ports
        • Azure Virtual Desktop
      • RAS performance counters
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On this page
  • Connecting to a Parallels RAS Farm for the first time
  • Connecting to a different Parallels RAS Farm
  • Switching between Parallels RAS Farms
  • Editing Parallels RAS Farm connections
  • Connecting to a Parallels RAS Farm via Command Prompt
  • Arguments
  • Examples

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  1. Parallels RAS 20 Administrator’s Guide
  2. Farm and Sites

Connecting to a Parallels RAS Farm

If you have more than one Parallels RAS Farm in your organization, you can use the same Parallels RAS Console instance to manage any of them. By default, the Parallels RAS Console is installed on the same server where you install other Parallels RAS components, but you can install the console on any computer on your network.

Connecting to a Parallels RAS Farm for the first time

When you open the Parallels RAS Console for the first time, it displays the logon dialog on which you need to specify the following:

  • Farm: A Parallels RAS Farm to connect to. Enter the FQDN or IP address of the server where you have RAS Connection Broker installed.

  • If you've installed the Parallels Single Sign-On component when installing the RAS Console, you will see the Authentication type field from which you can select whether to log on using your credentials or SSO. If you reboot after the installation and select SSO, select Single Sign-On and then click Connect. Your Windows credentials will be used to log in to the RAS Farm. If you select Credentials, enter your credentials as described below.

  • Username: A user account with administrative privileges on the server where Parallels RAS is installed (usually a domain or local administrator). The account name must be specified using the UPN format (e.g. administrator@domain.com). The specified user will be automatically configured as the Parallels RAS administrator with full access rights.

  • Password: The specified user account password.

  • If you select the Remember credentials option, this dialog will not be shown the next time you launch the Parallels RAS Console.

After entering the connection properties, click Connect to connect to the Farm and open the RAS Console.

Note that the Edit Connections button will not display any information on first connect (it is used to edit Farm connections that already exist), so you can ignore it at this point. We will talk about using this button closer to the end of this section.

Connecting to a different Parallels RAS Farm

When you need to connect to a different Parallels RAS Farm, you first need to log off from the Parallels RAS Console in order to see the logon dialog again. To do so:

  1. In the Parallels RAS Console, click on the arrow icon next to your user name in the upper right-hand corner and then choose Log Off in the context menu.

  2. The console will close and the RAS logon dialog will open. The dialog will be populated with the current Farm connection properties.

  3. To connect to a different Farm, type the FQDN or IP address of the server where the other Farm is located. Once again, this should be the server where you have the RAS Connection Broker installed.

  4. Specify a username and password and click Connect. The Parallels RAS Console will connect to the Farm using the connection properties that you specified.

Switching between Parallels RAS Farms

After you connect to more than one Farm from the same Parallels RAS Console instance, you can easily switch between them as follows:

  1. In the Parallels RAS Console, click the Location drop-down list in the upper left-hand corner (right below the main application menu, where the current Site name is displayed).

  2. The lower portion of the drop-down list will contain names of the Farms to which you connected at least once in the past (the upper portion contains one or more Site names for the current Farm). Click a desired Farm name to connect to it.

  3. When you click the Farm name, the console will close momentarily and will re-open connected to the Farm that you selected.

Note that you can also switch between Farms by logging off from the console and choosing a desired Farm from the Farm drop-down list in the RAS logon dialog. The method described above is more convenient, so this one is just another way to do it.

Editing Parallels RAS Farm connections

As was mentioned in the beginning of this section, the RAS logon dialog has the Edit Connections button. When you click it, the Manage Parallels RAS Farm Connections dialog opens.

On the left side of the dialog, the Farm Connections pane lists Parallels RAS Farms to which you connected at least once in the past. If a connection is no longer relevant, you can remove it by selecting it and clicking the "minus sign" icon at the top. Once a connection is removed, it will no longer appear in the RAS logon dialog and in the Parallels RAS Console (the Location drop-down list).

On the right side of the dialog, the Connection Brokers pane lists RAS Connection Brokers for the selected Farm connection. By default, the primary Connection Broker is included in the list, but you can add more Connection Brokers if needed. When connecting to a Farm, the Parallels RAS Console will try the primary Connection Broker first. If a connection cannot be established, it will try other Connection Brokers in the order they are listed in the Connection Brokers pane. To add a Connection Broker to the list, click the "plus sign" icon and then specify the server FQDN or IP address.

Connecting to a Parallels RAS Farm via Command Prompt

You can connect to a Farm using Windows Command Prompt. This can be useful when you want to automatically connect to specific Farms.

To connect to a Farm using Windows Command Prompt:

  1. Navigate to the folder where 2xConsole.exe is located.

  2. Open Command Prompt and enter the following command: 2xconsole.exe <arguments>. The possible arguments are described below.

Arguments

Argument
Description

-f

The friendly name of the Farm connection.

-s

A Parallels RAS Farm to connect to. Enter the FQDN or IP address of the server where you have RAS Connection Broker installed.

-u

Username.

-p

Password.

-savecreds

When set, the credentials are saved together with the Farm information.

Examples

Create a new Farm without a friendly name and store the credentials: 2xconsole.exe -s 10.124.4.113 -u administrator@prls.dev -p password -savecreds

Connect to the previously created Farm using the IP: 2xconsole.exe -s 10.124.4.113

Create a new Farm with a friendly name and store the credentials: 2xconsole.exe -f myfarm -s 10.124.5.123 -u administrator@prls.dev -p password -savecreds

Connect to the previously created farm using the friendly name: 2xconsole.exe -f myfarm

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