ISL Online offers two user models
3.2 Ways to add a new computer
Important notice when cloning an installation: If you are using ISL AlwaysOn 1.2.2 or newer, please follow these instructions, otherwise follow the notice below this one.
ISL AlwaysOn can also be installed in environments where computers are installed as clones from one master image. First ISL AlwaysOn is installed (with predefined changes) onto the master computer, but final steps are then performed on cloned computers.
Before cloning the master image to target computers, the master machine must have ISL AlwaysOn already installed and please make sure that you have granted access to all the desired users (the users that you intend to allow access to cloned computers). Having done that, please follow these steps:
1. Stop ISL AlwaysOn service on the master machine (go to command prompt and execute net stop isl_always_on)
2. Close any ISL AlwaysOn computer configuration dialogs that might be running.
3. Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn 4. Delete the binary content key called uid
5. Create a new binary content key called _ghost_ with content 01
This concludes the preparation steps - you should now shut down the master computer and clone it. Please be extra careful not to boot the master computer after the last step or the cloning process will not work properly!
Important notice when cloning an installation and using an older version of ISL AlwaysOn (version lower than 1.2.2): In case you are cloning an installation, please make sure that the following key is not present in the
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This key represents a unique machine ID and does not get deleted when you uninstall ISL AlwaysOn! If it remains on the machine and gets cloned, then all machines will have this key with the same ID, effectively identifying themselves as the same computer.
To avoid this, please follow the correct procedure for situations where cloning is involved
1. Make sure that the key mentioned above is not present on the machine before cloning. If you have previously installed ISL AlwaysOn on that machine, it will be there, otherwise not.
2. Clone the computer to n computers.
3. Install ISL AlwaysOn manually on each of the n computers.
4. Each cloned computer will now have a unique machine ID for ISL AlwaysOn and you will see them all in your list of computers.
Important: In an environment where a Web Proxy is used, ISL Light and ISL AlwaysOn use Internet Explorer connection settings. Since ISL AlwaysOn as well as ISL Light with restart and resume enabled run under system account, they use Internet Explorer settings for the system account. It might happen that Internet Explorer settings have not been set for the system account. Please refer to the following topic in the ISL Light manual: Checking system account connection settings
Server license users: The procedure for server license differs from the procedure for hosted service users -please go to this topic for more information.
Apart from the procedure described in the Add a new computer topic (in the getting started section), there are also additional options when adding a new computer:
1. Please go to ISL Online home page.
2. Click on the Log In box to the top right of the web page.
3. Enter your ISL Online username/email and password and press Log In.
4. Click the Products tab to view the remote access "My Computers" area.
5. You can send these instructions via email by clicking the Send button - if you choose this option, please proceed to the next step (step 7). The procedure can also be performed manually - if you choose this option, please skip to step 9.
6. Invitation page will appear. Provide the email address(es), click the Send Invitations button and automatically generated invitation will be sent out immediately. If you want to modify the content of the message seen in the Preview, click the Change button, enter your changes and Apply them:
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7. The recipient will receive an e-mail that looks like the picture below. If the recipient follows the grant link, please proceed to step 11. If the grant link does not work and the recipient follows the alternate link, please proceed to the next step (step 8).
8. Instruct your client to navigate to http://www.islonline.net/join from the computer to be available to the ISL AlwaysOn user and then tell him/her to enter the code that was displayed to you in the step 5.
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9. The client will see the Grant remote access confirmation page. If the client agree to grant access to the current computer to the user who has issued the user code, he/she should click the Grant Access button.
10. A security warning will appear - the client should select Run.
Important: To install ISL AlwaysOn, administrative privileges are required!
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11. ISL AlwaysOn setup wizard will appear. The client should click Next and follow the wizard.
12. ISL AlwaysOn will now prompt for the password.
As an important part of security, the client will need to set a strong access password. This password is required for every access to the remote computer. The access password can be changed in the ISL AlwaysOn Settings (click here for more info), but everybody having access to the client's computer has to be informed about the change. The password is stored locally in the computer registry. Obviously, the client will need to contact you and tell you the password in order for you to access the client's computer.
13. The client should click OK to grant access.
14. After the access is granted, the client will see the ISL AlwaysOn window.
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16. Login using your ISL Online product username and password assigned to you by your ISL Online account holder.
Process to add a new computer:
1. Click Add Remote Computer.
2. An email will open with the invitation code, and grant link. Now you just need to type in the email address you wish to send it to.
3. The email is now sent to client, please ask client to navigate to this address. Once he opens the link he will see option to Grant Access as shown below.
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How to access ISL Alw aysOn through the task bar
Another way of accessing ISL AlwaysOn is simply by doubleclicking the ISL AlwaysOn icon in the taskbar -this icon appears after the installation process for ISL AlwaysOn is complete:
You have now successfully added a computer to your list. Please continue to the Access a computer chapter to learn how to access that computer from anywhere.
3.3 Access a computer
Server licence users: The procedure for server licence differs from the procedure for hosted service users - please go to this topic for more information.
Apart from the procedure described in the Access a computer topic (in the Getting started section), where you chose the Run option in step 5, you can also choose Save and save the executable for later use - e.g. place it on your desktop and rename it to a more friendly name, e.g. J o h n ' s h o me c o mp u t e r . e x e.
When you wish to access that remote computer, simply double-click the executable on your desktop, enter your ISL Online products username and password when prompted, then the computer access password and you will be connected - there is no need to visit ISL Online web pages each time.
It is possible to use command line arguments for ISL AlwaysOn Connect, allowing you to skip the password entry form. All the parameters are specified as "key=value". Available parameters:
Username (you can use it to provide your ISL Online username, e.g. \ \ my c o mp a n y \ u s e r 1) Passw ord (you can use it to provide your ISL Online password)
ComputerPassw ord (you can use it to provide the computer access password)
ComputerPassw ordMD5 (you can use it to provide the raw computer access password as written in the registry - check HKEY_ L OCAL _ MACHI NE\ SOFTWARE\ I SL On l i n e \ I SL Al wa y s On \ p a s s wo r d) StreamOptions (you can use it to enable the desired checkboxes [separate them with a semicolon] in the list, e.g. s ma l l _ f o o t ; l e a v e _ b a c k g r o u n d ;)
If you specify a username, password and a computer password (either in plaintext or as MD5), you will get a single-click solution that connects to a certain ISL AlwaysOn machine without having to enter any credentials or login to your ISL Online account beforehand.
Important: Please keep in mind that if you create a shortcut and set those parameters for it, anyone with access to your machine can do a right-click on that shortcut and read the parameters.
Example:
I SL Al wa y s On Co n e n c t . e x e " Us e r n a me =\ \ my c o mp a n y \ u s e r 1 " " Pa s s wo r d =u s e r p wd "
" Co mp u t e r Pa s s wo r d =a c c e s s p wd "