ProtoSphere 2.0 Administration Guide

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ProtoSphere 2.0

Administration Guide

Rev. Date 05-01-2012

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Introduction

The ProtoSphere Web Management Tool provides administrators with access to various elements of managing and maintaining the virtual environment. Although a very robust tool which

provides very granular control over the environment, this document will focus primarily on the following sections:

 The Build Your Own World tool (BYOW)  Managing Permissions

 Usage Reporting

For documentation and training material on how to use the portions of the Web Management Tool geared towards developers (Resources, Zones, and BYOW Manager) please contact your ProtonMedia account representative or send an email to [email protected].

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Accessing the Web Management Tool

Access to the web management tool is done through your web browser and the provided URL given to you by your ProtonMedia support team.

ProtonMedia only supports the use of Internet Explorer version 7 and above with the web management tool.

When you first navigate to the site, you will be prompted to log in:

If your ProtoSphere deployment is integrated with your Active Directory infrastructure (single sign-on) then you can use your own domain credentials. Otherwise, use whatever credentials were created for you for ProtoSphere.

Not that only those individuals who are part of the ProtoSphere AD group for admins will be allowed to access the web management tool.

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A Note About Naming Conventions

It’s worth mentioning that there are certain naming conventions used in the ProtoSphere environment that are often times interchangeable. For example, a “location” in ProtoSphere is also referred to as a “zone”. The table below outlines the various aliases used in ProtoSphere.

Referred to in ProtoSphere client Referred to in Web Management Tool

Locations Zones

Media Boards Media Boards, Posters, Branding Boards, Note Boards,

Dynamic Surfaces

The Home Tab

When you first enter the management tool, you’ll be presented with the home screen and a very simple interface.

The tabs at the top allow you access to the various sections of the tool, while the two hot links provide you access with two commonly used elements of the system: The Build Your Own World tool and the Usage Reports.

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Tab Description

Home Takes you back to the home screen

Usage Reports Provides access to generating a usage report

BYOW Takes you to the Build Your Own World tool and the

first selection in the process.

Permissions Displays the permissions manager for AD groups.

Resources This section is intended for developers. It provides

access to managing the various 3D art assets, avatar parts and colors, setup of private voice zones, and zoom-able surfaces for dynamic surfaces. (Note: You cannot place objects in the resource section)

Zones Provides access to the management of zones in the

environment. It’s primary audience is developers, however ProtoSphere admins may find some use to some of the customizations capable here.

BYOW Manager This section is intended for developers. It allows

access to the management of the various art and layout arrangement templates used by the Build Your Own World tool.

Using the Build Your Own World Tool

The concept of the BYOW tool is relatively simple. It’s a system that allows you, the administrator, to create new spaces in the 3D environment to meet the needs of the user population.

ProtoSphere comes packaged with a set of pre-defined spaces, floor plans, and styles that you can choose from to create your own custom environment.

The process for creating a new space is relatively simple and follows these steps:

Select the location’s size Choose the floor plan layout Select the arrangement of dynamic objects Choose a

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The Process of Making Your Selections

You will first be presented with the following size options to choose from: Small, Large, Hall, and Theatre.

Descriptions of each type of space is shown in the selection boxes.

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Again, make your choice of the layout by clicking the appropriate Select button. The next step in the process will provide you with options for your dynamic surfaces configuration.

Dynamic surfaces in ProtoSphere refer to Media Boards and SharePoint boards. Media Boards can take the form of Note Boards, Easels, Branding Boards, or simply large presentation boards.

Make your choice, and click the Select button.

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© 2012 ProtonMedia Inc.. All rights reserved. 10 Note that anytime during the BYOW process you can go back and change your selections by selecting the Previous Selection option located in the upper left hand corner of each screen. It’s important to point out that the Back button in your web browser will not function here.

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Table of Available Selections

The following outlines the various selections available to you within the BYOW tool.

Layout Choice

Floor Plan Choice

Dynamic Surfaces Configuration Themes

Small Empty 1 SharePoint

Board 1 Branding Surface 1 Note Board 1 Media Board 1 SharePoint Board 1 Branding Surface 2 Note Boards 1 Media Board 1 SharePoint Board 1 Branding Surface 2 Note Boards 2 Media Board 1 SharePoint Board 1 Branding Surface 3 Note Boards 1 Media Board Tra dition a l Ze n Mode rn Private Office Breakout Classroom Conference 1 Conference 2

Large Empty 1 SharePoint

Board 1 Branding Surface 4 Note Boards 2 Media Boards Conference 2 Classroom Conference 1 Conference 2

Hall Conference 1 SharePoint Board

2 Large Media Boards 1 Small Media Board 4 Note Boards 1 Easel

Trade Show Hall 2 SharePoint Boards 5 Note Boards 5 Media Boards

Poster Session 2 SharePoint Boards

6 Note Boards 6 Media Boards

2 Event Calendar Boards

Theatre Small 1 Easel

1 Large Media Board Large

Note that for those dynamic object arrangements where there is only one set of selections for a particular floor plan choice (Halls and Theatres), the dynamic object selection step is skipped over during the process of building that type of space.

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Finalizing the BYOW process

Once you have finalized all of your selections, you will be asked to name the location on the following screen:

Enter a name for your location in the field provided.

By default, all new locations created using the BYOW tool have the checkbox selected that makes the location publicly available. This means that any individual who logs into ProtoSphere will be able to access the newly created space. If this is ok, then click the Continue button. Otherwise, uncheck this box and click Continue.

The system will take a moment to create the space. During this time your web browser may appear to be inactive – this is normal. However, it should not take longer than 15-20 seconds to create the new space.

Changing the Options of a Saved BYOW Location

Once you create a new space using the BYOW tool, you cannot make changes to the options you had previously chosen for it.

For example, a location that you created with the “Breakout” floor plan, cannot be altered to use the “Classroom” floor plan instead. In this case, you must first delete the location you initially created, and then start the BYOW process over using the new selections you wish to make. Changes to the placement of objects, dynamic surfaces, etc., however, is possible in a location created using the BYOW tool. In this case, it is recommended that a developer trained on these

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Deleting a Zone

If you wish to remove a zone you previously created using the BYOW tool you can do so by first selecting the Zones tab from the top menu, and selecting the ‘View Existing Zones’ option. This will take you to the full listing of all zones in the environment:

Click on the Delete option associated with your Zone’s name. Clicking this will provide you with a confirmation window:

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Please note that there is no “undo” available here. When you click OK and delete the zone, it will

no longer be accessible by anyone in the environment, and all content that was posted to surfaces in that zone will be purged.

It’s also important to point out that a zone should only be deleted when no person is present in it. The deletion of a zone that has people present in it can cause issues with the user experience, and possibly even trigger a crash in their client software.

The deletion of a zone will take a moment. Once you click the OK button here, the screen will present a message stating “Please Wait” and will then provide you with a confirmation of its deletion:

Note that when you delete a zone, it will also remove any Group permissions that you had previously associated with it.

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Renaming a Location

It’s possible that you may have a need to rename a location that you had previously created using the BYOW tool. This can be done by going to the Zones tab, and then selecting the

Rename option that appears next to the zone you wish to edit.

You will see the current name in the text field. Enter your new name, and click the Continue button.

You’ll receive a confirmation that the zone has been renamed.

The renaming of a location does not impact any special group permissions that have been assigned to it. The new name carries through the entire system.

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Zone User Limits

The following limits are imposed on zones that are created using the BYOW tool.

Layout Max # of Users

Small 8

Large 20

Hall 40

Theatre 105

These numbers represent the maximum number of normal users that can be present in that type of zone. In the event that a user attempts to teleport into a zone that has reached its max limit, they will be presented with a message stating they cannot access the location at that time. This limit is not imposed on Administrators.

Adjusting the Max User Limit

The limit of the number of users allowed at any one time in a zone can be adjusted by selecting

Zones > View Existing Zones > clicking the Select option next to the zone you wish to edit > and

finally selecting the Max User Limit option.

Adjust the number and then click the Continue button.

The zone must be reloaded after this is done. Do this by clicking the Reload option next to the location name in the Zone listing:

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Capacity Recommendations

The end user’s client PC plays a pivotal role in the performance of ProtoSphere and

subsequently has an effect on the total number of avatars that can be in view at any one time. For example, a higher end pc with more video memory and a better processor will retain a higher frame rate when a certain number of avatars are in view vs. a lower end PC with the minimum specified video memory and a lower processor speed with the same number of avatars in view. The difference in frame rate can be drastic enough at times that the user may experience sluggish performance. As such, to provide the most optimal performance to the broad range of client hardware being used to run ProtoSphere, we recommend having no more than a maximum of 75 users present in any one location at any one time. You may hold multiple simultaneous sessions with those numbers throughout the environment.

Assigning Permissions

Permissions in ProtoSphere can be applied to three different types of things: Locations, Media Boards, and SharePoint Boards.

Making a Location Private

One of the common reasons you would use the permissions system is to make a specific location private so that only a select group of people may access it.

The first step in making a location private actually starts at the end of the BYOW process. Just before you click the Continue button, uncheck the selection that reads “Make Zone Publically

Available”:

Click Continue.

Wait a moment for the zone to be created, then when presented with the confirmation screen, click the option to Continue to Permissions:

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You will be presented with a listing of the current known groups:

This list will vary depending on your deployment of ProtoSphere, however in a standard

deployment of ProtoSphere, you will always see at least one group listed; the PS Default Team. The options available to you here include the following:

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Option Description

Edit Allows you to change the name of the group.

Delete Removes the AD group reference from ProtoSphere

and any permissions associated with it.

View Start Zone Allows you to add/edit a starting location for that

group.

View Accessible Zones Displays the list of zones that have been associated

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Click on the View Accessible Zones option associated with our group.

A list of the current zones (if any) associated with this location will appear:

Click on the option to Create Zone Access Association.

The full list of zones that exist in the environment will be presented. Scroll down to the fine the new zone you created using the BYOW tool and select the checkbox next to its name.

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After selecting the location name, scroll back up and click the Continue button.

You should receive a message stating that the zone access has successfully been associated with that group. At the same time, the actual location in ProtoSphere will be reloaded. If any user happens to be present in that location, including yourself, they will be re-teleported into it.

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A note about the ‘Offline Zone’

In 2.0 servers, when assigning permissions to zones, this ‘Offline Zone’ should be completely disregarded. This zone is used for first time users when creating their avatars. It is not otherwise used and should not have permissions assigned to it.

Active Directory Groups in ProtoSphere

Groups in the ProtoSphere management tool are directly associated with Groups that are managed in the Active Directory (AD) infrastructure that the installation of ProtoSphere is associated with.

It’s important to note that ProtoSphere, nor the web management tool, manage these groups or the users within these groups. The integration with AD requires that the management of users and groups be managed solely in AD itself. Please contact your IT network or AD administrators for support in this manner.

Adding a New Group for Permission Access

In order to map a group of users with specific permission access to a location in ProtoSphere, you need to first know that Group’s name in AD.

To add a new AD group to ProtoSphere, click on the Create New Group option from the Group Manager list.

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Defining a Starting Location for a Group

It is possible to select a specific starting location in ProtoSphere that your Active Directory group has access to. This may also be referred to as the default landing zone.

This will only affect individuals who are part of this group and who have this group defined as their primary group in AD.

From the Group Manager list, select the option labeled View Start Zone associated with the group you wish to assign the starting location to.

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Choose the zone you wish to define as the Start Zone for this group, then click the Continue button. Note that the Start Zone must already be a zone that the individual users of this group has access to. You will receive a confirmation the Start Zone has been defined.

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Assigning Permissions to Dynamic Objects

Using the Web Manager tool, it is possible to assign specific permissions on dynamic objects such as Media Board surfaces or SharePoint boards. This may be unnecessary when dealing with small teams or groups of people with access to specific locations, because of the top level

permissions assigned to the location that these items reside in (only those users can interact with those surfaces). However, in public spaces, where there may be a need to lock down the content over a period of time that extends beyond just a single session, the Permissions component of the Web Manager tool can accomplish this task.

In this example, we’ll use the following scenario: You have a public space where you wish to display your company logo on one of the surfaces and do not want anyone to change it. The first thing you have to do is find the ID of the Media Board surface you want to work with. You must do this from within ProtoSphere. Enable your heads up display (HUD) information by hitting CTRL + SHIFT + F on your keyboard. The HUD will appear in the upper left corner of the 3D area (the same keyboard command can be used to hide it).

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On the listing of zones that appears, click on the Select option associated with your location:

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From the listing of items, find the Object ID that matches what you noted in the environment, and click on the Permissions option it’s associated with.

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In the majority of cases, the only group listed will be the PS Default Team. That is because any new location that is created using the BYOW tool, automatically has any of the Dynamic Objects that are found within that location, assigned permissions access to this default group. Since in this example, we don’t want anyone changing our logo, simply click on the Remove option next to the group name.

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Note that because you are an Administrator of the environment, you still have full control over this Media Board surface. The same is true for any other individual who is part of that

Administrator’s group in AD.

But because you took away permission from the default public group, any other user who might click on this surface will not be able to add/edit/remove the logo you placed there.

Another consideration when removing public default permissions on a surface, is that the Media Board still allows the user to navigate through multiple slides of content that administrators might place there. For example, multiple slides may be needed to provide a set of instructions to individuals who come into the space. This feature would allow the person to navigate through those slides, yet still keep them from being able to change or otherwise manipulate those slides. Other examples where you may need to lock down permissions on a dynamic object may include:

 Instructional signage for an event  A calendar of information

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 Live video displays

 Other presentation material

Running Usage Reports

ProtoSphere collects a certain amount of information during each participant’s visit into the environment. The Usage Reports section of the Web Management Tool provides you with a snapshot of that data.

When you click on the Usage Reports tab, you will be presented with the following screen:

You must first select a date range to review the usage. The End Date/Time will always default to today’s date and 12:00AM EST. The End Date will always default to today’s date and the current time.

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You can do the same thing with the End Date if you wish it to not be today’s date.

After the dates have been selected, choose your time values. The format of the time fields must be HH:MM AM/PM.

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© 2012 ProtonMedia Inc.. All rights reserved. 34 You may also choose to include the Max concurrency count for that period of time. Please note that the addition of the metric will require more processing in the database. This is especially true for larger data sets and more expansive date ranges.

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It’s important to note that large data sets will take a considerable amount of time to parse and display. In some cases it’s useful to run the report in shorter periods of time. For example, instead of running a single report for a 3 month period, run three reports – one for each month.

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Data Point Description

Number of User sign-ons This is the total number of times users signed into ProtoSphere during this period.

Number of Unique User

sign-ons This is the total number of individual users that signed into ProtoSphere during this period.

Number of Returning

Visitors This number represents the number of users who logged into ProtoSphere more than once during this period.

Max Concurrency of Users Displays the maximum total number of users that were logged into ProtoSphere at the same time.

Total Time Spent in Each

Location Displays a list of all the locations that had activity during this period of time and includes the next three data points below.

# of Visits This is the number of times a location was teleported into during this period of

time. It includes multiple teleports by individual users.

Duration This value shows the total combined amount of time spent in this location during

this period of time for those users who teleported into it.

Max Concurrency This is the maximum total number of users that were present at any one time in

this location, during this period of time. Total Time Spent in

ProtoSphere Per User Displays a list of all the users who had activity in ProtoSphere during this period of time and includes the following three data points.

User Name / Lync SIP The username and SIP address of the individual user.

Duration Displayed in hours and minutes, this is the total accumulation of time spent in

ProtoSphere by this user, for the given period of time in the report.

Number of Sign Ins This figure represents the total number of times that user logged into