Chapter 1. Accessing the VM Portal
Chapter 1. Accessing the VM Portal 1.1. What is the VM Portal? The VM Portal presents a comprehensive view of a virtual machine and allows the user to start, stop, edit, and view details of a virtual machine. The actions available to a user in the VM Portal are set by a system administrator. System administrators can delegate additional administration tasks to a user, such as: Create, edit, and remove virtual machines Manage virtual disks and network interfaces Create and use snapshots to restore virtual machines to states Direct connection to virtual machines is facilitated with SPICE or VNC clients. Both protocols provide the user with an environment similar to a locally installed desktop. The administrator specifies the protocol used to connect to a virtual machine at the time of the virtual machine's creation. 1.2. Browser Requirements The following browser versions and operating systems can be used to access the Administration Portal and the VM Portal. Browser support is divided into tiers: Tier 1: Browser and operating system combinations that are fully tested and fully supported. Red Hat Engineering is committed to fixing issues with browsers on this tier. Tier 2: Browser and operating system combinations that are partially tested, and are likely to work. Limited support is provided for this tier. Red Hat Engineering will attempt to fix issues with browsers on this tier. Tier 3: Browser and operating system combinations that are not tested, but may work. Minimal support is provided for this tier. Red Hat Engineering will attempt to fix only minor issues with browsers on this tier. Table 1.1. Browser Requirements Support Tier Operating System Family Browser Tier 1 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Mozilla Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) version Any Most recent version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge Tier 2 Tier 3 Any Earlier versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox Any Other browsers 1.3. Client Requirements Virtual machine consoles can only be accessed using supported Remote Viewer ( virt-viewer ) clients on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Windows. To install virt-viewer , see Installing Supporting Components on Client Machines in the Virtual Machine Management Guide . Installing virt-viewer requires Administrator privileges. Virtual machine consoles are accessed through the SPICE, VNC, or RDP (Windows only) protocols. The QXL graphical driver can be installed in the guest operating system for improved/enhanced SPICE functionalities. SPICE currently supports a maximum resolution of 2560x1600 pixels. Supported QXL drivers are available on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Windows XP, and Windows 7. SPICE support is divided into tiers: Tier 1: Operating systems on which Remote Viewer has been fully tested and is supported. Tier 2: Operating systems on which Remote Viewer is partially tested and is likely to work. Limited support is provided for this tier. Red Hat Engineering will attempt to fix issues with remote-viewer on this tier. Table 1.2. Client Operating System SPICE Support Support Tier Operating System Tier 1 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.2 and later Microsoft Windows 7 Tier 2 Microsoft Windows 8 Microsoft Windows 10 1.4. Installing the CA certificate The first time you access the VM Portal, you must install the certificate used by the Red Hat Virtualization Manager to avoid security warnings. Installing the CA certificate in Firefox Go to the VM Portal URL, and on the welcome page, click CA Certificate A file named pki-resource (with no file extension) will download. Open the Options/Preferences window: Windows: Open the Tools menu and select Options... Mac: Open the Firefox menu and select Preferences... Linux: Open the Edit menu and select Preferences Select Privacy & Security , and scroll down to Certificates . Click View Certificates... to open the Certificate Manager, and select the Authorities tab. Click Import... Select the file of the Root Certificate that you want to import (change file type to All Files to view the downloaded file). Select the check boxes indicating the trust options, and click OK . Click OK in the Certificate Manager, and close the Options/Preferences window. Make sure all Firefox processes are stopped. Restart Firefox and go to the VM Portal URL. A lock icon in the address bar indicates that the CA certificate is installed. Installing the CA certificate in Google Chrome Go to the VM Portal URL, and on the welcome page, click CA Certificate A file named pki-resource (with no file extension) will download. Go to Settings Advanced Manage Certificates Authorities tab and click IMPORT . Select the file of the Root Certificate that you want to import (change file type to All Files to view the downloaded file). Select all the check boxes indicating the trust options, and click OK . Close Chrome and makes sure all the Chrome processes are stopped. Restart Chrome and go to the VM Portal URL. A lock icon in the address bar indicates that the CA certificate is installed. 1.5. Logging in to the VM Portal Logging in to the VM Portal Enter the provided server address into the web browser to access the Manager welcome screen. Select the required language from the drop-down list. Click VM Portal . An SSO login page displays. SSO login enables you to log in to the VM Portal and the Administration Portal (if you have permission) at the same time. Enter your User Name and Password . Use the Profile drop-down list to select the correct domain. Click Log In . The list of virtual machines and pools assigned to you displays. To log out of the Portal, click your user name in the header bar and select Log out . You are logged out of all portals and the Manager welcome screen displays. 1.6. Graphical user interface elements You can perform common virtual machine tasks, change log-in options, and view messages in the VM Portal screen. Key graphical user interface elements Header bar The header bar contains the Refresh button, the User drop-down button, and the Messages drop-down button. The Refresh button refreshes the display. The User drop-down button displays the following list: Options : SSH key, for connecting via serial console to the VM Portal About : VM Portal release information Log out : To log out of the VM Portal The Messages drop-down button displays messages from the system. Toolbar The toolbar contains buttons that allow you to perform additional actions. Virtual machines pane The virtual machines pane displays the icon, operating system, name, state, and management icons of each virtual machine and pooled virtual machine.