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This is a Mandatory hotfix and can be installed on the following vWorkspace roles:
The following is a list of issues resolved in this release.
Feature
Description
Feature ID
PNTools and RDSH
Path variable doesn’t work after PNTools installation on Windows 10
654894
This hotfix is available for download at: https://support.quest.com/vworkspace/kb/254164
This is a mandatory hotfix and can be installed on the following vWorkspace roles -
This release provides support for the following -
Connection Broker
The radius server gets an empty or invalid user name if this user name in UPN format has more than 32 symbols
654801
This hotfix is available for download at: https://support.quest.com/vworkspace/kb/254153
This is a Cumulative Mandatory hotfix and can be installed on the following vWorkspace roles:
Windows connector
The remote session has incorrect resolution if the user either plugs or unplugs a monitor and the Span multiple monitors option is not selected in the configuration
654826
The Busy Light device stalls at initializing after reboot and will not redirect until re-inserted
654438
The remote session window is cut on 40 pixels after the client's resolution is changed
654897
The Choose location window should not be displayed after configuration update if the location name the user connects through remains the same
654822
When getting a new configuration, the Username field is empty during re-authentication after cache has expired
654828
During the immediate redirection from Web Access, the User’s credentials fields are disabled after launching the Windows Connector and minimizing the window
654827
The user name is empty in the tray notification message if the user connects to the configuration for the first time
654782
An unexpected error message is displayed if the user clicks Cancel in the Add configuration window
654522
The Immediately redirect functionality does not work if the Windows Connector is launched in the Desktop Integration mode
654521
The message 'An unexpected error has occurred in the program' appears after logging off the second configuration
651251
The Windows Connector should have the 2018 year in the settings
654857
The Applications list is not refreshed automatically if the user clicks Cancels in the Credentials window with an expired broker cache
654735
The remote session window becomes unavailable after the client's resolution has been changed
654898
After the resolution is changed for any local monitor, on the secondary monitor, the remote session resolution is changed to the new primary monitor resolution
654899
The user cannot work in the session if vWorkspace seamless application has been launched from a disconnected session
654468
In the Programs and Features window, the vWorkspace links are incorrect
654523
An unexpected error message appears after changing an expired password while establishing the connection
654460
This hotfix is available for download at: https://support.quest.com/vworkspace/kb/254158
Management Console
Help and About contain old invalid links in the Management console
655083
This hotfix is available for download at: https://support.quest.com/vworkspace/kb/254155
Web Access
The user passwords are shown in plain text in the freezer log file
654841
The user is not redirected to the Login screen when trying to launch an application with expired broker cache and disabled connector auto-detection
654783
The vWorkspace Support link on the Web Access welcome page and in the Message Center contains an invalid old link to the support web site
654893
BYOD AutoDetect doesn’t work through the Web Access site for iOS 9 and iOS 10
488304
For iOS 7 BYOD AutoDetect doesn’t work through the Web Access sites configured on the 2008R2 server
653943
This hotfix is available for download at: https://support.quest.com/vworkspace/kb/254156
This is a mandatory hotfix for:
Two-Factor Authentication
The user is able to reconnect to their own configuration with an expired OTP without being asked for the credentials
654861
The error message is not displayed if the user tries to launch an application after the credentials cache has expired (e.g. after 5 minutes delay)
654707
The Application list is not refreshed automatically if the user re-authenticates without Two-Factor Authentication while launching the application
654834
The Credentials window is not displayed if the user tries to launch an application after the credentials cache has expired (e.g. after 5 minutes delay)
654419
The configuration is not updated if the OTP password expires and another user tries to login with a new OTP password
654864
The user is always prompted to enter credentials to launch an application if they have connected to the configuration using an OTP password
654886
The user should not be prompted to re-authenticate if either the address or the port of Connection Broker has been changed, but the user is connected to the same broker
654835
There is double authentication during the configuration update
654808
BYOD
The Connect on start window does not appear when the config.xml file is used for the second connection
636854
The user should not re-authenticate if the configuration has been updated
654420
After getting a new configuration, the credentials are not checked during re-authentication
654831
The “Cannot establish the connection” message appears after an attempt to update the configuration
654417
The session reconnects without prompting the user for credentials, when the credentials are not saved and the default location name is used
654418
The Android Connector might close during re-authentication in the Double Credentials window
654883
The user is not prompted to re-authenticate when switching between locations in the configuration
654884
It is impossible to launch an application during getting a new configuration without saving the credentials
654881
The Android Connector can connect to Connection Broker in case the user enters the credentials for a new configuration but skips the Select location step
654887
The user is not prompted for the credentials when they reconnect to another location, in case the first one has an unreachable broker address
655018
The current session becomes unavailable if the user tries to create a new connection but then cancels it
654993
The session does not launch when using the upn/dlln credentials format
655045
The URL scheme and pit file session launch does not work
654943
Password Manager
The Change password option should not be checked if the user gets a configuration after they have changed their password earlier
654652
The error message should disappear if the incorrect current password is cleared in the Change Password window
653849
Connection Settings
The user should have a possibility to save their credentials in the Advanced connection settings
653693
The modified connection settings are not saved for the connection if the Android Connector stopped working
654747
Active Connections
Several session windows open after tapping on the application icon several times
654655
Configuration Update
The configuration is not updated automatically if the user target has higher priority during the first connection to the configuration
653728
Connection Speed Type
The Android Connector might stop working if the user disconnects or logs off either from the Windows Server 2008 or from the Windows 7 desktop session
654746
Clipboard Redirection
The Android Connector might stop working if the user tries to paste more that 800 symbols using the clipboard in the remote session
654518
The Android Connector might close when coping URL into the Microsoft Edge browser
654657
Split-screen mode
The Logout and Update buttons are hidden after closing a remote session, which has been minimized
654724
The connection bar has an incorrect position if it is moved on the 2/3 part of the split-screen
654650
The Active Connection tab closes when changing the split-view mode from 2/3 to 1/3.
654379
The Dell logo should be removed for the 1\2 split-view portrait orientation for all devices
654665
The session should not be resized if it is launched in the top part of the screen and the user opens the keyboard in the bottom application
654651
The messages are hidden in the 1/2 and 1/3 modes during logging in via the Welcome and Auto-config screens
654565
The onscreen keyboard font should decrease when the session is launched in the 1\3 mode
654666
The Dynamic Resolution window does not appear after the devices is rotated
654642
The Search button should not be displayed in the 1/2 mode when the slide panel is opened
654583
The search results string is not truncated after opening the slide panel when the Android Connector is opened in the 2/3 mode
654584
The Android Connector window blinks after rotating the device and then entering data into the Username field on the Welcome screen
654211
The custom description overlaps the connection name on the slide panel in the 1/3 mode
654708
UI
The Android Connector should have 2018 year in the settings
654858
The Connection bar arrow is displayed in an incorrect direction after minimizing the session and rotating the device
654653
The 'Anonymous login is not enabled' message is displayed when trying to reconnect the configuration and clicking Cancel in the Credentials window
654888
The slide panel should display the same state with which it has been previously closed
653702
The Save credentials option should not be checked if the user has not saved their credentials
654643
The Application list is empty despite the fact that the user has the assigned applications
654703
The Logout and Refresh buttons are not displayed when the slide panel and the Application list are opened
654704
The Credentials window is cropped if it is displayed in the portrait orientation
654675
The error message does not appear if the user taps Next two times after entering the incorrect credentials in the Credentials window
653773
The Legal information page contains an old invalid link to the Dell website
654846
This hotfix is available for installation directly from the Google Play store and can also be downloaded from: https://support.quest.com/vworkspace/kb/254191
This blog post is written by Dell EMC Operating systems Engineering team
Quick Boot is a new type of “soft” reboot mechanism introduced in vSphere 6.7. Unlike a regular host reboot operation (warm or cold), Quick Boot does not involve going through the actual hardware reboot process. When you initiate a Quick Boot, ESXi restarts in a way similar to normal reboot operation but the hardware does not go through the normal process of reboot operations such as POST, firmware load, re-initialization of hardware resources, reload ACPI/SMBIOS tables etc...
This feature helps to speed up server management workflows which do not require a hardware reboot. For example, applying an ESXi security patch or upgrading the ESXi hypervisor will most likely not require you to have the host/hardware rebooted. Please refer to vSphere Update Manage Installation and Administration Guide for instructions on configuration/ use this feature.
Dell EMC and VMware have worked together to enable Quick Boot on the following platforms.
The following script verifies that the hardware and softwareconfiguration of a given host supports Quick Boot. Dell EMC recommends end users to run this script manually to make sure that the configuration is compatible for quickboot.
$ /usr/lib/vmware/loadesx/bin/loadESXCheckCompat.py
NOTE: Refer to VMware KB 52477 , Installation Instructions and Important Information Guide and vSphere Update Manager Installation and Administration Guide to ensure your host meets the minimum requirements to support Quick Boot.
Are you looking to create Chef cookbooks to manage your Dell EMC servers ? This blog talks about how to write a cookbook module to manage DellEMC machines.
What is Chef?
Chef is a powerful automation platform that transforms infrastructure into code. Whether you’re operating in the cloud, on-premises, or in a hybrid environment, Chef automates how infrastructure is configured, deployed, and managed across your network, no matter its size.
This diagram shows how you develop, test, and deploy your Chef code.
Let's first review the basic system requirements for installing ChefDK workstation, Chef client nodes, & Chef server:
More detailed system requirements are listed below.
https://github.com/chef/chef-web-docs/blob/master/chef_master/source/chef_system_requirements.rst
A simple Hello World Chef recipe file.
A simple hello world cookbook to create a file in the local server look like this: (Click on the below JPG image to view it in Full Screen)
As you can see the file.rb didn’t throw an error but gave the output as “up to date”. This is because the file we are attempting to create already exists. When removing the file, the Chef-apply command successfully executes the recipe locally creating the specific file.
Chef maintains different folders as part of metadata and more than one recipe can also be part of the cookbook. Below is an example on how to Power Off a DellEMC machine using a recipe.
Case 1: Power Off a server (Click on the below JPG image to view it in Full Screen)
Executing the following recipe turns the server off:(Click on the below JPG image to view it in Full Screen)
Additional Chef Recipes for Dell Systems can be found on the Chef Supermarket.
Disclaimer :- This Chef Recipe modules are not officially supported on any Dell Servers.
To learn more about Dell Custom Solutions Engineering visit www.dell.com/customsolutions
Upgrade Wyse 5060 to WIE10 using Wyse USB Imaging Tool (General BIOS instructions work for other units as well)
2. Open your browser and go to this page and download the exe file starting with 5060 (It will say WIE10 in the notes section)
3. You have 3 options to choose from to deploy this WIE10 image:
a. Using Wyse Device Manager
I. After the download is complete, extract the contents to a local storage location.
II. Configure the thin client to register itself to WDM server.
III. Register the extracted image package onto WDM server.
IV. After the package/device registration is complete, follow the WDM imaging process, and start the image update task. For more information about WDM imaging process, see WDM 5.7.1 Administrator’s guide at http://downloads.dell.com/wyse/
V. After the update process is complete, the thin client reboots into Windows 10 IoT enterprise, and the first boot process is initiated.
b. Using Microsoft SCCM
I. To update a master image, deploy the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise update image using USB imaging tool ready pen drive to a single thin client.
II. After the completion of update process and thin client is booted onto Windows 10 IoT Enterprise desktop, carry out image customization (if any), and run the ConfigMgr sysprep scripts.
III. After the sysprep process is complete and client is shut down, the master image is captured using SCCM server and the image is deployed onto other update ready thin clients.
c. Using the Wyse USB Imaging Tool
i. Download USB Imaging Tool v2.1.3 from here: http://downloads.dell.com/wyse/USBFT/2.1.3/
ii. Install the USB tool.
iii. Insert a 32 GB or larger flash drive and format it.
iv. Run the USB tool
Instructions on Image Push (From XML Help):
The tool displays the Image Pull screen by default.
If your USB drive contains other images, the screen displays the images in the Images on USB section.
Option
Add a new Image on the USB drive
Perform the following steps:
Delete existing Images on the USB drive
You can view the OS and BIOS check boxes selected or cleared as per the contents of the image files you have chosen. For example, if the image file contains only the BIOS configuration, only the BIOS check box is selected for that image.
If both the OS and BIOS check boxes are selected and you clear one of the check box, then that image component is not added on the USB drive.
The system displays the following options:
Select the appropriate button and proceed with the preparation.
The progress is indicated on the Overall Progress bar.
I. Boot the 5060 unit and enter BIOS using the Fireport password
II. Make sure you enable “USB Boot” under BIOS>Advanced>”Boot From USB”
III. Make sure you set “Boot Mode to both” under BIOS>Advanced>”Set Boot Mode to [Both]
IV. I like to disable Secure Boot and TPM just as a precaution
V. Reboot the unit, enter BIOS for a second time and promote your USB drive to the top of the Boot Priority Order.
VI. Reboot and let Merlin load
VII. Select “Push an Image” and then enter and yes as prompted
VIII. You’ll notice that once WI10 is updated, system will prompt you to do a disk check-skip this always.
IX. You’ll notice that there are 2 BIOS beeps after the upgrade-this is normal as the newer BIOS implements the ePSA (from Dell BIOS) and some new beep codes.
This Blog will try to help you understand how CPU and memory choices affect memory performance on Dell PowerEdge servers, as it relates to new Skylake processors.
Let’s start with the Skylake Processors architecture. The new Skylake Processors have 6 Memory channels per CPU, These are controller by 2 internal memory controllers, each handling 3 memory channels. See the figure 1 & 5 below to better visualize how this is implemented. These memory channels must be populated in certain ways and combined with the right processor choice to achieve the best memory performance that Dell PowerEdge Servers can deliver.
Figure 1. SkyLake Memory controller layout.
Another consideration on the Skylake Processors is the memory controller speeds are different for the classes of Skylake CPUs (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze). Below is a memory speed table for the different classes of Skylake processors. Use this table when choosing the CPU as well as the memory for the server workload requirements of the Dell PowerEdge systems.
Figure 2. Memory Controller Speed Vs. CPU selection
The CPU vs. Memory Controller Speed table above shows there is up to a 20% difference in memory controller speed vs. the 81xx and 61xx Skylake processors and the 31xx Skylake processors. There is a 10% difference between the 81xx and 61xx and the 51xx and 41xx Skylake processors. If the server workload is memory intensive, it would be better severed by choosing an 81xx or 61xx Skylake Processor over the other classes of Skylake Processors.
Figure 3. DIMM types vs. Ranks and Data Width
Memory Ranks and Data Width can also affect memory performance in Skylake Processors. The table above helps explain why the 16GB RDIMMs gives the best memory performance on Skylake processors as seen in figure 4. The 16GB RDIMMs have 2 Ranks and a Data Width of 8 vs. other RDIMMs or LRDIMMs only have a Data width of 4 with 2 Ranks. The Skylake’s internal memory controller when combined with 16GB RDIMMs give up to 5% better memory performance over the other DIMM memory sizes. The combination of memory type and memory controller speed, there can be up to a 48% difference in memory performance between the highest Skylake CPU 8180(2667 MHz) vs. the 3106(2133MHz) the lowest Skylake CPU. The table below shows the memory speed differences between the Skylake classes of CPUs, as well as the difference between DIMM Ranking and Data Width. 8GB RDIMMs are only single rank and are generally 2 to 5% slower than the dual ranked 16GB and 32GB DIMMs. 32GB RDIMMS only have a Data Width of 4 vs. 8 for the 16GB RDIMMs, so the 16GB DIMMs are generally 2 to 3% faster than the 32GB RDIMMs.
Figure 4. Memory speed difference by CPU class and memory size
In this section of the blog, we will discuss the difference between balanced and unbalanced memory configurations and how it affects memory performance.
Figure 5. Balanced vs. Unbalanced Memory vs. DIMM Count
Let’s start with keeping the memory balanced while adding DIMMS to the Skylake’s memory configuration. As you can see in the figure above, memory must be added to the Skylake Processors in a certain way to keep the memory controllers and channels balanced. Sometimes it’s better to keep the memory on just one controller, especially when the memory configuration only has 1 or 3 DIMMs. But when you have 2, 4, or 6 DIMMS it is better to place 1, 2, or 3 DIMMS on each integrated memory controller. In addition, the table shows that there is no way to make 5 or 7 thru 11 DIMMS configurations balanced. This is because, there will be either 2 DIMMs per Memory Channel in the case of 7 thru 11 DIMM configurations or a Memory Channel without a DIMM, As in the 5 DIMM configuration in the table above. This also explains why if the memory configuration of the Dell PowerEdge system has 5 or 7 thru 11 or 13 thru 23 DIMMs there is no way to make it balanced. It is important to keep the memory balanced because it can result in a performance impact of up to 65%. See figure 8 for more details.
Now that we have an understanding of how the memory controllers works on a Skylake processor, let’s put it to practice on Dell Systems that have more than 6 Memory slots per CPU. The Dell Modular systems have 8 memory slots per CPU, which mean due to how the Skylake’s memory controllers works, if all 8 memory slots are populated you will achieve the Max Memory size of the Dell PowerEdge modular System. But the memory will be unbalanced and result in lower memory performance as seen in Figure 8. The figure below shows the Dell PowerEdge Modular Systems have 8 DIMM Slots, if the black slots on Memory Channels 0 and 3 of these systems are populated, it will result in an unbalanced memory configuration and effect memory performance. Placing memory in these black slots will place memory channel 0 and 3 in 2 DIMMs Per Channel mode while leaving memory channels 1,2,4,5 in single DPC mode, as explained in the section above.
Figure 6. Skylake memory controller implementation on C6420, FC\M 640
Below is a table of the max memory supported in the balanced configuration for the C6420 & FC\M 640 PowerEdge Servers. A good rule on these Dell Modular Systems is as the memory size requirement increases, the memory DIMM size must increase to keep the memory balance, so not to impact memory performance.
Figure 7. Max Performance Balanced Memory DIMM configurations
The black slots on the C6420 & FC\M640 can be used to increase the overall memory size of the system, but at the cost of up to 65% of the memory bandwidth. This must be kept in mind when choosing the memory for the server workload. To achieve the max memory performance on the Dell PowerEdge C6420 & FC\M640, only use the 12 white DIMM slots in a dual CPU configuration to increase the memory size. It is better to increase the DIMM size as seen in the table above to achieve maximum memory performance on these systems.
The table below shows the unbalanced memory performance impact of up to 65% by using all 16 DIMM slots to achieve the max configurable memory size of the Dell Modular Systems.
Figure 8. CPU choice (memory controller speed) vs. DIMM count vs. DIMM size.
The figures below of the Dell PowerEdge C6420 and FC\M 640 show that the memory slots A7, B7, A8, B8 place memory controller channels 0 and 3 in 2 DIMMs per channel mode. Since the other 4 memory controller channels are in single DIMM per channel mode, this will cause a drop in memory performance, as reflected in the performance tables above.
Figure 9. FC\M640 Memory Configuration table
Figure 10. C6400\C6420 Memory Configuration table
In conclusion, Processor and memory configurations must be considered when creating the system configurations of the 14G Dell PowerEdge Modular systems. Failing to choose the correct processor and memory configuration can cause dramatic performance impacts on Dell PowerEdge Modular Servers.