visiodei

Understandable and thank you both for the explanation.

The reason that I would like to see this feature added is this.

we have 4 users, and plan on adding more.

I have setup the database so that people working on projects have access to the places they need to go, but not to other places.

some users will be "admins" for certain projects and therefor need all permissions to change those sessions.

however, at Any given time, to make life easier, users have a personal directory into which they add personal projects, and credentials that go with the projects they have access to.

unfortunately that means that once the system is setup, the administration account, much be restricted to Never be used.

it is unacceptable that an administrator can log into the system and see other peoples passwords.

if that makes any sense.

it would be nice to have this feature, as then we would have a superuser that no one knows the password to, and a bunch of admins that can change anything they want, within their own little boxes.

Would also be nice if you had a way to make it so that other users could manage permissions. (but that is a dream)

I will request a feature then...

Allow none admins to use these options.

If a user has view/add/edit/delete import/export etc...

why would you not allow them to refactor???

I don't want them to be an admin because I don't want that user to gain access to other users personal folders/password.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3w_-vEAxNa8VWhNS3ZZWEFlaWM/edit

That is a link to a screen shot of the issue.

I have an MSSQL database as my datastore.

while logging in as the "sa" for the database I can refactor no problem.

When I log in as my user (which is ALL but the admin) the refactor menu is Blank (no icons)

I should have posted back to this a while ago.

The issue, David is correct, is NOT RDM. it is MSSQL server.

If you supply a username and password to MSSQL in a connection string it thinks that you mean to authenticate via the MSSQL server and tries to do so.

If you use integrated security it simply passes the security token onto the AD.

There is no step in between that allows MSSQL to authenticate a user via the AD with the give text username and password.

Thanks

Finally was able to get a moment with my co-workers computer, and the exact same issue happens on his computer as it does on mine. (he isn't using and has never setup the connection to the MSSQL server data source, and has his own private XML file.

I tried that just as a test David... no go.

Here is what I do to recreate the issue every time.

1) Create new XML data source (though the error happens with my MSSQL data source as well in the same way.)

2) Left hand tree, right click and choose new entry.

3) select Group/Folder (left hand side) and Server (right hand side) Click OK.

4) Type in a name, change the credentials to inherited (though I tested this with default and it still happens)

5) Fill out the Hostname and IP address. Click OK to create the group/folder

6) Left hand tree, right click on the newly created group/folder and choose new entry.

7) Choose RDP session, name it RDP (though the error happens with any name)

8) Clear "RDP" from the computer text box, place cursor there, and click "view variable list" at the bottom of the page.

9) browse to the "Device/Workstation/Server Variables" tab, and double click on $COMPUTER_IP$.

it is at this stage that NOTHING happens, the screen goes away but the variable isn't placed into the text box.

Things that I have tried.

Creating the group/folder as a workstation, no change.

Typing the variable in manually, the text stays in the text box, but when you attempt to connect to the session, it tries to connect to $COMPUTER_IP$ instead of parsing the variable.

Tried other sessions, Telnet, Putty, FTP, RDP, VM Infastructure.... None that I have tried will work with the variables for servers/workstations.

I have tried, with success Other Variables. Seems that variables from "Entry" and "Environment Variables" tabs work, though there are some from the Environment tab that don't as well (Like $HOME_PATH$) All other tabs, either will not even let me double click, or do not paste anything in the field when I do double click.

I hope that procedure helps.....

(I will see when my colleague gets here if I can create the issue on his computer as well.

In my attempts to find a better organizing strategy, I realized that I just shouldn't use sub connections. However.

when I attempt to create a "server" folder/group and setup it's host name and ip address. When I add a session to that group, I can't seem to use the variable $COMPUTER_IP$ from the "device/workstation/server variables" tab. When I double click or choose copy to clip board. Nothing happens. I tried just typing in the host name and it didn't parse the variable...

What up with that David?

Currently using 8.0.12

Updated to 8.0.12 Seems to have solved the problem.

Thanks!

edited by visiodei on 1/11/2013

This issue extends to not just sub connections, but ALL entries within a group/folder, instead of just the selected items.

I just refactored two internet entries with my webpage template, and it applied that to all 20 of the entries within the group. (which means I now have to delete and re-import them)

(Here we are again david hahahaha)

If I select a group of session (in this case it was websites), but Not their subconnections.

and refactor them, by appling a template (which changes the icon, and default web browser)

when doing this the sub connections are lost.

Creating duplication entries does not cause an issue.

If I create a group/folder with the same name as another group/folder within the parent folder. you don't get an error, you just get one folder by that name....

If you then delete that folder, it isn't deleted.

Never be able to tell which group/folder you are adding sessions to.

I just attempted to create this bug in another way, and I couldn't.

Seems to be either, and issue with my system in specific, Or it can only be created by using a set of entries that were imported from an XML file.

If you want to take a look at anything let me know, and I will either post it, or I can arrange for you to view my system.

_RNK_ thank you for getting back to us on this one.

I honestly, am just making suggestions on what I see. If there is a better way to use the program the way it is, I Really hope you can fill me in on this, because right now, Group/folder/container view really doesn't apply to the way the program is working.

Here is how I saw it at first.

I create a Group/folder that is the site for all of the connections.

then I create a folder for all the computers at that site, and one for all the networking, and one for all the servers, and one for all the devices. etc.. etc..

Then for each of the servers, I create a session (RDP/VNC.... whatever I use to get to that system).

1000 devices into it.. we started running into issues, and confusion about how to organize, and what the options were for organizing.

For example.

When I create a Folder/Group... I have the option to make a computer "folder" and a server "folder" and a site "folder".... Great that sort of makes sense.

So I create a "Site" (which is actually an object under Group/Folder when creating a new entry).

Now what do I do??

Do I create a group/folder for all of the servers....

and then create a Group/folder of type Server for one of the servers... and within that place my RDP connection, VNC connection, pc Anywhere connection and Telnet connection???

In this case, my tree view ends up with quite a lot of "group/folders" that only have one thing in them, so why not just skip the group folder and go with the session.

Or do I create a Server Group/folder within which I place an RDP connection, and then under than RDP connection create Subconnections for VNC/pc anywhere and telnet???

and if this is the case which to you use as the parent connection... do you standardize as say RDP is parent, or do you use the connection type you most use, which would leave each server different...

The issue is, and I don't want to sound like you don't know what I am talking about... because with 300 session you most likely do...

The issue is when you have around 1000 sessions (and adding more everyday)... you Desperately search for the simplest, quickest, most standardized way of organizing your sessions.....

which I am having troubles finding in this program.

Hence the reason I asked How the program was intended to be used.... what was the subconnection, and how am I to use it..

If As you said, I use it for only when referencing the parent variables are needed, then we run into the whole issue of which parent session do I choose... the most used one... or a standard one...

I guess my brain just doesn't understand.

(Again with the issue around sub connections David, I am telling you, just get rid of them)

After importing a bunch of old connections from an XML file to my new central MSSQL database.

I moved a group/folder with VNC connections in it.

each of the VNC connections had two sub connections one for pcanywhere and one for remote desktop.

(looked like this Name (Type in brackets))

Computers (Group/Folder)

--VNCServerA (VNC)

----PCAnyWhere (PC Anywhere)

----Remote Desktop (Microsoft Remote Desktop)

--VNCServerB (VNC)

----PCAnyWhere (PC Anywhere)

----Remote Desktop (Microsoft Remote Desktop)

(This list of VNCServers is 8 long)

The bug happens when I Edit the Computers entry (the group/folder).....

If I change it to workstation type.... Everything seems to work just fine.

However the subconnection, even though they are still subconnections, don't know that they are any more.

Some Really strange things start happening, Kinda like everything has been duplicated.

Select and choose edit on the subconnection within the tree view.... the connection that opens, even though having all the same settings does know that it is a subconnection (no parent options, in variables).

However if you open the Main VNC connection, and then go to subconnections and edit the subconnections from there, it knows its a subconnection.

However if I edit in one place, the edits don't show up in the other.

My idea would be to Slow down. :)

I love that RDM is evolving, and that you listen very intently to customer feedback.

my friend and I have laughed because twice, I have updated my computer told him about the new RDM and he gets a newer version than I just downloaded.

But I Also think that this sort of quick fire, adding things to the program to get more features is a bad solution. Simpler is Always better.

We don't need More variables, we need smarter Simpler variables.

you have given us the ability to use custom variables, and reference those in the child, but 90% of the time we only use 3 of the 100 that are there.

Instead, Smarter variables would be nicer, allow 10 truly custom variables. Var1-Var10 allow us to change the names of these variables, and allow us to reference them in the child as something like parent.HostName, or Parent.Location, or Parent.IPAddress.

As for the Sub-connections.

I am not saying No to drag and drop sub-connections (we need that functionality).

I am saying, Why do we have "sub-connections"?????

Simpler is better..

Make EVERYTHING a session.

Make it sort of like a link list. Where a session can have a parent and a child.

I can then create a "session" and give it a parent (which would be like placing it in a folder).

I can then create another session and give it the same parent.

and so on and so on.

This way, not only would you remove the all to confusing differentiation between connection/folder/sub-connection But you make it so that one simple set of rules can govern All objects that the client has created.

Simpler is always better.

Really my biggest question for this post that either of you have yet to really address was the last few paragraphs of my original post. How did you intend us to use the program?

I started using Users and Group when I moved to MSSQL server as the datastore.

You guys have done a wonderful job at making this option.

However I would request that more organization options are added. At this point when you have more than a few groups, they just get cluttered and unorganized.

Some sort of OU would be nice.

Just a dream, but it would be AMAZING if it was able to connect into the Active Directory Credentials. User accounts could be linked to and groups could be added within the AD, and reflect within RDM. (this idea prolly will not happen any time soon)

I wanted to start this thread to get a feel from the Devs as to why the organization is done the way it is done. As well as a possible better understanding of what the general idea was behind certain "features" within the program.

First off, I love this program, I use it on an Hourly basis at work; It come up when I turn my computer on, and it turns off when I shutdown at night; It is a program that I am in and out of so often, that I can justify spending the past 3 weeks (still not finished) organizing and re-entering over 1000 entries, and their credentials into a new database rather than using XML.

That being said, I have run into some fundamental organization issues that seem, to me, to be avoidable by making some rather simple to understand, but large changes to the program.

First, I don't understand the idea behind different types of "groups" and sub connections.

It seems like you have introduced different group types (site, server, workstation, device, etc) as a sort of folder in which connections can be placed, however the bonus of making the distinction between one folder type and another (specific settings for children to inherent) isn't taken advantage of.

Then there is a connection (or so called Entry though that seems to general) which understandably has different types, and a lot of different options. Then you unfortunately add something call Sub connections, which don't make any sense why they are there, but have some wonderful options to them.

With a sub connection, I can reference my parents variables, and link to my parent for all sorts of settings.

The down fall, is that I can't Move a sub connection around, and I can't reference my parent as a connection.

It seems like you are forcing the worst of both worlds by making the distinction between connection/sub connection/folder.

It is my suggestion that the distinction be removed.

I should be able to create a "group" add some "sessions" to that "group", add some "sessions" to those "sessions", add a "group" to those "sessions" and place a "session" within that.

The benefit to this option, is that it will allow for the migration of a child object in one place to be easily move to a different place (while bringing it's children if needed).

If I have a object that represents an RDP connection with a server, and 4 months down the line I need to add SSH object to the same host, I can create a "group", place both of those sessions under that "group" and continue on.

I can as well reference variables in my parent, wherever I am. Currently you don't allow me to place a connection under a group and then within that connection reference my parents IP address.

If there was no distiniction between group, connection, and sub connection; Everything would have a parent that could be referenced.

A object could be created in which other objects could be linked, each referencing their parents information if needed.

In programming terms, it would be a giant link list of generic object pointers.

So the discussion is, what was the idea behind how it is???

If I, say, have a device on the network, and I can connect to it using VNC, PCanywhere, SSH, Telnet, Webpage, and RDP.... how is it you thought that should be represented???

Am I to make a group, into which I place a bunch of connections. (at which point I ask, Why can't those connections reference their parent "group" for information, like IP address, or Host name or contact information?)

Am I to create One connection, and then attach a bunch of sub connections to that. (at which point I ask, why is the name repeated within the display list, and though I can reference parent information, why can't I move those sub connections around?)

Short of it being, unless I my team and I are missing something in the organization of connections in RDM, it seems like you had two visions of the end product when you started programming, and you have ended up in the middle of both with an issue.

Would appreciate your feed back David, and an open discussion about this.

Like I said, We love the program, and use it on an hourly basis. We aren't going to stop using the program because of this, but it would make life A LOT easier if I understood.

Updated to version 8.0.10.0 Issue was resolved, thank you Very much

I am using 8.0.8.0

and I used that simple fix, but this is why it is a bug.. because that shouldn't happen.

So far it works well, but the bug is that it will not stop filling out the form.

For example, if you enter the wrong username and password, and setup the autofill for citrix website, and then try to open the session. RDM autofills the form correctly, but the password is wrong, so the page comes back with an error, and the autofill Fills it out again and submits.

This goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.

Other issue... if you open a session, it logs in correctly. then you logout, if the logout page goes back to the login page, RDM will autofill the form again.

credentials would be nice.

For example, Citrix website is often linked to a domain account, and yet I can't set user specific credentials for a webpage.

Also, User specific settings aren't available for webpages....... Please add this functionality.

#1: You offer currently that ability for the user to specify external or embedded for the connection. PLEASE add the ability to specify monitor number. (most of our users have more than one monitor, and the default setup or 1, 2, or 3 for everything is a bit limiting.

#2: Please add the ability to specify user specific settings to a folder/group. I can setup a folder that uses a credential, and then have every connection in the folder inherit that credential. However, what if that credential is specific to the user, e.g. a domain user, and each users setting needs to be different, then you have to change the credential for each connection, rather than just the folder.