Step 1 - Prepare for Installation

To prepare for installing Pano Express for SMB or Pano Express for Education (Pano Express) you should perform a Site Assessment to check that your network and data center are ready and collect the information needed for the setup process.

Also, conduct a user survey to collect information on users and their DVMs configurations and collections needed for the post-installation administration of Pano Express for SMB or Pano Express for Education.

I. Assess Network Infrastructure

The first step in the Site Assessment is to survey your LAN setup and determine if you are prepared for the Pano Express deployment - specifically you need to check on and document the following:

  1. You need to have a single operating DHCP server on your LAN - this is typically provided by either a Windows Server or a router. The DHCP server will need to be configurable to provide DHCP leases to the Pano Zero Clients as well as vendor-specific settings for Pano Controller.  You need to obtain the admin user ID and password for the DHCP server so that it can be reconfigured as needed during the installation.
  2. The LAN must be 100 Mb/s or better Ethernet and the Pano Express server on a 1 Gb/s Ethernet backbone LAN. 
  3. The following network information will be need to be collected:
    1. The subnet mask for your LAN (e.g. 255.255.0.0)
    2. The IP address for your default gateway
    3. The IP address of your primary DNS server
    4. The Default DNS domain name on which the system will reside (e.g. company.com) - note that this is not the Active Directory domain name you might be using for your Windows networking
  4. Three static IP addresses will need to be reserved on your network for the preloaded VMs and hosts listed below:
    1. Pano Controller VM – named Pano-Controller
    2. vCenter VM – named Pano-vCenter
    3. ESXi physical host (server) ) – Unnamed - although it is not required to name your ESXi Host you can find instructions on this process in the setup and configure Server (Step 4) of the Install check list
  5. Connecting Pano Controller to a Directory Services server (e.g. Microsoft Active Directory) is optional (please see Step 7-Connect Directory Service) and not required by the default installation.  However a directory service is strongly recommended as it can provide user authentication and enable additional user-based functionality in Pano Controller.  For a list of supported directory services, see helptopic:Supported Directory Services. Without integrating a directory services server all Pano Express DVMs will sit in a single Windows workgroup and only be able to use Device Based Collections - for information on User Based DVM Collections please see helptopic:Create and Manage DVM Collections.

Please see the System Requirements page for more detailed information on the network requirements and configuration.

II. Prepare Server Location

The next step in Site Assessment is to review the data center location for the Pano Express server.  The server requires a 1U rack mount space with a minimum depth of 27 inches.  You will also need to provide 110 volt AC connection and at least one Ethernet connection for the server - ideally a 1 Gb/s Ethernet backbone connected to your switched 100 Mb/s Ethernet LAN.  Recommended operating conditions for the server are documented on the Pano Express for SMB or the Pano Express for Education data sheets.

Finally you will need a Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse connected to the Pano Express server.  This is required to obtain or set the ESXi host management IP address; you can find instructions on setting up the management IP address via the consoles in the setup and configure Server (Step 4) section II.

III. Assess Pano Device Deployment Locations

The next step in the Site Assessment is to check on the locations where the 30 Pano Devices will be deployed.  You need to ensure that each of the locations where a Pano Device user will be located has access to a power outlet and a 100 Mb/s Ethernet connection to the LAN.  More information on Pano Device requirements and specifications can be found in the Pano System data sheet.

You will also need to provide a suitable monitor, keyboard and mouse.   Information on compatible peripherals can be found in the online documentation - helptopic:Supported USB Devices

IV. Document Site Assessment

Finally you should capture the results of the site assessment along with the network settings to ensure they are available for the Setup Wizard.  Specifically, you need to capture the following information:

  1. Static Network Information - network information needed by the Setup Wizard: subnet mask, default gateway IP address, primary DNS server IP address, default DNS domain the ESXi server will be joined to.
  2. Static IP Addresses - needed for the ESXi physical host, Pano Controller VM, and vCenter VM.
  3. DHCP Server Information - IP address, admin user ID and password.
  4. Pano Express Server Location - rack space, power and network connections.
  5. Directory Services Server Information (optional) - server type, name, admin user ID and password.
  6. Pano Device deployment locations - for each Pano Device you should collect: Device S/N, user/workstation name and location, LAN and power, and any attached peripheral devices and required driver files.

Sample Pano Express Site Assessment A Sample Pano Express for SMB/Education Site Assessment form (as a Microsoft Word RTF file) is provided to serve as a template.


 




V. User Survey

The next step is to conduct a User Survey to collect information on users and their DVMs configurations and collections needed for the post-installation administration of Pano Express for SMB or Pano Express for Education.

Determine Users

The first step in the User Survey is to determine which sets of users or use cases are good candidates for Pano Express - for example an optimal user:

  1. Uses a mix of local, client-server and web-based applications.
  2. Uses a fixed-location PC desktop rather than a mobile laptop.
  3. Are connected to the data center via a 100 Mb/s or better Ethernet LAN.

Keep in mind that a "user" doesn't need to equate to a specific person or employee - for the purposes of the User Survey they could also include:

  1. General office workers using a few local office suite or productivity applications along with browser-based  applications, such as SaaS ERP or CRM systems.
  2. Dedicated task workers who almost always use only one or two line of business applications, such as call center or customer support workers.
  3. Standardized workstations not assigned to specific users that need to be frequently reloaded with a specific application and OS configuration, such as training room stations.
  4. Manufacturing workstations on a plant floor used for automated software to control or monitor a part of a production line.
  5. Customer-service kiosks that don't require any login and which run a single, locked-down application like self-service portal or a library catalog access point.

The user populations and use cases you select for your Pano Express deployment will be used to populate the User Survey forms in the step below.  

VI. Complete User Survey Forms

The next step is to capture the information on the selected users in a set of User Survey forms which will be used later when you are setting up your DVMs.  The User Survey forms typically include the following information for each user (or use case describing a similar group of users/workstations):

  1. Location and Description of User
  2. Applications needed in DVM - list any applications other than standard ones installed as part of the OS along with the version and any installation settings.
  3. Peripherals / Drivers needed in DVM - e.g. printers, document scanners, point-of-sale barcode readers, etc. connected to the user’s Pano Device – you can exclude USB keyboards and mice natively supported by Windows - and any specialized driver files which need to be installed into their DVMs.
  4. Shared Network Resources Needed - any saved connections to shared resources that will be embedded in the DVM.  Examples are a folder redirection used for the My Documents folders, other network file shares, or networked peripherals such as printers.
  5. Other Credentials or Settings Needed - any passwords or other access credentials needed to establish links to the user's assigned resources on the network such as applications or backup/archive systems that will be embedded in DVM.

Sample Pano Express User Survey form (as a Microsoft Word RTF file) is provided to serve as a template.

 



 

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