From Userful Support

Userful Manager User Guide

Copyright © 2008 Userful Corporation. All rights reserved.
(Updated 2008-11-16)

This document is also Chapter 6 of the Userful Desktop Administrator Guide

Introduction to Userful Manager

Userful Manager (UM) is a web-based portal for managing settings related to the administration and operation of Userful Desktop. Use Userful Manager to modify settings on Userful Desktops including passwords and points of contact for system event notification emails. Customize settings such as operating hours and locations, Welcome Screens and CD drive access to fit your unique needs.

Accessing Userful Manager

Userful Manager can be accessed from any computer with a Web Browser and Internet access. To access the Userful Manager:

1. Open http://manage.userful.com/ in a web browser.
2. If you have a UM account, enter the email address and password for that account. If you do not have a UM account, you may create one by clicking “Register”. If you have forgotten your password, click “Forgot your password?” to have a new automatically generated password sent to your registered email address.
3. Click the “Log In” button to log in to UM.

Note: If you have previously incorrectly registered your Userful Manager, on the Administrator Mode desktop of the Userful Manager, double-click the “Advanced Tools” folder, then double-click the “Register System” icon to re-register it.

While Userful Manager offers many ways to configure and monitor Userful Desktop computers, five core components must be configured in order for the DiscoverStation to operate correctly.

The core Userful Desktop components are:

1. Location & Operating Hours: Defines the times when the Userful Desktops are available at each location or branch.

2. Usage Agreements: Usage Agreements ensure that users agree to terms of use before being granted access to the Userful Desktop.

3. Desktop Profiles: Desktop Profiles contain information about various desktop environments, such as which program icons appear on the desktop as well as which programs will automatically be started upon log in.

4. Session Properties & Timing (Session Profiles): The Session Profiles defined here utilize the various configuration options offered by Userful Desktop (such as Usage Agreements and Desktop Profiles) and combine them into Userful Desktop sessions that providers can offer to users. Some examples are Internet Kiosk sessions and Office Productivity sessions.

5. Welcome Screens: Welcome Screens provide a convenient way for users to choose their preferred language and Session Profile.

Default values for these five core components are set by Userful, and may have been modified already by the new account setup wizard accessible through Userful Manager.

It is recommended that each of the settings should be set up prior to installing/upgrading a Userful Desktop. Typically, these settings will be shared by all Userful Desktops within a particular organization. The following sections provide an ordered step-by-step overview about configuring essential settings.

Updating Configurations

For any changes in Userful Manager to take effect on Userful Desktop computers, you must update computers in the “My Computers” control panel. From the main Userful Manager screen, click “My Computers” then click the “Apply Configuration” button next to any central computer boxes you wish to update. The configuration changes will be applied the next time the Userful Desktop retrieves information from the Userful Manager server (updated every four hours).

Should you wish to immediately see the effects of your changes, press "Ctrl-Alt-U" on the Userful Desktop machines that are to be updated (you only need to do this on one station per machine). You may also enter Administrator Mode on the Userful Desktop (press “Ctl+Alt+A” and then enter the Administrator Mode password) and double click the “Update Configuration” icon on the desktop.

Locations and Operating Hours

Locations and operating hours should be defined prior to configuring other options. From the main Userful Manager screen, click “Locations & Operating Hours”.

To create a new location, click “Create a new Location”. To edit the details about an existing location, click the name of the location you wish to alter. In both cases, a screen will ask you to supply or edit details about the location. Click “Save & Next >>” to proceed to the operating hours screen. You may also enter the Operating Hours screen directly by clicking on a location’s operating hours on the Locations & Operating Hours screen.

On the Operating Hours screen, specify the opening hours (in the first column) and closing hours (in the second column) for each day of the week. Specifying “Closed” (at the head of each drop down list) for either the opening or closing hour for a particular day will set the entire day to “Closed”. Click “Save” to return to the Locations & Operating Hours screen.

Once locations and operating hours are defined, you may return to the main Userful Manager screen by clicking the Userful Manager icon in the upper left corner of the screen.

Usage Agreements

Users must agree to Usage Agreements before accessing applications or the Internet on stations managed by Userful Manager. Usage Agreements are displayed after a user has chosen a session profile on the Welcome Screen. You may define and store any number of usage agreements, although each Session Profile may only display one Usage Agreement. The name of the agreement should be descriptive and meaningful to Userful Desktop administrators. Examples include “Internet Usage Agreement for adults” and “Computer access for juveniles”.

The Usage Agreement field contains the text of the Usage Agreement. You may copy and paste this text from a word processor, email message or other document.

Click “Usage Agreements”. and then either choose “Create a new Usage Agreement” or, to edit or add a translation to an existing usage agreement, click its name. At this stage, add the new agreement, click “Edit Original Agreement” to alter a Usage Agreement, or use the pull-down menu to choose the appropriate language and click “Add Translation” then supply the text of an appropriate translation. To edit or delete the text of a non-English language agreement, click the “Edit Translation” button next to the language.

Remember to click “Save” to save your changes.

Desktop Profiles

Desktop Profiles allow Userful Desktop administrators to configure the program icons that appear on the desktop and the programs that are automatically started when users log in. To set Desktop Profiles, from the main Userful Manager screen, click “Desktop Profiles”. You may create any number of Desktop Profiles, although each Session Profile many only use one Desktop Profile. Each profile should be given a descriptive name that is meaningful to computer administrators.

To create a new profile, click “Create a new Desktop Profile” on the Desktop Profiles screen. To edit an existing profile, click the name of the profile. The new profile and profile editing screens share the following configurable options:

Programs to launch on startup: Select programs to automatically start when a user logs in with this profile. To select multiple programs, hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard while clicking additional programs with the mouse. Program icons on desktop: Select the list of programs available on the desktop in the selected profile. To select multiple applications, hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard while clicking additional applications with the mouse.

Custom URLs on desktop: Use this option to add links to web sites onto the desktop of users of this profile. URLs must contain all parts of the address (including http://).

Remember to click “Save” to save your changes.

Session Properties & Timing (Session Profiles)

Session Profiles are defined in the “Session Properties & Timing” control panel.

A Session Profile is a collection of settings related to a particular use of a station. A Session Profile includes a Name, Welcome Screen icon, browser start page, and other options. The Welcome Screen lists the Session Profiles available at a particular station.

All Session Profiles are based on either the basic Kiosk or Desktop. Kiosk profiles are intended to provide quick access to web sites and web-based applications such as catalogue searches or email. Desktop profiles are intended to be used for activities such as word processing, job searches and other tasks which require access to a set of applications.

Userful Desktop includes several default profiles that are designed and pre-tested for maximum usability. If you are unsure which settings are best for your users, we suggest that you deviate minimally from these profiles.

Click “Session Properties and Timing” from the main Userful Manager screen to view and configure these settings. To create a new profile, click Create a new Session Profile. To edit an existing profile, click the name of the profile. When creating a new Session Profile, the first screen asks you to choose either the basic Kiosk or Desktop type of profile to proceed. You may switch a profile from one kind to another by clicking the Desktop or Kiosk button at the top of the Add or Edit Session Profile screen.

Individual settings are pre-filled and explained on the form. The settings most often customized are:

Desktop Settings

Name: This is the name of the Session Profile as it appears on the user Welcome Screen.

Welcome Screen Icon: This icon appears next to the name of the Session Profile on the Welcome Screen.

Browser Start Page: Use this to set the home page for the Web browser in this profile.

Usage Agreement: You may assign a different usage agreement to each profile. Note: A Usage Agreement must be set up before it is available for use in a Session Profile.

Session Length: Be sure to set an appropriate session length for each profile. For example, a Session length for resume-building should be longer than one for quick searches.

Desktop Profile: Desktop Profiles allow you to configure which applications appear on the desktop and start menu. The Default Desktop Profile provides links to the most commonly used applications.

Note: You must set up a Desktop Profile prior to assigning it to a Session Profile.

Remember to click “Save” to save your changes.

Kiosk Settings

The Kiosk mode shares many characteristics with the desktop mode, with the exception of the Desktop Profile setting. Instead, Kiosk mode offers settings which determine the appearance and functionality of the web browser. Note that Kiosk mode does not allow users to run applications outside the web browser.

The following settings are most commonly altered from their default values in Kiosk mode:

Block Popups/Windowed Mode: If your web applications use popup windows, popups must not be blocked, and Windowed Mode must be enabled. Blocking popups and disabling Windowed Mode are recommended defaults.

Show Print Button: If users need to print such as maps or tickets from the web browser, enable this option to show a print button in the browser. If printing is not required, or no printers are set up, disable this option. Note that printers must be configured separately. See Chapter 4 for details.

Block Context Menu and Keyboard Navigation: This option disables navigation using anything other than the browser’s navigation buttons and web links.

Hiding various toolbars: Toolbars such as the status or menu bars may be shown or hidden depending on the extent of access required by users.

Remember to click “Save” to save your changes.

Welcome Screens

The Welcome Screen is the first screen seen by users at a station. Configurable aspects include the listed Session Profiles, background image branding and available languages. Each Welcome Screen must have a name and refer to at least one Session Profile. Figure 6.3 shows a typical Welcome Screen for Userful Desktop.

Note: You must set up a Session Profile prior to assigning it to a Welcome Screen.

To set up a new Welcome Screen from Userful Manager:

1. Click “Welcome Screens” from the main menu.
2. Click “Create a new Welcome Screen”. To edit an existing Welcome Screen, click the edit icon next to an existing Welcome Screen. To delete an existing Welcome Screen click the delete icon at its right.
3. Each Welcome Screen must have a name and at least one Session Profile which appears on it. Add a Session Profile to the current Welcome Screen by selecting its name from the drop-down list and clicking “Add this profile to the Welcome Screen”.
4. To change the order in which Session Profiles appear on the Welcome Screen, or to delete them from the Welcome Screen, click the up, down and delete icons next to each Session Profile.
5. Scroll down to configure the Early End of Day Logout, Desktop Background, Screen Saver, and the Welcome Screen Animation and Message. You may also add and configure languages to the list presented in the upper right corner of the Welcome Screen.

Click “Save” to save your changes.

Setting up computers and stations

Click 'My Computers' on the main Userful Manager screen to configure computers. Computers may be added during the Userful Desktop installation by completing the registration step, or at any time after installation by double-clicking the Register Computer icon on the Administrator Mode desktop.

Click the name of a computer to alter its settings on the Edit Computer screen. For each computer, set a name and select its location, then choose a default Welcome Screen for the group of stations connected to this computer.

Note: You must set up a Welcome Screen prior to assigning it to a computer.

Next, configure removable storage. If your central computer is located in a secured area away from users, we suggest disabling access to the internal CD and floppy drives. Also be sure to configure public storage options. Hint: User signage with instructions on how to use removable storage will enhance productivity.

The default settings under Network settings and Boot menu and BIOS password should not be altered without first consulting your IT staff or Userful support.

Click Save to save your changes.

This completes basic computer configuration. The following sections describe configuration options that may not apply to all Userful Desktop installations.

Multi-language configuration

Userful Desktop has application support for over 30 languages including French, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Spanish, and input support for over 10 languages including Chinese Simplified and Traditional, Japanese, Korean and Arabic. Userful Desktop also supports 17 additional keyboard layouts in addition to the standard North American QWERTY layout.

Userful Manager can be used to modify the level of internationalization and multilingual features offered to users through Userful Desktop.

Multilingual Display Support

Userful Desktop includes a default set of translated menus, icons and applications for many languages selectable from the Welcome Screen. The extent of translation varies among languages and applications, with common languages receiving the most extensive translation. Where translations are incomplete, all available translated material will be displayed with remaining untranslated items rendered in English.

Using Multilingual Display Support

Userful Desktop users can start sessions in different languages by selecting a particular language from the multilingual drop-down menu on the Welcome Screen, prior to clicking on a Session.

Once a language has been selected, if the language has translations of the Session Names available, those will be displayed instead. If none exist, the default name will appear with a trailing * appearing after the name.

Clicking on a session will start the session in that language, and any translated desktop icons and menus that are available for that particular language will appear on the desktop when the user logs in. Furthermore, if the user tries to launch an application (for example, the Internet Browser or the Word Processor), if the application has support for the current running language, the application will display itself using that language, depending on the level of support for the current language. This may include translated menus and even translated help files, if available.

Configuring Multilingual Display Support

Userful Manager can be used to select which languages are available to be displayed to users of Userful Desktop.

Configuring Languages Offered on the Welcome Screen

To configure the list of languages appearing on a particular Welcome Screen's drop-down menu, access the properties page for that particular Welcome Screen in Userful Manager. Under the “Languages” section, choose the language that you would like to offer as a choice from the drop-down menu, then click the “Add” button. To delete a language from that list, simply click on the Trash Can icon that appears to the right of the language once it appears in the list.

When done, click “Save”.

Translating the Acceptable Usage Policy

The Acceptable Usage Policy can also be configured to display translations of its text for particular languages. If no translations are provided, the text for the Acceptable Usage Policy that was supplied when it was initially created will appear instead, regardless of the language selected.

To supply translations of a specific Acceptable Usage Policy, access that policy's properties page under the “Usage Agreements” section of Userful Manager. Select a language that you wish to supply a translation for from that section's multilingual drop-down menu, and then click on “Add Translation”. UM will solicit the translated for that particular Acceptable Usage Policy.

When done, click on “Save” at the bottom of the screen.

After updating the Userful Desktop's configuration, the translated text will appear if that language is chosen from the Welcome Screen's multilingual drop-down menu in Userful Desktop, and if Acceptable Usage Policies are enabled for that Welcome Screen.

Translating Session Profile Names

By default, a Session Name will use the same name that it was initially created with for all other languages. To specify a particular translation of that name to be displayed when the language for that translation is selected from the Welcome Screen's multilingual drop-down menu, enter the Session Profile properties page for that particular Session Name in Userful Manager.

If no translations for the Session's Name have been previously provided, click on the “Go Multilingual” button under the “Name” field in the “Basic Settings” section. This will display an interface soliciting a translation for the Session's name, as well as the language to which the translation belongs to. Once done, click the “Add” button to add it to the list of available translations for the Session's name. To delete a translated name from the list, simply click on the Trash Can icon to the right of the particular name.

Note: Different Home Pages for the Internet Browser can be configured for each language available in a session by supplying different URLs for those languages in the “Browser Home Page” option. Doing so requires interacting with an interface similar to the one described above, which can be invoked by clicking on the “Go Multilingual” button for the “Browser Home Page” option.

When done, click “Save” at the bottom of the screen.

Advanced Userful Manager Configuration

Advanced Configuration Options

Though not required for the correct operation of Userful Desktop computers, advanced configuration options may greatly enhance the value of your Userful Desktop purchase. Unlike the core Userful Manager configuration, the following options may be set at any time in any order.

Print Payment Policy

If you have printers installed on your Userful Desktop, the Print Payment Policy determines pricing for print jobs from Userful Desktops. To set the Print Payment Policy, from the main Userful Manager screen, click 'Print Payment Policy'.

Each configurable setting is explained in detail on the Edit Print Payment Policy page. You should avoid the use of non-printable characters such as carriage returns in print payment policies.

Remember to click 'Save' to save your changes.

Upload Artwork for Branding

The Upload Artwork for Branding panel allows you to customize the appearance of your Userful Desktops by uploading custom desktop backgrounds, Welcome Screen animations and screen saver images.

To view and upload these items, from the main Userful Manager screen, click 'Upload Artwork for Branding'.

From the Upload Artwork for Branding screen, you may view, edit and upload desktop backgrounds, Welcome Screen backgrounds and screen saver images. To view current desktop backgrounds, click 'View/Edit Desktop Backgrounds' from the Upload Artwork for Branding control panel. The list of current desktop backgrounds contains a preview of each desktop background image, as well as lists of all the Welcome Screens in which the image is used. Click the image of an existing desktop background or the 'Edit' button next to it to change the name of the image. To delete a desktop background, click the 'Del' button next to the desktop background image.

To upload a new desktop background, click Upload a new Desktop Background from either the main 'Upload Artwork for Branding' control panel, or the 'Desktop Backgrounds' screen. Supply a name for the new desktop background, then click 'Browse...' to select an image file to upload. Click 'Upload' to upload the image. The new desktop background will appear in the list of available desktop backgrounds, which is sorted alphabetically by description.

Screen saver images and Welcome Screen animations may be configured in an analogous fashion as desktop backgrounds. Uploaded artwork may be assigned to profiles from the appropriate control panels.

Note: Uploaded desktop backgrounds and screen saver images must be in .jpg, .tif, .gif, or .png file formats. Welcome Screen pictures must be JPEG files, preferably with dimensions of 1048x868 pixels.

User Groups & Authentication

Each Authentication Profile defines a way to verify the credentials of users prior to granting access to the Userful Desktop. There is a charge associated with integrating an authentication profile with your environment. Please complete the form and consult your Userful representative for instructions on how to configure these settings should you require authentication services.

Note: These settings should not be changed after your system has been integrated to work with your ILS.

My Userful Manager Account

Configure your own Userful Manager account settings using the My Account control panel. Click the Edit button from the My Account screen to change your screen name, password, or e-mail address.

Be sure to click 'OK' to save your changes.

Note: None of the information associated with your account is visible to users.

Manage User Accounts

Use this control panel to create and configure user accounts for individuals to whom you wish to grant access to Userful Manager. The access level granted to a user determines the extent to which they may configure Userful Desktop computers through UM.

Note: Only administrators may access this control panel.

Click 'Create a new User Account' or the name of an existing user account to configure the settings for that user.

The three levels of access are as follows:

Read only - Grants the user the ability to view settings in UM. Read/write - Grants the ability to modify settings in UM. Administrator - Grants read/write access, and the ability to manage user accounts.

Remember to click 'Save' to save your changes.

System Passwords

To configure System Passwords, from the main Userful Manager screen, click System Passwords.

The first configuration screen, Step 1: Edit Passwords, allows you to configure passwords used to access administrative functions to Userful Desktop computers managed by Userful Manager. Described below are the functions which require passwords, and their access key combinations:

• Administrator Password (Ctrl+Alt+A) - Provides access to key administrator resources such as network settings.
• Staff Password - Provides access to a subset of DiscoverAssist functionality for managing stations.
• Time Password (Ctrl+Alt+T) - Extends the length of a session in progress.
• Filter Password (Ctrl+Alt+F) - Turns off filtering for the remainder of the session.
• Reboot Password (Ctrl+Alt+R) - Schedules a system reboot the next time all users are logged out.

After changing passwords, click 'Save & Continue'. In Step 2, it is recommended that e-mails be sent to administrative personnel in your organization to notify them of these password changes.