Enable security in Remote Agent and add users for Linux target station

Enable security in Remote Agent on a Linux target device to allow only certain users to connect to the device.

Before you begin this task, install or upgrade the software files on the target station, then run Remote Agent on the target station. For more information, see Install and run IoT View on a target station.

Default Authentication

When you run the Remote Agent the first time on the Linux target station, it will create a self-signed certificate pair placed in the ~/.iotview/private_key directory for the user running Remote Agent. There may be a delay of seconds or minutes for the key to be generated. If you want to create your own certificates, please contact your software provider.

Default User Account

When Remote Agent starts, a default user is created with all Authorizations. The default Log On To Target dialog User Name and Password are both admin. The first time you connect to the Remote Agent on a Linux station, you must change the default password before you can continue. After adding other users, you can change logged in users by disconnecting, and then reconnecting with the new user credentials.

To enable security and add users:

1. Open the Remote Management dialog (select Connect in the Remote Management group of the Home tab of the ribbon) and open the Target tab. Connect to the target station using the fields in the Target Station group, typing the host name or IP address of the target station in the Host field and enabling Use TLS, then selecting Connect when it becomes available. (The connection will not work until you have installed and upgraded the software files on the target station as discussed above.)

   

   If this is the first time connecting to the Linux target station, log in with the default user account described above.

   When you are successfully connected to the target station, the connection status is shown in the Status box and the device specifications are shown in the Platform box.

   If you cannot connect to the target station, check both the connection settings and the physical network connections. In particular, check that port 4322 is open on any firewalls between your computer and the target station.

2. If this is the first time connecting to the Linux target station with this version of the software, select Install in the Runtime Files group to update the runtime files on the target station.

   The Only newer files option is enabled by default to minimize the time required to install the files. If you want to reinstall all of the files (a "clean install" on the target station), clear the Only newer files option before selecting Install runtime files.

3. After successfully connecting, select the Remote Agent Users tab.

   • All of these fields will be unavailable unless you have a working connection to the target station.

   • Add will be available if you are logged in as a user with Grant Permissions enabled. (The default user account described above has Grant Permissions enabled.)

   • Remove will be available if a user is highlighted and if if you are logged in as a user with Grant Permissions enabled. (The default user account described above has Grant Permissions enabled.)

   • Edit will be available if a user is highlighted.

     

4. Choose Built-in on the Authentication Mode menu if necessary. This choice uses the native user authentication mechanism. Other choices may be available in future releases.

5. Select the Add button to add users to the User List.

   The Users dialog box is displayed. Create the user by filling in the Name and Password. Select Save to close the User dialog box and add the user to the User List.

   

   Name

   The user name is restricted to 32 alphanumeric and symbol characters, including spaces in the middle of the string (leading and trailing spaces are ignored). It is not case sensitive.

   Password

   The password is restricted to 32 alphanumeric and symbol characters. It is case sensitive.

   Authorizations

   The available types are:

   Authorization	Description
   Download	Send files or an entire project to the target station.
   Run/Stop	Run or stop the project runtime server on the target station.
   Install Runtime Files	Install the project runtime software on the target station.
   Grant Permissions	Add another user and specify permissions for that user on the target station.

6. Repeat this process for all of the users that should be able to connect to the device.

7. You can also highlight an already added user in the User List and choose the following operations, if the control is available.

   • Select Edit to change the user Credentials or Authorizations.

     

     Note: You can edit the Credentials and Authorizations for another user if you are logged in as a user that has Grant Permissions enabled. All users have access to edit their passwords.

     Note: The automatically generated admin user cannot disable its Grant Permissions Authorization. (Otherwise, you could accidentally lose access to Grant Permissions entirely on the target station.) You can remove Grant Permissions from the admin account if logged on as a different user that has Grant Permissions enabled.

   • Select Remove to remove the highlighted user from the User List.

8. Select OK to close the Remote Management dialog and save your changes.