- 4.1. Configuring Connection Protocols
- 4.2. Remote Viewer Connection Options
- 4.3. Multiple Monitor Support
- 4.4. Using USB Devices on Virtual Machines
- 4.5. Using USB Devices on Virtual Machines - Legacy Mode
- 4.6. Configuring a Linux Client to Use USB Redirection in Legacy Mode
- 4.7. Configuring a Windows Client to Use USB Redirection in Legacy Mode
Connection protocols are the underlying technology used to provide graphical consoles for virtual machines and allow users to work with virtual machines in a similar way as they would with physical machines. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization currently supports the following connection protocols:
SPICE
Simple Protocol for Independent Computing Environments (SPICE) is the recommended connection protocol for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization. SPICE is installed and executed on the client that connects to the virtual machine. It provides features including USB redirection and multiple monitor support.
VNC
Virtual Network Computing (VNC) can be used for Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual machines. If a virtual machine is configured to use VNC as its default protocol, you must use a VNC client to connect to that virtual machine. Connecting to a virtual machine using VNC is not possible from the User Portal.
RDP
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) can be used for Windows virtual machines. However, this protocol is only available when user's access the User Portal from a Windows machine with Remote Desktop. Moreover, before users can connect to a Windows virtual machine using RDP, remote sharing must be set up on the virtual machine and the firewall on the virtual machine must be configured to allow remote desktop connections.
Note
SPICE is not currently supported on virtual machines running Windows 8. If a Windows 8 virtual machine is configured to use the SPICE protocol, it will detect the absence of the required SPICE drivers and automatically fall back to using RDP.
Connection protocols enable you to see and interact with virtual machines. In Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager, each connection protocol provides several options for configuring how you connect to graphical console, such as the method of invocation and whether to enable or disable USB redirection.
Procedure 4.1. To configure SPICE console options
- Select a running virtual machine. Click the Edit Console Options button.
- Click the Edit Console Options button to open the Console Options window.
Note
Further options specific to the SPICE and VNC connection protocols, such as the keyboard layout when using the VNC connection protocol, can be configured in the Console tab of the Edit Virtual Machine window.
When the SPICE connection protocol is selected, the following options are available in the Console Options window.
Console Invocation
- Auto: The Manager automatically selects the method for invoking the console.
- Native Client: When you connect to the console of the virtual machine, a file download dialog provides you with a file that opens a console to the virtual machine via Remote Viewer.
- Browser Plugin: When you connect to the console of the virtual machine, you are connected directly via Remote Viewer.
- SPICE HTML5 browser client (Tech preview): When you connect to the console of the virtual machine, a browser tab is opened that acts as the console.
SPICE Options
- Pass Ctrl-Alt-Del to virtual machine: Select this check box for this key combination to be intercepted in the virtual machine.
- Enable USB Auto-Share: Select this check box to automatically redirect USB devices to the virtual machine. If this option is not selected, USB devices will connect to the client machine instead of the guest virtual machine. To use the USB device on the guest machine, manually enable it in the SPICE client menu.
- Open in Full Screen: Select this check box for the virtual machine console to automatically open in full screen when you connect to the virtual machine. Press SHIFT+F11 to toggle full screen mode on or off.
- Enable WAN options: Select this check box to enable WAN color depth and effects for the virtual machine console.
- SPICE Proxy: Select this check box to enable the SPICE proxy.
When the VNC connection protocol is selected, the following options are available in the Console Options window.
Console Invocation
- Native Client: When you connect to the console of the virtual machine, a file download dialog provides you with a file that opens a console to the virtual machine via Remote Viewer.
- NoVNC: When you connect to the console of the virtual machine, a browser tab is opened that acts as the console.
When the RDP connection protocol is selected, the following options are available in the Console Options window.
Console Invocation
- Auto: The Manager automatically selects the method for invoking the console.
- Native Client: When you connect to the console of the virtual machine, a file download dialog provides you with a file that opens a console to the virtual machine via Remote Desktop.
RDP Options
- Use Local Drives: Select this check box to make the drives on the client machine to be accessible on the guest virtual machine.