Connection Manager

The Connection Manager is a component that enables the secure connection of a vendor's remote support agent or your internal users to a target environment through the CPAM server. The purpose of establishing secure connections is to facilitate the resolution of issues or the installation of files that are otherwise unavailable to a target system.

The Connection Manager creates the connection between vendor support agents or internal users and target assets through the same SSH tunneling of the Gatekeeper installed in the target system’s device. With this tunneling, the Connection Manager enables vendor support agents or internal users to aid while also creating detailed logs of the support agent activities in the target environment.

Use this document to install the Connection Manager.

IMPORTANT:

Internal Users must install the Connection Manager before attempting to Connect to Sessions.

Requirements

To download and install the Connection Manager, CPAM users must have access to the following:

  • Internet Connectivity: You must have a stable connection to download the Connection Manager. Internet connection is also necessary to initiate remote secure connections known as sessions.

Install the Connection Manager

Install the Connection Manager with the following steps.

  1. Click Connect for the Gatekeeper you want to access.

  2. Select Download and Run Connection Manager.
    Your browser downloads the ConnectionManager file.

  3. Open the file that downloads from your browser.

  4. Click Start Connection if the session does not start automatically.
    You are redirected to the Active Session page.

  5. Locate the Service you want to run and select the client you want to run it with.
    NOTE: Consider that Imprivata Clients enable credential injection; while Microsoft Clients do not support credential injection, but provide greater compatibility.

Each Connection Manager is linked to the Gatekeeper from which it was downloaded. Ensure that you keep track of which Connection Manager belongs to which customer.

NOTE:

Each user can run only one instance of the Connection Manager at a time.

If a user tries to open a new Connection Manager session while another session is active, the system prevents the new session from starting and keeps the existing session active.

Run the Connection Manager

After you install the Connection Manager, you can now start audited sessions and run services. To run the Connection Manager:

  1. Open your customer’s Gatekeeper.

  2. Click Connect.

    The Sessions page loads in your web browser with details of the active session.

  3. Use the Connection Manager with the following built-in services:

    • Desktop Sharing opens a pop up of your customer’s computer for you to provide support.

    • File Transfer enables you to transfer documents, files, and applications to your customer’s computer.

To create additional services to run with the Connection Manager, read the Services documentation.

Upload Logs to the Server

The Connection Manager includes a built-in feature to collect diagnostic logs from your local system and upload them directly to the CPAM server. This feature simplifies troubleshooting by automatically collecting system information, connection logs, and configuration details in a single operation.

NOTE:

Your server must be version 26.1.6 or later to upload your logs from the Connection Manager.

When you initiate a log upload, the Connection Manager gathers the following diagnostic information:

  • Connection Logs: Activity and connection history from the Connection Manager application installed on the endpoint.

  • System Information: OS version, system configuration, and hardware details:

    • On Windows, this includes detailed system information (MSInfo).

    • On macOS, this includes logs from the IPConnect framework.

    • On Linux, this includes system configuration details.

  • Configuration Files: Application settings and configuration details.

  • Legacy Logs: Historical logs from previous installations or alternate storage locations

All collected files are automatically compressed into a single ZIP archive for efficient storage and transmission to the server.

To upload logs to the server:

  1. Locate the Connection Manager icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS/Linux).

  2. Right-click the icon to open the context menu.

  3. Select Save and upload logs.

    NOTE:

    On macOS, this option is available in the Actions menu in the menu bar.

    A file save dialog appears, allowing you to choose a local location to store the compressed logs file.

  4. Select a location or accept the default.

  5. The Connection Manager automatically collects and compresses the logs into a ZIP archive.

  6. After the archive is created, the logs are automatically uploaded to the CPAM server without further action required.

After the upload completes, you will receive a notification indicating success or failure:

  • Success: "Logs uploaded successfully": Your logs are now available to your support team for analysis.

  • Error: "Error uploading logs to server": Verify your network connection to the server and try again.

Uploaded logs are stored on the CPAM server according to the following specifications:

  • Location: Logs are stored in a secure scmLogs directory on the server.

  • Organization: Logs are organized by upload date in YYYY-MM-DD format.

  • Naming Convention: {userid}-{os}-{receipt}.zip

    • {userid}: The user ID of the account that uploaded the logs.

    • {os}: The operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

    • {receipt}: A unique timestamp identifier for tracking the upload.

  • Retention: Logs older than 30 days are automatically deleted from the server

To remove logs from your local machine:

  1. Right-click the Connection Manager icon in your system tray or menu bar.

  2. Select Clear logs.

  3. Confirm the action when prompted.

This action removes all logs from your local machine, including legacy logs from alternate locations. It does not affect logs that have already been uploaded to the server.

IMPORTANT:

Clearing logs will remove all local diagnostic information. Ensure you have uploaded logs to the server before clearing them if you need them for support purposes.

Read the Logs Upload Troubleshooting if you have issues attempting to upload the logs to your server.

Session Logs

The Session Manager saves logs of all the activity during a session. To download and view the logs, you must be a System Administrator or have the relevant permissions in a custom role.

View the session logs with the following steps:

  1. Open the Admin Console.

  2. Open the History tab.

    • Review the server's entire history in Connection History.

    • Review your personal history in My Connection History.

Log Files

In the latest version of the Connection Manager, all layers write to a single log file named connection-manager.log. The location of this file depends on the Operating System (OS). In environments running earlier releases, log files might still be located in legacy paths. See the table below for the legacy and current log file locations.

Component Old Path New Path (since v 26.2)
UCM (Windows) C:\Users\<username>\connection.manager.log C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Connection Manager\Logs\connection-manager.log
Windows Clients C:\Users\<username>\rsswinlog.txt C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Connection Manager\Logs\rsswinlog.txt
Quick-Connect Windows C:\Users\<username>\rsswinlog.txt C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Quick Connect\Logs\quick-connect.txt
UCM (MacOs) ~/connection-manager.log ~/Library/Logs/Connection Manager/connection-manager.log
MacOs IP Connect ~/ip_connect.log ~/Library/Logs/IPConnect/ip_connect.log
MacOs Cert Installer ~/*cert-installer*.log ~/Library/Logs/Connection Manager/*cert-installer*.log
UCM (Linux) ~/.connection-manager.log ~/.local/state/connection-manager/logs/connection-manager.log (or $XDG_STATE_HOME/connection-manager/logs/connection-manager.log)
Quick-Connect Linux ~/securelink-quick-connect.log ~/.local/state/quick-connect/logs/securelink-quick-connect.log (or $XDG_STATE_HOME/quick-connect/logs/securelink-quick-connect.log)
Note:$XDG_STATE_HOME is an environment variable that defaults to ~/.local/state if not set.

Each Operating System (OS) also has a different staging folder:

  • Windows: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\ConnectionManager

  • MacOS:~/Library/Application Support/ConnectionManager ​​

  • Linux: ~/.connection-manager ​

The Connection Manager creates a separate log per layer, as shown in the following table:

Layer Location by Operating System (OS)
Native Component (including the Java wrapper)

  • Windows: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\rsswinlog.txt.dbg

  • MacOS: ~/com.securelink.scmmac %timestamp%.log

  • Linux: ~/securelink-connection-manager.log

Java Connectivity Library

  • Windows: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\sdccmlog.txt.dbg​

  • MacOS: ~/sdccmlog.txt.dbg​

  • Linux: ~/sdccmlog.txt.dbg
GK Session Handler

  • Windows: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\sdclog%SESSION%.txt.dbg

  • MacOS: ~/sdclog%SESSION%.txt.dbg

  • Linux: ~/sdclog%SESSION%.txt.dbg

Each Operating System (OS) also has a different staging folder:

  • Windows: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\SecureLink\SLinkSW

  • MacOS:~/Library/Application Support/SLinkSW ​​

  • Linux: ~/.SLinkSW ​ ​​