Welcome to Hosted Private Cloud

This User Guide has been created to help you get started with your Hosted Private Cloud (HPC) environment. It includes information on HPC account administration, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to download, deploy, and turn up new Virtual Machines. It also contains valuable links to online references from VMware.

HPC User Management

The customer has the ability to allocate resources and provision within the vSphere environment, as well as access administration for their internal users through vCenter. Customers have the liberty to do their own user management via self-integrated Active Directory or LDAP services. The process below is a requirement for those that choose not to do their own user management.

HPC Account Administration

Account contacts are used by US Signal to validate that a person is authorized to place order or support requests when interacting with the US Signal TOC and Service Delivery team. A multi-tiered approach has been implemented to allow for efficient account management and allow for personnel management while maintaining a secure authentication mechanism. Below are the three levels that US Signal has implemented.

• Executive Contact: Primary role is to provide executive authority over the organization if modifications (add/remove/change) occur to an Account Administrator.
• Account Administrator: Primary role is to provide authority over the account users if modifications (add/remove/change) are necessary. They can request a PIN and/or password reset, but the user receives their PIN directly and/or must set their password themselves.
• Users: General HPC users. Users can not modify (create/remove/ change) other users or account contacts. Users can only reset their own PIN and/or password.

Requirements:

Each customer with HPC service must provide the following contacts to US Signal on the HPC User Form before the HPC environment can be turned over to the customer. This form will be provided by your sales team.

• (1) Executive Contact
• (1) Account Administrator

*Additional contacts of each type are permitted.

After the HPC environment has been turned over to you, changes to these contacts can be made by calling the US Signal TOC.

PIN

When requesting support, a PIN and email address will be requested by a US Signal TOC Technician. PINs are generated on a per user basis when a HPC service is handed over to a customer. Each account contact or user receives a private email message that contains their own unique 4-digit PIN. The PINs are encrypted and securely stored. US Signal does not have the ability to view or retrieve customer PIN.

Password Generation

HPC passwords are neither stored nor viewable by US Signal personnel. Passwords are set by initiating a screen sharing session with the user and having them create their own unique password. An authorized user will be asked to call into the US Signal TOC at 888.663.1700 while having a computer available to participate in a screen sharing session initiated by US Signal.

Requirements:

• Minimum of (8) characters including (1) upper case, (1) lower case, (1) number, (1) “special character.”
• Reset passwords must contain fewer than (4) of the same characters found in the previous password.
• The system remembers the last (5) passwords and won’t allow reuse.

PIN and Password Frequently Asked Questions

Q: A User or Account Administrator has forgotten their password, what do we do?

A: The individual must call the US Signal TOC and authenticate themselves with their PIN. If correct, the TOC will initiate a screen sharing session so the individual can create a new unique password.

Q: A User or Account Administrator has forgotten their PIN, what do we do?

A: The individual must call the US Signal TOC and request a PIN reset. The TOC will generate a new PIN email message that will be sent directly to the email associated with the individual.

Q: An Account Administrator needs to add/remove a User, what do we do?

A: The Account Administrator must call the US Signal TOC and authenticate themselves with their PIN. These requests are processed M-F 8am-5pm EST.

Q: An Account Administrator contact needs to be added/removed, what do we do?

A: The Executive Contact must call the US Signal TOC and authenticate themselves with their PIN. These requests are processed M-F 8am-5pm EST.

Q: An Executive Contact needs to be added/removed/updated, what do we do?

A: The Account Administrator must call the US Signal TOC and authenticate themselves with their PIN. A call into the customer’s HR department will be made to validate the new Executive Contact’s credentials. These requests are processed M-F 8am-5pm EST.

Accessing Your HPC Environment

HPC offers you remote access into your private environment for administration and management via the vSphere Web Client. The vSphere Web Client is privately hosted on the customer’s private IP space; the customer will need to be on a host on their network to access the Web Client. Additionally, vCenter access provides the opportunity to use third party software and utilities that a customer may require for disaster recovery (i.e. virtual machine backup, replication, etc.) implementations.

For vCenter 6.X customers - You will need to setup a conditional DNS forwarder to point towards your vCenter Server address for the <ordernumber>.local domain. This DNS forwarder in your environment will ensure you can successfully log into the vCenter Web Console of your HPC environment.

Deploying Microsoft Licensing VMs

US Signal has a Service Provider License Agreement with Microsoft which allows you to license certain operating systems for your virtual machines. Access to licensed virtual machines is included for all HPC customers. This section will outline how you can deploy a US Signal Microsoft-licensed virtual machine in your HPC environment.

Downloading Your Licensed Template

Licensed virtual machine templates are stored in OVA/OVF file formats.This allows you to easily download your desired template(s) and seamlessly deploy the Operating System into your HPC environment. Simply access the US Signal Customer Portal (https://ussignal.com/portal), and download the desired template by going to the Resources – Support section. Search for “HPC” for quick access. You must have an established US Signal Customer Portal login for access to the link above.

Deploying the OVF Template into theHPC Environment

1. Deploy the OVF template
   1. Log into your HPC environment
   2. Navigate to the VMs and Templates window
   3. [Right-Click] the virtual data center you’d like to deploy in
   4. Select ‘Deploy OVF Template’
2. Deploy the OVF template *Note: Deploying OVF files requires the VMware Client Integration plugin. You will be prompted to install it if needed.
   1. Select local file and browse to the file location
   2. Click ‘Next’
   3. Review all details and click ‘Next’
3. Designate the destination of your template
   1. Choose the destination folder – click ‘Next’
   2. Select the cluster, host, vApp or resource pool to run the template in – click ‘Next’
   3. Select the storage you’d like the template to reside on – click ‘Next’
   4. Select the network the deployed template should use – click ‘Next’
   5. Click ‘Finish’ to start creation of the virtual machine
   6. After clicking ‘Finish, a new task for creating the virtual machine will appear in the recent tasks pane

Turning Up Your Licensed Virtual Machine

1. Power-on your newly deployed Virtual Machine
   1. Go to the Virtual Machines page in the vSphere Web Client
   2. Click on the VM that you deployed to reach the VM details page
   3. Click the ‘Actions’ list at the top of the window and select ‘Power On’
2. US Signal OVFs come preinstalled with VMware tools. If an update is available:
   1. Click ‘Upgrade VMware Tools’ in the yellow box
   2. Follow the prompts to completion
3. Launch the console of the Virtual Machine by selecting ‘Launch Console’
   1. After network connectivity has been established for Windows 2012, 2016, and 2019 Virtual Machines, the server will be automatically activated with Microsoft

Installing Microsoft Applications Subscribedto Through US Signal

1. If you have licensed a qualifying Microsoft application (SQL, Exchange, etc.) through US Signal you will have the ability to attach Microsoft install media to vSphere virtual machines for software installation. License keys have already been embedded into the software installation process. Note: If you are missing any of your ordered Microsoft install media from your catalog, please reach out to US Signal’s Technical Operations Center.
2. To install media from your catalog, navigate to the Summary Menu of the Virtual Machine on which the media will be installed.
3. Within the VM Hardware section find CD/DVD drive, click the drop-down arrow, and select ‘Connect to Content Library ISO file’. 
4. Select the Microsoft ISO image to mount to the CD/DVD drive and click OK. Once the media has been inserted you can log on to the VM and perform the installation of the application.
5. Once the application installation has been completed remove the media from the virtual machine by clicking the drop-down arrow next to CD/DVD drive and selecting “Disconnect’.

Microsoft Licensing FAQ

What options do I have for licensing Windows Server in the US Signal Cloud?

Within HPC

Customers who have HPC environments through US Signal have a couple of options for licensing Microsoft Windows Server.

1. Utilize Windows Server through US Signal - Customers who select this option will not see a line-item charge for Windows Server in their monthly billing, it is included in the base monthly charge. When customers select this option, US Signal licenses each physical server core within the HPC environment with Windows Server data center licenses. This allows the customer to deploy unlimited Windows VM’s within their HPC environment without incurring any additional cost.
   1. Customers who limit Windows to specific ESX hosts, only need to license Windows server on those specific hosts. Please notify US Signal if there are any ESX hosts within your HPC environment which have rules applied preventing Windows Server from being installed, so the US Signal licensing can be updated.
   2. Bring your own Windows Server license - Deploying Windows Server licenses from your own Microsoft Volume Licensing agreement is a benefit exclusive to dedicated hardware environments (HPC). This is not available in a shared environment (Resource Pool). Customers who choose to deploy their own Windows Server licenses in their HPC should notify US Signal to exclude Windows Server licensing.

What Windows Server Editions and Versions are Available with HPC?

• Windows Server data center - 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019
• Windows Server Standard - 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019

How Do I License Microsoft Applications Within HPC?

1. License eligible Microsoft applications through US Signal - US Signal is authorized to provide specific Microsoft products per the terms of the Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement. Licensing eligible products through US Signal allows for the flexibility of month-to-month billing without being tied up in complex long-term software contracts.
2. Bring Your Own Software License - If you have already purchased Microsoft Software via an eligible Volume Licensing Agreement, you have a couple of options for bringing your own licenses to the US Signal Cloud.
   1. Without Software Assurance - Utilizing US Signal’s Hosted Private Cloud provides access to hardware fully dedicated for your use. This allows you to bring certain Microsoft software licenses without Software Assurance and License Mobility Benefits. Refer to the Microsoft Product Terms to confirm eligibility for your specific application.
   2. With Software Assurance - Although Software Assurance is not always required to bring your own licenses to a dedicated environment, Software Assurance does come with additional benefits such as new version rights or additional Disaster Recovery and Fail-Over rights that are necessary to maintain license compliance.
      1. Windows Server Remote Desktop User Licenses (RDS) with active Software Assurance are eligible to deploy to either shared or dedicated environments through RDS Extended Rights.

A summary of Microsoft’s required steps for deploying licenses through License Mobility or Extended rights is available via the following link here. Once eligibility is confirmed, Microsoft requires completion of the following steps to be compliant.

Within 10 days of deployment, you must complete the License Verification Form and provide it to your Microsoft representative or preferred resell partner.

A License Verification Form is required in 3 specific scenarios:

1. When eligible licenses are deployed with an Authorized Mobility Partner.
   1. Each time additional licenses are deployed; a new form is required.
2. When your Software Assurance is renewed.
3. When you renew your Volume Licensing Agreement.

What Microsoft Application Editions and Versions are Available with US Signal Licensing?

The following products are currently available:

• Exchange Server Standard and Enterprise 2013, 2016, 2019
• SQL Server Standard and Enterprise 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019
• Office Professional & Standard 2013, 2016, 2019
• Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

What are the Key Support Dates of the Microsoft Software that is Available Through US Signal?

VMware Support Center

VMware has a comprehensive support center to help its users navigate and learn the operations for its various product offerings. We encourage you to utilize these resources to better understand this product. You can find information at the following locations:

• VMware Learning Center (Step by step video guides) http://vmwarelearning.com/
• vSphere Documentation Center https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/index.html