Virtual_Assist_Settings
Users wishing to maximize the flexibility of the Virtual Assist feature should take the time to properly adjust all of the available settings. To configure settings within the SonicOS management interface, go to the Virtual Assist > Settings screen.
The first decision you need to make is how to provide access for customers to gain support through Virtual Assist. There are two options: 1) provide an “Assistance Code” for customers to enter when accessing the portal after receiving an invitation, or, 2) enable virtual assist support without the need for an invitation.
By setting a global assistance code for customers, you can restrict who enters the system to request help. The code can be a maximum of eight (8) characters, and can be entered in the Assistance Code field. Customers receive the code through an email provided by the technician or administrator. To allow customers to request Virtual Assist support without needing to provide a code, leave the Assistance Code field blank, and select the checkbox to “Enable Support without invitation.”
The “Disclaimer” field allows administrators to set a written message that customers must read and agree to prior to receiving support. If a disclaimer is set, it must be accepted by each customer before they can enter the Virtual Assist queue.
The “Customer Access Link” field allows users to set a URL for customer access to your SSL-VPN appliance, from outside your network. If no URL is entered, the support invitation to customers will use the same URL the technician uses to access the appliance.
Note You should configure this URL if the SSL-VPN appliance is accessed through a different URL from outside your network.
If customers navigate to the technician login page, you have the option to display a link there to redirect them to the support login page. To do this, enable the checkbox to “Display Virtual Assist link from Portal Login.” Support without invitation should be enabled, if you want customers to be able to request help from the login page.
Under the “Notification Settings” screen section, you can customize various aspects of the invitation and technician notification settings. All email address entries in the “Technician E-mail List” field will receive a notification email when a customer enters the support queue (uninvited). A maximum of 10 emails can be added to this list, with each separated by a semicolon.
Users can customize the subject line of support invitation emails by entering the desired text in the “Subject of Invitation” field. The following variables can be used within the “Subject of Invitation” field:
Technician Name: %EXPERTNAME%
Customer Message in the Invitation: %CUSTOMERMSG%
Link for Support: %SUPPORTLINK%
Link to SSL-VPN: %ACCESSLINK%
These variables can also be used in the “Invitation Message” field, where users can further customize the body of the invitation email, by entering the desired text. The message can be a maximum length of 800 characters.
To utilize the email invitation capabilities of Virtual Assist, you must configure the appropriate Mail Server and Mail from Address settings on the Log > Automation screen within the SonicOS management interface:
In the “Request Settings” screen section, on the Virtual Assist > Settings screen, you can configure various settings related to support request limits. The “Maximum Requests” field allows you to limit the number of customers that can be awaiting assistance in the queue at one time.
The “Limit Message” field allows you to enter text to be displayed as a message to customers, when there are currently no available spots in the queue, as the maximum requests limit has been reached.
You can also limit the number of requests coming from a single IP. This prevents the same customer from requesting Virtual Assist support multiple times at once. Enter the desired amount limit in the “Maximum Requests from One IP” field. Enter “0” for no limitation.
To avoid customers waiting indefinitely for Virtual Assist support during high-volume periods, you can set a time limit (in minutes) for how long a customer can remain in the queue without receiving support. Set this limit by entering the desired number of minutes in the “Pending Request Expired” field. Enter “0” if you do not wish to set a limit.
If you encounter requests from unwanted or illegitimate sources, you can block requests from defined IP addresses. This can be done in the “Restriction Settings” screen section.
Click the “Add” button to add a source IP address to block. A new window will display.
Enter the “Source Address Type” and “IP Address” that you wish to deny support requests from. Click “OK” to submit the information. The newly blocked address will now appear in the “Deny Request From Defined Address” screen section.
Once you have completed all necessary adjustments to the Virtual Assist > Settings screen, click the “Accept” button to lock-in your settings. Click “Cancel” to revert to the most recent settings.
Virtual Assist Stand Alone Client (VASAC) Download and Install
To use Virtual Assist, both the technician and customer must download the Virtual Assist Stand Alone Client (VASAC) from the portal page. From the portal page, the technician can fill-in all the necessary login parameters, then download the client installer by clicking the “Virtual Assist” button. You can double-click the downloaded installer to automatically login to the firewall.
The customer can download and install the VASAC from the customer login page if the option, “Enable Support without Invitation,” has been previously enabled by the administrator.
If the option is disabled, customers must click the provided link from the invite email sent by the technician, to download and launch the VASAC.
Virtual Assist Login and Connection
If the “Enable Support without Invitation” setting is enabled, and customers have installed the VASAC, they can proceed to login to Virtual Assist. The customer must select the “Customer” icon on the left of the panel, then complete the required information fields.
The customer can then click the “Login” button to enter the waiting queue for Virtual Assist.
Once the technician has installed the VASAC, they can proceed to login to Virtual Assist. The technician selects the “Technician” tab, fills in the required login parameters, and clicks the “Login” button.
The main panel will then display for the technician. From this panel, the technician can double-click “Start” from the pop-up menu to initiate the support tunnel with the customer.
Once the tunnel is established, the technician can view and control the customer’s desktop, chat with the customer, and transfer files, if necessary. Control can be terminated at anytime by terminating the support application.