Configure the Datastore dynamically

Note: The following procedure is based on DHCP server with Microsoft Windows Server 2016. Procedural steps may differ for other server versions.

For each DHCP server in your environment, do the following:

  • Open the Console on a computer from which the Console connects to the Datastore that should be specified by the DHCP server.
  • At Datastore > Connections in the Setup menu, click Browse button. This opens the Primary Datastore properties window. Click Export to open the Export Database connection string window, containing an encrypted string of the Datastore connection settings.
  • Click the Copy to clipboard button or click the Export to file button to export the string into a text file for later reference.
  • Close the Console.
  • Log on to the DHCP server and open the DHCP snap-in.
  • Select the DHCP server in the list and click Action > Set Predefined Options. This opens the Predefined Options and Values window.
  • At Option class, select Microsoft Windows 2000 Options.
  • Click Add to add an option. This opens the Option Type window, in which you can specify a name for the option (for example, "Workspace Control").
  • At Data type, select String.
  • At Code, specify an option ID with a free number in the range from 0 until 255. See http://www.networksorcery.com/enp/protocol/bootp/options.htm for a list of usable options.
  • At Description, specify a description for the option and click OK.
  • At String, paste the database connection string that you copied from the Console and click OK. This string may not exceed 255 characters.
  • Right-click either the Scope Options node or the Server Options node (depending on the option that you want to configure) and choose Configure Options. This will open either the Scope Options window or the Server Options window.
  • On the Advanced tab, select Microsoft Windows 2000 Options in the Vendor class field.
  • In the Available Options area, browse to the option that you created earlier and select its check box. This will also show the string value that you specified earlier.
  • Click Apply and OK.
  • Repeat the process for all your DHCP servers, making sure that each DHCP server refers to the correct Workspace Control Datastore.
  • When specifying Scope options or Server options at your DHCP servers, you can only use option class Microsoft Windows 2000 Options.
  • If the Datastore as specified by a DHCP server cannot be reached, the Agent will automatically revert to its last known Datastore connection settings.
  • To set a specific Agent to ignore the DHCP information, set the registry key HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\RES\Workspace Manager\DisableDHCP in the registry of the Agent, with value "True", "yes" or "1".
  • In the node Administration > Agents, the Connection column reflects how an Agent obtained its Datastore connection settings.
    • Local specifies that the Agent connects to the Datastore using its local settings.
    • DHCP specifies that the Agent connects to the Datastore using the settings of a DHCP server.
    • Local (DHCP disabled) specifies that the Agent connects to the Datastore using its local settings and that location sensing has been disabled for the Agent.
  • Configuring location sensing in your environment can also be very useful when performing unattended installations of Workspace Control. When configured, an Agent will obtain its Datastore connection settings from a DHCP server: it is not necessary to specify these settings in a command line when installing Workspace Control unattended. See Getting Started with Workspace Control for more information.