Installing SOTI apps Server for SOTI Surf

SOTI Surf is a secure mobile browser that allows you to control web access on your devices. Go to SOTI Surf for more information.

The SOTI apps Server component installs the SOTI Surf proxy server component on your server machine, enabling it to provide an encrypted connection between your servers and the SOTI Surf app on your devices.

Note

Installing the SOTI apps Server component on the same machine as MobiControl is not recommended.

Pre-Requisite Information

Perform these actions before you launch the installation wizard to ensure a smooth installation.

Check your Server Compatibility

The SOTI apps Server component is compatible with the following servers:

The SOTI apps Server extension is not supported on 32-bit machines.

You must have administrator rights to the server.

The server must be accessible through a public IP and have .NET Framework 4.5.1 and the MobiControl Root Certificate installed.

Install MobiControl Root Certificate

You must install the MobiControl Root certificate on the server that you are using for the SOTI apps Server component. Follow the instructions at ERG Setup Step 2: Configure the Root Certificate.

Find your Client ID and Client Secret

An API client ID and client secret are required to install the server component. You must have administrator access to the Windows Server where the MobiControl instance that will be administering SOTI Surf is hosted. If you are a MobiControl cloud customer, please contact SOTI support to add an API client.

  1. Launch a Windows command prompt with administrative privileges.
  2. Navigate to the MobiControl installation directory.
  3. Execute the following command:

    MCAdmin.exe APIClientAdd -n:{API client name} [-p:{API secret}]

    Note: API client name is a reference for your integrated application and the (optional) API secret is the passphrase that will be used to protect the API. An API secret will be generated for you if one was not provided.

  4. Once the Client ID and Client Secret are generated, copy them into the SOTI apps Server installation wizard where prompted.

Installing the SOTI apps Server Component for SOTI Surf

Note

If you do not want to use an account with full MobiControl administrator permissions to install the SOTI apps Server component, you can create a MobiControl read-only account whose permissions are limited to device and device group configuration. Otherwise, proceed directly to the On your Windows Server Machine steps.

In the MobiControl Web Console:

  1. On the All Platforms tab, select the Security tab.
  2. Select the Manage Users button on the left side of the screen.
  3. Click the Add button and select User from the dropdown.
  4. Enter a username and a password for the new user.
  5. Under Global Permissions, select Allow for Configure Devices/Devices Groups.
  6. Select Deny for all other options under Global Permissions.
  7. Click the Save button in the bottom right corner.
  8. Select the Device Group Permissions button on the leftmost side of the screen.
  9. After selecting the new User, select the relevant device groups from the list in the central Device Groups pane and select View Groups (under the Manage Groups subsection of the right hand Device Group Permissions panel).
  10. Leave the other permissions unselected.
  11. Click the Save button in the bottom right corner.
  12. Proceed to the On your Windows Server Machine steps. Use the credentials for this new user for the Admin Username and Admin Password fields of the installer.

On your Windows Server Machine

  1. Download the installer from the MobiControl download page onto your Windows Server machine.
  2. Right-click on the installation file, setup.exe, and select Run as Administrator to open the SOTI apps Server installation wizard.
  3. Click Next to read and accept the End-User License Agreement and then click Next again.
  4. Select the SOTI Surf radio button from the list of installation components and click Next.
  5. Fill in the fields with the appropriate information and click Next.

    See SOTI apps Server Installation Wizard Fields below for a description of each field.

  6. Review the summary to make sure all the details are correct and then click Install to complete the installation.
  7. Once the Installation Wizard notifies you that the installation is successful, click Finish and you can continue on to deploying SOTI Surf to your devices.

After you have installed the SOTI apps Server component, you can proceed towards distributing the SOTI Surf app to your devices. Refer to Distributing SOTI Surf for more information on deploying the app to your devices and SOTI Surf Settings for information on configuring the app.

You can also use the installation wizard to repair errors in the most recent installation by fixing missing and corrupt files, shortcuts and registry entries.

Repairing the SOTI apps Server Component for SOTI Surf

  1. Navigate to the SOTI apps Server installation file on your machine.
  2. Right-click on the installation file, setup.exe, and select Run as Administrator to open the SOTI apps Server installation wizard.
  3. Click Next to go to the Maintenance options screen.
  4. Select Repair and click Next.
  5. Enter any missing or incorrect information into the fields of the installer and click Next.
  6. Review the updated installation details and click Repair.
  7. Once the wizard notifies you that the repair is successful, click Finish and you can continue on to deploying SOTI Surf to your devices.

Note

The SOTI Surf browser must be restarted anytime you restart the Windows server with SOTI apps server component installed.

SOTI apps Server Installation Wizard Fields

Field Description
Port The port that ERG runs on. Devices connect to the ERG using this port.

Using a dedicated port is recommended.
MobiControl Instance

The name of the MobiControl deployment server.

The MobiControl Instance must match the Common Name\Hosts associated with the MobiControl Web Console certificate. Find the name of your MobiControl instance from the MobiControl Administration Utility on the Certificates tab, under Certificate Bindings.

If the MobiControl Root Certificate is attached to an IP address, rather than a FQDN, use the same IP address. The FQDN or IP address must be accessible from the server where SOTI Surf ERG is being installed.
Client ID The client ID for the SOTI Surf API. Refer to Find your Client ID and Client Secret for instructions on how to find the client ID.
Client Secret The client secret for the SOTI Surf API. Refer to Find your Client ID and Client Secret for instructions on how to find the client secret.
Admin Username The username for an administrator account in the MobiControl instance.

You can also use a MobiControl account with limited permissions for specific use with SOTI Surf.
Admin Password The password associated with the administrator account in the MobiControl instance.

You can also use a MobiControl account with limited permissions for specific use with SOTI Surf.

Uninstalling SOTI apps Server Component for SOTI Surf

You must have administrator rights to run the un-installation wizard.

  1. Right-click on the installation file, setup.exe, and select Run as Administrator to open the SOTI apps Un-installation Wizard.
  2. Choose the Remove option and click Next.
  3. Click Remove to confirm and start the removal.
  4. The SOTI apps Setup Installation Wizard will notify you when the removal is complete.
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