URL Prefix

URL Prefix

URL Prefix



The "URL Prefix" is an important configuration variable in NoTouch Center. It is important because it is the only one that can not reliably auto-detected and must be set manually. Most people will have set a DNS host name for the machine where NoTouch Center is installed and will want to use this host name.

The URL Prefix is the base URL that the clients will use to contact NoTouch Center for services: Getting configuration via Announce or receiving OS images for Firmware Update (NTC).

By default, NoTouch Center will try to autodetect and will use its own IP address. This works in most cases. Still, you should set it correctly.

Hostname or IP address?

When thinking whether to use the IP address or the host name, please consider the following:

  • A host name can be easily pointed to another machine, e.g. a new instance of NoTouch Center, in case of migration or failure (pro hostname)
  • If your DNS servers fail, clients won't be able to reach NoTouch Center (pro IP address)

There is no absolute answer. We have a slight preference for the host name though.


Port numbers

NoTouch Center running in the Stratodesk Virtual Appliance can use ports 80 and 443 thanks to a Reverse proxy mechanism from stratodeskva 1.0-54 on or roughly all newly downloaded VAs from August 2014 and later. You can simply check it out yourself if you use your browser.

Earlier versions of the VA and all standalone (Windows) installations will have to use 8080 for HTTP and 8443 for HTTPS traffic.
Please always specify a port number explicitly even if it looks redundant.


Examples

If you have deployed a post-August-2014 version of the Stratodesk Virtual Appliance, you have assigned the host name "ntctr.mycompany.com" for it, the URL prefix would be

   http://ntctr.mycompany.com/easyadmin

If you have a Windows installation of NoTouch Center, you have assigned the host name "ntctr.mycompany.com" for it, the URL prefix would be

   http://ntctr.mycompany.com:8080/easyadmin

If you have deployed a pre-August-2014 version of the Stratodesk Virtual Appliance, you have assigned the host name "ntctr.mycompany.com" for it, the URL prefix would be

   http://ntctr.mycompany.com:8080/easyadmin

If you have installed NoTouch Center on a Windows machine or deployed a pre-August-2014 Stratodesk Virtual Appliance at IP 192.168.10.15, AND you do not want to assign or use a DNS name, you have assigned the host name "ntctr.mycompany.com" for it, the URL prefix would be

   http://192.168.10.15:8080/easyadmin

The latter case might be autodetected correctly, the others most probably won't.

Note: You do not have to explicitly state https. Clients will try to reach the machine with HTTPS, even if you enter a http prefix.



Set the URL Prefix

  1. Find the correct URL prefix and test it with a browser. Typically this involves the hostname you have chosen for NoTouch Center and entered into your DNS and adding "/easyadmin". You can also use the IP address .
  2. Click the yellow "Settings" icon in NoTouch Center (more info here: NoTouch Center Settings)
  3. Scroll down to the "Advanced" parameters and type in your desired URL prefix.