NetMotion Mobility Client Registry Export Utility

Technical Note 2160

Last Reviewed 20-Dec-2006
Applies To
Mobility client for Windows 2000 and Windows XP, version 5.01 or later
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Summary

The Mobility client registry export utility (Nmexport.exe) can be used to clone Mobility settings from one client and distribute them to others that you want configured the same way. Most users will never need to use Nmexport, since almost all client settings are pushed down from the server. But this is a useful tool for preconfiguring clients with initial connection settings, or configuring client settings that are set by a user, such as the Mobility server's IP address.

Description

This utility lets you clone the settings of one client, then import those settings into other clients during or after client installation.

Most client settings are configured on the Mobility server and pushed down to the clients when they connect: no cloning is required. This utility is typically needed in only two cases:

1. When some of the push-down client settings are critical for the initial client connection.

   Clients will receive the push-down settings from the server when they connect, but in some cases you might need them to already have certain settings before that first connection. For example:

   • A setting that enables a particular network interface to work correctly with Mobility

   • A policy that determines how the client connects

   • A setting that determines whether or not a user has access to the NetMotion Client properties

   If a setting on the server has changed since cloning with Nmexport.exe, the new server setting overrides the cloned setting after the client connects.

2. When you want to pre-configure client settings that aren't pushed down from the server.

   A few settings can be controlled by users, but you might want to pre-configure them on your devices. These include:

   • The IP address of the Mobility server

   • Whether the client gets the server's address from DHCP, or the server's address is pre-configured on the client

   • Dialog box quells (the check box options for not showing certain dialog boxes again)

   • Passthrough lists, used for compatibility with specific software and hardware

   • Default Passthrough Mode—whether the client will bypass or connect when the machine boots

Note: The Nmexport utility does not export the client's PID value (the unique identifier for each Mobility client).

How to use Nmexport.exe

Cloning Mobility settings is similar to other cloning technologies:

1. Configure a client with the settings you want all of the other clients to have.

2. Run Nmexport.exe on the master client; this will create an information file (.inf).

3. Import the .inf file to the other clients.

Exporting Mobility Client Registry Data

To use the utility, first configure a "master" client with the Mobility settings you want, and then run the following command at a DOS prompt (the default location is c:\Program Files\NetMotion Client\):

nmexport.exe -f <filename>.inf

The tool will create an .inf file with the exported registry information. If the -f switch and filename are not specified, the tool will create a file called options.inf, which is the default .inf file the Mobility client setup looks for upon installation. The following command creates an .inf file called nm_client.inf:

nmexport.exe -f nm_client.inf

Importing the Mobility Client Registry Data

There are two ways to import the saved registry settings to one or more Mobility client computers:

• If you already have one or more Mobility clients installed, copy the exported .inf file to your target Mobility client(s). The default path is:

  C:\Program Files\NetMotion Client

  Right click the .inf file and select Install. Restart the computer to make the new settings take effect.

• If you have not yet installed the Mobility client software, you can import the saved registry settings during installation by typing the following at a command prompt:

  msiexec /qn /i <path>\2kclient.msi NM_OPTIONS=<path><exported_file_name>.inf

  For example:

  msiexec /qn /i e:\2kclient\2kclient.msi NM_OPTIONS="c:\nm_settings\nm_client.inf"

  The .inf and .msi files can reside on the local machine, or on a network server for access by multiple devices.

Related Information

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