The Admin panel
The Admin panel is used primarily to set up Pearl Nexus and perform administrative tasks. Most tasks in this user guide are performed using the Admin panel. This section contains what you need to get started using the Admin panel.
About the Admin panel
The Admin panel is a web-based user interface that's used primarily to set up your Pearl Nexus and perform administrative tasks.
Table 8 The Admin panel
| Label | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Channels menu | The channels that are available for the current configuration of your Pearl Nexus are listed. Select a channel to access the drop down list of options that are available to configure channel encoding, add video and audio sources, create layouts, perform confidence monitoring, record the channel, and more. |
| 2 | Multitrack recorders menu | Recorders you add to your Pearl Nexus are listed. Select a recorder to open the status page and list of related recordings for that recorder. You can start and stop recording, as well as configure the recorder settings from this page. |
| 3 | Inputs menu | The available video and audio input ports on your Pearl Nexus are listed. Select a port to open the configuration and status page for that port. |
| 4 | Output ports menu | The output ports available on your Pearl Nexus are listed. Select a port to open the configuration and status page for that port. |
| 5 | Events menu | Access the Content Management System (CMS) events list containing up to three months of scheduled CMS events, in progress events, and completed ah hoc and scheduled events. |
| 6 | Configuration menu | A list of all the available configuration options. |
| 7 | Internal storage and system information menu | System details are displayed in this area, such as the total amount of internal storage, how much space is currently used, and how much free space is available. |
| 8 | Main panel | The main panel is where the selected menu information displays. What's displayed depends on which menu item you select. |
| 9 | Link to Epiphan Live | Click to open Epiphan Live in a new tab. |
| 10 | Log out | Click to log out of the Pearl admin panel. Click icon again to display the log in window. The role of the currently logged in user displays beside the icon. |
You can access the Admin panel using these methods:
Any web browser
Using a connected USB mouse, keyboard, and monitor
Remotely using Epiphan Edge
Connect to the Admin panel
You can access the Admin panel several ways. The most common way is using an internet browser on a computer or tablet that's connected to the same local Ethernet network as Pearl Nexus. All you need is the IP address of the device, which you can get from the Device Info screen on a display connected to the Pearl Nexus HDMI output, or from the network settings using the local console.
Another way to access the Admin panel is to remotely login over the Internet. An Epiphan Edge premium plan is required for remote login.
**Get the IP address of Pearl Nexus **
To find the IP address of a Pearl Nexus with factory settings:
Connect a monitor to the HDMI output port at the back of Pearl Nexus
IP address of the device can be found under the Network and Connectivity section.
Access the Pearl Admin panel
- When you have the IP address of the Pearl Nexus, enter the URL for your Pearl Nexus into a web browser and include /admin to access the Admin panel.
http://<*IP Address of Pearl Nexus*>/admin
If HTTPS is enabled on the Pearl Nexus, replace http with https in the URL.
- When prompted, log in using the default user name admin and the administrator account password, then click OK. If you don't know the password, contact your Pearl system administrator.
For a first-time log in as an administrator-level user, you're prompted to assign passwords to the admin, operator, and viewer accounts. Record the passwords for future reference.
For networks with DHCP, you can Connect using a DNS-based service discovery
For networks without DHCP, you can Connect using persistent static IP address
Enable local console access to the Admin panel
Operators and administrators can access the Admin panel locally to reconfigure the Pearl Nexus without needing a laptop. With the local console feature, you can connect a USB mouse, keyboard, and a monitor directly to Pearl Nexus. Or you can connect a touch screen monitor. The Pearl Nexus also supports connection of a USB wireless RF receiver for local console. Pearl Nexus also supports the connection of a USB hub.
A built-in virtual keyboard is readily available, but you can also connect an external USB keyboard. When you enable local console, you must also enable the External keyboard option.
Use the Admin panel to enable local console and the external USB keyboard. Once enabled, simply connect your USB mouse, USB keyboard, and an HDMI monitor to the HDMI OUT port that has local console enabled. You cannot use the HDMI pass-through port for local console.
Optionally, you can disable whether or not users must log in to the Admin panel when they access the local console. Login is enabled by default.
You can also change the layout of the built-in and external keyboards to any of the supported languages. If you select multiple languages, you can toggle between languages using Ctrl+Shift (or Ctrl+Alt).
American English
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Netherlands
Portuguese (European)
Spanish (Spain)
Swiss
Norwegian (Bokmal)
Russian
Important considerations
Epiphan Live is not accessible from the local console.
The live preview link is not accessible from the Channel Status page using the local console.
Viewing recordings from the Recording section of a Channel is not possible.
You cannot upload/download the following types of media using the local console:
Images
Channel recordings
EDID files
Configuration files
Firmware update files
Use the web-based Admin panel from your administration computer for full access to all Admin panel functions.
Enable local console and the external keyboard option using the Admin panel
- Log in to the Admin panel as admin.
- From the Configuration menu, select External keyboard. The External keyboard configuration page opens.
- Select Local console as the Keyboard application and click Apply.
- (Optional) Check a different keyboard language layout or multiple language layouts. The default layout is American English.
- (Optional) Choose the keyboard key combination to toggle between keyboard layouts if multiple languages are selected: Ctrl+Shift or Alt+Shift.
- From the Output ports menu, select the output port (HDMI). The video output port configuration page opens.
- Under Settings, select Local console in the Source drop-down menu and click Apply.
- If you skipped the steps to configure the external keyboard for local console, an error message appears. Click the link to fix it.
- (Optional) Check Disable authentication if you don't want users to have to use their credentials to log in before using the local console to access the Admin panel on the Pearl Nexus.
- Under Settings, select Local console in the Source drop-down menu.
- Click Apply.
What's next?
Connect your USB mouse, keyboard, and connect an HDMI monitor to the output port that has local console enabled to access the local console directly from the Pearl Nexus.
Connect using a DNS-based service discovery
Pearl Nexus use DNS-based messages to advertise details about itself, including its host name. With a compatible utility installed on your computer, you can access the system simply by typing its serial number and the suffix ".local" into the address bar of your browser.
The following table lists the compatible systems and Bonjour Print Services software needed.
Table 9 Install Bonjour Print Services
| System | Action Needed |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Windows | You must install Bonjour Print Services: Use the following URL http://support.apple.com/kb/DL999 Click Download. Follow the system prompts to download and install the application. |
| Mac OS X | The Bonjour software used for service discovery is built into the Mac OS. No special actions are needed. |
| Linux | The Avahi implementation used for DNS-based discovery is shipped with most Linux distributions. If necessary, check with your administrator to ensure you have the Avahi package installed. |
Access the Admin panel of the Pearl Nexus using DNS discovery
Find the system’s serial number that's printed on a label attached to the device.
Enter the following string into the address bar of your web browser on your admin computer, where <**serial**> is the serial number of your Pearl Nexus:
http://<**serial**>.local/admin
For example: http://95dd40d5.local/admin
If HTTPS is enabled on the Pearl Nexus, replace http with https in the URL.
- Log in as an administrator using the default user name admin and the administrator account password, then click OK to open the Admin panel. If you don't know the password, contact your Pearl system administrator.
For a first-time log in as an administrator-level user, you're prompted to assign passwords to the admin, operator, and viewer accounts. Record the passwords for future reference.
- (Optional) From the Configuration menu, click **Network **and note the IP address of the system from the network configuration page.
Connect using persistent static IP address
Your Pearl Nexus has a default persistent static IP address, also known as the recovery IP address. To set up a Pearl Nexus on a network that does not support DHCP, or to recover from a previous static IP address setting, use this procedure to connect directly to the device for configuration.
A workstation computer with access rights to modify your network settings is required.
Pearl Nexus static IP address defaults are:
IP Address: 192.168.255.250
Netmask: 255.255.255.252
Username: admin
Password: your admin password (by default there is no password assigned)
Access the Admin panel using the persistent static IP address
Establish an Ethernet connection between Pearl Nexus and the workstation using one of the following methods:
Connect the Pearl Nexus to a local Ethernet network shared with the workstation.
Connect the Pearl Nexus directly to the workstation’s Ethernet port using either a regular or a crossover Ethernet cable.
Record the network settings of the workstation that are used to connect to the Pearl Nexus so that they can be restored later.
Temporarily change the network configuration on the workstation to the following:
Use Static IP assignment
IP address: 192.168.255.249
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.252
Start a web browser on the workstation and go to: http://192.168.255.250/admin/
If HTTPS is enabled on the Pearl Nexus, replace http with https in the URL.
- Log in as an administrator using the default user name admin and the administrator account password, then click OK to open the Admin panel. If you don't know the password, contact your Pearl system administrator.
For a first-time log in as an administrator-level user, you're prompted to assign passwords to the admin, operator, and viewer accounts. Record the passwords for future reference.
From the Configuration menu, click Networking.
Click ** use a static address** and enter a static IP address and network settings you want for the Pearl Nexus.
Restore the previously saved network configurations on the workstation.
Switching / mixing using the Admin panel
Switching live video inputs, or video mixing, is fast and easy using the Admin panel. For best results, you may wish to be in a location where you can see the live action, and have a solid understanding idea of what is in each of your layouts. Good layout names can help with this
Performing live switching using one interface, like the Admin panel, does not dynamically update the visuals in the other interfaces. The other interfaces must be manually refreshed to accurately reflect the current live switching layout information.
Perform live video mixing
Log in to the Admin panel as admin
From the Channels menu, select a channel and click Layouts. The layout editor page opens.
In the layouts list, the layout with the big red circle beside it is the currently chosen "live" layout.
To switch to a different layout as the active "live" layout, click the gray circle beside the layout you want to make go live. The circle turns red to indicate that it's now the active "live" layout.