Preface

This document will describe the basic operations and configurations needed, in order to assemble a complete SoftXpand Cyber Cafe Host PC with public computer user restrictions software and disk protection.

It will describe the functionality and configurations that are required in order to create a complete, safe and stable user workstation environment.

Benefits of the solution

• SoftXpand can turn 1 PC into up to 8 fully independent computer workstations.
  SoftXpand will lower your initial hardware cost, reduce time spent on PC maintenance, reduce network infrastructure costs, lower software costs (subject to software manufacturers licenses), and will save space in the Cafe.
• Cafe Suite is full featured Cyber Cafe management software. It contains all necessary modules to manage an internet cafe business; Control client users, manage customers and accounts, billing, ordering of products and more.
• Windows Steady State is a free integral Windows XP extension, from Microsoft.
  It enables you to restrict users easily, perform PC limitations, and protect your hard drive, without using any physical cards. It is an easy way to keep your public computer safe, and is fully compatible with SoftXpand.

The Software that will be used to create a complete solution

• SoftXpand: version 2.0.150 or later – A multi-seat/multi-user software solution.
  MiniFrame Ltd. - www.MiniFrame.com.
• Cafe Suite: version 3.45d – A powerful cyber cafe management software package that helps you to control your computers, to manage customers, and simplifies accounting and billing.
  SofCik Ltd. - http://cafesuite.net.
• Windows Steady State: version 2.0 – Software that keeps public computers running smoothly, and enables you to restrict and control users with ease. It also has a disk protection feature.
  Microsoft Ltd. -
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx.

Figure 1

Figure 1: SoftXpand & CafeSuite deployment scheme.

Host PC user characteristics

• Software:
  • Windows XP Professional SP2
  • Microsoft Office 2003
  • Chat software such as: Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo messenger, ICQ, Skype etc.
  • IE6 or IE7, Mozila Firefox
  • Adobe Reader
  • Windows Media Player 11
  • QuickTime
  • Winamp

• Optional hardware:
  • Web cameras that may be used with chat software
  • Separate sound devices may be assigned to each workstation
  • A USB port (for plugging in a Flash drive) may be assigned to each workstation

Note: The software and hardware configuration may vary depending on your specific Internet Cafe needs. The characteristics above are an example of a known configuration that works, and is based on the most common Cyber Cafe environment.

Preparation steps

Configuration of the operating system

• The host PC must have Windows XP Professional SP2 (or higher) with all updates installed.
• Log on to Windows on the host PC with an administrative user account.
• Install and configure all monitors, keyboard and mouse sets, sound devices, and peripheral devices prior to the SoftXpand installation.
• If web cameras will be used, install them on the host PC and make sure they function properly.
  For example: if you intend to deploy a four workstation SoftXpand cluster, install four web cameras on the host PC.
• Install and configure all the required user software.
• Create non-administrative user accounts. These user accounts will be configured later on SoftXpand to be automatically logged on. Assign a password to every user. Set the passwords to: Password never expires. The number of non-administrative user accounts should be equal to the number of workstations (monitor + keyboard + mouse) that will be used in the SoftXpand cluster.
  Refer to the following link for more information:
  To add a new user to the computer -
  (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/usercpl_add_user.mspx?mfr=true).
  For example: for a four workstation cluster, create one administrative user account and four non-administrative accounts.
• Download and install User Profile Hive Cleanup Service.
  This service helps to ensure that user sessions are completely terminated when a user logs off.
  http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en.

Installation and configuration of SoftXpand

• Install SoftXpand – up to date version:
  SoftXpand Installation Guide:
  http://www.miniframe.com/knowledge-base/article/softxpand_3_user_manual.html.
• Activate SoftXpand.
• Start SoftXpand and assign a keyboard, mouse and optionally a sound device to each workstation.
• Repeat the following with every user account: Log on to SoftXpand, and then log off. It is important to log on and log off (do not exit SoftXpand) so that the creation of the user profile will be finalized.
  All user accounts must be logged on and logged off at least once.
• Exit SoftXpand and return to Windows. Configure SoftXpand to start up automatically (default on SoftXpand Ver.3.0 and higher) and configure all users to logon automatically.
  Refer to this link for more information regarding user automatic logon:
  http://www.miniframe.com/kb/onlinehelp/workstation.html.
• Log off from Windows and check that SoftXpand starts automatically and all users log on to their workstation automatically.
• Check again that all sound devices and keyboard and mouse sets, function properly on every workstation.

Installation and configuration of Cafe Suite server and client workstations

This section will describe how to configure Cafe Suite to work with SoftXpand (Multi-seat/multi-user environment), and will describe basic settings made to suit the Internet cafe needs.

Installing and configuring Cafe Suite server

The installation of the Cafe Suite server is performed on a PC other than the SoftXpand host. This PC will function as a Cyber Cafe (Cafe Suite) server.

Cafe Suite Manual (http://cafesuite.net/files/CafeSuite.pdf)

Cafe Suite Knowledge Base (http://cafesuite.net/faq)

• Install the Cafe Suite server on your server PC (CafeSuite345d.exe).
• After the installation of CafeSuite245d.exe you will be prompted to assign an exit password for the clients' stations. Assign an exit password which is different from the SoftXpand exit password.
• Go to: Program > Options > Security > Connection. Mark two checkboxes:

1. Accept multiple connections from the same IP address.
2. Connect by usernames (use with thin clients).

• Go to: Program > Client setup > Main > Main computer address.
  Enter the IP address of the Cafe Suite server (The PC on which you installed the Cafe Suite server application).
• Go to: Program > Client setup > Miscellaneous.
  Un-mark the ‘Run program as system service’ checkbox.
• Create a share on the folder: C:\Program Files\CafeSuite\Client. (If your Cafe Suite server is installed on a different partition than C:\, create the share on that partition).
• On the Cafe Suite server PC, two checkboxes must be un-marked:
  Program > Client options > System policies:

1. Enable setting system policies by client applications.
2. Enable setting disk restrictions by client application.

These two checkboxes apply for the configuration of Windows Steady State as the system policy and disk restriction application.

Installing and configuring Cafe Suite Clients

Configuration of the Cyber Cafe (Cafe Suite) clients is performed on the SoftXpand Host PC.

• Log on to Windows on the SoftXpand Host PC with your administrative user account.
• Go to the Shared folder you have created on the server:
  \\CafeSuite server\Client and double click on the file CafeAgent.exe.
  This will create the initial connection between the Cafe Suite client and the server.
  A restart will be required. As a result, a file named CafeAgent.exe will be created on the host PC in the directory: %systemroot%\system32.
• After the CafeAgent.exe file is placed in the %systemroot%\system32 folder, every time you will logon with the administrator user account, you will receive the Cyber Cafe welcome screen. Use the exit password you assigned for the client's exit in the installation of the Cafe Suite server, in order to return to the desktop.
• Create a shortcut for this file (%systemroot%\system32\CafeAgent.exe) and place it in the Start Menu's Startup folder of each non-administrative user account that was configured earlier on SoftXpand to log on automatically.
• Restart the PC and let SoftXpand start up automatically.
  At this stage, as soon as each user account logs on and the CafeAgent.exe has started, a message will appear on the Cafe Suite server, informing that a new client has been detected.
  The message will ask if you would like to add this client. Click on Yes for each client.
• After a client–server connection has been assembled, the workstation will be automatically locked.
  In order to unlock the workstation and return to the workstation's desktop, use one of the following methods:

1. On the Cafe Suite server, right click on the client's icon, and then choose LOCK > Unlock workstation.
2. On the Cafe Suite client, click on the ‘X’ button at the top right hand corner of the Cafe Suite password dialog box, and then type in the exit password you have assigned at the installation of the Cafe Suite server.

• After all Cafe Suite clients have been detected by the server, exit SoftXpand and return to Windows, in order to set security rules, user restrictions, and optionally, disk protection.

Preparing the desktop for all non-administrative user accounts

Prior to installing Windows Steady State, you should prepare the desktop for each non-administrative user account.

Pre-defined desktops will allow users to work only on the items which they have been permitted to have on their desktops.

• On the host PC, log on to windows with your administrative user account.
• Create shortcuts to all the applications you wish for users to have on their desktops in the appropriate user profiles directories: C:\documents and settings\%user%\desktop.
• For each user account: Open all of its desktop applications at least once. This step is important in order to prevent applications that are started for the first time from repeating their initial startup configuration time after time, after the disk protection will be activated.
• Assign each web camera to a specific workstation. This should be performed via chat applications such as Windows Live Messenger, Skype, etc.
• Repeat this procedure with each of the user accounts.

Installing and configuring Windows Steady State

Proceed to the Windows Steady State installation only after completing all the steps that were previously described. Then follow the next steps:

• Exit SoftXpand and return to Windows. Log on with your administrative user account.
• Download Steady State from:
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx.
• Install Windows Steady State.
• For each non-administrative user account (set up by SoftXpand to logon automatically), configure its General status, Windows restrictions, Feature Restrictions and Block Programs.
• The security and restrictions level may vary according to your needs.

Important note: For each user configured on Steady State under the General tab:

Do not mark the Lock profile to prevent the user from making permanent changes checkbox. If this checkbox is marked, the restrictions will not take place on SoftXpand.

• After setting up the level of security for each user account, start SoftXpand and check that all users are properly logged on and that all restrictions are committed.
• Check once again that all users are able to run all desired applications.

When you are certain that everything is OK, you are ready to perform the last step, which will be to turn on the Disk protection:

Turning on Windows Steady State disk protection

• Exit SoftXpand and return to Windows. Log on with your administrative user account.
• Start Windows Steady State.
• Click on ‘Protect the Hard Disk’.
• Mark the ‘Remove all changes at start up’ checkbox.

Important note: It is very important to un-mark the Do not warn the administrator about losing changes before log off, restart or shut down checkbox.

In Conclusion

By following all of the steps above you will create an integrated SoftXpand, Cafe Suite and Windows Steady State system.

It is a complete, safe and stable user workstation environment that will suit all of your cyber cafe needs.