About ICE Desktop for Web
ICE Desktop is available as a web application accessed via your web browser. Most of the same features and functions are available as the PC client.
The web client option is enabled via ICE Server configuration. Please see the ICE Server Installation Guide or ICE Server Upgrade Guide for more information.
To access the ICE Desktop web client, enter the URL or IP address configured for ICE Server. No installation is required.
Web client feature limitations
The web client has the following feature limitations in comparison to the PC client:
Hot keys (keyboard shortcuts): Unavailable due to security reasons, i.e., a web page cannot monitor key-press events when the user does not have the window in focus.Audio steering: References to mic and speaker device selection are unavailable in the web client. These selections are made via browser settings (in a manner specific to each browser).Multicast audio: Web browsers do not support transmitting or receiving IGMP multicast traffic. Channels must be configured to use a RallyPoint in order to work. Otherwise they will display a “Channel not available on web” message.Gravatars: The web client will only display a user’s initials as their avatar.MELPe Codec: Channels configured to use this codec will not function on the web and will appear with the “Channel not available on web” message.FIPS 140-2 (Wolf SSL): All SSL connections utilize the browser’s internal crypto engine for security. Customers interested in FIPS-compliant security should choose a FIPS-compliant browser.App sounds: Some browsers will squelch audio (like ring tones) produced by a web application when the browser window is minimized or in the background.Web browsers: The web client has been tested and qualified for use on these browsers:► Chrome: 114 and newer for Windows
► Edge: 114 and newer for Windows
► Mobile browsers: The web client is not supported on mobile web browsers (iOS, Android).
Unsecured HTTP: The web client will only work when hosted from a server using a secured connection (HTTPS). The ICE Server must be configured with a fully-qualified domain name and accompanying SSL certificate.RallyPoint: ICE Desktop for Web requires the following conditions to be met in order for a channel to operate within a browser:► RallyPoint Version: 1.236 and newer.
► RallyPoints Records in ICE Desktop must be configured to use port 7443 (under Settings > RallyPoints). The referenced RallyPoint must then be configured to enable web socket connections on port 8443 and accept client connections on 7443. (Default RallyPoints installed inside ICE Server at the time of install are automatically configured this way.)
► RallyPoint failover: The web client does not support RallyPoint failover. When a channel is configured to use a RallyPoint with multiple ingress addresses, the web client will only connect to the first address configured, even if that RallyPoint is unreachable.
► Certificates: The root CA certificate AND every intermediate certificate in the signing chain must be installed and trusted by the web browser.
Because the RallyPoint acts as a server to which the browser connects, and a secured HTTPS connection is required, then the RallyPoint must present a trusted server identity certificate to the browser, and so the RallyPoint must be configured with a certificate and private key.
For a RallyPoint deployed inside the ICE Server (at time of installation), the ingress server identity certificate and key will be used by the RallyPoint. The server identity certificate is supplied as the first certificate in the PEM bundle entered in the ICE OS Configuration Wizard (on the TLS Certs screen).
When using a widely accepted ingress certificate (that is, one issued by a common, commercial certificate authority) this should work out of the box.