Clarity Connect Admin - Enabling Enterprise Mode In Edge Chromium
To ensure that the Connect Dashboard continues to work with Microsoft's new Edge Chromium, it is required that Enterprise mode is enabled. If Enterprise mode is not enabled, the Connect Dashboard will not function. Using Enterprise Mode means that you can continue to use Microsoft Edge as your default browser, while also ensuring that Connect opens in IE11 Document Mode and functions normally.
Because the Dashboard will be opening in Internet Explorer 11 Document mode, it will be required that all agent computers have the Skype Meetings app installed. Skype Meetings App Must be installed. Click here for instructions on how to install this.
This article describes the method for enabling Enterprise mode in Edge Chromium so that all Connect sites will open automatically in Internet Explorer 11 Document Mode.
Pre-requisites
Administrative access to the Domain Controller and Domain Administrator permissions.
Administrative Templates for Edge Chromium version 78 or later (see below).
Client machines must be domain-joined and updated to the latest Windows update.
- Note: If agent machines are not domain-joined, local group policies can be set on each agent’s machine to accomplish the same effect. The instructions on how to do so can be found here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/edge-ie-mode
Edge Chromium and Internet Explorer Administrative Templates are installed.
Skype for Business meetings app installed on client machines.
Guidelines
Create a List of Enterprise Mode Sites:
- Download Microsoft EMIE tool for managing enterprise mode list.
- If your agent's computers are running Windows 7 or 8 use the following link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42501 - If your agent's machines are using Windows 10 use the following link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49974
- If your agent's computers are running Windows 7 or 8 use the following link:
- Once the appropriate version of the tool has been downloaded, install the tool, then start it by clicking on the Enterprise Mode Site List Manager icon on your desktop.
- Click the Add button near the list of URLs inside the tool. A new dialog will open, enter the URL for your Connect instance(s), without the http/https.
example: customer.ctcontactcenter.com/ClarityConnect - Under Compatibility mode select “IE11 Document Mode”, and under Open In select “IE11”.
- Click Save.
- Repeat for all Connect instances.
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Depending on the site list settings, administrators should add single servers to the site list as well, or updates to the dashboard will not work, i.e. Dashboard/session state changes. The URL to configure should include both the FQDN of the connect site, and the specific server(s). Alternatively, a IP address/port, IP Address range/port, or an entire domain or subdomain would suffice, too. (Note: Please exclude the schema i.e. HTTP or HTTPS)
- After all Connect websites have been added, use File > Save to XML and save the file to your machine with the name of your choosing (example: iesitelist.xml).
Note: It is recommended to also export the list of sites you’ve created to .emie/.emie2 file using File > Export function of Enterprise Mode Site List Manager.
If any further changes need to be made to the Enterprise Mode site list, the File > Import function should be used to load previously created .emie/.emie2 file, modify the list of sites, then again generate the final XML file and export the changes into a .emie/.emie2 file. This way, the Enterprise Mode Site List Manager will properly increment the version of every generated XML file, which is required in order for Edge and Internet Explorer to honor those changes.
Publishing Your Enterprise Mode List:
After the XML file with the Enterprise Mode sites is generated, it needs to be published so that the agent machines can access it.
In order to do that, the file must be put somewhere where it will be available to all the machines in the network, such as a website or a UNC share.
One such an option is the following folder on a Domain Controller machine: %systemroot%\SYSVOL\sysvol\{domain}\
Which should be accessible by default through the following UNC share: \\{domaincontroller}\SYSVOL\{domain}\
Where {domaincontroller} is the hostname of the domain controller machine, and {domain} is the domain extension.
Therefore, simply copying the .xml (ex. iesitelist.xml) file you created previously to the folder above, should make it accessible from the agent machines, using the path: \\{domaincontroller}\SYSVOL\{domain}\{iesitelist.xml}
If this does not work, another alternative can be setting up a web site in IIS to host the file.
Regardless of which solution you might choose, please test it to confirm that the file is indeed accessible from the agent machines.
Creating a Group Policy for Edge:
(Note: An optional policy may eliminate the need for a site list if you have policies in place for Intranet Site to Zone mappings:- Computer/User Administrative Templates/Microsoft Edge/Send all Intranet sites to Internet Explorer)
Steps to create Group Policy:
- Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type “mmc” (without quotes) and press Enter to open Microsoft Management Console
- Click File > Add/Remove Snap-in…, in the list of available snap-ins find Group Policy Management Editor, then click Add > button. This should open the Select Group Policy dialog.
- In the Select Group Policy dialog, click Browse, then select Default Domain Policy and click Ok. Click Finish to close this dialog, and then click Ok in Add/Remove snap-ins dialog.
- On the left-hand side of the window, expand the hierarchy to find the following element:
Console Root\Default Domain Policy\Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Edge
- Note: If the Microsoft Edge folder is not present, please refer to the following KB to install the Administrative Templates: Installing Edge Chromium and Internet Explorer Administrative Templates.
- On the right-hand side of the window, find the “Configure the Enterprise Mode site list” setting, then double-click to open it.
- Click the Enabled radio button to enable this setting, then enter the network location pointing to your Administrative Mode Site List file you published earlier.
- Click OK to save changes.
- Find the setting called “Configure Internet Explorer Integration", then double-click to open it.
- Click the Enabled radio button to enable Internet Explorer integration mode in Edge, then select “Internet Explorer Mode” in the dropdown.
- Click OK to save changes.
Creating a Group Policy for Internet Explorer:
- If Group Policy Management Editor is closed, follow these steps to open it:
- Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type “mmc” (without quotes) and press Enter to open Microsoft Management Console
- Click File > Add/Remove Snap-in… in the list of available snap-ins find Group Policy Management Editor, then click Add > button. This should open the Select Group Policy dialog.
- In Select Group Policy dialog, click Browse, then select Default Domain Policy and click Ok. Click Finish to close this dialog, and then click Ok in Add/Remove snap-ins dialog.
- On the left-hand side of the window, expand the hierarchy to find the following element:
Console Root\Default Domain Policy\Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Internet Explorer
- Note: If the Internet Explorer folder is not visible under Administrative Templates, please refer to the following KB to install the Administrative Templates: Installing Edge Chromium and Internet Explorer Administrative Templates.
- On the right-hand side of the window, find the “Use the Enterprise Mode IE website list” setting, then double-click to open it.
- Click the Enabled radio button to enable this setting, then enter the network location pointing to your Administrative Mode Site List file you published earlier, the same one also used for the Edge setting.
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Click OK to save changes. You can now close the Management Console.
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Open the command prompt in administrative mode and use the following command to update group policies: gpupdate /force
Verifying if the Changes Have Taken Effect:
Please note that the changes might not take effect immediately. A computer restart may also be required.
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Open the Chromium Edge on an agent machine. Browse to the following address: edge://compat
- The Connect website should be visible in the enterprise mode site list, along with the location of the file containing this list, and the current version of that list.