Goal

After reading this article you'll:

  • understand how to install ConducttrOS on a dedicated laptop
  • understand the differences between Conducttr Cloud and Conducttr Local.

Summary

Conducttr Local is a delivery option for the Conducttr which runs on a dedicated laptop or desktop computer and doesn't require Internet access. Please note that this delivery option is intended for defence and security clients and requires a dedicated computer to operate.

 Name
Conducttr Local
 Benefit
Run Conducttr exercises away from the public Internet
 Features
  • Osprey licence across ten Spaces
  • Ability to transfer scenarios from Conducttr Cloud to Conducttr Local
  • Ability to backup and restore between Conducttr Local machines

What you need


You will need the following:
  • dedicated high-performance laptop with the following minimum specifications: 64bit Windows, 32Gb RAM, Intel i7 processor, 1Tb disc. We recommend Alienware m15 with i9 processor or Dell XPS 15 9500
  • USB drive with minimum 128Gb storage
  • Configurable internet router. We recommend MikroTik RouterBoard hAP AC Lite Tower
  • Possibly ethernet cables and adapters to connect between router and participants

How Conducttr Local works

Conducttr Local runs on a dedicated laptop in a private network without the need for public Internet. Participants - exercise control and the training audience - connect to Conducttr via their web browser as they would when connecting to Conducttr Cloud, except that they use a different URL.
As far as the participants are concerned, there are no or few differences in running on the Cloud and running on Local.

Image Placeholder

For Authors
For authors designing an exercise,  it is likely to be more convenient to develop & test exercises on the Cloud (if the classification allows) and then package for Local later.
Whether you work via the Cloud or directly on Local, you'll need the additional ConducttrTxpLocal scenario editor.

Downloading and Preparing the ConducttrOS Image

Your Account Manager will provide you with a URL to a secure site for you to download the ConducttrOS image. You will need to sign in and agree to the terms and conditions.

After downloading the image you will need to create a bootable USB drive: use http://rufus.ie/ to do this. Follow the instructions Rufus provides. You'll need to locate the ConducttrOS image and have Rufus transfer it to the USB drive.


Installing the ConducttrOS Image


WARNING: The ConducttrOS image will replace whatever is on your laptop. This is not reversible once complete.

If you have BitLocker running, you will need to suspend it or turn it off. 


Connect to the laptop the USB drive with ConducttOS and restart the laptop. While restarting hit F2 (Dell) or F12 (Alienware) to interrupt the boot sequence. You should now see a screen like the ones below.








Image Placeholder
Disable secure boot

Find the "Secure boot" option (in the Boot menu (Dell) or Security menu (Alienware)) and set to Disabled.



Image Placeholder
Add the USB drive as a boot option.

Find the option that says something like "Add boot option" and then do the following:
1. Select the USB drive
2. Select <EFI>
3. Select <Boot>
4. Select <bootx64.fi>
5. Name the boot option ConducttrOS


Image Placeholder
Set ConducttrOS to the 1st Boot Option

With ConducttrOS set as the first boot priority you can now now Save and Restart
After the steps above, when the laptop reboots it will boot from the USB drive and will install ConducttOS.

Note: If you get the BitLocker warning  when the laptop restarts, then you’ll need to go back into the BIOS, change the boot  security to SECURE, restart the laptop to load Windows as normal and then you can turn off or suspend BitLocker.

Windows will be installed first and you'll be promoted to select a primary partition to install to. You'll answer some normal Windows configuration questions and then everything should install without problems.

IMPORTANT: Please wait 3-5mins  after Conducttr Local starts before connecting to it.


Setting up the router


The point of Conducttr Local is that it is not connected to the Internet. However, the router is needed to connect other laptops to Conducttr Local. 
Conducttr Local has a DNS server that will point all connections to the right place within the Local laptop, never externally. However, you need to tell the router that that's where it should look.
 
Note that you need a special Scenario Editor designed to work with Conducttr Local. Please ask your account team for that application.

1. Connect Conducttr Local to port 2 ( i.e. not the Internet port which will be left empty)
2. Connect your laptop to another port or the MikroTik wifi
3. Open a browser tab and navigate to http://192.168.88.1
4. Set new password  and "apply configuration"
5. Reconnect and set wifi password - again "apply configuration" to save

Image Placeholder

6. Click the "webfig" tab (top right) and re-enter password
7. In the left panel, click IP and then DHCP Server. Now look across the tabs and click Leases
8. Look in the rows of IP addresses for CBOX. This is Conducttr Local. 
9. Click the CBOX row and click "make static"
10. Copy the IP address for CBOX

Image Placeholder


11. In the left panel, click IP and then DNS. Click Static
12. Click add new
13. Paste or write the CBOX IP address into the Address field
14. In the Regexp field enter .*\.cm\.cr

Image Placeholder

15. Click Apply
16. Click OK - you're all done!


External map drive

If you have your maps on an external drive, this is the installation process.
1. Open the Hyper-V Manager and right-click on the Maps virtual machine as shown below
2. Click Settings
Image Placeholder
3. Select the Hard Drive under SCSI Controller and set the virtual hard disk to the external drive - as shown below (your drive letter and folder might be different)
4. Save the new setting
Image Placeholder
4. Right click the Maps virtual machine and click Start
5. Go to Social Map in the virtual desktop and check that your maps have been found!