When logging into the Web Portal you will not use your email address, you will use your Active Directory credentials

We cannot reset your password, so that link on this login page will not work with this type of login

There are two places Active Directory integration is configured, one to add/update users to the web portal and one to log them in.

Active Directory Synch - Syncs Users Between AD & Clarity

One is in the Active Directory Synch tool located on the desktop of the Clarity host server.

There are several tabs that you need to configure, please refer to the help link below.  The AD server should match what you configure in the Clarity Web Portal.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/IMAGINiTSoftware/Documentation/Clarity/2026/System_Setup/Active_Directory_Integration.htm?rhsearch=Active%20Directory&rhhlterm=active%20directory

This tool is used to add/update and depending on setting, potentially remove users from Clarity when it synchronizes.

This runs in Services and only Synchronizes users between Active Directory and Clarity

This service has nothing to do with logging users into the Web Portal.

LOGIN ISSUE NOTE:

If a user is having issues logging in and was previously able to log in, the quick solution is to remove the user from the Clarity Users tab and run the Sync to add them again.   

If the issue is more global, it is likely a different issue and we will need the Clarity Host logs from the Server tab, Logs page to figure out the cause.

To force an Active Directory sync

Browse to the C:\Program Files\IMAGINiT Technologies\Clarity Active Directory Sync
then run the ClarityADSynchService.exe application.
It should bring up a UI – you will have to hit: Analyze and then Update to force the sync.

Diagnostics

C:\ProgramData\IMAGINiT Technologies\Clarity Active Directory Synch\Logs

Active Directory Authentication - Clarity Asks the AD Server to Verify Clarity User

The setting for logging users in is controlled in the Clarity Web Portal

https://s3.amazonaws.com/IMAGINiTSoftware/Documentation/Clarity/2026/index.htm#t=System_Setup%2FAuthentication_Options.htm&rhsearch=Active%20Directory&rhhlterm=active%20directory

Server tab, Authentication

Here you will enter the AD Server Name and AD Domain Query location (See Notes below)

Notes:

• If you use the Active Directory Global Catalog, you can specify only GC: for the server (and leave the Domain Query blank). This will query the Global Catalog instead. For more information on this, see the Active Directory deployment guide.

• For a simpler failover, it is also possible to list multiple Active Directory Servers, separated by commas. The system will try each server in the provided sequence.

• When working with the Connect module, the Server/Authentication page also enables you to set several options for identifying users and determining access rights. For more information on this, see the Authentication Options, under the Clarity Security Overview.

Clarity AD Login Requirements

Basic Requirement:

• The user must exist in Clarity
• Their account must have the Active Directory checkbox selected

What We Are Checking For

Clarity AD Synch looks for 4 attributes to exist to be able to create a user:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Sam Account Name
- Email

In AD we must have the following fields, shown in green below, on the General tab and the login name (Pre-Windows 2000) on the Account tab.

When a user attempts to login:

• We ask the AD Server (This information is seen in the Clarity web portal, Server tab, Authentication):
  • Is this a valid username/password combination? 
  • If so, what is the user's email? (and then we match it in the Clarity user database).
• If we can’t find a match for any one of those things there will be an error

The error will show up in the AdminConsole log and looks similar to this:

INFO  2023-10-26 14:23:33,942 UserService            - Unable to find the Active Directory user: LOGINNAME
INFO  2023-10-26 14:23:33,942 etoryAuthenticatedUser - Unable to login user: LOGINNAME
INFO  2023-10-26 14:23:33,942 HomeController         - Unsuccessful login attempt for LOGINNAME: Unable to find the selected user account.
INFO  2023-10-26 14:29:36,280 UserService            - GetDirectorySearchResult(ADSERVERNAME, DC=DOMAIN,DC=LOCAL, Secure): Error retreiving Search result
System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryServicesCOMException (0x8007052E): The user name or password is incorrect.
…
   at AdministratorConsole.Core.Services.UserService.GetDirectorySearchResult(String ldapServer, String userId, String password, String ldapDomain, String ldapAuthType)

The user name or password is incorrect.

This is a generic error and does not necessarily mean exactly that, sometimes the real issue is that the User doesn’t have an email address in AD, this can happen if the user was added manually rather than with the sync tool.

The Clarity Services on the host and the Clarity Windows Task Server, will need their properties modified to Automatically restart if the service stops, otherwise someone will need to log onto the machine and manually restart them.

The Host services:

• Clarity Monitoring Service
• Clarity Active Directory Synch
• Clarity Journaling Service

The Task Server service

• Clarity Windows Task Server

How to Set the Service Properties

In the Services dialog, select the Clarity Service, right-click and select Properties.  In the example I am showing the Clarity Monitoring Service on the host, but the process is the same for all.

General tab

Typically the startup will be automatic, but depending on your network, it may need to be automatic delayed.

Logon Tab

The logon should typically be assigned to the designated Service account set up by your company to run the Clarity services and application pools. 

You will want to enter the domain\service account name and password then hit apply.

Recovery

Set each to Restart the Service

Ok to set the properties

The license will start on your subscription start date and end a year and 10 days later.  There is a 10 day grace period built in which allows you time to renew your subscription and get a new authcode and license in place without a lapse in service.

When a new version of Clarity comes out, your assets are automatically updated in our system to that version of Clarity.

That doesn’t change anything on your system, but if you need to relicense it will be on the version that is current in our system.

Licenses are backwards compatible, meaning I can use a Clarity 2026 license on a 2025 version of Clarity, but not the other way around.

Upgrading Clarity

When you upgrade Clarity from one version to another within the same year of your subscription dates, we reset the activation count and you reuse the same authcode that was used previously.

As I mentioned above, the new version of Clarity is already showing in our system, so when the license is generated, it will be for the new version of Clarity.

License Example

License example, minus the proprietary information. 

Subscription Renewal

When your renewal comes around, new assets will be created and the new authorization date will match your subscription date for the coming year.

You may renew your subscription prior to your subscription expiration date, but you will not be able to use the new authorization code until the date equal to or past that date assigned to the asset.

Since your current license is still valid there is no need to do so anyway.

Newer versions of Clarity should send an email notification when the license is a couple of weeks from expiring, but I would recommend that you set a calendar reminder and reach out to your sales rep if you haven’t heard from them before your license expires or email us at support@rand.com.

Expired License

When the host license is expired you won’t be able to log into the web portal, the services won’t run and the task servers will not work.

As a rule, all of the symbols below should be avoided, in both file names and folder names to reduce the likelihood of issues in various environments.  An underscore _ as a separator is always acceptable.

The table below shows what and where a symbol not allowed (No) or is allowed (Yes) or not specifically listed as not allowed.

• Don’t add a space at the beginning or end of a file or folder name. 
• Use less than 260 characters in file or folder paths, 245 for Egnyte.

Current Clarity version at this posting:  2024.1.2

2/9/2024

There is an option in the Clarity Server Settings to automatically backup the RandRevit database weekly to the backup location specified in settings.

Why you might need to backup the database

• You need to make changes to the database
• You need to send it to development to look over
• Disaster recovery
• Server migration

What you will need:

• Remote Access to the machine where the database lives (typically the same as your Clarity Host).
• Be able to sign in with your Clarity Service account (or perhaps the user which did the original installation of the software – to ensure that you have permissions to the database).

How to Backup the Database

• Remote Desktop into the server where the SQL Database is installed, ideally using the service account used for Clarity (or the userID that installed it).
• On the Start Menu, look for “Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio” and run it.

  • 

• If prompted for the server name (shown below) – try putting in (local), or (local)\SQLEXPRESS if you use the Clarity installed instance of SQL
• If you log onto the machine as the app pool identity you should be able to use windows authentication.
  
• If you can’t connect with the Windows login you can switch to SQL Server Authentication and log in with the raas credentials.
• 
• Expand Databases
• Right Click on RandRevit
  • Tasks
    • Backup
    • 
  • In the Backup Database dialog verify the settings
    • 
  • Select Add to add the backup location
    • 
  • Browse to a location to save the backup and give it a name and ok out of all dialogs to save the backup with a .bak extension.
    • It is recommended that it be saved somewhere locally, but outside of the Microsoft SQL Server folders
    • You could save it into the Backups folder defined in Settings in Clarity on the Server tab, Settings page under File Locations for Backups Location.
    • 
  • Ok to backup
    • 
  • When the backup completes you will see the following dialog
  • 

It is recommended to keep an up to date backup.

Host

On the Host this identity is generally used for the following:

IIS

• ClarityReportingAppPool
• ClarityWebAppPool
• ClarityWebServicesAppPool

To Update

• Right Click and select Advanced Settings
• Select Identity, then the ...
•       
• Select Set
•      
• Enter the Domain\Username, then password and confirm.
• 
• Start the Application Pool
• Repeat for the other two.

Services

• Monitoring Service
• Clarity AD Sync Service
• 

To update

• Right click and select Properties and on the Log On tab, update the information and Apply
• 
• Start the Service.
• Repeat for other Clarity Services

Task Servers

Clarity Web Login Credentials

Clarity Windows Task Server Service

• The update process is the same as shown above for Services on the host.

Diagnostics roll over pretty quickly, the more projects/tasks, the faster they roll over. 

Please send in the diagnostics as close to time the issue occurred, or recreate the issue/rerun the task, then send in the diagnostics.

If you are unable to create a case when sending in diagnostics from the web portal you can email the manually gathered diagnostics to support@rand.com

Task Issues

• If a task runs, but doesn't complete, we need the diagnostics from the completed task id

• If a task runs but fails post action, we need the diagnostics from the completed task id and the host AdminWebservice log from the time the task completed

• If a task sits in the new status and does not run, we need diagnostics from a task that DID run at the same time, send from the completed task id

To Send Task Diagnostics from the Completed Task ID

If they don't show that they sent successfully, we will not get the logs and you will need to gather them manually.

Sending Diagnostics Manually if Unable to Send from the Task ID

Exiting the Clarity task tray and restarting it from the desktop icon tends to resolve issues with sending diagnostics from the web portal

Clarity Sending in Task Diagnostics Manually

Host Issues

• There is an error on a page in the Web Portal

• There is an issue logging into the Clarity Web Portal

• Files not showing up in a project

To send the host logs manually you can zip the content of this folder on the host:  C:\ProgramData\IMAGINiT Technologies\Clarity\Logs

To Send Host Logs from the Web Portal

For 2 hours per year (at least in the US) there are some odd Clarity issues. 

When Time Springs Forward

In the springtime, the clocks jump nearly instantly from 2am to 3am the night of Daylight savings time:

• Any tasks set for 2:00 "might" run (small chance)
• Any tasks set for 2:15, 2:30 or 2:45 will not run

When Time Falls Back

In the fall, the clocks jump from 3am back to 2am on the night of Daylight Savings Time:

• Any tasks set to 2:00 am, 2:15, 2:30, 2:45 or 3am may get fired twice in one night.

Notes

The fixes for these issues are relatively convoluted, and we have not taken them on yet - let us know if you think that they should be given higher priority...

What is FIPS?
FIPS stands for Federal Information Processing Standards
These are standards and guidelines for federal computer systems that are developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in accordance with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

If you are working on government projects, this is something that will likely apply to you.

You can find out more about FIPS at the link below.
https://www.nist.gov/standardsgov/compliance-faqs-federal-information-processing-standards-fips#2

Clarity General Information
Clarity should sense that FIPS is enabled. This information will show up on the task diagnostics report when sent in from the completed task id.

Clarity Configurations
• It works if both sides are using FIPS
• It works if neither side (Task Server and Host) are not using FIPS
• If works if the Host is FIPS and the Task Server is not (Task server will use FIPS for communication, even though it does not, itself, require it).

What does NOT work is if your task server requires FIPS but your host does not.

Autodesk 360
You won’t be using 360 on government projects, but if you were to enable FIPS on the task server you would likely run into issues with 360 projects.  You can refer to the Autodesk KB here:  https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Unable-to-open-model-from-BIM-360-due-to-FIPS-setting.html

Error in Revit
• "This operation could not be completed" when opening a cloud workshared model in Revit

Causes:
The FIPS setting in Windows is enabled.