Client Management

Comprehensive guide to managing OpenVPN clients through the web interface.

Overview

The Client Management system allows you to:

• Create and manage individual clients
• Perform bulk operations
• Organize clients with groups and profiles
• Track client activity and history
• Manage certificate lifecycle

Creating Clients

Single Client Creation

1. Navigate to Clients → Add New Client
2. Fill in client details:
   • Client Name: Unique identifier (alphanumeric, hyphens, underscores)
   • Expiry Period: Certificate validity (30, 90, 365 days, or custom)
   • Client Group: Organizational grouping
   • Profile: Access level and restrictions
3. Click Create Client
4. Download the generated .ovpn configuration

Bulk Client Creation

1. Go to Clients → Bulk Operations
2. Choose Bulk Create
3. Upload CSV file with format:

   client_name,group,profile,expiry_days
   employee_001,staff,standard,365
   employee_002,staff,standard,365
   contractor_001,external,restricted,90
   

4. Review and confirm creation

Client Profiles

Available Profiles

• Standard: Basic VPN access with standard bandwidth
• High Bandwidth: Optimized for streaming and large downloads
• Restricted: Time-limited access with bandwidth restrictions
• Mobile Only: Optimized for mobile devices
• Admin Access: Full network access with elevated privileges
• Guest Limited: Temporary access with strict limitations

Creating Custom Profiles

1. Go to Settings → Client Profiles
2. Click Create New Profile
3. Configure settings:
   • Bandwidth Limits
   • Access Hours
   • Network Restrictions
   • Session Duration

Client Groups

Group Management

• Purpose: Organize clients by department, project, or access level
• Benefits: Bulk operations, policy application, reporting
• Examples: employees, contractors, guests, admins

Group Operations

1. Create Group: Settings → Client Groups → Add New
2. Assign Clients: Select clients → Actions → Assign to Group
3. Group Policies: Apply common settings to all group members

Certificate Management

Certificate Lifecycle

1. Creation: Automatic during client creation
2. Active: Certificate is valid and client can connect
3. Expiring: Certificate nears expiration (30-day warning)
4. Expired: Certificate no longer valid
5. Revoked: Certificate manually revoked

Renewal Process

# Automatic renewal (30 days before expiry)
- System sends notification
- Admin can approve auto-renewal
- New certificate generated
- Client receives updated config

# Manual renewal
1. Select client(s) in web interface
2. Click "Renew Certificate"
3. Choose new expiry period
4. Download updated configuration

Bulk Operations

Available Operations

• Bulk Create: Create multiple clients from CSV
• Bulk Revoke: Revoke multiple client certificates
• Bulk Renew: Renew multiple certificates
• Bulk Export: Export multiple client configurations
• Bulk Group Assignment: Move clients between groups

Export Formats

• Individual .ovpn files: Standard OpenVPN configuration
• ZIP archive: Multiple configurations bundled
• QR codes: For mobile device easy setup
• Configuration statistics: CSV report with client details

Client Activity Tracking

Connection History

• Current Sessions: Real-time active connections
• Session History: Historical connection data
• Data Usage: Bandwidth consumption per client
• Login Attempts: Successful and failed authentication

Activity Reports

1. Individual Client Reports: Detailed usage statistics
2. Group Reports: Aggregated group activity
3. Time-based Reports: Daily, weekly, monthly summaries
4. Custom Reports: User-defined date ranges and filters

Troubleshooting Client Issues

Common Problems

1. Client Can't Connect

   • Check certificate status
   • Verify server configuration
   • Check firewall rules

2. Slow Connection

   • Review bandwidth limits
   • Check server load
   • Verify network routing

3. Authentication Failures

   • Verify certificate validity
   • Check client configuration
   • Review server logs

Diagnostic Tools

• Connection Test: Built-in connectivity checker
• Certificate Validator: Verify certificate integrity
• Configuration Validator: Check .ovpn file syntax
• Log Analyzer: Parse and analyze connection logs

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

# Good examples
user_firstname_lastname
dept_project_001
temp_guest_20241201

# Avoid
user1, test, temp, admin

Security Recommendations

• Regular certificate rotation (annual)
• Use appropriate profiles for access levels
• Monitor client activity regularly
• Revoke unused certificates promptly
• Implement group-based policies

Performance Optimization

• Limit concurrent connections per client
• Use appropriate certificate key sizes
• Monitor and manage bandwidth usage
• Regular cleanup of expired certificates