Connect to a server

To administer a server, you must first connect to it as a user that has been granted the superuser privilege for the server. (If your user does not have the superuser privilege, you can still administer users and groups, but you cannot manage permissions or define depots.)

To connect to a server:

  1. Choose Connections > Open Connection​. The Open Connection dialog opens.
  2. In the Open Connection dialog, enter the Helix Server name and port number for the connection using the following syntax: server_host:port_number

  3. In the User field, enter your user name.

    • To browse for a particular user, click the Browse​ button and select the user from that list.
    • To create a user, click New​ and fill in the appropriate information.
    Note

    Helix Core Server Administrator Guide has details about Access levels required by commands and Types of users (standard, operator, service).

  4. Click OK.

    P4Admin connects to the specified Helix Server and displays a new instance of its main window.

    Note

    If the server you are connecting to is configured for authentication with Helix Authentication Service, the Identity Provider (IdP) web page opens, prompting you for the credentials registered with your Identity Provider (IdP). For details, see Helix Authentication Service Administrator Guide or contact your Helix Core Server administrator.

    Note

    If the server you are connecting to is configured with multi-factor authentication (MFA), you are prompted for another layer of verification. Depending on the setup, you may need to select a method of verification before you can enter your credentials.

    For more information, see p4 login2 in the Helix Core Command-Line (P4) Reference.

To connect to Helix Server using a connection that you have used previously:

Do one of the following:

  • If P4Admin is already running, go to Connections > Open Recent and select the connection.

  • When you launch P4Admin, select the connection from the Connections drop-down in the Open Connection dialog. The Connections drop-down lists recent and favorite connections.

    Note

    If your Connection preference is set to Restore all previously opened connections when you launch P4V, P4V opens the most recently used connection and skips the Open Connection dialog.

To administer a server:

  • Activate the connection by clicking its entry in the Connections pane.
  • To remove a connection, right-click it and select Close Connection.

P4Admin retains all connections that you define, so you do not need to reenter them the next time you launch the tool.