Technical Notes

If you are moving to Reflection from EXTRA! Personal Client, or NetManage's RUMBA or ViewNow, you can use the Reflection for IBM Conversion Tool to convert your existing files to Reflection for IBM format. The converter creates Reflection files that let you get up and running as quickly as possible without altering your original files. This technical note explains how to install and use the Reflection for IBM Conversion Tool. If you have Reflection 11.0 or higher, you can use templates to give Reflection the look of the product you replaced.

Note the following:

• For information about converting EXTRA! Personal Client files to Reflection for IBM files, see Technical Note 1731.
• For information about converting RUMBA files to Reflection for IBM files, see Technical Note 1733.
• For information about converting ViewNow settings to Reflection for IBM files, see Technical Note 1732.

Using Competitive Product Templates

Reflection 11.0 or higher includes a feature that gives Reflection a familiar look if you're switching from a competitive product. These templates are not installed as part of a typical installation. You can install them as part of a custom installation or add them later using Add/Remove programs. Templates are located in the installer's feature list under Host Access > IBM >Templates. For details, see the online help topic "templates > using competitive product templates."

Obtaining and Installing the Conversion Tool

The Reflection IBM Conversion tool files are installed with the Reflection Administrator's Toolkit. When installing the Administrator's Toolkit, select to install the Reflection for IBM Profiler.

By default, the files are installed to the C:\Program Files\Wrq\RToolkit folder, and consist of the following files:

Version 14.x

If you are using Reflection for IBM version 14.x, skip to Using the Converter.

Version 13.x

Versions 13.0 – 13.03 do not provide updated versions of these files. If you are using Reflection for IBM version 13.0 – 13.03, obtain version 13.04 from the Download Library (R1304809.exe) and install the update before proceeding to Using the Converter.

Version 12.x

If you are using Reflection for IBM version 12.x, skip to Using the Converter.

Version 11.x

If you are using versions 11.x, contact Attachmate Technical Support to obtain the Reflection for IBM Conversion Tool. See http://support.attachmate.com/contact/ for information about requesting support.

You will be directed to download a self-extracting executable file that contains the four conversion files. Once downloaded, copy the files to a single folder on a machine running Windows XP, 2000, or NT, or to a network location. (This utility runs only in Windows XP, 2000, or NT, and can be accessed from the local drive or from a network location.)

Using the Converter

To convert files, you can either use the Windows Explorer drag-and-drop feature, or manually issue the conversion commands from a command line prompt.

Using Drag-and-Drop to Convert Files

Note: Because ViewNow connection settings are stored in the Windows registry, you cannot use the drag-and-drop method for converting this information. See Technical Note 1732 for more information.

To convert your existing files using the drag-and-drop method:

1. Use Windows Explorer to

• locate the files you want to convert.
• open the folder that contains Ribmconvert.exe.

2. Select one or more of your source files and drag them onto the Ribmconvert.exe icon (or onto a shortcut to this executable).

The converted Reflection files are automatically created in the same folder as your source files. The conversion tool names the files automatically by adding Reflection file extensions to your original file names. (If you are converting files that use SNA transport, SNA configuration information is saved to a file called Wrqsna.rlf.)

A log file called Ribmconvert.log is created (or appended) in the folder where you placed Ribmconvert.exe. See the section, "Reading the Log File," below for information about using the log.

Using a Command Line to Convert Files

The Conversion Tool's command line syntax provides additional flexibility. You can use the command line syntax from a DOS prompt, using the Run command on the Window's Start menu, using the Target field in a Windows shortcut, and in a variety of scripting solutions.

The syntax for this command is shown here. The command line switches are all optional and are explained below:

For example you could use the following command line to convert two EXTRA! session files located in the same folder as the conversion tool:

The conversion tool creates Reflection files and names them automatically by adding Reflection file extensions to your original file names. The original files are left unchanged. By default, the output files are created in the same folder as the original files. (Use the /OUTPUT switch to specify a different location for output files.) The sample syntax shown above would create two Reflection output files:

Refer to Technical Notes 1731, 1732, and 1733 for details about how Reflection file names compare to those used by EXTRA!, ViewNow, and RUMBA. A conversion log called Ribmconvert.log is created (or appended) in the output folder.

Wildcard characters are supported. For example, the following command converts all ViewNow 3270 keyboard map files (*.3km) in the specified folder:

Use quotation marks if the path or file names includes spaces. For example:

Command line switches

The following command line switches are available.

Opening Converted Files

Use either of these methods to open your converted session files:

• From Windows Explorer, double-click the converted *.rsf file.
• Launch Reflection. On the File menu, click Open and browse to locate your converted file.

Note the following:

• To view or edit the Reflection connection information for your converted session, open the Reflection Connection menu and click Session Setup.
• The Reflection settings files created by the conversion tool include essential connection information from your original sessions, but these files may not include all of your original settings. Use the conversion log to see which settings were used in the conversion. For details about reading the log, see the next session, Reading the Log File.

Reading the Log File

By default, the log file is created in the same folder as Ribmconvert.exe. (If you used the /OUTPUT option, the log file is save to the specified output folder.) If no log file exists, the conversion utility creates one. If the file already exists, new information is appended to the end of the file. Information about each conversion is contained between dated marker lines like these:

You can use the conversion tool to convert multiple files simultaneously. The portion of the log that applies to each file is contained between file markers like these: