Technical Notes

Evaluating Reflection for the Web 2008
Technical Note 2351
Last Reviewed 30-May-2008
Applies To
Reflection for the Web 2008 (All Editions)
Summary

This technical note provides a step-by-step guide to evaluating Reflection for the Web 2008. Use this note along with the Reflection for the Web Installation Guide.

Introduction to Reflection for the Web 2008

Reflection for the Web is terminal emulation software that connects browser users to host applications located inside or outside the firewall. Briefly, here’s how it works:

1. Reflection files and administrative tools are installed onto a web server.
2. Desktop users click a web link to start a terminal session.
3. The Reflection emulation applet is downloaded to the user’s desktop and cached locally.
4. The user connects to and communicates with the host system using the downloaded Reflection applet.
5. Optional security settings can be configured on the same server or on a separate server.

New Features

For a list of the new features in Reflection for the Web 2008, see Technical Note 2345.

New Editions

For an overview of what components are included in each of the five Reflection for the Web 2008 editions, see Technical Note 2321.

Suggested Evaluation Path

This technical note provides a recommended path for installing and evaluating Reflection for the Web 2008, but you can select other features along the way.

Here’s the suggested path:

1. Preparing to Install

Depending on your environment, the steps to install Reflection vary. Before you install Reflection for the Web 2008, we recommend that you check the system requirements and read the guidelines in this section.

Obtaining the Evaluation Copy

The 60-day time-limited evaluation copy of Reflection for the Web 2008 is available from the Attachmate web site. To request a copy, follow the instructions on the Evaluation web page: http://www.attachmate.com/Evals/rweb/eval-form.htm.

Before installation, identify the computer you will use to evaluate Reflection for the Web 2008 and check the system requirements. Then, browse through the Installation Guide, which you will use along with this technical note.

Accessing the Installation Guide

The Reflection for the Web Installation Guide is available from these locations:

Attachmate Support site: On http://support.attachmate.com/manuals/rweb2008.html, click Reflection for the Web 2008 Installation Guide.

Reflection for the Web product: After installing, at the root of the Reflection for the Web installation (typically \ReflectionServer), click installguide.html.

If You are Upgrading

To avoid file conflicts, install the evaluation copy of Reflection for the Web 2008 to a machine that does not have Reflection for the Web installed.

(To check your current version of Reflection for the Web, open the Administrative WebStation and click Resources > About Reflection for the Web.)

System Requirements for Evaluation

For initial testing, you can install Reflection for the Web 2008 on a workstation; however, Attachmate recommends installing Reflection for the Web 2008 on a server operating system for production. The installation process is the same whether you install to a workstation or a server. This technical note refers to installing on a server.

For evaluation purposes, install all of the Reflection components onto the same computer using the automated installer. That computer should meet the following minimum hardware and software requirements:

Server	256 MB RAM 230 MB disk space TCP/IP connection (for the end user)
Operating system	Reflection for the Web is platform independent, and automated installers are available for Windows, Solaris, HP-UX, Red Hat, SUSE, and Mandriva (Mandrake) Linux. Note: A graphical interface is needed for the non-Windows automated installers.
Java Virtual Machine (JVM)	Java 2 Virtual Machine (JVM) 1.4 or higher capable of running Java applications; Java 1.1 with the Microsoft VM is also supported. For more information, see Technical Note 1674.
Servlet runner	Use the Tomcat servlet runner that auto-installs with Reflection for the Web 2008.
Web browser	Any Java 2 (JVM) 1.4 (or higher) compliant web browser that can run trusted applets and supports JavaScript, cookies, and cascading style sheets. For detailed browser requirements, see Technical Note 1383.
Other Reflection software	No previous version of Reflection for the Web installed. To avoid file conflicts, install the evaluation copy of Reflection for the Web 2008 to a machine that does not have Reflection for the Web already installed.

For an itemized list of the system requirements for each Reflection component and for the end users’ computers, see the Installation Guide: Preparing to Install > System Requirements.

General Guidelines for Installing

After you check for compatible system requirements, read through these general guidelines:

• Be sure that you have the permissions necessary to install components on the designated server.
• Run the Reflection for the Web 2008 installation on your designated computer.
• Use the automated installation wizard to install Reflection for the Web on a computer running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows 2000, Linux, Solaris, or HP-UX. If your designated computer is running a different operating system, see Other Installation Options.
• If you plan to integrate a Reflection for the Web 2008 installation (on Windows 2008 or 2003, Vista, XP, or 2000) with IIS, and any of the following statements are true, additional configuration steps are required:
  • You are installing to a Windows 2003 Server.
  • Your IIS implementation consists of multiple web sites.
  • Your IIS web site is not configured for HTTPS.

2. Running the Automated Installer

Use the Automatic Installation Checklist in the Installation Guide to identify the system-specific information that you must enter (or accept) during installation.

In the Installation Guide, click Installing Reflection > Automatic Installation Checklist. Print the page to record your choices as you install Reflection for the Web.

To run the installer

For evaluation purposes, run the automated installer once to install all of the components onto the same computer at the same time. For screen-by-screen instructions on running the installation wizard, see the Installation Guide: Installing Reflection for the Web > Automatic Installation Procedure.

1. Locate the \install\automated\ folder. Double-click the auto-installer for your operating system (HP-UX Itanium, HP-UX PA-RISC, Linux, Solaris SPARC, or Windows).

2. When prompted by the wizard, enter the information you filled out on the Automatic Installation Checklist, and proceed through the wizard.

Components that are automatically installed

During the automated installation, the following components are installed onto the designated computer:

When you purchase Reflection for the Web 2008, you may decide to install some components onto different machines. To install components on different computers, run the installer more than once to select the appropriate components.

Other Installation Options

Although the automated installation is recommended for evaluation purposes, you can use the manual installation procedures if either of these conditions applies:

• You need to install on a platform for which an automatic installer is not provided.
• You prefer to use an existing servlet runner rather than using the Tomcat servlet runner provided with Reflection.

For detailed procedures, see the Installation Guide: Installing Reflection > Manual Installation Procedures. For more information about installing Reflection for the Web on UNIX or Linux, see Technical Note 1699. On Mac OS X, see Technical Note 2343.

Requesting Technical Support

If you would like technical assistance while installing or configuring your evaluation copy of Reflection for the Web 2008, please contact Attachmate Technical Support. See http://support.attachmate.com/contact/ for contact information.

3. Using the Administrative WebStation

Once Reflection for the Web 2008 is installed, begin with the Administrative WebStation to evaluate the product features.

The Administrative WebStation is a centralized web site that contains administrative tools and documentation. You can configure, secure, deploy, and monitor terminal sessions from this central location. The WebStation is password-protected to allow for remote administration and access by multiple administrators.

Starting the WebStation

Follow these steps to start the Administrative WebStation.

1. Start the Tomcat servlet runner before opening the Administrative WebStation:

2. Open the Administrative WebStation.

3. When you first open the Administrative WebStation, a Security message alerts you that there is a problem with the site’s security certificate.

4. A Security Warning asks whether you want to install and run the signed applet distributed by "Attachmate Corporation."

5. On the Log in as Reflection administrator screen, enter the password that you created during installation.

6. On the Links List page, you receive confirmation that you are accessing Reflection using the Administrator account. A link to the Administrative WebStation is available in the bottom-right corner of the Links List. Once configured, links to your terminal sessions will also be listed here.

Note: To navigate through the Administrative WebStation, use the Reflection navigation buttons and links rather than using your browser’s Back button.

Administrative WebStation Home

From the home page, you have access to the tools to create, configure, and manage terminal sessions. The WebStation also provides a wealth of introductory information, tutorials, and other references.

Try Reflection

Reflection for the Web 2008 connects users to IBM 3270, IBM 5250, VT, HP, UTS, T27, and ALC host applications using a series of Java-based applets. Applets are downloaded to the user’s PC as needed and cached locally for faster performance.

For an at-a-glance look, try one of the preconfigured Reflection sessions.

1. On the Administrative WebStation Home page under Reference, click Welcome > Getting Started.
2. Click the "Try a preconfigured terminal session" link and select a terminal session to connect to a host system in your environment.

3. To access menus and commands, right-click anywhere on the terminal screen. As you select different menu options, the components you need are seamlessly downloaded to your PC.

4. To log off, right-click anywhere on the terminal screen, and then click Disconnect on the Connection menu.

For details about opening the WebStation remotely on a different operating system, starting the servlet runner, or using passwords, see the Installation Guide: Starting the Administrative WebStation.

Now, continue evaluating Reflection for the Web 2008 by creating and configuring at least one terminal session.

Creating Terminal Sessions

Use the Session Manager in the Administrative WebStation to create and configure the Reflection terminal sessions you want to deploy to end users.

Follow these steps to create terminal sessions.

1. On the Administrative WebStation Home page, click Session Manager.
2. Click Add.
3. In the Add New Reflection Session page, select a web-based session type, and enter a name for your terminal session, such as 3270test.

4. On the Configure a Web-Based Reflection Session page, accept the default settings.

• If you want to evaluate FTP file transfers, check the box to Enable FTP within this session.
• The default Window title displays the session name.
• The session will open in a new window.
• Skip the Advanced Settings for now. These are described later.

5. Click Launch.

Now you are ready to configure the emulation settings for the end-users’ Reflection terminal session.

Configuring Reflection Settings

Test the emulation features in a launched Reflection session. (You do not need to be connected to the host to configure settings.)

Note: When you, as an administrator, launch a session from the WebStation, all of the menu options are visible and enabled. The end users, however, are able to access only the menu options filtered by the End user menu level selected in the Profiler, which is described below. (The default is Basic.)

Try some of these commonly used features:

Profiling

The Reflection for the Web profiler can be used the to restrict access to entire menus, dialog boxes, toolbars, or to specific items within them. To experiment with these access levels, go to the Profiler, which is accessed from the session menu:

1. In the Administrative WebStation, open Session Manager.
2. Select or create a session, and launch it.
3. In the Reflection for the Web session, open the Administration menu, and click User Interface Profiler.

For more information about configuring user menu levels, see Technical Note 2186.

Display

In the terminal session, click the Setup menu to modify display features. Then follow the logical navigation, which varies among session types.

For example, to change foreground and background screen colors, you might click Setup > Color.

Keyboard Mapping

To create a custom keyboard mapping, click Setup > Keyboard > Add. Follow the directions in the dialog box, or click Help for more details.

User Preference Rules

To select which settings the end users can (and cannot) change and save locally:

1. Click Administration > Set User Preference Rules. Then click the appropriate check boxes.
2. Click OK. To save the rules, click File > Save and Exit.

Note: End users save their local setting changes by clicking File > Save Preferences. The settings are stored on the user workstations in a preference file.

Printing

Several printing options are available in any Reflection terminal session from the File menu:

• Print Screen: prints the entire host screen.
• Print Selection: prints selected text in a terminal window.
• Page Setup: displays options for page formatting.
• Print Setup: displays options for configuring printer settings.

Specific printer setups:

• IBM, Airlines, and T27 Printer Sessions are configured as separate sessions. To create and configure an IBM 3270, AS/400, Airlines, or T27 printer session, use the Session Manager in the Administrative WebStation.
• Using an HP or VT terminal session, you can initiate a print job from a host application. By default, Reflection will send the host-initiated print job to the local printer used by your browser. If the printer output contains unexpected characters, the HP or VT host application may be sending escape sequences in the print data stream. To correct the output, see Technical Note 1842.

File Transfers

Reflection for the Web can perform the following data transfers:

• FTP. To set up the FTP session in a Reflection terminal session, click File > FTP to configure Reflection FTP settings. (In IBM 3270 sessions, click File > Transfer > FTP.) Select your preferred settings, or click Help for more information.

1. In the session, click File > Save and Exit > Save and Exit.
2. In the Administrative WebStation, click Session Manager, and click the name of your test session.
3. On the configure page, check the box to Enable FTP within this session.
4. Click Launch to return to the session and continue testing.

• IBM IND$FILE. To set up an IND$FILE transfer in a Reflection 3270 terminal session, click Setup > IND$FILE. Select your preferred settings, or click Help for more information.

• IBM AS/400 Data Transfer. AS/400 Data Transfer is available as an independent Reflection session type. In the Administrative WebStation, click Session Manager > Create New Session. Enter a name and click IBM AS/400 Data Transfer, and then click Launch.

Saving the Session

When you are finished configuring the emulation features in Reflection, save the session by clicking File > Save and Exit. This session is then added to the Session Manager list in the Administrative WebStation but not to the end user's list of available sessions.

The Session Saved page provides the URL for the session and links to the Access Mapper and the Session Manager pages.

At this point, you have several options:

• To modify the session configuration, return to the Session Manager.
• To create another Reflection session, return to the Session Manager, click Add, and repeat the steps for Creating Terminal Sessions.
• To deploy the session to end users, continue with the next section, Deploying Terminal Sessions.

4. Deploying Terminal Sessions

Now that you have created and configured at least one terminal session, you are ready to deploy the session(s) to end users. Use the Access Mapper to specify the sessions you want to appear on the end users' links list.

To use the Access Mapper:

1. In the Administrative WebStation, click Access Mapper.

2. Check the sessions you want to make available to all users.
3. Click Save Settings.

Reflection also enables you to deploy specified sessions to a subset of end users. To assign sessions to a specific user or group, use the advanced options for controlling authentication and access control.

5. Advanced Options

Reflection for the Web provides tools for using optional and advanced features. This section provides a brief description of the following features:

Access Control

Reflection for the Web supports a variety of access control models. For instance, if your environment uses an LDAP-compatible directory service, you can use your existing LDAP database to map terminal sessions to users, groups, or folders.

For information about the authentication options, see these resources:

Security Options

By default, Reflection for the Web enables web browsers to use the HTTP protocol to communicate between the client computer and the management server. Although HTTP is universally available to web browsers, it is not a secure protocol.

HTTPS and SSL

To secure the communication between the client and the web server, you should require web browsers to use the HTTPS protocol (which provides SSL encryption) when connecting to the Reflection for the Web management server. HTTP is enabled by default. For more information, read the Security overview in the Administrative WebStation: Overviews > Overview > Security.

Security Proxy Server (Optional)

Security is increased by using the Reflection security proxy to encrypt the data between the client and the security proxy. You can install the security proxy when you run the automated installer. For more information about using the security proxy, see these resources:

Usage Metering (Optional)

Usage metering can be used to audit and control access to both Windows- and Web-based Reflection sessions. You may want to install Reflection for the Web's usage metering component if your site needs to carefully balance network and server loads. For more information, see these resources:

Customization

Earlier, when you created and configured your terminal sessions, you were able to make some preliminary customization choices. Reflection for the Web also includes a well-documented API and some advanced tools that make it easy to customize terminal sessions—even if you don't have Java or HTML programming experience.

For instance, see Technical Note 1807 to learn how to use the personalization feature. See Technical Note 9988 for links to more information about customizing Reflection for the Web.

Advanced Administration

In the Administrative WebStation under Reference, click Advanced in the left-navigation bar. Then, click the links to find out how to use scripts, HTML code, and applet parameters with Reflection.

The following example demonstrates how you can customize the behavior of a terminal session by changing the parameters for a specific attribute.

Example: Using the Applet Parameters Tool

Edit an applet tag to disable the Reflection for the Web start-up (splash) screen that normally appears when a terminal session is starting.

1. In the Administrative WebStation, click Session Manager.
2. Select an existing terminal session, and then click the Applet Parameters button on the Configure page.
3. On the Applet Parameters page, in the Add parameters section, select splash from the list of parameters.
4. In the Value field, type false and then click Add. The splash=false parameter is added to the list of Current parameters.
5. Click Continue to return to the Session Manager tool.
6. Click the Save Settings button.
7. To view the revised session, click the name of the session in Session Manager, and then click Launch.

For information about applet attributes and parameters used in Reflection, see Administrative WebStation: Advanced > Applet Parameters.

Technical Resources

There are many resources available to help you install, configure, and troubleshoot Reflection for the Web 2008.

Administrative WebStation

Click Resources for links to a Glossary, Troubleshooting topics, System Requirements, and version information (in About Reflection).

Technical Notes

The technical notes for Reflection for the Web are listed in Technical Note 9988.

Documentation

Reflection for the Web 2008 documentation is included in the product and online at http://support.attachmate.com/manuals/rweb2008.html.

Attachmate Technical Support

To request technical support, see http://support.attachmate.com/contact/ for contact information.

When You Finish Evaluating

To purchase Reflection for the Web 2008 or to request a Proof of Concept, contact Attachmate Sales at 1.800.872.2829 or e-mail us at SalesRecept@attachmate.com.

Before you install the fully licensed version of Reflection for the Web 2008, you must uninstall the evaluation copy.

Your sessions and settings will be retained. But, if you wish to remove all the sessions and settings, delete the ReflectionServer folder and its sub-folders on the designated machine.

To uninstall Reflection for the Web:

1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
2. Select Attachmate Reflection for the Web 2008 and then click Remove.

Related Technical Notes

1383	Reflection for the Web Browser Requirements
1674	Reflection for the Web and Java Virtual Machines
1807	Using the Personalization Feature in Reflection for the Web
1842	HP and VT Host-Initiated Printing in Reflection for the Web 8.5 or Higher
2186	Configuring User Menu Levels in Reflection for the Web 9.5 or Higher
2195	Integrating Reflection for the Web with IIS
2321	What's in Each Reflection for the Web 2008 Edition?
2343	Installing Reflection for the Web on Mac OS X
2345	New Features in Reflection for the Web 2008
9988	Reflection for the Web Technical Notes