Deploying the Java Plug-in

 

Why Is the Java Plug-in Necessary?

Webtop products may need the use of a Java Plugin on the client machine for some functionalities (such as the viewer or the relationship navigator). This plugin may not have been deployed on the whole client machine pool, so it needs to be installed at first use.

If the plugin is not installed directly on the client machine, it is possible to specify a location where the installer can be found and automatically executed. Currently, this location is not customizable and refers systematically to the Sun Java web site. This can lead to issues in case the internet is not accessible from the client machine. Moreover, the Java Plugin web installer does not support proxies.

The Java plugin is installed via an administrator setting page allowing the administrator to specify:

  • the installer location (for Internet Explorer client browsers)
  • the plugin download page (for Mozilla client browsers).

If not specified, these locations will refer to the default Sun locations.

Installing the Java Plugin

  1. Log onto the portal as administrator (for example, as wpsadmin) on a client machine on which the required Java Plugin level has not yet been installed.
  2. Click the Administrative and Preferences button in the Main Access area.
  3. Expand the Administration folder.
  4. Select General, then Java Plugin Deployment:


     

  5. Set the Java Plugin location.

    For Internet Explorer

Download the appropriate version of the JRE installer exe from the Sun web site, and transfer it to a server machine that has a running HTTP server.

Define the HTTP URL that will make this exe reachable from your client machine. Add the #Version=1,4,2,9 suffix (if your version is 1.4.2.9, modify this version accordingly to the one you downloaded from Sun’s site) to this URL

You should obtain a URL like this:

http://myservermachine/plugin/j2re-1_4_2_09-windows-i586-p.exe#Version=1,4,2,9

In the Java Plugin Installer URL (Internet Explorer) field, set the value to:

http://myservermachine/plugin/j2re-1_4_2_09-windows-i586-p.exe#Version=1,4,2,9

and click Save then OK.

Start a new Webtop session using Internet Explorer and select, for example, the Relationship Navigator in the work area.

If the Java Plugin has not been installed, the browser will prompt you to install it.

With Mozilla

Create a HTML plugin download page (this can be a really simple one).

Define the HTTP URL that will make this page reachable from your client machine.

You should obtain a URL like this:

http://myservermachine/plugin/plugin-install.html

In the 3dcom Administration panel, modify the Plugin location for Mozilla with your URL:

In the Java Plugin Installer URL (Mozilla) field, set the value to:

http://myservermachine/plugin/plugin-install.html

and click Save then OK.

Start a new Webtop session using Mozilla and select, for example, the Relationship Navigator in the work area.

If the Java Plugin has not been installed, the browser should provide a link to the customized HTML plugin download page.
 

Limitations

Since the setting storing the Java Plugin installer locations is an administrator setting, it is common to all users. The administrator must be sure that the locations are accessible to all users accessing the product.

The installation mechanism is managed by the browser plugin installation mechanism, so it may evolve with the Java Plugin version and the browser version.