How to Use the Local Launch Feature

Overview

The purpose of the Local Launch Feature is to allow End Users to be able to launch their configured BlueZone host sessions even if the BlueZone Web-to-Host web server is not available.

We realize that from time to time, the BlueZone Web-to-Host web server may become unavailable for any number of reasons.  This could be caused by network problems or even the web server itself may fail.  At the same time, the various host systems that your End User's need to access may still be available and functioning normally.

Configuration

In order for the Local Launch Feature to operate, the only requirement that is needed is that you must use the Web-to-Host Launch Pad feature.  The Web-to-Host Launch Pad is a standard feature of BlueZone Web-to-Host and is by default enabled.  Unless you specifically turn off the Launch Pad, the Local Launch Feature will automatically be enabled.  There is nothing further to configure.

NOTE  The Launch Pad is configured on the Page Properties tab of the Web-to-Host Wizard.

How it Works

Normally, when an End User wishes to launch a BlueZone Session, they would use their web browser to access a pre-configured web page located on the BlueZone Web-to-Host web server.  The Web-to-Host Control Module that is installed in the End User's web browser is the "traffic cop" that controls the downloading of BlueZone Web-to-Host files and also checks to see if any new or updated files are available for download.

When the BlueZone web server is available, a web page which contains the Web-to-Host Launch Pad will be displayed.  The End user simply chooses the desired session that appears as an icon in the Launch Pad.  Here is an example of a Launch Pad that contains a single BlueZone Mainframe session.

If for some reason the BlueZone Web-to-Host web server is not available, a message will appear to let the End User know that the BlueZone Session Manager will launch in place of the Launch Pad as shown here:

The Web-to-Host Control Module will allow the launching of the currently installed BlueZone emulators by launching the BlueZone Session Manager in what we call the "Launch Pad Mode", in place of the Launch Pad.  The BlueZone Session Manager looks very similar to the Launch Pad as shown here:

The End User can now launch their configured sessions from the Session Manager just as they would have from the Launch Pad.

The launching of the Session Manager is a temporary condition.  When the BlueZone web server is restored, the next time the End User accesses their pre-configured web page, the web page containing the Launch Pad will automatically be displayed and everything will proceed as normal.