Configuring BlueZone

Chapter 5

HLLAPI Auto Launch Feature

BlueZone HLLAPI has an optional feature that can be configured to automatically launch a BlueZone session when the HLLAPI DLL is accessed by a third party HLLAPI application.

Prerequisites

Configure your HLLAPI application to work with BlueZone.

SEE  HLLAPI Configuration for information on how to configure BlueZone's HLLAPI interface.

How is This Feature Used?

Generally speaking, HLLAPI applications require that a BlueZone session be active in order for the HLLAPI application to have connectivity to the host.  Since this is the case, it is often desirable for the BlueZone host session to be automatically launched at the same time as the HLLAPI application.  This eliminates the End User from having to perform two separate steps; launching the BlueZone session, followed by launching the HLLAPI application second.

Once this feature is configured, you can train your End Users to simply launch the HLLAPI application.  They do not have to know anything about launching a BlueZone session.

How it Works

When your HLLAPI application calls the BlueZone HLLAPI DLL, the connection between the HLLAPI application and BlueZone will fail because the BlueZone session is not running.  However, when the connection fails, the BlueZone HLLAPI DLL is programmed to look for the presence of a GLOBAL.INI file.  If this file exists, the BlueZone session named in the GLOBAL.INI file will be automatically launched.

As mentioned above, in order for this feature to work, there must be a file called GLOBAL.INI present in the BlueZone installation folder.  This file is not shipped with the BlueZone CD image, therefore, you must create it.  This file contains the name of the BlueZone profile that you wish to be automatically launched.

Create the file using Notepad.  The contents of the file must look like this:

[HLLAPI]
SessionA=profilename.zmd

Replace the profile name shown in the above example with the name of the BlueZone session you wish to be automatically launched.

Configuration Procedure

  1. Make sure that your BlueZone Session is configured to automatically connect to your host when the session is launched.

  2. Save this session by doing a Save As, and give it a profile name.  This is the BlueZone session that will be automatically launched.

  3. Create the above GLOBAL.INI File and include the name you chose for the BlueZone session in step 2.

  4. Add the location of your BlueZone installation folder to your Windows PATH statement.  This is necessary so that your HLLAPI application will be able to launch the BlueZone HLLAPI DLL.

For example: C:\Program Files\SEAGULL\BlueZone

  1. If necessary, rename the BlueZone HLLAPI DLL (WHLAPI32.DLL) to the name that your HLLAPI application is configured to launch.  This may not necessary if this is a configurable option in your HLLAPI application.

Testing the Feature

Once the above requirements are in place, launch the BlueZone session and observe that it is connected to your host.  Leave the BlueZone session running, and launch the HLLAPI application.  Verify that your application connects to the host system through BlueZone.

If this is working, you can proceed.  If it's not working, this problem must first be corrected first.

Once you have verified the above, you can test to see if the Auto Launch Feature is working.

Close down both the HLLAPI application and the BlueZone session.

Launch only the HLLAPI application.  The BlueZone session named in the GLOBAL.INI file should launch and automatically connect to your host.  The HLLAPI application should also launch and connect through BlueZone to the host as well.

Troubleshooting

"When I launch my HLLAPI application, the BlueZone session does not automatically launch".

Possible Causes

The GLOBAL.INI file does not exist.

The GLOBAL.INI file exists, but placed in the wrong location.

The GLOBAL.INI file exists, but the format is incorrect.

The GLOBAL.INI file exists, but the name of the BlueZone session does not exist.

"When I launch my HLLAPI application, the BlueZone session automatically launches, but my HLLAPI application will not connect to it".

Possible Cause

In your BlueZone configuration, you may have the HLLAPI Session hard coded to Session B, and the setting in the GLOBAL.INI file is configured for Session A.

Congratuations!  You have successfully configure the HLLAPI Auto launch feature.