Web Start client

The Java Web Start client allows users to start Host On-Demand without a browser. You need to use the Deployment Wizard to generate a HTML file for the Web Start client. The HTML file generated by the Deployment Wizard points to a Java Network Launch Protocol (JNLP) file. The JNLP file defines a Java Application, including parameters passed to the application and the archives that contains class files used by the application. The JNLP file and the associated archives are stored on a Web server.

When a user points to the JNLP file, the browser launches the Web Start application on the client computer. It downloads the associated archives, checks to insure that the minimum required JRE is present (if specified), stores the archives on the user's machine, sets up icons to represent the application, and launches the application.

Users can start Host On-Demand sessions from the Java Web Start Application Manager. By using the Java Web Start Application Manager, Host On-Demand sessions do not depend on a browser. Therefore, closing a browser does not end a Host On-Demand session. If the user attempts to close the Host On-Demand desktop and there are active sessions running, the user is prompted to make sure he wants to close all sessions. If so, the sessions are terminated cleanly to prevent problems that occur when there are sessions running in the browser and the browser is abruptly closed.

After the initial launch of the application, you can either point the Web browser at the JNLP file again, or click the mouse on the icons created on the client machine. After Web Start is restarted, it checks the Web server for updates to the archives and downloads any updated files.

Java Web Start is bundled with JRE 1.4.0 or higher versions of the Java Runtime Environment. If you use JRE 1.3, then you should upgrade to JRE 1.4. For more information about Java Web Start, refer to http://www.javasoft.com. Host On-Demand Version 14.0 recommends Java 1.5 or higher.