A connection is a set of parameters, stored in an .hco file, used by HATS to connect to host applications. There are two types of connections in HATS, default (also referred to as transformation) and background. Each HATS application has one default connection for the host application whose screens HATS will transform. Background connections are any connections in a HATS application other than the default connection, and they can be used by Integration Objects or a Perform macro transaction screen-event action. HATS does not transform screens from background connections. It is possible, however, to dynamically choose which connection will be treated as the default connection. For more information, see Selecting the type of connection to use when overriding parameters.
Background connections can be different connection instances to the same host as the default connection, or they can be connections to entirely different backend hosts. Background connections allow you to interact with other hosts. You can gather data, enter data, or exchange data between hosts using prerecorded macros. This data can be combined with the default connection as well. In this way, you can automate transactions on other hosts as well as transform the default connection for your users. Background connections can be pooled.
VT hosts are limited to background connections. If you use the VT connection as one of the background connections, it can be used for recording macros and running Integration Objects. For more information, see Perform macro transaction.
The Create a Connection wizard enables you to create more connection configurations. To access this wizard, you can use the pop-up menu in the HATS Projects view, either the HATS > New > Connection or the File > New > HATS Connection selection on the menu bar, or the Create a HATS Connection icon on the toolbar.
The Create a Connection wizard appears and enables you to select the target project from a drop-down list, name the connection, give it a description, and see where the connection definition is saved. Click Next when you have specified these items.
The Connection Settings page appears next. The wizard requires basic connection information such as host name, port, terminal type, code page and screen size. For details about these settings see Basic.
You can also specify some advanced connection settings using this wizard. The advanced connection settings that are shown depend on your connection type. If your connection is 5250, you can configure the workstation ID. If you use a 3270E connection, you can configure the LU or pool name. There is no workstation ID or LU setting support for 5250W, 3270, or VT connections. For details about these settings see Advanced.
The connection editor enables you to perform custom configurations to your connections and has the following tabs: Overview, Basic, Advanced, Printing, Screen Handling, Security, Pooling, Macros, User List, and Source.
The Overview tab of the connection editor summarizes most of the connection settings you specified when you created your connection. The only item you can modify on this tab is the description of your connection.
Each of the section headings on the Overview tab is a link to the other tabs of the connection editor.
On the Basic tab are the basic settings for the connection including those initially set up with the Create a Connection wizard. The following settings can be modified.
Host On-Demand version 8 included Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) support. WebSphere® Application Server version 6 also provides IPv6 support. HATS allows you to configure an IPv6 address to take advantage of this functionality on the platforms where it is supported.
On the Advanced tab are advanced settings for the connection, excluding those initially set up with the Create a Connection wizard. Use the Basic tab for modifying the basic settings: host, session type, port, code page, and screen size. The following advanced settings can be modified on the Advanced tab.
For 3270E connections you can specify an LU name or LU Pool name for your connection. You have four options for specifying the LU name or LU Pool name. Select one of the following options:
For 5250 connections you can specify a Workstation ID for your connection. You have four options for specifying the workstation ID. Select one of the following options:
Workstation ID parameter for 5250 connections can use wildcard characters. The workstation ID defines the name of the workstation. The first character must be A-Z, $ (dollar sign), @ (commercial at sign), or # (number sign). The remaining characters can be A-Z, 0-9, $, @, #, . (period), and _ (underscore). If you do not complete this field, a workstation ID is automatically assigned by the host. The HATS Server can generate a new and non-arbitrary workstation ID for a session. Keywords and special characters in the workstation ID field can cause some or all of the following information to be substituted into the workstation ID value that is sent to the Telnet server:
When specified, the Collision Avoidance ID enables the generation of a new workstation ID if the Telnet server rejects the previous name (which can occur when the old name is already in use on the IBM® i server).
Wildcard combinations in the workstation ID field allows the HATS Server to automatically generate more ID variations for achieving connection acceptance from the host. This decreases the time required for session connection, as it decreases the number of times the host must reissue a request to the client for valid workstation ID.
Wildcard characters can be specified multiple times in the workstation ID field in any combination with other alphanumeric characters. (For example: N=A=M=E, NAME==, and so on.) With each use of the wildcard, you decrease the likelihood of generating a workstation ID already claimed by another session:
For example: Given the input of NA=ME for workstation ID, the one [=] can trigger generation of 36 unique IDs that use the alphanumeric characters specified (N, A, M, E). Adding a second [=] can trigger generation of approximately 1296 unique IDs, and so on.
In the Configure optional, advanced connection settings section you can add, modify, or remove any additional IBM Host On-Demand session parameters using the buttons to the right of the table of parameters. If you click Add, you can select a parameter using the drop-down list next to the Name field and then type a value into the value field. Some parameters are set on other tabs of the connection editor. If you try to set them here, a warning message is displayed. For more information, go to the Host On-Demand Knowledge Center at http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSS9FA_11.0.0/com.ibm.hod.doc/WebSphereHOD.htm and search on session parameters.
Other settings on the Advanced tab allow you to specify:
For DBCS considerations about displaying and printing user-defined characters (UDCs), see Working with user-defined characters.
Use the Printing tab to specify print support settings for the connection. Print support is available only for 3270E, 5250, and 5250W default connections.
Select the Enable print support check box if you want print support.
For 3270E connections, the default print settings are for Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). If you are using PDF, in the Adobe PDF File Properties section you can select the paper size, page orientation, and font you want to use for printing jobs. The list of fonts from which you can select depends on the code page setting for the connection you are using. See Language support for more information about code page.
To specify other, non-default, print settings you can use the Initialize section and the Name/Value table.
Use the Initialize button to add a starter set of print settings into the Name/Value table based on the printing scenario you select from the drop-down box. Three printing scenarios are supplied as starter sets. The scenarios and the print settings they generate are:
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| printDestination | false |
| printMimeType | application/pdf |
| printSaveAsExtension | |
| separateFiles | true |
| useAdobePDF | true |
| usePDT | false |
| useWindowsPrinter | false |
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| PDTFile | /pdfpdt/basic.hodpdt |
| printDestination | false |
| printMimeType | text/plain |
| printSaveAsExtension | .txt |
| separateFiles | true |
| useAdobePDF | false |
| usePDT | true |
| useWindowsPrinter | false |
or
Direct to default Windows printer RCP-only
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| printDestination | true |
| useAdobePDF | false |
| usePDT | false |
| useWindowsDefautlPrinter | true |
| useWindowsPrinter | true |
Using the Initialize button is optional. If values exist in the table when the button is clicked, a warning message that the current settings will be replaced is issued. You can click to continue or cancel.
You can enter your own print settings, or modify settings already in the table using the Add, Edit, and Remove buttons. Clicking the Add button will present a combo box listing all of the supported settings from the list of WebSphere Host On-Demand printer settings.
For example to have more control over 3270E PDF print output you can add the following settings:
See Defining print support for your project for more information.
For 5250 and 5250W connections, if you select the Enable print support check box, you must specify the Web address of the System i® Access for Web Printer Output window. The default Web address is http://hostname/webaccess/iWASpool, where hostname is the name of the 5250 or 5250W host. The user of your application can set print options in the IWA Printer Output window. See Defining print support for your project for more information.
The Screen Handling tab allows you to determine how a blank screen is handled at connection startup and how screen settling is handled. These settings only apply if your connection is used as the default connection.
When the connect application event processes the obtain default connection action, HATS attempts to open a connection to the host. If this connection attempt is not completed successfully, the application will end with an error page. If the connection attempt does complete successfully, the host screen is allowed to settle according to the screen timers specified on this page. These timers are also used to settle the host screen at the completion of a custom screen recognition event, the blank screen application event (if configured), and the unmatched screen event. For a detailed description of screen-settling algorithms and settings, refer to Appendix B. HATS screen-settling reference.
The If blank screen is received at connection startup settings allow you to select what to do if the host screen remains blank after successfully connecting to the host, and allowing the host time to settle the screen as explained above. Your options are:
If you wish to ensure that a blank screen is not shown to your users, you may specify a screen recognition event in the Event Priority list for processing a blank screen, or you may add actions to the Blank screen Application Event to handle a blank screen. By default, the Unmatched screen application event will present the user with the blank host screen. For more information about screen recognition events, refer to Screen event priority. For more information about application events, refer to Application events.
Screen timers allow you to configure the length of time to wait for the host to complete sending its screens to the HATS runtime. To understand when these timers are used, refer to Appendix B. HATS screen-settling reference. You can specify the following settings:
The initial default value is 400 milliseconds. You should increase this amount if the host is slow to send the screen and you receive frequent partial screens. This value can also be lower than the Maximum time to wait for the screen to settle if the browser specific settings in the com.ibm.common.AppletSettings class in the application.hap file are set to refresh.
The Security tab contains configuration settings for Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Web Express Logon (WEL). For more information about security settings, see Security and Web Express Logon.
permission java.io.FilePermission "c:\\myKeystores\\-", "read";A pool is a group of host connections that are maintained in an initialized state, ready to be used without having to create and initialize them. This reduces the response time when starting and running an application.
You can enable pooling by clicking the Pooling tab and selecting the Enable pooling check box. If pooling is enabled, after the connection is released and determined to be in an acceptable state as defined by the checkin screen definition, it is kept in a list of active connections. When a new request for a connection is received, one of these idle pooled connections is used. If there are no idle pooled connections, a new one may be created based on other pool settings such as maximum connections. If connection pooling is disabled, after a connection has been released, it will be disconnected.
Because there is no guarantee that a user navigating screens on the default connection will navigate back to the checkin screen, it is recommended that you do not use pooling on the HATS default connection. Pooling is efficient and effective for background connections used by Integration Objects or used in perform macro transaction actions, since these automated navigations can be programmed to navigate back to the checkin screen.
You also have the option of setting your Connection Timeouts and Connection Limits.
You can also decide what should be done after the maximum number of connections has been reached. You can either create a new (non-pooled) connection by selecting the radio button or wait for an available pooled connection and set the limit to the time to wait by selecting the Limit the time to wait for a pooled connection to a maximum number of seconds check box and entering the time in seconds in the text box. Clear the check box to wait indefinitely for a connection.
The Macros tab shows information about the Connect macro, the Disconnect macro, and the checkin screen. Both macros are optional. This information is on a separate tab from the pooling information because these macros can still be applied even if pooling is disabled.
Select the connect and disconnect macros from the Connect macro and Disconnect macro drop-down lists.
A Connect macro is run automatically when the connection is initially created. The only prompts allowed in a connect macro are those that can be satisfied by a user list or by using Web Express Logon. If pooling is enabled, the connect macro will be run when the HATS server initializes, otherwise the connect macro will be run when a user makes the first request to the HATS application (typically in the Connect event).
A Disconnect macro is run automatically when the connection is destroyed. No prompts are allowed in a disconnect macro. If pooling is enabled, the disconnect macro will be run when the HATS server is shut down, otherwise the disconnect macro will be run when the HATS application releases the connection back to the system (typically in the Disconnect event).
A Checkin screen describes the screen a connection must be on to be placed into the pool. It is only enabled if pooling is enabled. Typically, the checkin screen is the same as the exit screen of the connect macro, and this also matches the entry screen of the disconnect macro.
The checkin screen section will be available only if you have enabled pooling on the Pooling tab. If you have enabled pooling, the checkin screen section has three options:
You can also specify recognition criteria for the checkin screen. For instructions on how to define screen recognition criteria, see Screen Recognition Criteria or Begin Screen.
For more information about macros, see Macros and host terminal. If you use a connect macro, you can set up a user list to specify the list of users who can use the connection.
The user list is a list of user profiles that each include a user ID and password. The user list can be used by a connect macro associated with the host connection. When the connect macro runs, a user ID and password is pulled from the list and placed into the user ID and password fields in the host screen. This allows a predefined list of user IDs and passwords to be used, and the user does not have to know or enter a user ID and password on the host screen.
User lists are useful for cases where many end users may concurrently access a HATS Web application, EJB, or Web service that requires an automated login using a centralized list of generic user IDs.
Because HATS rich client applications and their user lists are deployed to individual end user systems rather than to a central server, user lists are typically less useful since each deployment will attempt to use the same user ID at the same time, possibly resulting in a failure to log in. Rich client applications might use a user list successfully for those host systems where a given user ID can be used by many users concurrently. In this case, a user list might be provided with only a single generic user ID which will be used concurrently by all end user systems. You might choose to do this if you want to supply a generic user ID and password, and want the password to be encrypted.
Be sure to properly set the option, Only allow single connection with each user ID, on the Advanced tab of the Connection editor to reflect the type of host system associated with the user list. If this option is not selected, the system will reuse one user profile for all connections to the host.
The User List tab displays a table of user profiles with the capability to add, edit, or remove any one of them.
If you click Add , you are prompted to provide the user ID, a description, and password. All of these fields are required and any of these fields can be modified by clicking Edit. You can also delete the entry by selecting it and clicking Remove.
Select Encrypt user list properties to store the passwords for all of the user list entries in encrypted form. The passwords are displayed as encrypted when the Source tab is selected. Clear this box to store all of the passwords in unencrypted form. The passwords always display as asterisks (*), and the User ID and Description fields remain unencrypted, regardless of this setting.
To specify the use of profiles from the user list, as you record a connect macro, when you reach the user ID field, click the Add Prompt Action icon on the host terminal toolbar. On the Add Prompt Action page, select Set prompt to property from User List. For User Profile, select a profile from the dropdown, and for User List property, select _userid. For the password field, use the same process, select the same profile, and for User List property, select _password. The profile you select while recording the macro is the one used as you test the macro. All profiles in the list are used, as necessary, during runtime.
To associate a connect macro with a host connection, edit the connection. On the Macros tab, for Connect macro, select your macro from the dropdown.
When using user lists, you must also record a disconnect macro to log off the user ID so it can be reused. To associate a disconnect macro with a host connection, edit the connection. On the Macros tab, for Disconnect macro, select your disconnect macro from the dropdown.
When you create multiple instances of WebSphere application servers running HATS applications and sharing the same application files, you can use user lists on multiple-logon hosts without any special considerations. However, there are special considerations for the use of user lists with single-logon hosts:
The Source tab displays the tags and values in the .hco file for many of the settings you selected, or for which you took the defaults, in the connection editor. As you make changes on other tabs in the connection editor, the tags and values displayed under the Source tab change to match.
You can also make changes to the tags and values in the .hco file directly by editing the source under the Source tab, and they will be reflected on the appropriate tabs of the connection editor.