How will IBM Host On Demand work on browsers that no longer support Java plug-ins, and Oracle stops supporting Web Start?
Short answer: It won't, at least not as you expect it to.
When Mozilla announced the end of NPAPI support in August 2018 from Firefox 52 and Oracle announced the deprecation of the Java Applet in Java 9, IBM Host on Demand customers started to encounter browser-based access issues. Without the Java plug-in, applets cannot work within the updated browsers. This made cached and plugin client variants of Host On Demand unusable. Customers found that the following would not work on the browsers that did not support java plug-ins:
All the default pages that use either cached or download clients are affected, including:
HOD Administration client
Database On Demand client
New User creation applet
Cached and Download client pages created with the HOD Deployment Wizard
Portlets created with the HOD Deployment Wizard
Custom Programmable HOD applets
Session Manager APIs to communicate between JavaScript and HOD Applets
Despite these challenges, some customers persisted with HOD, using the Web Start workaround. That was until recently, when Oracle announced end of support for Web Start. Many organizations are now looking to completely remove any Java reliance, especially with something as critical as their mainframe access.
The solution
Host On Demand customers should consider alternative, zero client terminal emulators to access their applications, like Jubilant Terminal Emulator. Jubilant Terminal Emulator is a pure HTML web based terminal emulator, it doesn’t have any client side software. This means it works on any device, in any browser instantly.
Extra Benefits
Customers have been migrating from HOD to Jubilant Terminal Emulator for a number of years, even before browsers started dropping support for the plugins. Jubilant Terminal Emulator offers the following extra benefits:
Out of the box, pure responsive HTML to any browser
Any device, including PC, thin client, tablet and mobile
Zero client side software – no plug-ins or installs
Centrally maintained
More cost effective and flexible licensing
Supports most SSO products and IAM Strategies
Completely secure – Penetration tested by KPMG
HTTPS, WebSockets and latest SSL/TLS
Can be hosted in the cloud, remote data centre or locally on premises
Supports virtualisation and centralisation strategies
Macro Wizards – common server and client tasks reduced to a key press
Custom UIs to increase accessibility
As well as Mainframe, also connects to Unix/Linux, VAX, VMS, MultiValue
Fully programmable - documented API
Full MS Office and Office 365 integration
Ultra high performance - engineered for the web
Up to 1000 times data lighter than competition
Up to a 100 times faster than competition
Provides a solid foundation for further modernization and integration using Jubilant's no code web service generator.
