Winframe server and Java based library catalogues

[Jean-Marc Edwards]

Hi,

Our terminals are getting old and need to be replaced. Our resources
are being more and more web-based and not character-based. So we are
looking for a cost-saving solution to replace the existing character-based
terminals with Windows terminals. Also we think that these Windows
based terminals would be easier to manage and troubleshoot than PCs. 
But we still need to assess that and test that.

We have not yet started to test them with our Java WebPac. We are 
still researching in that area, but will be testing soon.

Jean-Marc Edwards
Systems Librarian (Internet and training)
University of Ottawa, Canada.

> Date:          Fri, 17 Jul 1998 10:23:19 -0700
> Reply-to:      tedelblu at usiu.edu
> From:          Thomas Edelblute <tedelblu at usiu.edu>
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at library.berkeley.edu>
> Subject:       FW: Winframe server and Java based library catalogues

> We were once looking at WinFrame for its thin-client technology in
> use with Windows NT.  If our network were larger than it actually
> is, there would be a cost savings. Is this being considered for your
> Winframe setups?
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dennis Brantley [mailto:dennis at dati.com] 
> Sent: Friday, July 17, 1998 9:18 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Re: Winframe server and Java based library catalogues
> 
> 
> Jean-Marc Edwards wrote:
> > 
> > We are thinking of using a Winframe server and Windows terminal to
> > access our Dynix catalogue which is in Java. We have not yet
> > started the testing of this configuration.
> > 
> > Our users will be accessing the catalogue using Netscape running
> > on the Winframe server.
> > 
> > Does anyone know if Citrix Winframe will let Netscape run Java
> > applications properly? Is the display on the Windows terminal fine
> > when Java-based applications run from Netscape on the Winframe
> > server
> ?
> > 
> 
> We are currently piloting a similar project for a university.  Let
> me make sure I understand:
> 
> .Windows terminals (non-PC devices) will connect to WinFrame to run
> Netscape.  OK, though you are limited to 256 colors.  Depending on
> the device, there may be no sound available.
> 
> .Dynix catalogue is in Java.  That's OK, assuming the version of
> Netscape used is compatible with the Java implementation chosen by
> Ameritech, of course.  This is not a function of WinFrame.  BTW,
> from what I can tell, only WebPAC for NT uses a Java applet.  Other
> versions of WebPAC appear to use JavaScript.  I would appreciate
> some clarification on this, please.  Either should work with
> Netscape on WinFrame.  Besides potential performance and programatic
> issues, the biggest difference is in the ease of modification, which
> is probably a Dynix no-no anyway.
> 
> .Display.. WebPAC will run in the browser window, rather than full
> screen.  In this case, I assume this is a plus, or at least
> acceptable.
> 
> One possible concern:  if there is any animation involved in the
> Java or JavaScript, whether part of Dynix or part of a site visited
> by Netscape on WinFrame, the animated component will consume some
> extra WinFrame resources, and will not run cleanly as though on a
> PC.  The differences will vary, depending on the number of users on
> the WinFrame server, the intensity of the applet/script, and the
> network bandwidth.  For example, a script that moves a banner
> smoothly across the screen when using a PC will likely move in a
> jerky motion when the browser itself is hosted by WinFrame.
> 
> This is different from when the browser is client-based and the
> application is WinFrame based, but that doesn't apply in this case.
> 
> If you will be using WinFrame for other things, such as providing CD
> applications from the web browser, there are some other
> considerations. If strictly using Java, the application will still
> run in the browser window, and this can be a little awkward to use. 
> Picture WinSpirs or Folio at 640 x 480 inside your browser window
> and you get the point. Potentially lots of scrolling up and down and
> right and left and...  You can mitigate some of this by using higher
> device resolutions such as 1024 x 768, if the device can support it
> and still have the 640 x 480 application resolution be readable.  If
> you reduce the size of the application window in order for it to fit
> inside the browser, then you still will be scrolling, only now you
> are scrolling the application itself, rather than the browser.  It
> that muddy enough?  To further confuse it, we have experimented with
> using the WinFrame Java client full-screen, but it too has its own
> oddities, and wouldn't apply here.
> 
> However, if the only access is through Netscape on WinFrame (no
> LAN-based browsing), then Netscape can be configured to launch other
> applications externally, where they can run full-screen.  If there
> is a Macintosh or UNIX system somewhere in the equation or LAN-based
> browsing, there are yet other considerations, but that's a story for
> another day ;-)
> 
> --
> Dennis Brantley
> Data Access Technologies, Inc.
> Toll Free 1-888-4-DATI-CD (432-8423)
> Voice (770) 339-6554  FAX (770) 682-0629
> mailto:dennis at dati.com