Known Issues

These issues have been identified in previous releases and are known issues.

Browser issues

Host specific issues

Installation issues

Browser issues

The following notes are specific to different web browsers.

• Recommended browsers
• Key mapping issues with different browsers

Recommended browsers

It is highly recommended that you use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. While Host Access for the Cloud supports Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 11, there are known performance issues with Internet Explorer’s JavaScript engine that may negatively affect the end user experience with Host Access for the Cloud.

These issues have been identified and have remedies, however the easiest solution is to use a different browser.

• Internet Explorer Unable to Play Recorded Macros

  When using certain older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) web browser with Host Access for the Cloud, attempts to playback macros may fail with an error. The error message reads: Macro Error: Error transpiling macro code: TypeError: unknown: Circular reference in value argument not supported.

  This is a problem with this version of Internet Explorer and JavaScript. It may be possible to avoid this error if you delete the createMacro() function and replace it using JavaScript Promises (for example, then() ).

  Because this issue is specific to early versions of Internet Explorer, the easiest solution to this problem is to use a different browser (Chrome or Firefox) or a more recent version of Internet Explorer. You can successfully play back macros using Internet Explorer version 11.0.9600.18161, update version 11.0.27. Run Windows Update to update Internet Explorer.

• HTTPS connections between Apple iOS mobile devices and the session server

  Host Access for the Cloud users cannot connect to a session server over HTTPS from their Apple iPad when using a self-signed certificate. If feasible, the quickest solution is to use HTTP instead of HTTPS.

  If HTTPS is needed, you have the following options:

  • Obtain a valid certificate signed by a trusted CA and install it on the session server.

  • Find an alternate browser that will accept the self-signed certificate. See Browser and operating system support for a list of supported browsers.

  • Leverage a custom certificate authority:

    • Create a custom CA, CA root certificate, and a server certificate signed by that CA’s root certificate.

    • Install the server certificate on the session server.

    • Install the custom CA root certificate on the iPad by means of a profile. The iPad should now accept the server certificate as it was signed by a “trusted CA”.

  For a list of CAs trusted by Apple iOS, see Lists of available trusted root certificates in iOS.

• Internet Explorer Displays Blank Screens

  When using the Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) web browser with Host Access for the Cloud or Management and Security Server (MSS), you may see a blank screen instead of the expected session.

  When using Microsoft Internet Explorer to access Host Access for the Cloud sessions or Management & Security Server, you may experience issues such as the following:

  Host Access for the Cloud renders properly for some URLs and not others (a blank screen is displayed). The behavior varies depending on whether the session is using an IP address, short hostname, or fully-qualified name.

  In MSS, you can’t create or open a Host Access for the Cloud session unless that session is on the same server as MSS. A blank screen displays where you expect to see the session.

  Explanation

  This issue is specific to the way Internet Explorer toggles various settings depending on its interpretation of website security. The settings in question are Compatibility View and Third-party Cookies. Depending on what “zone” Internet Explorer determines your web site to be in, these settings need to be either enabled or disabled. Internet Explorer bases its determination on the site URL. For example, if the server name in the URL does not contain dots (for example, http://mycorporateserver/mss/AdminStart.html), Internet Explorer assumes the address belongs in the Local Intranet zone. If it does, the site is assigned to the Internet zone.

  Local Internet Zone

  • Compatibility View enabled (not desired)
  • Third-party Cookies enabled (desired)

  Internet Zone

  • Compatibility View disabled (desired)
  • Third-party Cookies disabled (not desired)

  While it is possible for a website to override Compatibility View by specifying Document Mode with an X-UA-Compatible meta HTML tag, and Host Access for the Cloud does use that particular mode, MSS does not. Thus, if a Host Access for the Cloud server and a Management and Security Server are both in the Local Intranet zone (with default Compatibility View enabled), it is likely that Host Access for the Cloud would still perform correctly, but MSS would not.

  Solution

  To use Internet Explorer 10 or 11 with Host Access for the Cloud and MSS servers, you need:

  You need to determine what zone your web site is in and then make the necessary adjustments to the Internet Explorer settings. Because Internet Explorer can be configured in so many different ways depending on your situation, it is hard to provide one solution for successfully using Internet Explorer with Host Access for the Cloud and MSS. These are some possible configurations to follow:

  • If both Host Access for the Cloud and MSS are in the Internet zone, manually add the Host Access for the Cloud server to the Local Intranet or Trusted Sites zone (Internet Options > Security > Local intranet > Sites). Use fully qualified host names or IP addresses.

  • If both servers are in the Internet zone, change the default behavior for that zone and enable Third-party Cookies (Internet Options > Privacy > Advanced > Override automatic cookie handling).

  • If both servers are in the Local Intranet zone, change the default behavior for that zone and disable Compatibility View (Tools > Compatibility View settings).

Key mapping issues with different browsers

Certain keys on a numeric keypad and some browser-specific keys cannot be mapped. For example, in Chrome, Ctrl+n and Ctrl+w cannot be mapped.

Host specific issues

The following are issues that are specific to different host types.

Displaying the Euro character

If the EURO character does not display correctly on the terminal screen, talk to your system administrator to make sure the host character set for the session is setup correctly. By default, Host Access for the Cloud uses a character set which does not support the Euro character (€). To display the Euro character, change the character set to one that supports the Euro character.

Issues encountered with VT hosts

Field outlines in 3270 sessions

The 3270 attributes for field outlines are not fully supported. Host Access for the Cloud currently supports underline and overline; however, left vertical line, right vertical line, and combinations of the four line types are not yet supported.

Installation issues

The Installing and Upgrading topics include a troubleshooting section which may help diagnose and remedy specific installation issues.

Setting a TEMP directory for the installation program

The installer requires a writable temp directory. If the default temp directory is not suitable, the installer can be run with an alternate temp directory.

• Windows

  If the default temp directory is not writable, set the environment variables TMP or TEMP to an alternate location temporarily while running the installer. Restore the variables when the installation is complete.

• Linux/Unix

  The environment variable INSTALL4J_TEMP determines the base directory that the installer uses for self-extraction. As the installer extracts files and launches Java to perform other tasks, the Java temp location ( /tmp) is used.

  To run the Linux installers with an alternate temp directory:

  • Define the variable INSTALL4J_TEMP, specifying the value as the desired temp location.

  • Create the temp directory specified for the installer. The installer requires that the directory already exist.

  • Add the command line switch –J-Djava.io.tmpdir={tempdir} when launching the installer. For example:

     abcd@linux:~$ INSTALL4J_TEMP=/home/abcd/i4jtemp
     abcd@linux:~$ export INSTALL4J_TEMP
     abcd@linux:~$ sudo ./hacloud-2.4.2.12345-linux-x64.sh -J-Djava.io.tmpdir=/home/abcd/i4jtemp
  

Chained HACloud and MSS installations

• On Windows, a chained installation of HACloud and MSS will need no other adjustments, if you temporarily set the TMP or TEMP environment variables described above.

• On Linux/Unix - You cannot run a chained installer on this platform; run them separately, each with administrative permissions, the INSTALL4J_TEMP variable set and with the -J-Djava.io.tmpdir switch.

If both MSS and HACloud are being installed “unchained”, MSS must be installed first, then HACloud.

Setting a TEMP directory for the product

HACloud uses an internal temp directory that should be suitable in all cases. However, this directory can be changed if necessary by editing the container.conf file.

This location is configurable:

1. Open <installation folder>/sessionserver/conf/container.conf in a text editor.

2. Edit the wrapper.java.additional property to specify the new location. If the path contains spaces, enclose it in quotes on Windows or use the appropriate syntax for Linux/Unix platforms. For example, wrapper.java.additional.9=-Djava.io.tmpdir=../tmp

3. If needed, you can set an additional property to delete the temp directory when the server shuts down.

4. Restart the server.