4.1 Best Practices, and Approaches for Applying SettingsUpdate Files to Sessions

This topic includes:

4.1.1 Approaches for Applying SettingsUpdate Files to Sessions

You can set up automatic updates for a specific type of session document file (for example, an IBM 3270 .rd3x session document file) in several ways:

Option	Advantages	Considerations
Use a local update file to update all Session Documents—You can deploy updates to all session documents by creating a local update file and deploying it to the user data directory of each user.	You can update all existing and new sessions.	You need to deploy the local update file every time you need to modify session settings.
Use a referenced update file to apply updates for select session document Files—You can configure and deploy sessions that reference an update file on a server.	You can easily change and apply updates by changing the update file on the server. You have more control over which files are updated.	These updates apply only to session documents that you have configured to reference the update file on the server. They do not apply to new session documents that users create or other existing session documents.
Use a combination of both approaches to apply updates for all session document files—Deploy a local update file that adds a reference to another update file on a server.	You can set up all of your user’s existing and new session documents to receive updates. You can easily change and apply updates by changing the update file on the server.	The first time users open their session, the local update files sets a reference to the update file on the server. The next time the session is opened, the settings in the server’s update file are applied. (After the session document is configured to use a referenced update file, it doesn’t use the local update file.)

Option

Advantages

Considerations

Use a local update file to update all Session Documents—You can deploy updates to all session documents by creating a local update file and deploying it to the user data directory of each user.

You can update all existing and new sessions.

You need to deploy the local update file every time you need to modify session settings.

Use a referenced update file to apply updates for select session document Files—You can configure and deploy sessions that reference an update file on a server.

You can easily change and apply updates by changing the update file on the server.

You have more control over which files are updated.

These updates apply only to session documents that you have configured to reference the update file on the server.

They do not apply to new session documents that users create or other existing session documents.

Use a combination of both approaches to apply updates for all session document files—Deploy a local update file that adds a reference to another update file on a server.

You can set up all of your user’s existing and new session documents to receive updates.

You can easily change and apply updates by changing the update file on the server.

The first time users open their session, the local update files sets a reference to the update file on the server. The next time the session is opened, the settings in the server’s update file are applied. (After the session document is configured to use a referenced update file, it doesn’t use the local update file.)

4.1.2 Best Practices for Creating and Applying SettingsUpdate Files to Sessions

Make sure that the update file changes only the settings you intend to change. A good approach is to create an update file that perfectly matches the session document defaults before you change the settings you intend to update.
Do not enter any connection settings or other default settings in update files unless you want to update those settings.
Do not try to create an update file by renaming a session file. You can create an update file for sessions only by saving the file from the Reflection Desktop interface.

4.1.3 Which Types of Session Documents and Settings Can be Updated?

You can create and apply updates to the following types of session documents: IBM3270 (.rd3x), IBM5250 (.rd5x), Open Systems (.rdox), and 6530 NonStop (.rd6x) terminals.

In addition to updating standard session document files, you can update encrypted session documents, compound session documents, and encrypted compound session document files.

SettingsUpdate files do not apply to sessions that are not opened in the workspace, such as HP, FTP, and printer sessions.

Settings you can change with SettingsUpdate files

You can change these settings	You cannot change...
connection settings terminal settings clipboard settings security settings productivity settings mainframe file transfer settings some printer settings and settings that reference printers update settings and references to update files references to VBA macros hotspot display settings	keyboard maps mouse maps ribbons themes hotspot maps quickpads

NOTE:You cannot modify Macros with SettingsUpdate files.