Inet3270 Web Server
Background
The Inet3270Web solution enables the use of standard web browsers to act as the user interface for 3270 mainframe sessions.
The Inet3270WebServer is an HTTP and HTTPS server that supports IPv4 and IPv6. It can serve static pages and also XML data representing 3270 screen fields and accept XML data representing 3270 input fields. The 3270 data is obtained from and sent to a TN3270 host using TN3270 data streams over IPv4 or IPv6 with or without SSL encryption. The XML data is transformed to 3270 screen images using AJAX as is the transformation of the input fields to XML data. The server can serve many browser sessions and the associated Tn3270 sessions.
In order to start a 3270 session to the mainframe, the user using a browser must access a page to log on to the mainframe via the Inet3270WebServer. A username, password and a profile must be supplied. The profile contains the host name, port, LU and configuration to use. The configuration contains many parameters including display attributes, keyboard mappings, translation tables, IP protocol and encryption.
Configurations are generated by an administrator using the Inet3270 terminal emulator. Users and profiles are generated by an administrator using a web interface to the Inet3270WebServer. Each user is assigned a username and password and one or more profiles. Profiles may be shared between users.
Inet3270WebServer can also act as a proxy server allowing a 3270 client to connect to any 3270 host machine.
An administrator can list all current sessions and optionally terminate any session using a web interface.
Using Web3270
Once Inet3270WebServer is running, use a browser to access it. The following page is displayed by default:
Before setting up users, at least one 3270 configuration must be created. This is done by running the standard Inet3270 terminal emulator on the machine where Inet3270WebServer is installed and being logged on as the same user that installed it. The required settings like colour, telnet settings and security settings must be selected. The host, port and LU settings should be left blank. Auto-connect and Proxy settings should not be set up at all. After selecting the settings, the configuration must be saved.
The administrator must set up the users next by clicking the User Management tab which brings up the User Management page:
A user profile consists of a user name, password, 3270 configuration, host name, port and LU. Configurations can be shared between profiles and profiles can be shared between users.
The page above shows a number of users with user John selected and profile nucleus3 selected. The right hand section shows the values used in the selected profile which may be entered, updated, added or deleted. The selected user may also be deleted. To create a new user enter a new User name and all the other values and click the Add/Update button.
To open a new session, click the Open 3270 Session tab that opens a new tab or window:
Once a valid Username and Password is entered, the Get Profiles button retrieves all the profiles that have been set up for that user who must select the desired one.
The page with valid selections is displayed like this:
Click Connect>> to start the session.
This shows the first screen from the connected host.
The blank button in conjunction with the Do button is used for diagnostic purposes. Clicking the blank button cycles through four different modes (blank, Key, List and Info) while the Do button activates the displayed function when List and Info are displayed. List > Do displays all the input fields. Info > Do displays the version of the screen script and browser information. In Key mode the last key entered as well as other diagnostic information like the field position are displayed.
Clicking the Session Management tab, opens the Session Management page in a new tab or window.
This page allows an Administrator to list all current 3270 sessions and optionally closing any session or displaying the XML representation of the currently displayed screen of the selected session for diagnostic purposes.