What desktops does PASSPORT run on?

PASSPORT can be used on any PC running Microsoft^® Windows 7, Vista or XP operating system. PASSPORT does not support any Microsoft operating system that is no longer supported by Microsoft. For more information on Microsoft product support status, see http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/.

How can PASSPORT PC TO HOST^® be deployed?

PASSPORT is very flexible when it comes to methods of deployment. In addition to being installed directly on the desktop using the standard Setup program, PASSPORT PC TO HOST^® can be deployed using the following methods:

• SMS or MSI package
• Citrix^® MetaFrame Presentation Server
• Microsoft Terminal Server
• Email Broadcast
• Link on Intranet

What browsers are supported for PASSPORT WEB TO HOST?

PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® can be used with the latest release of Microsoft^® Internet Explorer and is backwardly compatible to version 5.0 (though the latest release of Internet Explorer is recommended).

What web servers are supported?

The majority of PASSPORT WEB TO HOST customers deploy the Zephyr terminal emulation suite from a Microsoft^® 2008 or 2003 Server running IIS (Internet Information Server). However, PASSPORT WEB TO HOST can also be deployed from an IBM WebSphere Application Server, an Apache Server running Tomcat, a BEA WebLogic server running Application Server, or other Java application server.

How is PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® deployed?

Most customers deploy PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® from a standard web server. However, you can also deploy PASSPORT WEB TO HOST using SMS, MSI or a standard software publishing tool.

When a PASSPORT session is launched from a web server, an ActiveX component is downloaded to the end user's PC from the web server. The ActiveX component is only downloaded the first time a session is launched, or when a new version of the PASSPORT ActiveX component is detected.

Can PASSPORT be published from a Citrix Presentation Server?

PASSPORT PC TO HOST^® can be deployed using the Citrix^® Presentation Server and the ability to run the terminal emulation from the centralized server saves valuable time in network management and software administration. You can read more about deploying PASSPORT from Citrix in our knowledge base.

PASSPORT can also be used with the Citrix Password Manager for single sign on to various applications, including TN3270, TN5250, VT, SCO ANSI and Wyse 60 host applications.

To run PASSPORT PC TO HOST^® from a Citrix platform, you will need a specific license key from Zephyr, one that supports concurrent user licensing.

Zephyr also has many existing customers using PASSPORT WEB TO HOST with Citrix without any reported problems. A PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® license code can simply be enabled for installation and use on Citrix, although this will usually need to be a concurrent user license to reflect the nature of a Citrix environment.   

Zephyr will support PASSPORT deployed within a Citrix or similar environment, but may request a customer reporting a suspected problem to test and prove that any issue occurs outside of these environments. This is due to the complexity of the software and hardware components involved.

Zephyr asks clients who are considering deploying on Citrix to review what advantages PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® might offer above PASSPORT PC TO HOST^®  in their Citrix environment. PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® is essentially a 'thin-client' fully functioning terminal emulator. The server admin tool provides centralized configuration, license management and deployment. Updates can be simple and automatic to all client computers with correct access permissions. Citrix and other virtual server/desktop software offers similar features.

Please note that once deployed to the client device, PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® and PC TO HOST^® have the same requirements for session connection to the host and both offer the same emulation functions. The client license software costs are the same, but there is an additional cost for the PASSPORT WEB TO HOST server.

Does PASSPORT support VMware?

PASSPORT requires access to the operating system, not specific hardware configurations. VMware operates as a hardware abstraction layer and supports a set of certified operating systems, including Microsoft Windows. As such, you can easily deploy PASSPORT PC TO HOST^® or PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® from VMware.

Does PASSPORT work with Single Sign On solutions?

Yes, PASSPORT has been tested and works with Single Sign On solutions such as Citrix Password Manger and Passlogix v-GO SSO.

Does PASSPORT support IBM's Express Logon Feature (ELF)?

Yes, PASSPORT PC TO HOST 2010 and higher support ELF. The Express Logon Feature allows TN3270 user to securely log onto a host application through the startup macro without sending user ID and password. The PASSPORT client must be configured for SSL with client authentication. Also the TN3270 server must be set up for ELF support. .

How are PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® sessions configured?

PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® is centrally administered through the PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® Administrator. The PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® Administrator consists of three parts: the Administrator web site, the Administrator Configuration Program and the PASSPORT web site.

The Administrator web site contains information on Setup, QuickStart, configuration, deployment, support, help and also starts the Administrator Configuration Program.

The Administrator Configuration Program, which looks and feels like Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer and the Microsoft^® BackOffice product family, is used to configure session profiles, users and groups, keyboard layouts and attribute settings.

The PASSPORT web site is what the end user views in Internet Explorer before establishing a session with the host. For a more detailed discussion refer to the PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® Administrator Setup and General Information.

How do end users launch PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^®?

PASSPORT sessions are launched from the URL http://Yourwebsite/pec/. Sessions can be launched using this URL in several different ways:

• From the PASSPORT website
• From a shortcut on the desktop
• From a URL on your company Intranet

These methods of launching a session can be used for both local and web server deployment of PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^®.

The user is prompted for their user name with an option to choose a button to launch a host session directly. Based on the user name, a list of available sessions will appear. The session name is actually the name of an HTML file used to launch the session. When the session is launched, an ActiveX component is downloaded to the end user's PC from the web server.

The ActiveX component is only downloaded the first time a session is launched, or when a new version of the PASSPORT ActiveX component is detected. Once downloaded, the user simply accesses the host by launching an Internet Explorer session that connects directly to the host.

Can end-users configure their own settings?

The administrator has the option of either blocking or allowing a local configuration of the session profile by the end user.

Can PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® be integrated into our intranet or extranet portal?

Yes, many customers integrate PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® into their intranet or extranet portal and automate the launching of host sessions. This includes making links for various host sessions, or providing a URL that is used to launch a specific session. This URL can then be added to a Favorites list, or used to create a shortcut on your Windows desktop.

Are users and groups supported?

PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® includes its own version of Users and Groups that is very similar to those found in Windows Server. Once session profiles are created, they can be assigned to either a user or a group as follows:

Groups

• Users can be assigned to groups
• Sessions can be assigned to groups

Users

• Sessions can be assigned to users

Can PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® sessions be remotely configured?

Yes. The PASSPORT Administrator can be used remotely to configure, monitor, deploy and support all aspects of the thin client application from a centralized server(s). To accomplish this, the remote administrator communicates with a Java™ servlet (for WebSphere or WebLogic) or ASP pages on the HTTP server to read and write configuration data. HTTP port 80 is used for communication to circumvent firewall problems.

Can session profiles be replicated from one server to another?

PASSPORT does not have any built-in method of replicating session profiles from one server to another. However, this can be easily done by performing an FTP file transfer of the directories containing the session profile information to the new server.

What type of network traffic does PASSPORT generate on the web server?

Since PASSPORT is an ActiveX component, it is downloaded only once from the HTTP server, or whenever a new version of the application is installed on the server. This minimizes the amount of network traffic with regard to applet download. The session profile (less than 1K) is downloaded from the HTTP server each time a session is started. For multiple sessions, multiple session profiles are downloaded from the HTTP server to launch each session.

The amount of network traffic used to launch a host session is comparable to displaying a small web page. As for traffic to and from the host application server (3270, 5250, VT100, VT220, VT420, SCO ANSI and Wyse 60), it is identical to other desktop or web-based emulators. This traffic can range from light (for users that may access 2 or 3 screens per minute) to heavy (for users performing many large file transfers).

What is the maximum number of workstations supported from a single web server?

Since the web server plays such a limited role (the web server is used to house the application, distribute session configuration information and check the version number of the application), the number of workstations that can be supported by a single web server can be quite high (i.e. thousands of users). The resources of the server ultimately determine the exact quantity.

Can existing RACF User Ids be used with PASSPORT?

Yes, here is one method of achieving this:

• From the Intranet, a user logs in and finds an HTML link to gain host access
• The HTML link points to an active server page (ASP) on a Windows Server
• The ASP queries the employee ID through a session variable
• The ASP then uses the employee ID as an index value and retrieves the corresponding host LU names from a table stored on a SQL server
• The ASP then launches standard host session(s) with the LU name specified at run time
• The appropriate number and type of sessions are established

If the user tries to bypass the Intranet login process, via a shortcut or a bookmark for example, they are redirected back to the login page.

What is the size of the applet downloaded and how much memory does it use?

The PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® ActiveX CAB file that is downloaded from the web server to the client desktop is approximately 2.7MB in size. There is a lite version of the ActiveX CAB file that is approximately 1.4MB in size. The CAB file for the FTP Client is approximately 600KB in size. The only time these files are downloaded to the client desktop is the first time they are accessed and whenever a new version is placed on the web server.

Once the PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® software is downloaded to the desktop, approximately 6MB of disk space is used to store the downloaded components. When the PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® terminal emulator is running, approximate 11MB of memory is used. This is in addition to the memory used by Internet Explorer. Each additional session uses less memory than the first session because the code section is shared by all PASSPORT WEB TO HOST^® sessions.

Can PASSPORT be used for dial-up connections?

In order to use PASSPORT to access TN3270, TN5250, VT, SCO ANSI and Wyse 60 host systems, you must have a dial-up TCP/IP connection to an ISP (Internet Service Provider) or to your company's VPN (Virtual Private Network). Typical ISPs include AOL, AT&T WorldNet, Earthlink, etc.

How much disk space does PASSPORT use?

PASSPORT PC TO HOST^® takes up about 9MB of disk space for a full install on the desktop.