Technical Notes

Reflection for the Web and Java Virtual Machines
Technical Note 1674
Last Reviewed 19-Dec-2008
Applies To
Reflection for the Web 2008 (All Editions)
Reflection for the Web version 8.0 through 9.x
Summary

Reflection for the Web requires a web browser with a Java Virtual Machine (VM) that fully supports version 1.1 of the Java Development Kit (JDK 1.1), and some features require VM version 2.0. You may experience problems running Reflection for the Web with certain VM versions. Use the information in this technical note to identify your VM version and to obtain a VM that works well with Reflection for the Web.

This note is organized into the following sections:

What is a Java Virtual Machine?

The Java Virtual Machine (VM) is the engine that processes Java programs and applets. Java instructions are not executed directly by the hardware of the local computer. Instead, the VM intercepts and compiles the Java code so that it can run in the browser's environment. This allows Java developers to write one standard Java program that can be run on multiple platforms.

Determine Which Virtual Machine You are Using

There are several different Java Virtual Machines available. The VM you use depends on the operating system, the browser you are using, and the virtual machine the browser has been configured to use.

Use the information below to determine the brand and version of the VM you are using.

In the Microsoft Windows Operating System

In Microsoft Windows, follow the steps below to determine which VM you are using. Steps are provided for Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Netscape.

Note: Current versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer do not ship with a VM. If you do not have the Sun Java Plug-In installed you may not see a VM listed at all. In this case, proceed to Updating the Sun Java Plug-in, and follow the steps to obtain and install the VM.

Internet Explorer

1. In Internet Explorer, click Tools > Internet Options.
2. On the Advanced tab, scroll through the settings until you see the headings Java (Sun) or Microsoft VM. You may see one or both of these headings.

3. If Java (Sun) is selected, note the version of the VM or JRE.

1. Verify that "Java console enabled" is selected. If not, select that option and click OK.
2. Close all Internet Explorer sessions.
3. Open Internet Explorer and click View > Java Console.

4. Note the VM version, which is displayed in the upper right corner or the Java Console dialog box.

Mozilla Firefox

To view the Java Plug-in (virtual machine) version in Firefox, follow these steps.

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click Tools > Java Console. The Java Plug-in version is listed at the top of the Java Console dialog box.

Netscape

To view the Java Plug-in (virtual machine) version in Netscape, follow these steps.

1. Open Netscape.
2. In the address field, enter about:plugins.
3. The Java Plug-in version is listed under the Java Platform heading.

In the Apple Macintosh Operating System

In Mac OS X, the VM is part of the operating system and can be updated with the OS X Software Update feature.

To determine your Mac OS X Java version:

1. Open the Terminal application.
2. At the command prompt, enter:

Safari, Firefox and Mozilla

Safari, Firefox and Mozilla are all supported browsers. For details about which version of each browser are supported, see Technical Note 1383.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer for Macintosh is no longer available. In accordance with Microsoft's published support lifecycle policies, Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer for Mac on December 31, 2005, and is not providing any further security or performance updates.

Accordingly, as of January 31, 2006, Internet Explorer for the Mac is no longer available for download from Microsoft. It is recommended that Macintosh users migrate to more recent web browsing technologies such as Apple's Safari. For more information, see http://www.apple.com/support/safari/.

Supported Virtual Machine Versions

Once you have determined the VM brand and version that you are using, click Help > About in the browser to determine the browser version. Then, refer to Technical Note 1383 for a list of supported operating systems, Virtual Machines, and VM versions.

How to Update Your Virtual Machine

The following sections explain how to update the different brands of VM.

Updating the Sun Java Plug-in

To obtain the Java virtual machine for Windows, visit the following Sun Microsystems web pages:

• Version 1.6: To obtain the 1.6 Java VM for Windows, visit the following Sun Microsystems web page and download Java Run Time Environment (JRE) 6. This JRE contains the 1.6 Java VM.

Note: Per the Sun Microsystems web site, the following versions of Java VM have entered the End of Life (EOL) transition period. Details are provided on each download page.

• Version 1.5: To obtain the 1.5 Java VM for Windows, visit the following Sun Microsystems web page and download JRE v. 5.0. This JRE contains the 1.5 Java VM.

• Version 1.4.2: To obtain the 1.4.2 Java VM for Windows, visit the following Sun Microsystems web page and download J2SE v. 1.4.2 JRE. This JRE contains the 1.4.2 Java virtual machine.

Updating the Microsoft Virtual Machine

In 2003, Microsoft ceased distribution of the Microsoft Virtual Machine, and in December of 2007, they ceased support. If you are still running the Microsoft Virtual Machine, please note that that no security updates have been made to the VM since that time.

For information from Microsoft about securing Internet Explorer or transitioning from the Microsoft Java VM, see http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/faq.asp.

If you are running Internet Explorer with the Microsoft VM, we recommend that you transition to the current Sun Java Plug-in and configure Internet Explorer to use the new plug-in version. See How to Update your Virtual Machine.

Updating the Mac OS X Virtual Machine

Java 2 shipped with the Mac OS X operating system and can be updated with the OS X Software Update feature. For more information about the Software Update feature in Mac OS X, see http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/macosx_updates/.

Known Issues per Virtual Machine

This section lists known issues when running Reflection for the Web with supported versions of the Sun Java Plug-in, Microsoft Virtual Machine or Mac OS X Virtual Machine.

Sun Java Plug-in

Even if your browser is supported by Reflection, it may be using a VM that cannot run Reflection with full functionality. If you experience one of the following problems when running Reflection, you may benefit from using a different VM version or by upgrading Reflection.

Sun Java SE 6 Update 10 or higher

Java SE 6 Update 10 (Java 6u10) and subsequent versions include a significant re-architecture of the Java Plug-in, which causes Reflection for the Web client sessions to disconnect and close when Java 6u10 is installed and the user performs certain browser navigation actions.

For more information and a workaround, see Technical Note 2397.

Sun Java VM 1.5.0_08 and 1.5.0_09

The following problems have been observed when using these versions of Sun Java VM with Reflection for the Web.

Issue 1:

• After modifying or creating a session in the Administrative WebStation, you cannot launch that session again.
• If you browse away from the Reflection for the Web log in page, then return using the browser's Back button, the User name and Password fields no longer appear; there is a blank square.

Resolution:

1. Go to http://www.java.com.
2. Click Free Java Download, and then click Verify Version.
3. Install according to instructions.

Sun Java VM 1.5.x and 1.4.x

The following problems have been observed when using these versions of Sun Java VM with Reflection for the Web.

Issue 1:

• Using AES 256-bit or 192-bit keys requires download from Sun (version 1.4 and higher).

Resolution:

1. Download the java cryptography extension file from the appropriate web page for your version of Sun Java VM.

2. Scroll to Other Downloads, Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy Files <version> at the bottom of the page.

3. Download the file for your version:

4. Unzip the file. The file should contain the following jar files:

5. On the security proxy server, replace <java path>/jre/lib/security/local_policy.jar and <java path>/jre/lib/security/US_export_policy.jar with the unlimited strength versions.
6. On client machines that use the Sun Java Plug-in, replace <path>/Java/j2re1.<version>/lib/local_policy.jar and <path>/Java/j2re1.<version>/lib/US_export_policy.jar with the unlimited strength versions.

Workaround:

• Change the encryption strength on the host to something other than AES 256.
• Add the sslAES256 applet parameter to the Reflection for the Web session. For details, see Technical Note 1958 and follow the steps provided under "Disable 256-bit AES in the Reflection for the Web client session."

Issue 2:

• Launching a session results in a "Zip File Closed" error (version 1.4).

Resolution:

1. Open the Windows Control Panel, and double-click Java Plug-in.
2. Select the Cache tab.
3. Clear the "Enable Caching" check box.

Issue 3:

• Cannot load applets over HTTPS if the web server is using an SSL certificate from the Microsoft Certificate Authority (version 1.4.2 or 1.4.2_01).

Resolution:

Issue 4:

• If Session Manager is used to import a configuration file from a UNC path, the session will close without error but the session will not be saved.

Resolution:

• Copy the file to a local drive and import the file from that location.
• Map a network drive to the file location and import the file using the mapped drive.

Microsoft Virtual Machine

The last release of Microsoft Virtual Machine is version 5.0.3810, which was released in 2003. If you are using the Microsoft VM, we recommend that you transition to the current Sun Java Plug-in and configure Internet Explorer to use the latest plug-in version. See How to Update your Virtual Machine.

Mac OS X Virtual Machine

Java 2 shipped with the Mac OS X operating system and can be updated with the OS X Software Update feature. For more information about the Software Update feature in Mac OS X, see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338?viewlocale=en_US.

Note the following:

• To use the Reflection JavaScript API with Safari, you must have Safari 1.2+ and Java 2 VM version 1.4.2+.

Additional Browser and VM Troubleshooting

For additional support information, see the Troubleshooting section of the Administrative WebStation. In addition, technical notes are created and updated as new issues are identified. For a list of Reflection for the Web technical notes, see Technical Note 9988.

Related Technical Notes

1383	Reflection for the Web Browser Requirements
9988	Reflection for the Web Technical Notes