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Reviews /
When all is said and done, picking the best package depends on the type of user you're trying to serve. Power users who access a variety of hosts in an ad-hoc manner will want unrestricted access to host systems. Other organizations need to give a designated population access to a limited number of hosts.
After user authentication, IBM's Host On-Demand presents one of two interfaces to an end user. The simple interface presents available, predefined hosts to which you can connect. Host On-Demand also offers a configuration screen where users can enter any host address and emulation type (such as 3270, 5250 and VT). The configuration page is not something to offer to novices, but sophisticated users will appreciate the flexibility.
OpenConnect's OC://WebConnect offers the same functionality of Host On-Demand, but its Java applet interface is more user-friendly to administrators and end users. You can access both default and custom hosts through a concise set of buttons and pull-down menus. A nice feature is a print emulation selection menu, listing several available host print options.
FTP's OnWeb offers the best of all worlds. You can grant full or limited access to individuals or groups with a terrific administration interface that neatly displays a list of predefined host configurations, or a separate window that allows you to query other hosts. OnWeb also allows you to define prohibited sites, both with and without user authentication enabled.
HostView is the least flexible of these applications when it comes to wide-open access. Users cannot readily define their own configurations; the onus is on the administrator to create and publish available host systems. On the other hand, that means HostView will suit you best if command and control is what you're after.
From a browser a user connects to the HostView server and is prompted with a log on screen. After authentication, the user can see available views. Selecting a view launches either a Java applet or ActiveX control to display the familiar terminal emulation window with all the usual function keys.
OC://WebConnect's installation and configuration is the most interactive of the bunch. The setup program prompts for SNA information, IP port designations, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) configuration and default host names for each configuration option. After restarting the machine, we were able to connect via our client immediately. All options can be changed later using the management console.
FTP's OnWeb installs as easily as a Web-to-host offering can. Within a half hour, we had installed, configured and begun using OnWeb to connect to the Library of Congress mainframe via a TN3270 session. The context-sensitive HTML-based documentation was extremely useful.
OnWeb's management program is a Java applet that lets an administrator configure users and groups, define host configurations and monitor the OnWeb log. The applet takes some skill to navigate, but gets the job done. If you don't need to customize host access for your users and don't want to limit access to the service, OnWeb is a breeze.
Host On-Demand is also relatively simple, although its printed and online documentation leave much to be desired. The setup program adds two services to NT, one for the standard Host On-Demand system and an optional Host On-Demand Express Server optimized for dial-up clients. You configure Host On-Demand via a Java applet, which is a bit clumsy. You can enter TCP/IP address and port information for predetermined hosts.
Installation of Attachmate's HostView is a bit more tedious than that of the other products. It's a two-step process with a forced reboot in the middle. Once the system is restarted, you can configure HostView with an HTML management console. The preview version we reviewed still had lots of rough edges on the user interface.
You need to employ a three-step process before users can access HostView for the first time. First, you create configurations, which list host names and addresses. You can choose to define HostView sessions as either Java or ActiveX applets. Next, you assign configurations to a view. Multiple configurations can be assigned to each view. Finally, you must configure recipients for each view. You can let HostView read recipients from the NT account database.
While not terribly streamlined, this process gives administrators granular control of host sessions to network users.
OC://WebConnect incorporates SSL setup into the installation process. To use SSL with OC://WebConnect you must wait for a certificate authority to return a signed certificate. OpenConnect notes that with VeriSign, Inc. or RSA Data Security, Inc. this process can take several weeks, so plan ahead.
Host On-Demand allows you to use a temporary certificate while waiting for the official one to be returned. SSL management with Host On-Demand is a well-documented but detailed process. The key management utility is not part of the software's management console, but rather a separate DOS-based utility. Host On-Demand makes it easy to import certificates from public certificate authorities such as VeriSign or RSA.
To use SSL with HostView you must install the product's virtual private network (VPN) support. HostView is the only product we reviewed that supports VPNs.
OnWeb does not support SSL.
Aside from SSL, the products we reviewed offer a mixed bag of security and authentication features. OC://WebConnect offers RSA's RC4 encryption, which uses either a 40-bit or 128-bit key to encrypt data. Host On-Demand has a proprietary user authentication database.
OC://WebConnect and OnWeb take good advantage of the built-in Security Accounts Manager database in Windows NT. The OC://WebConnect server process dynamically allocates tokens to IIS, as we tested, or any supported server. OnWeb directly integrates with NT password lists or realms via IIS or Netscape Communication Corp. Web servers.
Scorecard and NetResults
Key findings and vendor contact info.
Reviews /
Host emulation, Web style
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A new breed of software provides host connectivity through standard Web browsers.
The old workhorse of mainframe connectivity, the PC-based terminal emulation package, is getting a new face as vendors enlist Web browsers to play yet another role.
We invited the market-leading vendors of Web-to-host connectivity software to participate in a test that would determine how their newest applications fit into today's IP-based intranet/Internet world. All four of the products we received turned out to be solid contenders, offering features and stability common among second-generation applications such as these.
OpenConnect Systems, Inc.'s OC://WebConnect Pro 3.2 beat the others by a nose to take our Blue Ribbon on the strength of its mature feature set, tight integration with Windows NT and good user interface. FTP Software, Inc.'s OnWeb Host 2.0 proved to be the most flexible of the three, a good simple solution for many types of environments. IBM's eNetwork Host On-Demand 2.0 is a solid choice for those who want to stay true to Big Blue. And Attachmate Corp.'s HostView Server 2.0, which we looked at in a beta release, is good for organizations that prefer to tightly control host access.
Emulation experience
At their most basic, these Web-to-host connectivity packages provide automated access to traditional ''green screen'' mainframe applications. You first connect to your Web server, which downloads a Java applet to the client. The applet connects to the proper mainframe, which it determines based upon the HTTP address you first specified. More sophisticated applications repackage terminal data streams into graphics-based interfaces, providing a simple means of modernizing legacy applications.When all is said and done, picking the best package depends on the type of user you're trying to serve. Power users who access a variety of hosts in an ad-hoc manner will want unrestricted access to host systems. Other organizations need to give a designated population access to a limited number of hosts.
After user authentication, IBM's Host On-Demand presents one of two interfaces to an end user. The simple interface presents available, predefined hosts to which you can connect. Host On-Demand also offers a configuration screen where users can enter any host address and emulation type (such as 3270, 5250 and VT). The configuration page is not something to offer to novices, but sophisticated users will appreciate the flexibility.
OpenConnect's OC://WebConnect offers the same functionality of Host On-Demand, but its Java applet interface is more user-friendly to administrators and end users. You can access both default and custom hosts through a concise set of buttons and pull-down menus. A nice feature is a print emulation selection menu, listing several available host print options.
FTP's OnWeb offers the best of all worlds. You can grant full or limited access to individuals or groups with a terrific administration interface that neatly displays a list of predefined host configurations, or a separate window that allows you to query other hosts. OnWeb also allows you to define prohibited sites, both with and without user authentication enabled.
HostView is the least flexible of these applications when it comes to wide-open access. Users cannot readily define their own configurations; the onus is on the administrator to create and publish available host systems. On the other hand, that means HostView will suit you best if command and control is what you're after.
From a browser a user connects to the HostView server and is prompted with a log on screen. After authentication, the user can see available views. Selecting a view launches either a Java applet or ActiveX control to display the familiar terminal emulation window with all the usual function keys.
Installation and administration
If you have a Web server already up and running, installing and configuring any of these applications is relatively painless.OC://WebConnect's installation and configuration is the most interactive of the bunch. The setup program prompts for SNA information, IP port designations, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) configuration and default host names for each configuration option. After restarting the machine, we were able to connect via our client immediately. All options can be changed later using the management console.
FTP's OnWeb installs as easily as a Web-to-host offering can. Within a half hour, we had installed, configured and begun using OnWeb to connect to the Library of Congress mainframe via a TN3270 session. The context-sensitive HTML-based documentation was extremely useful.
OnWeb's management program is a Java applet that lets an administrator configure users and groups, define host configurations and monitor the OnWeb log. The applet takes some skill to navigate, but gets the job done. If you don't need to customize host access for your users and don't want to limit access to the service, OnWeb is a breeze.
Host On-Demand is also relatively simple, although its printed and online documentation leave much to be desired. The setup program adds two services to NT, one for the standard Host On-Demand system and an optional Host On-Demand Express Server optimized for dial-up clients. You configure Host On-Demand via a Java applet, which is a bit clumsy. You can enter TCP/IP address and port information for predetermined hosts.
Installation of Attachmate's HostView is a bit more tedious than that of the other products. It's a two-step process with a forced reboot in the middle. Once the system is restarted, you can configure HostView with an HTML management console. The preview version we reviewed still had lots of rough edges on the user interface.
You need to employ a three-step process before users can access HostView for the first time. First, you create configurations, which list host names and addresses. You can choose to define HostView sessions as either Java or ActiveX applets. Next, you assign configurations to a view. Multiple configurations can be assigned to each view. Finally, you must configure recipients for each view. You can let HostView read recipients from the NT account database.
While not terribly streamlined, this process gives administrators granular control of host sessions to network users.
Security
The Web-to-host products in our roundup offer a range of security options. The de facto standard, SSL, uses public-key cryptography to limit host access. SSL requires individual private keys be authenticated on client workstations. While the protection that SSL offers can be important when using the Internet, it may be overkill for an intranet solution protected be a firewall.OC://WebConnect incorporates SSL setup into the installation process. To use SSL with OC://WebConnect you must wait for a certificate authority to return a signed certificate. OpenConnect notes that with VeriSign, Inc. or RSA Data Security, Inc. this process can take several weeks, so plan ahead.
Host On-Demand allows you to use a temporary certificate while waiting for the official one to be returned. SSL management with Host On-Demand is a well-documented but detailed process. The key management utility is not part of the software's management console, but rather a separate DOS-based utility. Host On-Demand makes it easy to import certificates from public certificate authorities such as VeriSign or RSA.
To use SSL with HostView you must install the product's virtual private network (VPN) support. HostView is the only product we reviewed that supports VPNs.
OnWeb does not support SSL.
Aside from SSL, the products we reviewed offer a mixed bag of security and authentication features. OC://WebConnect offers RSA's RC4 encryption, which uses either a 40-bit or 128-bit key to encrypt data. Host On-Demand has a proprietary user authentication database.
OC://WebConnect and OnWeb take good advantage of the built-in Security Accounts Manager database in Windows NT. The OC://WebConnect server process dynamically allocates tokens to IIS, as we tested, or any supported server. OnWeb directly integrates with NT password lists or realms via IIS or Netscape Communication Corp. Web servers.
Choices abound
Our experience showed us there are good Web-to-host emulation choices available for all organizations. Each of the products we looked at offers the ability to centralize, automate and secure host access over an intranet or the Internet. For enterprise managers, this technology provides a new mechanism to offer standardized and controlled host access. With a minimum investment, Web-to-host software is a must-have for organizations looking to further tame the enterprise. RELATED LINKSScorecard and NetResults
Key findings and vendor contact info.
Issues and trends
What to consider before buying host connectivity software.
Interactive buyer's guide
Has data for two dozen tools; use our forms to narrow down your search.
Goldberg manages large scale IT integration projects. He can be reached at sgoldberg@ pobox.com.
