Installing BlueZone Web-to-Host on a Z/OS or OS/390 HTTP Web Server

Introduction

BlueZone Web to Host can be installed on any web server including the IBM HTTP server that ships with Z/OS and OS/390. The IBM HTTP server is based on Apache and runs in Open MVS. The concepts are identical to installing and running BlueZone Web-to-Host on a UNIX server. The only difference is that HTML files must be uploaded to the mainframe as ASCII so they are converted to EBCDIC properly. All other files are treated as binary data. Once BlueZone Web-to-host is installed on the IBM HTTP server, all additional configuration and management functions are identical to any other web server.

BlueZone Web-to-Host does not use any active code on the web server, but uses simple static HTML web pages with some client side JavaScript for browser detection. The entire BlueZone Web-to-Host installation uses only about 6 megabytes of disk space to support all BlueZone emulators and clients. This can be made significantly smaller if unused emulators and clients are eliminated from the installation.

NOTE The same files are used for all BlueZone Web-to-Host installations on all Microsoft IIS, UNIX, AS/400, or Mainframe web servers.

Refer to the BlueZone Web-to-Host Administrator’s Guide (located on the BlueZone CD) for detailed information about installing BlueZone Web-to-Host.

To launch the BlueZone Web-to-Host Administrator’s Guide, click here

Procedure

In the following exercise, commands to be entered are shown on a separate line in blue type. It is necessary (but not shown) to send an “ENTER” after each command

STEP 1 - Upload the BlueZone Web to Host Files to the Web Server

1. Configure BlueZone FTP or other FTP client to connect to your mainframe.
2. Change to the MVS OpenEdition (OMVS) file system directory. On the Rocket mainframe this is accomplished by changing the directory to /USR1/ by issuing the following command:

cd /usr1/

3. Create a directory for BlueZone Web-to-Host called /bluezone/ by issuing the Make Directory command:

mkd bluezone

4. Switch to the new BlueZone directory by issuing a Change Directory command:

cd bluezone

5. From the BlueZone Installation CD, send the BlueZone Web-to-Host directories and their files to the new “bluezone” directory you just created on the mainframe. Send all HTML files (files with extension .htm) as ASCII. All other files should be sent as BINARY files.

NOTE This can be automated using BlueZone FTP and the Automode configuration. In BlueZone FTP go to Transfer:Options and select Automode. In the Automode Tab, select the ASCII Radio Button, then add htm to the list of files to be transferred as ASCII.

6. Upload to the BlueZone Web-to-Host directory including all files and all subdirectories using Automode now.
7. Upload the Software Activation File (seagull.saf) you received from your sales representative or Rocket Order Administration as BINARY. This file contains license information and is required for the BlueZone session to run once it is downloaded to the browser.

NOTE It is necessary to overwrite the existing Software Activation File that you have already copied to the mainframe with the one that you received from Rocket Software.

STEP 2 - Configure the Web Server

Once all the directories and files have been uploaded to the host, the permissions on those directories must be set and the httpd.conf file must be changed to allow access to BlueZone Web-to-Host.

To change the permissions on the BlueZone Web to Host directory:

1. Using BlueZone Display or other terminal emulator, connect to the mainframe hosting the web server.
2. Enter MVS OpenEdition (OMVS). From the ISPF Primary Option Menu, type:
   M
3. The Additional IBM Products Panel will display. To enter OMVS, type:
   10
4. At the OMVS prompt type:
   cd /usr1/
   The prompt will change to /usr1: >
5. At the prompt type:
   chmod -R 744 bluezone
6. At the prompt type
   cd bluezone
   to change directory to /usr1/bluezone/
7. At the prompt type
   chmod -R 644 *
   to change the permissions on the files and directories in /usr1/bluezone/

To update the web server configuration file, httpd.conf:

1. From the OMVS prompt change directories to the IBM HTTP Server directory. On the Rocket mainframe this is accomplished by typing:
   cd /web/httpd1/
   (your directory may be different)
2. At the prompt type:
   ls -1
   to list all the files in the directory. Look for httpd.conf
3. Open the http.conf file for editing to add the BlueZone Web-to-Host PASS directive. At the prompt type:
   oedit httpd.conf
4. Search the httpd.conf file for the PASS directive by typing:
   F PASS 1
   on the command line. Use F5 to find more instances of PASS.
5. At the beginning of the line for the next to the last PASS directive type:
   I3
   to insert 3 blank lines.
6. In the second blank line type:
   PASS /bluezone/*   /usr1/bluezone/*
   This allows the URL users type to be:
   http://yourhostname/bluezone/default.htm
   rather than:
   http://yourhostname/usr1/bluezone/default.htm
7. Press F3 to save and exit.

CAUTION! If BlueZone Web to Host is to be accessed through dialup connections, the HTTP server OutputTimeout value must be increased from the default value of 2 minutes to 10 minutes.  The HTTP server must be restarted for these changes to take effect.

The OutputTimeout value can be found under the “Timeout Directives” section of the httpd.conf file.

STEP 3 - Configure BlueZone to Connect to Your Host

The BlueZone Web-to-Host Administrator’s Guide, found on the BlueZone CD, contains step-by-step instructions for tailoring BlueZone to your particular requirements. These instructions are identical when running BlueZone Web-to-Host from any web server.

To launch the BlueZone Web-to-Host Administrator’s Guide, click here