Simple client deployment

Conveniently deploy a preconfigured bundle of Java 11 and the Java-based censhare Client. This solution replaces the Java Web Start software that is no longer supported by Oracle.

Target groups

System administrators

Users (on self-managed workstations)

Purpose

Use the Java-based censhare Client without a separate local installation of Java.

Context

Download a preconfigured bundle from a web server to get the Java-based censhare Client running with a simple routine.

Prerequisites

User: Your system administrator has prepared the appropriate ZIP or DMG files, placed them on a web server, and given you the URL.
Administrator: You have a web server and the clients or installers that you want to deploy to your users.

Introduction

censhare simple client deployment allows you to start the Java-based censhare Client without a local installation of Java Runtime Environment (JRE). This solution replaces functionality that the Java Web Start software provided previously. Oracle ends support of Java Web Start early in 2019. For more information, see Oracle Java SE Roadmap.

Currently, the simple client deployment feature is only available for the Java 11-based censhare Client (version 2019.1.0). The bundle for this version of the censhare Java-based Client includes the appropriate Java Runtime Environment (JRE 11) for Mac or Windows.

Key steps for users

Download everything that you need to install the Java-based censhare client from a web server. Your system administrator prepares ZIP files and provides the URL. Based on whether you work with a virtual file system (VFS), the installation steps vary.

Simple client deployment without a virtual filesystem (VFS)

Go to the URL that your system administrator provides and download the appropriate ZIP file for your operating system (Windows or Mac). Based on your use case, the content that your system administrator includes in the ZIP file varies.
Extract the ZIP files.
If you work with the censhare Client and do not require access to a virtual file system (VFS), your administrator provides an executable file and a hosts.xml file.
Double-click the executable file that you extracted from the ZIP file to store the hosts.xml and start the censhare Client.
The censhare Client looks for the hosts.xml file that you extracted from the ZIP file and stores the hosts.xml in the correct default location automatically. The hosts.xml file lists the servers to which you can log in. For example, on a Mac the default location for the hosts.xml file is "Users/xx/Library/Preferences/censhare/hosts.xml".
If the censhare Client cannot find the hosts.xml file automatically, a dialog displays and asks you to select a file manually. After you manually select a file, the selected hosts.xml is copied to the default location. If the files that you extracted from the ZIP file include a hosts.xml, select that file. The Java-based censhare Client starts.

If you try to log in to a server that no longer supports the version of the censhare Client that you have, you receive a notification message that a connection cannot be established. To download a supported version of the censhare Client, follow the link that is provided in the notification message. If the notification message does not contain a download link, contact your system administrator.

Simple client deployment with a virtual file system (VFS)

Go to the URL that your system administrator provides and download the appropriate ZIP file for your operating system (Windows or Mac). Based on your use case, the content that your system administrator includes in the ZIP file varies.
Extract the ZIP files.
If you work with the censhare Client and require access to a VFS, your administrator provides the correct hosts.xml and a custom installer that installs both the censhare Client and the VFS.
Click the installer that you extracted from the ZIP file to begin the installation process.
When you use an installer, you must locate and select a host.xml file manually. The censhare Client displays a dialog and asks you to select a file. After you manually select a file, the selected hosts.xml is copied to the default location. (If the files that you extracted from the ZIP file includes a hosts.xml, select that file.)
The Java-based censhare Client starts.

Key steps for administrators

Use a self-hosted website to deliver the censhare Client version that you require with the correct hosts.xml in a standard ZIP file. Simple client deployment helps you ensure smooth operation of the Java-based censhare Client as you transition from Java 8 to Java 11.

Provide bundle

Set up a designated web server or use your current web server.
Create ZIP files that contain the executable file, hosts.xml, or installer (with VFS) for the censhare Client version that you want your users to deploy. Based on your use case, create ZIP files for Windows or Mac users.
Share the URL where the ZIP files are located with your users.
Provide the information that is included in the Key steps (users) section of this article to your users.

Java for Mac or Windows is now included in the Java-based censhare Client bundle. Your users do not require a separate installation of Java.

Define and show download link

After the host entry is selected and the desired executable file runs, your user logs in to the censhare Client. If the version of the censhare Client with which a user logs in is not supported by the corresponding server, the user receives a notification that login is not possible. Supported client versions are listed in the Client Versions table of the Master data in your censhare Admin-Client.

As a system administrator, you can add a link to the notification that your user receives if they try to log in with a censhare Client version that your server no longer supports. The user can click the link to get directly to a download of the version that you support.

We strongly recommend that you add a download link for the version of the censhare Client that your server supports to the user-notification message.

Define a download link in your user-notification message

In the censhare Admin-Client, navigate to Configuration | Modules | Clients | Client | and double-click Client preferences. The [New] Client Preferences dialog opens.
In the [New] Client Preferences dialog, select Edit XML-File. The Client Preferences XML file opens.
In the Client Preferences XML, locate the application tag and add the attribute with the desired URL:
client- download-link="[enter your URL here]"

Example:

Application tag in a Client Preferences XML file with a client-download-link attribute that is not yet customized.

Result

Administrators can deploy everything that their users require to run a Java-based censhare client.

Users can download the bundle that is provided by their administrator to run a Java-based censhare client.

Next steps

None required.