This section provides a more technical description of the product from the viewpoint of the Administrator or Developer, including specific features. For features described from the perspective of the user, please see the Operator Guide.
Familiar Emulation Inside a Browser
For the user, a FVTerm session looks and feels like a traditional terminal emulator, yet it is utilizing DHTML (dynamic HTML - a combination of client-side javascript and HTML) to present the user interface. This means that the emulation is instantly available anywhere the user can access the Emulation Server using a web browser, as well as being capable of integrating inside an existing web application framework.
Macro Recording and Scripting
The feature-rich Inventu WebFlow Macros environment is now integrated with the Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation. This provides a shared javascript-based macro environment. WebFlow macros reside on the server and can be public (published by a macros administrator) or private (stored in user's custom folder). The built-in recorder, available to authorized users, can be used to record entry to screens and navigation between screens. On the completion of a recording, a visual designer then provides the user with customization of the macro to hide or show entry fields, make the macro restartable and optionally connect with a plug-in to accomplish tasks such as send an email or read or write to a spreadsheet. For administration of WebFlow macros, see: WebFlow Macros Administration
iPad Support and other Tablet Support (Android & Windows Surface) - No App Installation Required
As a pure HTML and Javascript product, FVTerm requires no app install--this means that users:
1.Do not need to find and install a terminal emulation app
2.Do not need to configure the host connection, which can be complicated and error-prone
3.Connect almost instantly by clicking on a provided link in your portal, or with an emailed URL
4.Can take advantage of shared configuration, macros and other Inventu features implemented such as the graduated modernization and migration feature.
Minimal Network Impact
Unlike first generation HTML-based emulators, Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation utilizes the exclusive Inventu Viewer Emulation Data-stream, which is an HTTP-compatible compressed "send changes only" emulation data-stream. As a result, the network traffic is only marginally larger than when using traditional emulators, and in some cases, smaller.
Full Keyboard Support
The full PC keyboard may be utilized to emulate host keys, with the configuration of the keyboard controlled by a server-side configuration file in the .NET application folder. No plug-ins of any type are needed--for Internet Explorer, some keystroke combinations may benefit from the use of an optional, configurable ActiveX control which is included in the installation.
Configurable color and Font Settings
A Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation server can be configured to support any number of color styles (a number of stylesheets are provided, and customers can modify these or create new ones) as well as a selection of fonts.
The use of non-standard fonts is made possible by font embedding technology. Note that some fonts require a separate licensing agreement with the copyright holder of that font. A selection of fonts is provided with Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation for use in evaluating these mono spaced fonts. Customers must not include the fonts in a production environment without first reviewing licensing with the respective vendors (see Font Settings section for how to control available fonts).
Based on Microsoft's Web Server (IIS)
Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation, rather than utilizing a proprietary emulation server, is built on top of and integrates with Microsoft's ASP.NET web application platform running on Windows Servers and PC's. This means that any security or encryption option supported by Microsoft (including future implementations) are automatically included and supported.
The emulator itself is delivered from a web page that is acting as part of an ASP.NET application, using standard .NET programming design patterns and techniques. For customers looking for modernization options for their mainframe applications, the Inventu UI Modernization option provided through a code-generation feature of Inventu Studio integrates fully with Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation and allows users to move between modernized pages and terminal emulation pages seamlessly. On the same server, the Inventu web services, with options including Microsoft WCF JSON calls can share the same emulation sessions.
Client-Side Integration
Web developers can link their own javascript file (a sample is provided) which includes a number of event functions that are called whenever a new screen is displayed at the client or the user has pressed a key that will send the screen to the host.
In addition to these two events, there are functions provided in the client-side framework for reading any area of the screen and for "poking" values into entry fields. For the most complete integration the Inventu WebFlow Macros publish editable, state-based javascript macros which are fully editable and extendable while providing read and write capability to the screens visited in the macro recording.
Custom Logging and User Session Monitoring
Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation includes a modular logging framework that customers can utilize to create custom server-side logging and tracking by user. This can be used to track user sessions (can write session logon/logoff time to a database to track user access) as well as a full audit trail of all screens visited and data entered, by user.
High Performance Windows Service
The core emulation engine runs as a standard Win32 service, providing control through the system services applet as well as event reporting using the standard Windows Event Log. This service provides up to hundreds of concurrent emulation sessions that persist independently of client .NET object processes and threads.
The core emulation engine is written in highly optimized C and C++, ensuring efficient use of resources and the fastest possible handling of the terminal data streams.
Administration and Control
Provided with the Inventu FVTerm Web Terminal Emulation Service is a set of administration applications that may be separately installed on any machine from which access to the live Inventu Viewer Service is desired (such as an administrator's desktop). These applications then access the service through a configurable HTTP port to enable remote administration.
Included in the Administration Applications are the following functions:
•View active or available sessions and status
•Start/Stop a session
•View a live session in a special administrator's emulation window -- enables both debugging as well as help desk capabilities
•Configure the service using tree-view property sheets
•Start/Stop/Clear Application Tracing
•View Application trace file which optionally includes buffers, screens, API calls and internals
