HOD Quick Guide       What Is HOD? Contact Us Updates FAQ



Terminal Emulation
NC DIT

Frequently Asked Questions (Updated for HOD 14.0.7)


1. How do I Remove IBM Host On-Demand Cached Client?

It immediately removes all previous versions of the Cached Client.


2. What is the current version of Host On-Demand that is available from DIT?

Host On-Demand Version 14.0.7    Build date(15 MAR 2024)

3. What browsers are supported by Host On-Demand 14.0.7

The following browsers are supported for you to download the Host On-Demand client from a remote Host On-Demand server:
Supported Java-enabled browsers and Java plug-ins:

Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode
     with a Java plug-in installed.

A Java enabled browser requires a Java plug-in.
Supported Java plug-ins for HOD are:
Oracle Java 8 Update 441
IBM Java 8.0.8.5

Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari can be used with the HOD Launcher to create a desktop shortcut for starting HOD.

On 64-bit platforms, both 32 bit and 64-bit JRE's are supported by HOD.

4. What client operating systems are supported for Host On-Demand 14.0.7?
  • Windows 11 (Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education Editions)*
  • Windows 10 (Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education Editions)*
  • Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PC IPV6
  • Windows Terminal Services for Windows 2003*
  • Windows Server 2008 (Standard and Enterprise Editions)*
  • Windows 2008 R2(Standard and Enterprise Editions-only 64-bit)
  • Windows 8 Pro 32 and 64 bit
  • Windows 8 Enterprise 32 and 64 bit
  • Windows 8 32 bit and 64 bit
  • AIX 5L 5.2, 5L 5.3, 6.1, 7.1
  • Sun Solaris 8, 9, and 10
  • HP-UX 11 and 11i, 11iV2, 11iV3
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 (WS, ES, and AS)*
  • SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, and 11
  • SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 8.2, 9.0, 10.0, and 11
  • TurboLinux 8.0 Workstation and Server
  • TurboLinux 10
  • Citrix Metaframe 1.8 for Windows Terminal Server 4.0 and 1.8 for
                       … Windows 2000 Server
  • Citrix Metaframe XP Presentation Server(Versions S,A,&E)
                     … for Windows Feature Release V2 and V3  
  • Citrix XenApp V5.0, V6.0
  • Mac OS X 10.2.1 and 10.3, and 10.4
  • Mac 10.7.5 with Safari 6.0.3
  • Mac 10.8.3 with Safari 6.0.3
                            
        Notes: *(32-bit and 64-bit versions)
5. Installing the Oracle Sun JRE(Java Runtime Environment):
 

Go to the following web page: http://www.java.com                                      
          For a Windows platform,
         Click "Free Java Download"
         Click "Agree and Start Free Download"
         Click "Run" to the question, "Do you want to run or save ...?"
         Before clicking "Install" on the "Java Setup-Welcome window, close all open browser windows.
         After java has been installed, go to www.java.com and click:
         "Do I have Java?", then the "Verify Java version" button,
         to verify that java has been installed correctly.

6. How do you start a HOD Host-Directed Print session? 

  1. Select either of the links for "HOD Host-Directed Print" on the HOD home page(http://3270.its.state.nc.us):
         TN3270E Cached Host-Directed Print(slow/modem ISP connection)
         TN3270E Host-Directed Print(fast ISP connection)
  2. This brings you to a screen with 4 icons.
    The icons to use for TLS Host-Directed Printing are:
         "3270 TLS Display for Printer"
         "3270 TLS Printer"
  3. Right-click the "3270 TLS Printer" icon, then select "Properties".
  4. Click on the "Printer" tab, of the "Properties" window.
    Decide if you are going to use your default "Windows Printer".
    Decide if you are going to use a "Printer Definition Table".
    Click "OK" at the bottom of the "Properties" window, to take you back to the screen with the 4 icons.
  5. Double-click the "3270 TLS Display for Printer" icon, to start both a 3270 TLS Display session and a 3270 TLS Printer session.
  6. In the "3270 TLS Printer" window, verify the Session is "Connected" and the Device status is "Ready".
    Also verify the connection ID at the top of the TLS Printer window:
          ZNHPnnnn  ZNHTnnnn , where nnnn  equals the same number
         for both the Printer and Terminal sessions.
    The ZNHPnnnn  is the printer ID that you assign, once you are
    logged into your application.

7. What ports are used by Host On-Demand:

  When configuring a firewall to support Host On-Demand, you should take into account:
  • Port 80 (HTTP)
  • Port 443 (HTTPS)
  • Port 992 (3270 TLS Display)
  • Port 993 (3270 TLS Printer and TLS Display for Printer)
  • Ports 50000 to 50040, inbound and outbound  (TLS FTP)
  • Port 21 (TLS FTP control connection)

8. How do you use on-line help in Host On-Demand?

Help is available from all IBM Host On-Demand windows.
You can access help in these ways:
  • Click Help in a window.
  • Click Help on a host session menu bar.
To return to the Host On-Demand window or session, click Back, or close the browser window in which Help displays.
9. Is there any other on-line documentation for Host On-Demand?
 

See IBM Host On-Demand Knowledge Center:

         … Click Here

10. New features in Host On-Demand(HOD) V13?
   
    See IBM Host On-Demand Version 13 Knowledge Center Readme:
       Click Here

     … Then see:  IBM Host On-Demand Version 13.0 Readme

11. MD5… error occurs when downloading the HOD cached client or HOD Web Start client. Error message could be: "Error: Downloaded file does not match signature. MD5 of downloaded file is xxxxx - should… be yyyyy".

    1. Clear the Java cache, using the Java icon in the Control Panel.
      Start> Control Panel> Java> Temporary Internet Files >Settings>
      Delete Files> Applications and Applets and Trace and Log Files
    2. Clear the Internet Explorer(IE) browser cache:
      Tools> Internet Options> Browsing History> Delete> Temporary Internet Files> Delete Files.
    3. Restart the browser and access the HOD cached client or HOD Web Start client
      again. If the same error occurs, continue with the following steps.
    4. Remove the HOD cached client or HOD Web Start client using the HODRemove
      utility. See "#1" in the FAQ list.
    5. Reference the following IBM HOD Technote for additional steps if needed:
      http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21196498

12. The… HOD Java Web Start client allows users to start HOD without a browser, from the HOD Java Web Start icon(JWSHODN) on the Windows Desktop, after it is initially downloaded from the HOD home page.

** Do not "rename" the JWSHODN icon on the Windows desktop. The renamed icon
** will no longer work if HOD is updated.

To remove the HOD Web Start client, complete the following steps:
Double click the Java icon in the Windows Control Panel, to open the Java Control Panel.
On the "General" tab, under Temporary Internet Files, click "View".
In the "Java Cache Viewer" window, select "Show: Applications", from the pull down menu.
Click "JWSHODN" to highlight it.
Click the red "X" button on the toolbar, to remove the JWSHODN application.
Launch the HODRemove link. See #1 in the FAQ list.


13. Why does a Pop-up Blocker interfere with running HOD?

 

The HOD cached client and the HOD Web Start client both display a pop-up Window, requiring you to click OK before the HOD client download starts.

If Pop-up Blocker software on your workstation is enabled, the HOD client download can not proceed.

If you use a Windows 7 workstation, with the Internet Explorer browser, be sure the Pop-up Blocker in Internet Explorer is ‚turned off , before downloading the HOD cached client or the HOD Java Web Start client.

See the following link, for further information:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_popupblocker.mspx

Other software that contains a Pop-up Blocker that could interfere with
running HOD includes:

 

Yahoo Toolbar
Google Toolbar
Earthlink

14. HOD Communication(COMM) Errors:

 

1.) I am trying to start a Host On-Demand(HOD) session but I keep getting a
     blank black screen with the following message below the screen:
  
     Failed to connect to server/host scc.its.state.nc.us and port 992.

    If there is also a message above the lower gray border, between the key
     icons(PF1 - PF6) and the black part of the HOD terminal window:
     
     MA?  a  COMM 657    or   MA?  a  --\--657 

   This is usually because you work for a business whose computers are protected
   by an internet firewall, and this firewall does not allow an outbound telnet
   connection on port 992.  
 
   So, what can I do to get my secure HOD session to connect ok?

  Request that your firewall Administrator open outbound telnet port 992 on the 
  internet firewall.

  The above explanation also applies to port 993 if you are attempting to start
  a HOD Host-Directed Print session.

 

  2.) I am trying to start a Host On-Demand(HOD) session but I keep getting a
    blank black screen with the following message below the screen:

    Server s certificate has expired(Comm 666)

    There is also the message above the lower gray border, between the key icons
   (PF1 - PF6) and the black part of the HOD terminal window:

   MA?  a  COMM 666    or   MA?  a  --\--666 

   So, what can I do to get my secure HOD session to connect ok?
    
    A HOD user is attempting to start a HOD 3270 session and has an incorrect
    system date  set on their Windows workstation.    
    Verify that the HOD user has the correct system date  on their Windows
    workstation by double-clicking the time  on the Windows desktop,   
    to open the Date and Time Properties  window.
    Verify the date is the current date, especially the current year.
    If the date is incorrect, update the date to the correct date,
    then start a HOD 3270 session again.

15. What to do when you get the ‚Warning Security  window below, when starting HOD? 

   warning securtiy error
 

Click [_} Always trust content from this publisher  then click [Run].

 For… further info on what causes a Security… Warning  message on starting HOD?
   
        Click HERE for the IBM HOD tech note.
          http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=132&context=SS5RCF&dc=DB520&q1=security+certificate+expired&uid=swg21197292&loc=en_US&cs=utf-8&lang=en

16. When using HOD secure FTP to upload a file from your workstation to the mainframe server, how do you change the mainframe files default record length from 256 characters of data per record to 110 characters of data per record? 

 

  … 1) Start the HOD FTP session by double-clicking the FTPTLS icon on the HOD
      desktop.  Enter your User ID and Password in the FTP login screen.
   2) In the HOD FTPTLS window, find the file in your local directory that you
      are uploading to the mainframe, and click it to highlight it.
   3) In the HOD FTPTLS window, click Actions  at the top of the window, then
      click Quote Command, in the drop-down box.
   4) In the Quote command window, enter in upper-case: SITE LRECL=110 RECFM=FB
   5) Click OK 
   6) Click the Send selected files to Host  button in the middle of the FTPTLS
      window or right-click the selected file to display a drop-down box and
      select Send Files to Host .
   7) The file should then be uploaded to the mainframe server in the correct
      format. 
   8) To verify the file format on the mainframe, in the FTPTLS window, click in
      the mainframe Directory window to highlight it.  Then click View  then
      Refresh  in the drop-down box. Then click View  then Host Directory
      Listing  from the drop down box.  In the Host Directory Listing  window,
      find the file and its attributes to verify the changes. 

17. When using HOD secure FTP to upload a file from my workstation to the
    mainframe server, the following Host On-Demand window appears with the
    message:  Error while trying to send file to server. OK

 

   … To get more information of this message, open the Status Bar History window
    at the bottom of your FTPTLS window by clicking the b‚up-arrowb to the left
    of the blue lightening bolt symbol.  Scroll to the bottom of the Status Bar
    History messages then scroll up to the first set of error messages.
    The following error messages will probably appear:
    501 Invalid data set name xxxxxxxxx . Use MVS Dsname conventions.
    Error while trying to send file to server.
   
    MVS Dsname conventions refers to the format of the file name on the
    mainframe server.  File names are organized in a hierarchy whose levels are
    separated with dots.  For example: DEPT01.SYSTEM01.FILE01
    Each level in the hierarchy can be up to 8 characters long.
    The total file name length is a maximum of 44 characters including dots.  …

18. What to do if the HOD Java Web Start shortcut icon(JWSHODN) disappears after
    upgrading Java?

    1) Click Start -> Setting -> Control Panel -> double-click Java icon.
    2) Under the General Tab, and under Temporary Internet Files, click View,
       to open the Java Cache Viewer window.
       "Show: Applications" is the default view to display the installed applications.
    3) Right-click the "JWSHODN" application, then select "Install Shortcuts", to
       create a new desktop shortcut icon.
    4) Click "Close" to shut down the Java Cache Viewer.
    5) Click "OK" to close the Java Control Panel, then close the Control Panel.

19.What to do if the HOD Java Web Start shortcut icon fails to be created.

   This appears to be an issue with the browser, Internet Explorer(IE) 9.
   When clicking on the http link to start the HOD Web Start client, an orange
   pop-up window at the bottom of the browser asks:
   "Do you want to open or save JWSHODN.jnlp from scc.its.state.nc.us?
   If you click "Open", the HOD Web Start client begins loading and then a pop-up
   window titled, "Create Shortcut", contains the error message: "Unable to create
   a shortcut for JWSHODN."  "OK"
   After clicking "OK", the HOD Web Start client completes loading but the shortcut
   icon will not be created on the Windows desktop. 
  
   A workaround for this issue is to start the HOD Web Start client from the same
   http address used previously. An orange pop-up window at the bottom of the browser
   window asks: Do you want to open or save JWSHODN.jnlp from scc.its.state.nc.us?
   If you click the down arrow next to the "Save" button, and select "Save as", a
   "Save As" pop-up window opens.  In the "Save As" window, click "Desktop" on the
   left side, then click the "Save" button, and the HOD Web Start icon will be
   created on the Windows desktop.
  

20.This is the link for the HOD SP Links on the SharePoint DIT Intranet:

Click here