Basics

• Integrates the world of X with the world of Windows
• Allows users to seamlessly access X applications from the Windows desktop via its unique subsystem approach
• Gives users control of busy desktops via a virtual desktop manager, SCO Zones
• Provides system administrators with control of the PC desktop via a complementary product, SCO SuperVision
• Saves time by suspending and resuming X sessions via a complementary product, SCO Vision Resume
• Easy client start up using the SCO XVision UNIX application starter wizard
• Automatic detection of networking software and available host machines at installation time
• Part of an integrated family

Positioning

SCO XVision Eclipse is a leading PC X server designed to ensure the tight integration of Windows 95 and Windows NT with Solaris or indeed any UNIX system. SCO XVision Eclipse provides seamless access to character and X based UNIX applications via the PC X server and an array of powerful terminal emulators. Its subsystem approach ensures the user never need know they are using UNIX.

Many organizations have adopted a client/server strategy within their overall IT plan. Historically, users have had X terminals to access their server based applications and PCs to provide access to personal productivity tools. SCO XVision Eclipse eliminates the need for both a PC and an X terminal on the desktop.

SCO XVision Eclipse is the next generation of PC X server. It has been re-engineered to ensure 100% error-free installations and easy access to the UNIX server. It supports complementary ground breaking SCO technologies that no other PC X server vendor can offer (SCO Vision Resume and SCO SuperVision).

Description

SCO XVision Eclipse is a high-performance transparent PC X server. It delivers seamless integration between the Windows desktop and the UNIX server. It is designed to allow PC users access to mission critical X applications run from the UNIX server. It provides users a Windows 95 front end to the UNIX world.

SCO XVision Eclipse provides many features to simplify the integration of Microsoft Windows with UNIX including:

• Fast 32-bit X11R6 X server
• Unique subsystem approach
• SCO Zones virtual desktop manager
• UNIX neighborhood browser
• Central management
• Suspend and resume mode
• Windows 95 style setup wizard
• Automatic host discovery and validation
• Graphics optimizer to ensure maximum performance
• UNIX application starter wizard
• Windows 95 property sheets
• Intelligent color management
• Local OSF/Motif window manager

How to use this Guide

In the following sections, the features and advantages they bring are highlighted. To make this easier to negotiate, the following typographical conventions have been used:

1. Normal text signifies a brief description of the feature. It is essential reading.
2. Paragraphs in italics contain background information. These paragraphs may be omitted but reading them will give a deeper understanding of the benefits provided.
3. Blue text appears after the brief description and background information. It points to the area of the product where you can see and use the feature.

1: Easy Installation and Application Startup

During the installation of SCO XVision Eclipse, the wizard will guide you through the process. It will ask you whether you wish to test the network software and optimize the X server.

The netcheck facility ensures that the TCP/IP stack installed on your PC is configured correctly. It performs all the various TCP/IP operations that SCO XVision Eclipse needs to be fully operational. If the network software is not configured correctly, netcheck will point the user at the error and detail probable causes. The graphics optimizer performs the most commonly used graphics operations using three different methods of drawing and timing each. The fastest method is remembered and is used to perform that specific operation in any future SCO XVision Eclipse session. You need only re-run the optimizer if you change the hardware on your system.

• As you install SCO XVision Eclipse, select the Typical Installation option. When the wizard asks you whether you want to test the network, click on Next. Look at the range of TCP/IP operations that are performed, from locating echo hosts to ensuring that async select operations are successful. When the graphics optimizer is running, you can see which drawing method is quickest by comparing the length of the bars (shorter is faster).

After installation is complete, the UNIX application starter wizard makes starting a client as simple as launching a local program from the desktop.

The UNIX application starter wizard helps you build a connection to the UNIX machine. It will prompt for a host (notice that the hosts have been auto-discovered), an application (you can browse the UNIX file system as if it were the local machine), the nature of the application (X or character) and what you wish to call the resulting shortcut. Behind the scenes, the wizard is building a complex piece of UNIX syntax that is unfamiliar (if not a little frightening) to Windows users. After the wizard has finished guiding you through the process of creating a UNIX application, it will ask whether you wish to start the client now (if you do not start it now, you can do so by going to the Unix Programs option from your Start menu). The first time the client is started, a View Host Reply window will appear showing you what the UNIX host responded to the command the wizard created. If the client starts, you can check the option not to show the box for this application again. If the client does not start, an explanation will be given as to why within that window.

• From the Start menu on Windows 95, select New Unix Program. The wizard will prompt you in a Windows style and guide you through the process of starting the application. After the first client has started, look in the Unix Programs option from the Start menu; the client that you have started is now listed and is available for future sessions.

2: SCO Zones - Expand the mind of your monitor

SCO Zones is a Windows 95 virtual desktop. It allows users to simplify their desktops and organize their workspace more efficiently. It gives easy navigation around the busy desktop via multiple screens where 'like' applications can be grouped.

SCO Zones acts as a virtual desktop manager. Each Zone is a different logical screen to the user. It enables users to have multiple workspaces (and even multiple X servers running in each zone).

• Choose Programs, Vision option from the Start menu. Select Zones. A taskbar will appear at the top of your screen. Start an application, e.g. Word or notepad. The application will appear in Zone 1 (by default) and there will be an icon on the Windows taskbar. Move to the Zones bar and click on Zone 2. Note that neither the application is visible nor the icon on the taskbar. There is a whole new desktop available. Zones 3 and 4 are similarly empty. Clicking back to Zone 1 returns you to the application we started earlier.

3: SCO Vision Resume

SCO Vision Resume allows users to quickly suspend and resume sessions as they move around the internet/intranet without the need to shut down their session; they can simply resume the session from exactly the same point that they left it.

SCO Vision Resume involves the use of a proxy X server on the UNIX machine. A demo version of this software is available with SCO XVision Eclipse. The proxy server acts as a server to the client application (e.g. xterm) and a client application to the server (i.e. SCO XVision Eclipse). In relaying the messages to the X server, it is possible for the proxy server to be disconnected from the physical X server, thus leaving the client session still running on the proxy. When the session is resumed, the proxy attaches to the SCO XVision Eclipse server and the session is displayed as it was left.

• After having installed the UNIX software, ensure that the $PATH environment variable on the UNIX machine contains the directory where SCO Vision Resume software is installed (e.g. /usr/local/vision/bin). Create an XVision profile (via the XVision Profile Editor on the Control Panel) called Resume and switch on the control that prompts for a profile to be run. From the XVision properties dialogue, select the Resume tab. Activate the Vision Resume check box and allow XVision to automatically manage the session. Enter the name of the UNIX machine that has the host component installed. For example, 'poohbear'

Apply these settings and click on the OK button. Start XVision and select the Resume profile. The server will start. From the Windows 95 task bar, select New Unix Program and use the wizard to start an application (typically the application could be an xterm or xlogo). Upon completion of the wizard, start the application. Once the session has started, it is now possible to suspend the session (either cleanly via the XVision menu, SCO Vision Resume option, or by simply closing down the XVision server). Start XVision again, using the Resume profile. The server will automatically reconnect to the resume host and the client applications will appear on screen.

4: Embed X clients within Web Documents

SCO XVision Eclipse allows the embedding of X clients within web documents. This extends X to the corporate intranet enabling users to access mission critical applications from wherever they are on the corporate network.

The SCO XVision Eclipse software stores each UNIX program entry in a .rps file on the PC. These are files that can be executed by the RPS.EXE file supplied with SCO XVision Eclipse. It is possible to embed the .rps files in web pages. Creating a MIME type of application, a subtype of rps with an associated program of c:\progra~1\vision\rps.exe from within Netscape's Options, General Preferences, Helpers enables Netscape to understand and act on remote applications. If a user has Netscape and SCO XVision Eclipse installed, together with the helper application configured, they can physically start the clients from within the intranet. Starting the rps program will read the .rps file for the host and application information. The host contained is then connected to using the user's own login and password ensuring complete system integrity and security. Rps discovers user-based data such as login and password (if configured) from the Vision Services.

• Create an rps file via the UNIX application wizard (see point 1) and call it app in the final step. Create a simple html page such as:

5: Extensive Emulator Support

SCO XVision Eclipse contains an array of powerful terminal emulators giving users access to legacy character applications in addition to their X applications. Emulators within the product are vt420 (and its subsets; vt320, vt200, vt100, vt52), wyse60 (and its subset wyse50) and SCO ansi. Users benefit from a local client in which to run their UNIX application, reducing the load on the server machine.

Character applications historically have required the use of "dumb" terminals, or, in the X world, the use of an X based terminal emulator. Using an X based emulator such as xterm is a fairly heavyweight solution to the problem of using character based applications. Running local emulators cuts down the amount of network traffic (X is quite a network intensive protocol) and reduces the load on the UNIX server.

• Using the UNIX application wizard, create a character-based application entry. For example, select the UNIX host, then give the name of a character based application (e.g. elm). When prompted, select the emulator required and press next, name your program shortcut (e.g. myhost elm), press next again, and then finish. If you now look at your UNIX Programs menu, you will have an entry "myhost elm". If you click on this menu item, the emulator will start and initiate the character application. Exiting the application will close the emulator.

6: SCO SuperVision - Central Management

SCO SuperVision is the System Management product for the whole Vision Family of Windows to UNIX integration products. It is a set of UNIX applications, servers and a Windows 95 management workbench that provide UNIX-centric system management tools for the administrator of populations of PCs. The management workbench follows the Windows philosophy, taking advantage of drag-and-drop and icons representing the SCO XVision Eclipse users. The system administrator creates a graphical model of the user community by configuring departmental or functional groups, so that management can be applied to individuals, departmental groups or all users in the enterprise.

It is an add-on package that requires SCO XVision Eclipse, and requires that the XVision Eclipse host components be already installed.

SCO SuperVision provides facilities for:

• File Management: updated files, for example new SCO XVision Eclipse profiles, can be issued simultaneously and immediately to everyone or to selected groups or users
• Desktop Management: system administrators can issue new or replacement shortcuts and other desktop items simultaneously and immediately, again to everyone or to selected groups or users.
• Task Automation: SCO SuperVision contains a scripting language to perform management tasks automatically
• Remote Administration: SCO SuperVision can display snapshots of the users' desktops on the management workbench, so that if users encounter problems, for example, the system administrator can see what the user sees

Supported Platforms

Server:

• Sun Sparc SunOS 4.1.3
• Sun Sparc Solaris 2.x

For information on availability for other platforms and versions, visit the SCO Web Site at www.vision.sco.com.

PC:

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows NT 3.5x and 4.x

Open Interfaces

• Full X11r6 compliance
• Native Microsoft win32 client
• Windows Sockets (Winsock) 1.1