SAS/CONNECT 9.2 Driver for Java

About the Tunnel Feature

The tunnel feature is an optional feature that you can use with Java applets written using the SAS/SHARE driver for JDBC or the SAS/CONNECT driver for Java. It addresses two common configuration problems encountered with Java applets that communicate with another machine:

A Java applet that is downloaded from a Web server is not allowed to make socket connections to machines other than the machine from which it was downloaded. This restriction means that the SAS session would have to be started on the same machine as the Web server from which the applets were downloaded.
Many firewalls prohibit applets from establishing socket connections beyond the firewall. However, most firewalls allow HTTP protocol to pass through the firewall, so if the communication is done with HTTP protocol, applets are able to communicate with servers that they would not normally be allowed to communicate with.

Note: Java Plug-in software, from Sun Microsystems, Inc., allows you to configure the way your applets access machines on your network. If you are using the tunnel feature to allow an applet to communicate with machines other than the Web server from which it is downloaded, you can use the Java Plug-in software instead.

The tunnel feature can solve both of these problems by virtually eliminating the restrictions on where your SAS software runs in relation to your Web server and firewall. In addition, because the tunnel feature gives you complete control over who can access what, you gain these benefits without sacrificing security for your vital data. The tunnel feature enables you to greatly enhance the power and flexibility of the applets you create with the SAS/SHARE driver for JDBC and the SAS/CONNECT driver for Java.

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