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. What's more, 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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