Information Catalog Manager Administration Guide

Ensuring that users can start programs from the Information Catalog Manager

You set up the objects in your information catalog so that your users can run application programs to work with the actual information that the objects describe. Users can run the application programs that they are familiar with, including the programs that were originally used to create the information.

Ensure that the following requirements are met:

• Your users need the appropriate application software installed on their workstations or on the LAN.
• Users can launch any program that can be started from the command line with the command start program_name without a path, regardless of where the program is installed.

  Many programs write their path to the program registry when they are installed. The start command retrieves the path. If a program does not write its path to the program registry, you might need to add the directory path of the program to the path environment variable on users' workstations.

• Your users need the necessary authorization to the databases or file systems where the information that they need is stored.
• The Programs objects in the information catalog must include the correct invocation syntax for the operating systems on which your users will run the programs.

Additional requirements for Information Catalog Manager for the Web users

When you set up the Web environment for Information Catalog Manager for the Web users, ensure that the following requirements are met:

• The data that users want to use with the application program must be accessible to the Web server. For example, the Information Catalog Manager sample data file is located in a directory on the Web server.
• The program that users want to start must be installed on the Web client.

  For example, if users are accessing a Lotus^(R) 1-2-3 file^(R), then Lotus 1-2-3 must be installed on the Web client.

  If the application program is a Java^(TM) applet, the application does not need to be installed; it can be accessed directly from the Web browser.

  The client should also have any necessary browser plug-in programs. The Information Catalog Manager for the Web server must be able to locate any associated files that are used by the plug-in program. For example, if the users want to view Adobe Acrobat files, they need the browser plug-in program for the Acrobat Reader installed on the Information Catalog Manager for the Web client. The Information Catalog Manager for the Web server must be able to locate the file that the user wants to view to download it to the client.

• The required MIME types must be identified in the Web server configuration file for the application program that users will start. An AddType directive with the file extension of the program that users want to start must be included in the configuration file. For example, if users want to use Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets with a file type of WK4, define the AddType directive for Lotus Domino^(TM) Go Webserver as shown in this example:

  AddType .WK4 application/x-lotus1-2-3 binary
  

  If users are using a Web server other than Lotus Domino Go Webserver, the MIME types are defined differently. See your Web server documentation for more information.
• If you are using Websphere IBM HTTP WebServer, the MIME types are defined in the \conf\mime.types file as shown in this example:

  application/vnd.lotus-1-2-3 wks 123 wk1 wk2 wk3 wk4
  

• For some versions of Netscape Navigator, helper programs recognize file types and start the corresponding application program. Microsoft Internet Explorer does not use helper programs. Instead, Internet Explorer uses file type and program associations that are used by Windows Explorer; no setup is required for Internet Explorer to recognize a file type.
• The URL to access data property must be defined for the object from which users want to start the program. The value for the property is a link to directly launch the program.

To start a program from an Information Catalog Manager for the Web object:

1. In the list pane, click on the object from which you want to start the program.

   The object description page opens in the description pane.

2. Find the URL to access data property.
3. Click the property value.

   The Web browser is launched using the Web address that is specified by the property value.