Additional AX-3.8 client-side Java installation steps

These steps are required on any client computer that needs to access any AX-3.8 station using a browser, where “Web Workbench” access is being used (WbApplet in Java browser plugin). In addition, be aware that following a future “Java SE update” install on that computer, you may need to repeat these steps—as these installed files may be overwritten by the Java update with “standard strength” policy files.

Because of core AX-3.8 changes to support stations that may need to run in “FIPS mode” (a separately licensed feature), accessing any AX-3.8 station via a browser with a Wb Web profile (Web Workbench, using the WbApplet) now requires the JCE (Java Cryptography Extension) “Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy Files” to run. This allows the JCE to use the stronger cryptography required in AX-3.8.

If your browser client PC does not have these policy files installed, you are prompted to do so at the first browser access of an AX-3.8 station, after login as a user with a Wb Web profile. See Figure 1.

Figure 1. Unlimited Strength Policy Files Required warning (and download link)

As shown above, the popup provides basic instructions as well as a link to the Oracle download page (once there, scroll to look for the “JCE Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy Files 7” download link). These steps are also outlined below:

Installing Unlimited Strength Policy Files for browser WbApplet access

Download the policy files. Either follow the “Redirect To Download Page” link in the popup, scrolling down find this download, or else use the following link (current at the time of this document):

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
Look for the “JCE Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy Files 7” download link, and download it.
Extract the files from the downloaded archive, perhaps to a temp folder.
From the extracted files, copy these two files to the browser PC’s java_home/lib/security folder:
- local_policy.jar
- US_export_policy.jar
Overwrite any existing files with the same name.
This is not the NiagaraAX installation’s java_home, but instead the Java installation on the PC used by browser clients—for example to connect to Niagara stations using “Web Workbench” (WbApplet). For many Windows PCs, this may be something similar to:C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre7\lib\security

Once you have copied the policy files to Java’s security folder, the WbApplet should run in the browser. Note that the station’s (server) java_home, installed with NiagaraAX, already includes these policy files.