What's New

IIS and Apache No Longer a Prerequisite for Webspace

Webspace 6.2 includes a new web server functionality. This new functionality makes it much easier to access a Proficy WebSpace host via an internet gateway. This is because only one port needs be opened through the gateway in this configuration, and not two: one port for the web content (80 or 443), and another port for the Proficy Webspace host data (e.g., 491). It also makes configuration with Configuration Hub and Operations Hub easier!

Be aware that if IIS and Apache are not used, port 491 will be required in the Webspace URL. For example: 

https://w2019:491/proficywebspace/ifix.html
http://w2019:491/proficywebspace/ 
http://10.10.10.10:491/proficywebspace/

If you are upgrading from the previous version of Proficy Webspace, you can continue using Proficy WebSpace with IIS or Apache, or use the new web server embedded with Webspace.

Strong Encryption

In addition to the TCP 56-bit DES encryption supported in previous releases, Webspace now provides additional strong encryption options for your connections. This is the complete list of encryption support in Webspace:

  • Encrypted, 56-bit DES (with certificate)
  • Encrypted, 128-bit RC4 (with certificate)
  • Encrypted, 168-bit 3DES (with certificate)
  • Encrypted, 256-bit AES

Strong encryption (up to 256-bit AES) assists in assuring the security of the data that is transmitted over the network. The option to increase is only available if your license includes the Strong Encryption option. For more information on security settings in Webspace, search for "encryption" to get details.

Zero-Install Client for Faster Client Deployment

Developed with JavaScript and HTML5, the Webspace app is a now a zero-install client now that allows you to run iFIX and CIMPLICTY applications from popular web browsers on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers without having to install a plugin or add-in. In previous releases, you would need to download a plugin or add-in when using Webspace from a browser session. This is no longer the case in Webspace. You can now run iFIX or CIMPLICITY directly from your browser without a download.

Be aware that when running the zero-install client, the following features are NOT supported or available (even when enabled on the Webspace server):

  • Client sound (such as alarm beeping)
  • Printing directly to client printers (using the native Windows Printer drivers on the client)
  • Client file access (outside of iFIX pictures and CIMPLICITY screens)
  • Copying and pasting to the clipboard through the menu or toolbar
  • Serial and parallel ports
  • Smart cards
  • Running the client in loose windows mode (embed=false). (In Loose mode, the browser opens without the browser window.)
Important: Use of Integrated Windows Authentication is not supported with the zero-install client. To use this feature, you must open the Webspace full app in a web browser. Alternatively, you can install the Windows Desktop Client and use that to run the Webspace session instead.

The following features ARE supported in the Webspace zero-install client:

  • Client-side password caching
  • Copy and paste between local and remote applications using keyboard shortcuts (using CTRL+C and CTRL+V)
  • Printing to local printers via the Preview PDF Printer (using the Universal Printer Driver)

The above limitations can be easily overcome by downloading and installing the full Webspace client app.

Note: If you need to use client sound for your alarms or to provide support for your native Windows printer driver, we recommend that you create a desktop shortcut to open the browser using the full app each time you click it.
This is an example of a desktop shortcut to open the full app:
http://WebspaceServerName/ProficyWebspace/iFIX.html?useApp=true

In this case, you will automatically be prompted to install the full app if it is not already installed. For more information on creating desktop shortcuts, search for "shortcut" in the documentation.

Support for the Apple Safari Browser

With Proficy Webspace, the Apple Safari 12 or later is supported for browser sessions on Mac OS X.

Support for Existing Mobile Apps

You do not need to update the apps on your mobile devices in order to use Webspace. You can use your existing mobile apps with Webspace. Just be aware that some of the newer functionality may not be available on the older mobile apps.

Support for Previous Versions of the Webspace Clients

Previous versions of Webspace clients will continue to work with the Webspace Server, however it is recommended that you upgrade Windows Desktop Clients to the latest version.

New Webspace Client Install Paths

The install paths for Webspace Clients have changed. For instance, the previous version of the Webspace Desktop Client installed to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Proficy\Proficy Webspace Client\Client\ folder. In Webspace, the path for the client is C:\Program Files (x86)\Proficy\Proficy Webspace\Client folder. Be aware that after an upgrade, if you have any shortcuts configured, you will need to update them to use the correct path.

New Language Support

The language of the installed Webspace product no longer needs to match the language of the iFIX or CIMPLICITY software that you are running.

The English language Webspace product can run on any supported regional operating system (OS), but we recommend using English regional settings. For example, for iFIX these languages are: English, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Russian, French, or German.

For more information on the available product version for each language, contact your regional Sales Representative.

Updates to CIMPLICITY HTML Files

The HTML file templates for CIMPLICITY have been updated with Webspace. The Webspace installer will update these templates to the new one. The Webspace HTML files for CIMPLICITY need to be generated from these templates. However, if you installed Webspace before upgrading to a newer version of CIMPLICITY, when you install CIMPLICITY on the same computer as Webspace, the Webspace HTML templates will be overwritten. Be aware that in this type of upgrade scenario, you would need to manually copy the new template file from the Webspace installation folder to CIMPLICITY install folder and generate the HTML file again from CIMPLICITY.

For examples of what the new templates look like, search the help for "CIMPLICITY HTML Files" for more information.

Updates to Command-line Options

The supported command line options have been updated. For instance, the Windows Desktop Client now supports -geometery, -clientscale, and -clientdpi options. Undocumented browser shortcuts are not supported, such as: bInBrowser, compression, printerconfig, clientframe, multimonitor, width, height, embed, noscale, clientscale, and ClientDPIScalingEnabled.

For a complete list of supported command-line options with Webspace, search the help for "Command-line options" to review the available options for the Browser and Windows Desktop Clients.