Oracle EBS: Using Java Web Start

Oracle EBS: Using Java Web Start

Oracle EBS used to use Java Applets to run the application. Browsers have been deprecating the use of Java Applets for security reasons for the past few years. Currently only Internet Explorer 11 supports Java Applets. Oracle has said that EBS has dropped support for Java Applets at the end of March 2019. The supported way of running Java with EBS now is to use what is called Java Web Start which is how we have set it up here at Dartmouth.

Java Web Start differs from Java Applets by running java independently of the browser. When you start the application from the browser it downloads a file called frmsrvlet.jnlp to the default download directory setup for the browser. It will then run Java directly from this file rather than through the browser. This means that no second tab or window needs to be opened in the browser. Even if you close the browser session that you started up EBS with, the Java session will still be active and can continue to be used. Note that this still requires that Java 8 be installed on the local PC.

In Oracle EBS it’s possible to enable multiple forms sessions for the same database at the same time. This would allow you to view one form while updating another in a separate session. By default, this is disabled. See the steps listed below under the section Enable Multiple Sessions to find out how to enable them. Note that you must be using Java version 8_181 or later for multiple sessions work properly.

Running Java Web Start from a Browser

• Microsoft Edge

1. Log into Oracle EBS in Chrome and start a forms session.
2. Edge will automatically download the frmsrvlet.jnlp file. A drop down will show the downloaded file. click Open file to run it.
3. Java Web Start will then start running. This will need to be done each time you log into Oracle EBS.

• Mozilla Firefox - (be sure to use the ESR version of Firefox)
  • Option 1​​ - the first time you try to run Java Web Start from Firefox
  1. Enter the URL for Oracle EBS or select your Bookmark for Oracle EBS and log in
  2. Select the form you wish to access from the EBS home page.
  3. A window will pop up referencing ‘frmservlet’;  Click ‘Open with Java™ Web Launcher (default)’.
  4. Click ‘Do this automatically for files like this from now on’. 
  5. Click ‘OK’
  6. Your Oracle session should launch and continue to automatically run every time when running Oracle EBS after that.
  • Option 2
    1. Open Firefox and select ‘Options’.
    2. Under the ‘General’ category, scroll down to the ‘Applications’ section. Under Content Type find ‘JNLP files’ and click the drop down menu next to it in the ‘Action’ column and select ‘Use Java Web Start Launcher’. Close Firefox options.
    3. Java Web Start should now always automatically run when running Oracle EBS.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
  • Option 3

1. If the frmservlet file is downloading but not opening or prompting to open with JavaWebStart, the file maybe downloding with no associated file type.
2. Make sure that per option 2 (above) that the JNLP file type is associated with JavaWebStart.
3. Download the frmservlet file, then add the .jnlp extension to the file so it is now associated with the JNLP file type.
4. Double-click the frmsevlet.jnlp file which will then open with JavaWebStart, and you can then finish the process of accessing PCARD, HRMS, MYLS, etc. as needed.

• ​​​​​​​Chrome

1. Log into Oracle EBS in Chrome and start a forms session.
2. Chrome will automatically download the frmsrvlet.jnlp file and at the bottom left of the browser window you will see a message saying “This type of file can harm your computer. Do you want to keep frmsrvlet.jnlp anyway?”. Click the Keep button.
3. Once that is done click again on the area that says frmsrvlet.jnlp to actually run the file. Alternatively you could click the up area next to the file name and then click open.
4. Java Web Start will then start running. This will need to be done each time you log into Oracle EBS.

• Enable Multiple Sessions

1. On the Oracle EBS home page click the Preferences link. This is generally located along the upper right of the home page.
2. Once on the Preferences page look for the ‘Forms Launch’ section. There is a check box with the text ‘Always Launch new Forms Session’. Click this check box.
3. Click the Apply button.

For Further Information

• link to download and install Java 8 Java version 8.201
• link that lists Dartmouth EBS instances
• Oracle guidance regarding Java applets: Oracle's EBS Technology Blog
• For questions regarding this please contact: Human.Resources.Information.Systems@Dartmouth.edu.