Advanced session process configuration

This section covers some of the advanced configuration options that can be set for processes running within FH Web Edition sessions. These settings can be applied to specific executable (.exe) applications, or as default settings applied to applications without specific configurations.

Warning: Care should be taken when making any changes discussed in this section. An incorrect configuration can affect the startup of a process, make a process incompatible with FH Web Edition, or have fatal consequences during suspend/resume operations.

Most applications that run within a FH Web Edition session have FH Web Edition libraries loaded within them to perform redirection to obtain the needed behavior. There are two levels of redirection that these libraries can initialize.

  • The first level configures application and system modules to behave in a particular way. Most applications need one or more level-one settings enabled. Level-one settings include client time zone, client printing, and altered Windows API behavior.
  • The second level creates a communications channel between the application and client for duplex transmission of session-related information. For the highest level of application compatibility with FH Web Edition, enable level-two settings in as few applications as possible. Level-two settings include client sound, and client serial and parallel ports.

The different configuration settings employed by the FH Web Edition libraries that redirect session processes are controlled by hexadecimal bit values within the registry. The desired bit values are logically ORed together to create a DWORD registry value. Below is the documented list of process redirector bits and a description of what they configure.

Redirector bit Description

0x00000001*

Prohibits a process from running within a session.

0x00000002

Disables the loading of FH Web Edition libraries. All redirection is disabled.

The time required to perform the redirection operations is a small percentage of the time required to launch typical Windows applications, but can be a large percentage of the time required to launch and run simple console applications. Some console applications do not require redirection, and performing these tasks can significantly extend the time required to execute logon scripts. Including this bit allows administrators to bypass redirection of a process.

Applications execute faster since the FH Web Edition libraries are not loaded and initialized. This bit can also be used for applications that are incompatible with some or all of the FH Web Edition redirection settings.

0x00000004

Disables the client time zone. This bit can be used for applications that are incompatible with the FH Web Edition client time zone redirection settings.

0x00000008

Disables client printing. This bit can be used for applications that are incompatible with the FH Web Edition client printing redirection settings.

0x00000010*

Disables the use of the FH Web Edition ‘UI’ skin module.

0x00000020*

Enables the use of the FH Web Edition ‘UI’ skin module.

0x00000080*

Enables the Windows ProcessIdToSessionId() API to return the FH Web Edition session ID.

0x00000100*

On 64-bit systems, enables the Windows ProcessIdToSessionId() API to return the FH Web Edition session ID for 32-bit processes only. This is required for printing to work in 32-bit processes on 64-bit systems.

Note: Including this bit in settings for 64-bit processes has no effect.

0x00000200

Disables client sound. This bit can be used for applications that are incompatible with the FH Web Edition client sound redirection settings.

0x00000400

Disables client serial and parallel ports. This bit can be used for applications that are incompatible with the FH Web Edition client serial and parallel ports redirection settings.

0x00000800*

Enables the Windows GetComputerName() API to return the client computer name. Additional information is available in Obtaining the name of the client computer.

0x00001000*

Disables, for optimization purposes, some of the normal processing performed when Explorer.exe is launched. This bit prevents Explorer.exe from launching processes listed under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, RunOnce and RunOnceEx registry keys. This reduces the system resources needed to run Explorer in a session.

0x80000000*

Enables application produced with Delphi to use the client serial and parallel ports feature. Applications built with Delphi do not properly process all return values from the Windows GetOverlappedResult() API. This bit prevents the returning of WAIT_TIMEOUT, and instead returns WAIT_OBJECT_0.

* Indicates advanced options that should only be used if instructed to by your support contact.

Note: All unlisted bits are purposely undocumented and reserved for internal use only. Do not alter any registry values that contain unlisted bits, and do not apply any unlisted bits to any registry values you add. FH Web Edition server operation will be compromised if this is done.

These bits can be combined to customize the redirector settings of specific applications or to change the default settings used by applications that do not have a registry entry.

Note: Always include the default value bits set by the initial installation of FH Web Edition, unless instructed otherwise by a support engineer.

 

Adding custom redirector settings for a specific application

Changing the default redirection settings

Example configuration