The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) has a long history of security and functionality updates, which often leave older applets in a broken state. This causes enterprises to either avoid the updates and miss out on the benefits or use virtualization or complex logon scripts to attempt to enable legacy and current versions of Java to run together on a single PC. Neither option is very attractive.
One of the great features of Browsium Ion is the ability to load legacy versions of Java side-by-side with current versions on a single PC. This optimizes both compatibility and security while also providing a seamless end user experience. We’ve talked about this capability in the past and it’s a core element of the Browsium Ion demo. But a few important recent changes necessitate an update to our technical guidance on how to override the most current Java version with Ion.
Oracle recently released Java 1.7 (aka Java 7) and is now shipping JavaFX in the online JRE installer as well as Java 1.7 auto-updates. The addition of JavaFX changes the location of jp2iexp.dll which is needed to override Java 7 with an older version in an Ion configuration file. This change has been documented in our updated Java KB article. Additionally, a brief table and description of Java’s update and file placement process has also been added to assist in the process of installing older versions of Java alongside the most current.
Give the KB article a read if you’re deploying Ion for Java overrides in your enterprise environment. If you’re demoing Java overrides using our Aggrid.com site, check out the updated Ion demo script which now uses Java 7 as the current version and also includes many improvements in demo flow and associated speaking points.
