Re: Why is PDM browser-specific?

jpool · ‎09-20-2004

Isn't the main principle in Cisco's vision of networking that its equipment links the universe of standard-compliant devices, and doesn't it build into its IOS support for all common proprietary standards as well as open standards? If so, why has it designed the PIX Device Manager (PDM) to run only on particular browsers under particular operating systems? We all know that plain HTML forms that work on just about any Web client from high-end workstations to mobile phones can do complex transactions, so why didn't Cisco decide to write PDM so it could easily interact with any browser? Has it explained its reasoning anywhere in print?

mostiguy · ‎09-21-2004

How you ever used the PDM? It is written in java, probably to do graphing, and having the ability to write to a specific JRE, as opposed to a web browser. Theoretically, writing to a JRE might be more cross platform than writing to a specific browser.

jpool · ‎09-22-2004

I have tested it under 9 different browsers, and in most cases it says it can't run because the browser doesn't support Java, even though they all do. It was willing to run under only one browser, Safari, but crashed because of a Java permission exception. Graphs can be output in Web pages; what does PDM do that couldn't be done compatibly with all browsers?

mostiguy · ‎09-22-2004

What JRE do you have installed on those browsers? What version of java is supported is a function of what JRE you have installed on the system, and configured for that browser as a plugin. Its the same thing if a website has some flash 7 specific content, and you only have flash 5 or 6 installed.

Java support on browsers has always been wonky because Microsoft view it as a competitor. The legal end result has finally been that MS has to get out of the java jre business, and supply Sun's instead.

jpool · ‎09-22-2004

Java 1.4.2 is installed and available as a plugin to browsers, and the browsers are all configured to turn Java support on.

This still leaves the question why a non-Java version of the PDM isn't included in the product.