Remote app opens web page that exports data to Excel, Acrobat, Outlook or other application

Discussion in 'Parallels Remote Application Server' started by JeffS22, Mar 19, 2019.

  1. JeffS22

    JeffS22 Bit poster

    Messages:
    2
    Having issues configuring RAS to use locally installed apps for data export.

    Running Parallels RAS for a single, custom application. That application allows us to export data directly into Microsoft Excel. It also allows us to get custom reports via a web server running behind the firewall.

    I can launch the custom application. I can get to the web server for reports. I can work as if I'm inside our corporate network. However cannot get either application to launch a local copy of Excel, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word or other locally installed program. It will not allow me to export to a local file. When prompted for the file location, the application wants to write to the downloads folder on the RD server or PC and not the local machine.

    I've attempted to "Manage Device". I've added it as a domain computer. I've contacted level one support.
     
  2. Hi, could you please provide us with the Parallels RAS version? And also informed did you try to enabled URL redirection in the Client?
    Thanks in advance.
     
  3. Eugene. K.

    Eugene. K. Parallels Team

    Messages:
    124
    Jeff, if you simply want to get the file on a client machine and open it there using Excel, then I think you should be fine with Drive redirection feature. Can you select Client Device drives when exporting the file from your applications?
    here is how to configure it on Windows Client:
    upload_2019-3-20_12-18-16.png

    You can find these drives under "This PC" when using remote applications:
    upload_2019-3-20_12-28-49.png

    Does it help you?
     
    jpc likes this.
  4. JeffS23

    JeffS23 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    16.5.3 build 20739
     
  5. JeffS23

    JeffS23 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    Yes and no. It's not a simple enough process for my users. I need to make it easier to get the file to the user area (C:\user\{username}\(Desktop, Doenloads, etc). The average user is going to see the documents, downloads and desktop icons and push the file there... then try and find it on the local machine when in reality the file stored on the RD session folders of the same name. (We as developers need to look at things from a user's perspective in the simplest form.

    Note, if I'm in house and using parallels, it launches to my local apps without issue (or at least it did before I engaged tech support to repair a certificate issue and then did an update to the server application. (That seem
    And yes, I did enable url redirection. If the remote client is attached to the network via dialup ras or internally, the associated app launches fine.
     
  6. jpc

    jpc Pro

    Messages:
    433
    @JeffS23
    From your description, you workflow looks like this:
    1. Connect to vpn
    2. Launch published app
    3. Get report from published app as URL
    4. URL opens on the local machine
    5. Local browser opens report which launches local application
    Correct?
     
  7. JeffS23

    JeffS23 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    No. We do not connect to a VPN for security reasons. RUNNUNG PARALLELS CLIENT on a VPN has no issues. But then there is no reason to use Parallels.

    Our workflow is to connect to parallels server and run a virtualized application or RD session either in the Parallels Client app or via the HTML5 client.

    Specialized reports run as a web app (which is configured via url redirection to the client computer. At this point the user can download the report to Excel, Word or acrobat or other application.

    We do it this way for cyber security reasons. Others in our business sector use a VPN, but that compromised the security Paralells offers.

    One would expect, since the reports are being displayed on a local (client's) web browser because of url redirection, local file associations would apply. This is not the case.

    The preferred method is to get the downloaded file to the client in the most efficient and secure manner possible. Navigating through a hard drive directory tree can be confusing to my employees.
     
  8. jpc

    jpc Pro

    Messages:
    433
    @JeffS23 Thanks for the workflow clarification.

    Can you please double check that url redirection is still enabled by, using the windows client, launching a simple URL (such as "http://www.google.com") and doublechecking that the local browser is launched at the desired url?
     
  9. JeffS23

    JeffS23 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    No. We do not connect to a VPN for security reasons. RUNNUNG PARALLELS CLIENT on a VPN has no issues. But then there is no reason to use Parallels.

    Our workflow is to connect to parallels server and run a virtualized application or RD session either in the Parallels Client app or via the HTML5 client.

    Specialized reports run as a web app (which is configured via url redirection to the client computer. At this point the user can download the report to Excel, Word or acrobat or other application.

    We do it this way for cyber security reasons. Others in our business sector use a VPN, but that compromised the security Paralells offers.

    One would expect, since the reports are being displayed on a local (client's) web browser because of url redirection, local file associations would apply. This is not the case.

    The preferred method is to get the downloaded file to the client in the most efficient and secure manner possible. Navigating through a hard drive directory tree can be confusing to my employees.
     
    VincentVegas likes this.
  10. SamW13

    SamW13 Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    Jeff,

    I am in darn near the same boat. Were you able to find a viable solution to this?

    Thanks!
     

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