Conflicting JREs
Hello, All:
I'm hoping someone has a solution to my problem.
I have two third party applications that have differing JRE versions (1.3.1_07 and 1.5.0_06) The app using 1.3.1_07 is an HR/Payroll system that is not sensitive to Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes. The App using 1.5.0_06 is a time and attendance system that is reliant on date/time calculations and requires the DST certified 1.5.0_06 JRE. In fact, we are being force to upgrade to this JRE version because of the new change to DST in the United States coming up in a few weeks.
In my test environment, I have not been able to get 1.3.1_07 and 1.5.0_06 to run smoothly together. Even though I have set 1.3.1_07 to be the default JRE, 1.5.0_06 kicks off whenever I open the HR/Payroll system. I did not have this problem when our time and attendance system was using the 1.4.1_06 JRE. However, as I said, we are being forced to upgrade to the newer JRE to reslove DST issues. Unfortunately, 1.5.0_06 is not supported by our HR/Payroll system vendor and I don't even want to think about the problems this could cause if our users start using 1.5.0_06 while processing employee payroll information.
How can I force the 1.3.1_07 application to use that specific JRE whenever the app is opened? Keep in mind that these are both third party apps so I have no control over changes at the server level or the applications themselves. In fact, one of the two (the HR/Payroll system using the 1.3.1_07 JRE) is in a hosted environment. Thus, any change I make will have to be on the client computer.
I really appreciate any and all help on this one. The two vendors are basically pointing fingers at each other leaving us in quite a bind.
Thom Reid
IS Financial/HR Analyst
CCMC Information Services
[1809 byte] By [
throxya] at [2007-11-26 17:39:56]
I don't know if you are going to able to find a way to specify 1.3.1 to run if you have 1.5.0 installed.Why doesn't 1.5.0 work for the payroll app?What happens when it is run?
I'm assuming that the applications are runing within the Java Plug-in, in conjunction with your browser. If so, the following information applies and explains what is happening:
http://java.sun.com/javase/6/webnotes/family-clsid.html
(This information is referenced at the bottom of the Java 6 Release Notes.)
If the applications are started at the commandline (without involving a browser), then the problem can be resolved by specifying a full path to the location of the Java version that needs to be started - and each application will run in it's own, different Java virtual machine.
"Why doesn't 1.5.0 work for the payroll app? What happens when it is run?"
Sorry for not getting back to you until now, Zadok. I was away on vacation for a couple of days and assumed I would get an email when replies were posted to my question.
In answer to your question above, I have verified that the payroll app at least opens under version 1.5.0, however, I have not done any further testing. I cannot say the application will run flawlessly using that JRE and the vendor will not come out and certify that there will be no problems on the back end. Thus, I am trying to avoid using an unsupported JRE with their product. Additionally, even if I was brave enough to give it a go with the newer JRE, I wouldn't know how to roll out an effected test plan to ascertain that we would be alright using that JRE.
throx,
I realise this isn't your call BUT, at about this stage of the game my recommendation to the management would be "lets find another payroll app"...
Any software house who still uses (let alone requires) 1.3 is a bit slow (probably still wearing flaired pants:-) and therefore (sadly) probably won't be in business much longer.
1.4.2 I could understand but 1.3 is severely retro.
ChuckBing wrote:
"If the applications are started at the commandline (without involving a browser), then the problem can be resolved by specifying a full path to the location of the Java version that needs to be started - and each application will run in it's own, different Java virtual machine."
I apologize for the late response, ChuckBing. I was away on vacation a couple of days.
Regarding the information you posted above, could you please elaborate? Using a batch file, or something of the sort, could I somehow called the JRE version, then kick off the IE browser and the url for the payroll application? We currently kick off both applications using icons on the desktop or IE favorites. If we need to open the apps some other way, I'm certainly willing to try.
> throx,
>
> I realise this isn't your call BUT, at about this
> stage of the game my recommendation to the
> management would be "lets find another payroll
> app"...
>
> Any software house who still uses (let alone
> requires) 1.3 is a bit slow (probably still wearing
> flaired pants:-) and therefore (sadly) probably won't
> be in business much longer.
>
> 1.4.2 I could understand but 1.3 is severely retro.
OP, I agree with corlettk, these were my first thoughts when I read your post as well.
> throx,
>
> I realise this isn't your call BUT, at about this
> stage of the game my recommendation to the
> management would be "lets find another payroll
> app"...
Corlettk, the app is actually owned by a huge, world-wide vendor. We are several versions behind their latest release because 1) we are small potatoes to them and thus do not rank high on the priority list of upgrade candidates, and 2) our support staff is so small that we have to implement systems based on urgency. The time and attendance app was higher on the list these past two years.
In actuality, we are slated to upgrade to the payroll vendor's latest product later this year. Of course, that does not help us now...
