Configuring Active Channels and Favorites

This section describes the most effective methods of configuring your users’ or workgroup’s computers to receive information and updates from subscribed Web sites and Active Channel Web sites.

Once you have created custom Active Channel, subscriptions, and Favorites configurations for specific users or workgroups, you can deploy them using the IEAK Profile Manager.

For information about creating and deploying customized Active Desktop and Active Channel configurations in a corporate intranet, see "Implementing Active Desktop and Active Channel Configurations" later in this chapter.

For information about creating and managing Active Channels on your corporate intranet, see "Creating and Managing Active Channels on Your Intranet" later in this chapter.

Understanding Active Channels and Favorites

You can ensure that your users or workgroup consistently receive the latest information and applications from both internal and external Web sites by configuring Favorites and access to Active Channels.

About Active Channels

An Active Channel is an internal or external Web site that has been configured by the Web site author using a Channel Definition Format (CDF) file. The CDF file specifies the content of the Active Channel (the Active Channel pages) and when and how that content should be delivered to the user.

When a user subscribes to an Active Channel Web site, the CDF file and specified Active Channel content are downloaded to the user’s computer. The user can customize the subscription options specified by the CDF file or accept the specifications set by the Active Channel Web site author. The Active Channel Web site is then added to the user’s Favorites folder, and a channel logo is added to the Channel bar.

Active Channels on the Active Desktop

In Windows 98, the Active Desktop contains a Channel bar, which displays logos for each subscribed Active Channel.

When a user clicks an Active Channel logo on the Channel bar, that channel is displayed in a full-screen browsing window. The Active Channel Web pages are displayed in the right-hand portion of the window. The left-hand portion of the window displays the Channel bar, expanded to show a detailed map of the selected Active Channel Web site.

According to the subscription for the Active Channel, the user’s computer regularly connects to the Active Channel Web site to check for, and optionally download, updated content.

The user may also receive notification of changes by e-mail. Once the user has manually or automatically downloaded the updated content, he or she can browse the Active Channel offline.

Depending on the contents of the CDF file and subscription options, an Active Channel Web page can also appear on the user’s Active Desktop as an Active Desktop item or channel screen saver. An Active Desktop item is like having a live browsing window to an Active Channel Web page directly on the desktop. A channel screen saver is an Active Channel Web page that displays as a Windows screen saver.

For information about configuring Active Desktop items, see "Using Active Channels and Web Sites as Active Desktop Items" later in this chapter.

For information about configuring channel screen savers, see "Using Active Channel Screen Savers" later in this chapter.

For information about creating channels as Active Desktop items and channel screen savers for Active Channel Web sites, see "Creating and Managing Active Channels on Your Intranet" later in this chapter.

Subscription Options for Active Channels

The CDF file created by an Active Channel Web site author specifies the subscription options for that channel as follows:

• What content should be delivered to subscribed users.
• How that content is to be used (for example, as a channel item, or "page" in the channel, a screen saver, or as an Active Desktop item) and how updates are to be delivered (for example, by sending e-mail notification or by downloading the content directly to the user’s computer).
• When and how often the user’s computer should connect to the site to receive notification of updates or download updated content.

In a corporate intranet, a network or workgroup administrator most likely will accept the default subscription options specified by the Active Channel Web site author, in part because the download schedules are designed by the author and network administrators to minimize server loads. However, you can override the defaults specified by the CDF file to customize your workgroup’s subscriptions. For example, if your server experiences delays due to heavy network traffic, you might configure your workgroup to receive e-mail notification of updated content in an Active Channel (as opposed to receiving automatic, scheduled download of that content).

For information about configuring subscriptions to Active Channels, see "Configuring Subscriptions" later in this chapter.

About Favorites

In Windows 98, Favorites let users subscribe to any internal or external Web site, and easily access any local or network resource. The Internet Explorer browsing software regularly checks Web sites subscribed to as Favorites for updated content according to the schedule and other options specified in the subscription. Depending on advanced subscription options, the user may also receive e-mail notification of the updates or automatically download the updated content.

You can configure your workgroup’s Favorites to simplify access to the most frequently visited intranet or Web sites, and to files or folders they frequently access. By adding specific Web sites to Favorites and configuring their subscription options, you can ensure that your workgroup uses the most appropriate methods for receiving notification and downloading content whenever a Favorite Web site changes.

Considerations for Configuring Active Channels and Favorites

By effectively utilizing the power of Active Channel technology in Windows 98, you can coordinate a targeted flow of information to and from the users and workgroups that need that information the most. The key is deciding what information to Webcast, which users need that information, how often they need that information, and in what format you want the information to be Webcast or accessed.

What information do you want to Webcast?

Do your users or workgroups regularly access specific internal or external Web sites? What kinds of information do they need from these sites?

For example, if your workgroup’s home page includes schedules and the names and e-mail addresses of team leads, you might want to subscribe your users to the workgroup’s home page to receive updates automatically whenever schedule or team information changes. If your workgroup relies on the latest information from a white paper or product specification, you might want to notify your workgroup by e-mail of any changes to that document and include the document as an attachment to the e-mail. If your workgroup needs to follow a stock price or a count of inventory items minute-by-minute, you might subscribe your users to a stock or inventory ticker as an Active Desktop item or channel screen saver.

Which users need the information you plan to Webcast?

In some cases you will want to target the flow of broadband information — such as a change in team leadership or the location of a new intranet site — to an entire company or workgroup. In other cases, you will want to target information to specific users or workgroups —as when distributing a new template only to writers and editors, or distributing new employee evaluation guidelines only to managers.

How often do users need to receive updated information?

Do your users or workgroup need to receive updated information on a daily, weekly, or minute-to-minute basis, or should you simply notify them of the update and let them browse the new information at their leisure? A workgroup administrator or Active Channel Web site author can specify the appropriate format and frequency of the Webcast in the CDF file for each Active Channel. The urgency of the information can help you determine the best format for Webcasting it.

What format do you want the information to be Webcast or accessed?

For easy, frequent access, you might want to deliver your workgroup’s intranet home page as an Active Desktop item, or place it on the Channel bar or a toolbar. If the information is time-critical, such as a stock ticker or inventory counter, you might want to deliver it as an Active Desktop item or channel screen saver. For information that is less time-critical, you might simply notify users of updates by sending e-mail notification, or specify regular, automatic Webcrawls to download new content.

Configuring the Channel Bar

As a workgroup administrator, you want to ensure that your workgroup has immediate access to the most relevant subscribed internal and external Active Channel Web sites. The simplest way to do this is to add these Active Channel Web sites to the default Windows 98 Channel bar deployed on each user’s Active Desktop.

When you subscribe to an Active Channel Web site, the logo for that Active Channel is automatically added to the default Windows 98 Channel bar on the Active Desktop. You can also add Active Channel Web sites to the Channel bar without subscribing to them and remove any Active Channel Web sites that you do not want to appear on the Channel bar.

To add an Active Channel to the default Channel bar on the Active Desktop

• Browse to the home or introductory page of the Active Channel Web site you want to add, and then click the Add Active Channel button.

  – Or –

  Drag the URL of the page you want to add onto the Channel bar or to the Favorites\Channels folder.

To delete an Active Channel from the default Channel bar on the Active Desktop

• In the Channel bar, right-click the Active Channel you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Using Active Channels and Web Sites as Active Desktop Items

Windows 98 lets you add any traditional or Active Channel Web page as an Active Desktop item on a user’s or workgroup’s Active Desktop.

Active Desktop items live alongside existing desktop shortcuts on the Windows 98 Active Desktop. An Active Desktop item lets you create dynamic links to your workgroup’s favorite Web content. Active Desktop items are typically designed by Active Channel authors to provide summary information in a small amount of screen space. A user can click a hyperlink on an Active Desktop item to open a new browsing window; the user can then browse through the rest of the Web site.

Active Desktop items can be any size or shape and can display any HTML-based content. Like Active Channels, Active Desktop items update at regularly scheduled times specified by a CDF file or subscription, so their content is always up-to-date.

When you add an Active Desktop item by subscribing a user to a traditional or Active Channel Web site, the URL for that Active Desktop item is automatically added to the user’s Subscriptions folder. All content in the Active Desktop item is automatically cached offline in the user’s cache. This makes content available for offline browsing if no Internet connection is available.

You can configure individual update schedules for each Active Desktop item you place on the Active Desktop. For example, a user’s Active Desktop could display three different Active Desktop items: an inventory ticker that is updated once an hour, a workgroup home page that is updated once a day, and a newsletter that is updated once a week. Windows 98 automatically refreshes the Active Desktop item whenever the update occurs.

Note

You can also use an HTML page or graphic file on your computer as an Active Desktop item, or download items for free from the Microsoft Active Desktop Gallery. For information, see "Using Graphics, HTML Pages, and Explorer Windows as Active Desktop Items" earlier in this chapter.

For information about creating and deploying custom Active Desktop items for your workgroup, see "Creating and Managing Active Channels on Your Intranet" later in this chapter.

To add a traditional or Active Channel Web page as an Active Desktop item

The simplest way to add an Active Desktop item from an Active Channel is to browse to the Active Channel and then click the Add to Active Desktop button on the channel’s Web page. Otherwise, use the following procedure:

1. Right-click on the Active Desktop to display the shortcut menu, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Web tab, and then click New.
3. Click No, and then select or browse to the traditional or Active Channel Web page that you want to display as an Active Desktop item.

To customize the subscription for an Active Desktop item

1. Right-click on the Active Desktop to display the shortcut menu, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Web tab, select the Active Desktop item you want to customize, and then click Properties.
3. Use the options on the Subscription, Receiving, and Schedule tabs to customize the subscription schedule, notification method, and so on.

Using Active Channel Screen Savers

In addition to the default screen savers, you can configure Windows 98 to use a screen saver provided by a subscribed Active Channel Web site. In a corporate intranet, you might want to use a channel screen saver that displays a stock ticker, broadcast bulletins, or an inventory counter. Windows 98 rotates between subscribed channel screen savers, displaying each for 30 seconds by default.

Optionally, a user can move the mouse and click objects on a channel screen saver without immediately dismissing the screen saver. Clicking a hyperlink on a screen saver opens a new browsing window and closes the screen saver. Clicking anything that is not an image, link, or object closes the screen saver. The user can also click the Close and Properties buttons in the screen saver toolbar to change the behavior of that screen saver.

For information about creating and deploying custom Active Channel screen savers for your workgroup, see "Creating and Managing Active Channels on Your Intranet" later in this chapter.

To select a channel screen saver

1. Right-click on the Active Desktop to display the shortcut menu, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Screen Saver tab, and then in the Screen Saver box click Channel Screen Saver.

Configuring Subscriptions

You can optimize the targeted Webcasting of information to specific users or workgroups by effectively configuring their subscriptions to traditional Web sites and Active Channel Web sites, whether on your company’s intranet or on the World Wide Web.

Considerations for Configuring Subscriptions

Before you begin configuring subscriptions, you should consider the following:

How do you want users to be notified of updates to a subscribed site? When the content of a subscribed Web site or Active Channel Web site changes, subscriptions can notify users by e-mail, or automatically download the changed content the next time the user connects to the intranet or World Wide Web. The user can then browse the changed content offline.

When and how often do you want users to receive downloads of updated content from subscribed sites? For Active Channel Web sites and Active Desktop items, the frequency and scheduling of downloads is specified by the CDF file created by the channel’s author, but you can override those settings. For traditional internal and external Web sites, the default schedule for downloading is between 12:00 A.M. and 12:30 A.M. in the user’s local time zone, but you can create custom schedules based on the needs of your users or the capacity of your network servers.

Note

Before changing the download frequency or schedule for a subscribed Active Channel Web site or Active Desktop item on your company’s intranet, you should consult with the appropriate Active Channel Web site authors or network administrators. They may have created optimal download schedules to minimize server loads and network traffic.

Procedures for Configuring Subscriptions to Web Sites

Use the following procedures to configure subscriptions to traditional Web sites on your corporate intranet or on the World Wide Web.

To subscribe to a Web site

1. In the Internet Explorer browsing software, browse to the Web site to which you want to subscribe your users or workgroup.
2. On the Favorites menu, click Add to Favorites.
3. In the Name box on the Add Favorite dialog box, type the friendly name of the Web site as you want it to appear in the user’s Favorites list, and then select the appropriate subscription option:
   • Select Yes, but only tell me when this page is updated if you want users to be notified when content on the subscribed Web site changes.
   • Select Yes, notify me of updates and download the page for offline viewing if you want users to be notified and receive downloaded content when content on the subscribed Web site changes.

     For either of these options, if you want your users to be notified of changes by e-mail, click the Customize button in the Add Favorite dialog box to start the Subscription Wizard. The wizard steps you through the process of specifying an e-mail address and server name, and allows you to modify the default subscription schedule.

To change subscription options for a subscribed Web site

1. In the Internet Explorer browsing software, on the Favorites menu, click Manage Subscriptions.
2. Right-click the subscription that you want to change, and then on the shortcut menu, click Properties.
3. Use the options on the Receiving tab to change how notifications of updates are sent.
4. Use the options on the Schedule tab to change the frequency and schedule for downloading changed content from the subscribed Web site.

Procedures for Configuring Subscriptions to Active Channel Web Sites

To subscribe to an Active Channel Web site

1. In the Internet Explorer browsing software, browse to the Active Channel Web site to which you want to subscribe your users or workgroup.
2. Click the Add Active Channel button on the Active Channel Web site’s home or introductory page.
3. In the Add Active Channel Content dialog box, select an option for subscribing
   • If you want to be notified of updates to the site’s content but do not want to automatically download the updated content when you connect to the site, click Only tell me when updates occur.
   • If you want to be notified and automatically download updates when you connect to the site, click Notify me of updates and download the channel for offline viewing.

     For either of these options, if you want your users to be notified of changes by e-mail, click the Customize button in the Add Favorite dialog box to start the Subscription Wizard. The wizard steps you through the process of specifying an e-mail address and server name, and allows you to modify the default subscription schedule specified by the CDF file for the Active Channel.

To change subscription options for a subscribed Active Channel Web site

1. In the Internet Explorer browsing software, on the Favorites menu, click Manage Subscriptions.
2. Right-click the subscription that you want to change, and then on the shortcut menu, click Properties.
3. Use the options on the Receiving tab to change how notifications of updates are sent.
4. Use the options on the Schedule tab to change the frequency and schedule for downloading changed content from the subscribed Active Channel Web site.

Organizing Favorites

When a Web site is configured as a Favorite, a user can be notified of changed content on the Web site by e-mail. In addition, when the user rests the mouse pointer over the Favorite icon for that Web site, a pop-up description appears that provides information about that Web site or about the nature of the update to that Web site.

You can simplify your workgroup’s access to the most frequently visited Web sites by effectively organizing their Favorites. You can place a Web site at the top level of the Favorites folder for faster access, or you can create subfolders to group Favorites. For example, you might want to group similar intranet Web sites into one folder and similar external Web sites into another, or you might want to create subfolders for each workgroup or division in your company.

Note

You can also customize the Favorites folder under Wizard Settings in the IEAK Profile Manager. For more information, see "About the IEAK Profile Manager" later in this chapter.

To organize Favorites

1. In the Internet Explorer browsing software, click the Favorites menu, and then click Organize Favorites.
2. Use the options in the Organize Favorites dialog box to move, rename, or delete Favorites, or to create, move, rename, or delete subfolders containing related Favorites.

Tip

You can reorder the Favorites menu by clicking any item and dragging it to a new location.