Why use the Redirector?

Start of changeIf your Telnet server does not support TLS, and if you are running the Z and I Emulator for Web server on one of the operating systems on which the Redirector supports secure sessions (see Operating systems supported by the Redirector), you can configure the Z and I Emulator for Web Redirector to provide the TLS support.
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Table 1. Tip
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Start of change Many Telnet servers support TLS (for example, IBM Communications Servers on zSeries, IBM System i, AIX, or NT). If your Telnet server supports TLS, we strongly recommend using your Telnet server. If your Telnet server does not support TLS, the Communications Server for AIX Redirector offers a more scalable alternative to the Z and I Emulator for Web Redirector.End of change
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The Redirector acts as a transparent Telnet proxy that uses port remapping to connect the Z and I Emulator for Web server to other Telnet servers. Each defined server can configure a set of local-port numbers. Instead of connecting directly to the target Telnet server, a client connects to the server and port number. The Redirector maps the local-port number to the host-port number of the target and makes a connection.
Table 2. Recommendation
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The recommended solution for a Telnet proxy is to use Load Balancer, a feature of WebSphere Application Server's Edge Components, or a similar product that provides address translation as part of the overall firewall solution, instead of the Z and I Emulator for Web Redirector.