Some of the content described in this article is available in meshIQ Manage versions 12 and later.
For a quick overview of what's new or changed, visit the meshIQ Highlights page for a version-by-version breakdown.

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Version 11.2 and Earlier
Version 12.x and Later

Version 11.2 and Earlier

This feature allows you to switch from one application to another with one click. To access this feature, follow the configuration steps mentioned below.

Configuration Steps

First, stop the Tomcat server.
Take the app-switcher.xml.sample file from the package and rename it to app-switcher.xml. You can have an app-switcher.xml file for each of your environments (for example, prod-app-switcher.xml or test-app-switcher.xml).
Update the URLs in the file with your own (the default URLs are set to localhost).
1. For each default app, choose whether you want to open in new browser tab or same tab by updating <blank>. True means the app will open in a new tab, while False means it will open in the same tab.
2. If you want to add your own app, create a new <config> element using your own values, including a unique ID, the name and description you want to display in your menu, the URL of your app, and the icon, Refer to the instructions on how to create icons.
Copy the file to a designated location (the default location is [AUTOPILOT_HOME]/apache-tomcat/conf)
Add the following property in the context.xml file located at [AUTOPILOT_HOME]/apache-tomcat/conf):
```
<Parameter name="appswitcher.manager.config" value="/opt/meshiq/platform/apache-tomcat/conf/app-switcher.xml"/>
```
If your XML file has a different name, make sure to update the same name in the parameter above.
Restart the Tomcat server.
After configuring, log into the application (Manage/Secure/Track), and you will see the app switcher icon in the top left corner of the window.
Click on the app switcher icon to see the options:
- If you log in from Manage, you will see Secure, Track, and meshIQ Support.
- If you log in from Secure, you will see Manage, Track, and meshIQ Support.
- If you log in from Track, you will see Manage, Secure, and meshIQ Support.
Click an app to switch to it. Depending on your system configuration, the app will open either in the same tab or in a different tab. Read this to find out more about the app switcher.

Adding Icons to App Configuration:

Use an online converter or shell command to convert your image file (e.g. SVG) into a Base64 string. For instance, if you have an SVG file, you can use the shell command to perform this conversion. For example, on Linux or macOS:
base64 image.svg > image_base64.txt
You can find various online tools to convert images to Base64.
Once you have the Base64 string, format it correctly. For an SVG, it should look like this:
```
data:image/svg+xml;base64,<Base64-encoded-data>
```
The <Base64-encoded-data> part will be the actual string generated in step 1 from your image.
Include the formatted string within the <icon></icon> tags in your XML configuration file. For example:
```
<icon>data:image/svg+xml;base64,<Base64-encoded-data></icon>
```
After embedding the Base64 string, test your application in the relevant environment to ensure that it can render the icon correctly.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Version 12.x and Later

This feature allows you to switch from one application to another with one click. To access this feature, follow the configuration steps mentioned below.

Configuration Steps

First, stop the Tomcat server.
Take the app-switcher.xml.sample file from the package and rename it to app-switcher.xml. You can have an app-switcher.xml file for each of your environments (for example, prod-app-switcher.xml or test-app-switcher.xml).
Update the URLs in the file with your own (the default URLs are set to localhost).
1. For each default app, choose whether you want to open in new browser tab or same tab by updating <blank>. True means the app will open in a new tab, while False means it will open in the same tab.
2. If you want to add your own app, create a new <config> element using your own values, including a unique ID, the name and description you want to display in your menu, the URL of your app, and the icon, Refer to the instructions on how to create icons.
Copy the file to a designated location (the default location is [AUTOPILOT_HOME]/apache-tomcat/conf)
Add the following property in the context.xml file located at [AUTOPILOT_HOME]/apache-tomcat/conf):
```
<Parameter name="appswitcher.manager.config" value="/opt/meshiq/platform/apache-tomcat/conf/app-switcher.xml"/>
```
If your XML file has a different name, make sure to update the same name in the parameter above.
Restart the Tomcat server.
After configuring, log into the application (Manage/Control Center/Track/Observe), and you will see the app switcher icon in the top left corner of the window.
Click on the app switcher icon to see the options:
- If you log in from Manage, you will see Observe, Control Center, Track, and meshIQ Support.
- If you log in from Control Center, you will see Manage, Track, Observe and meshIQ Support.
- If you log in from Track, you will see Manage, Control Center, Observe and meshIQ Support.
- If you log in from Observe, you will see Manage, Control Center, Track and meshIQ Support.
Click an app to switch to it. Depending on your system configuration, the app will open either in the same tab or in a different tab. Read this to find out more about the app switcher.

Adding Icons to App Configuration:

Use an online converter or shell command to convert your image file (e.g. SVG) into a Base64 string. For instance, if you have an SVG file, you can use the shell command to perform this conversion. For example, on Linux or macOS:
base64 image.svg > image_base64.txt
You can find various online tools to convert images to Base64.
Once you have the Base64 string, format it correctly. For an SVG, it should look like this:
```
data:image/svg+xml;base64,<Base64-encoded-data>
```
The <Base64-encoded-data> part will be the actual string generated in step 1 from your image.
Include the formatted string within the <icon></icon> tags in your XML configuration file. For example:
```
<icon>data:image/svg+xml;base64,<Base64-encoded-data></icon>
```
After embedding the Base64 string, test your application in the relevant environment to ensure that it can render the icon correctly.