FaxPress Drop Directory

Other Related Topics...

Using Castelle's Drop Directory, FaxPress 7.0 server supports the sending of outgoing faxes through special directories under the /Castelle/serial_number directory, allowing faxes to be sent without user intervention. Drop Directories must be created manually by the FaxPress supervisor as the first step in setting up the entire Drop Directory process.

Example: /Castelle/08206001/faxdir

Outgoing fax jobs are presented through a drop directory as a set of control and fax data files. Periodically the FaxPress server searches for and selects control files from the drop directories. Selected control files and the corresponding data files are used by the server to define and launch outbound fax jobs. As these drop directory jobs are completed, the call information for each job is reported back through the drop directory in a series of notice files.

All the given data file formats (DCX, PCX, PCL) are automatically converted into a fax format by FaxPress and then submitted to the FaxPress outgoing fax queue. No FaxPress client software and DCX print driver are involved in this process. All data file formats must be submitted to the Drop Directory in DCX, PCX or PCL file format.

For information on implementing the inbound production faxing utility, DropFax, see Inbound Production Faxing: The FaxPress DropFax Utility.

The Drop Directory Configuration File - jobqueue.cfg

The castelle/serial_number/system/jobqueue.cfg configuration file specifies how drop directories are to be handled by a FaxPress server. This configuration file identifies the drop directories to be searched by the FaxPress, the order and frequency of searches, and the FaxPress users associated with the jobs originating from each directory. During FaxPress startup, a FaxPress reads through this configuration file, and uses it to set up its drop directory handling. The FaxPress interpretation of thejobqueue.cfg contents is echoed in the castelle/serial_number/system/jobqueue.cfg log file.

The jobqueue.cfg file must exist in the castelle\serial_number\system directory for drop directory to work. If the jobqueue.cfg file does not exist, the FaxPress supervisor should create this configuration file with the necessary command lines. If jobqueue.cfg file already exists in the system directory then the FaxPress supervisor should edit this file to make sure that command lines relevant to the Drop Directory process are included in the file.

The jobqueue.cfg configuration file consists of ASCII lines, which identify the FaxPress drop directories and the FaxPress users associated with the jobs processed through the drop directories. Each line of a jobqueue.cfg file contains one configuration directive.

This configuration directive starts with a directive keyword and ends with an ASCII line-feed (0x0A character). When parameters are included in a directive line, the parameter text follows and are separated from the keyword by blanks.

The jobqueue.cfg directives are:

INTERVAL seconds - specifies the minimum number of seconds between searches of drop directories - the default is the minimum, 10 seconds.

Example: INTERVAL 120

DIRECTORY name extension - specifies the name of the drop directory the FaxPress is to periodically search for job control files, and also specifies the extension (.dir) used to distinguish a control file in this directory.

Example: DIRECTORY HPFSCAN.HPF and DIRECTORY.DIR

USER username - specifies the login name of the FaxPress user to be assigned jobs originating from the drop directories.

Example: USER SCANNER

DIRECTORY DROPDIR1 CTL

DIRECTORY DROPDIR2 CTL

PRIORITY ordinal - specifies an ordering value from 1 to 9999 with which drop directories searches will be ordered. Directories are searched in the increasing order of their priority values. Directories with the same priority ordinal are searched in rotation (round robin). Directories with no priority value are searched strictly in order of their appearance within the configuration file.

Example: PRIORITY 10

DIRECTORY SCANDIR1 FCF

PRIORITY 20

DIRECTORY SCANDIR2 FCF

DIRECTORY SCANDIR3 FCF

Example of jobqueue.cfg file:

USER RIGHT_A_WAY

DIRECTORY HIPRI1 JCF

DIRECTORY HIPRI2 JCF

PRIORITY 1

DIRECTORY EXPRESS1 JCF

DIRECTORY EXPRESS2 JCF

USER SOMETIME_SOON

PRIORITY 4

DIRECTORY REGULAR1 JCF

DIRECTORY REGULAR2 JCF

USER ANY_TIME

PRIORITY 10

DIRECTORY LOWPRI JCF

Because there is no INTERVAL directive in this configuration file, the drop directories will be searched at the default 10-second interval. The FaxPress will search the drop directories for a control file with the .jcf extension.

The HIGHPRI1 jobs will all be serviced first. Then the HIGHPRI2 jobs will be serviced as long as the HIGHPRI1 directory has no further jobs. When both HIGHPRI1 and HIGHPRI2 have been fully serviced, jobs will be alternately taken from EXPRESS1 and EXPRESS2 until their jobs have all been serviced. Jobs from these drop directories will all be assigned to FaxPress user RIGHT_A_WAY.

When HIPRI1, HIPRI2, EXPRESS1, and EXPRESS2 jobs have all been processed, jobs for user SOMETIME_SOON will be alternately taken from REGULAR1 and REGULAR2. Only after no jobs remain in any of the other drop directories, will jobs be taken from LOWPRI, for the FaxPress user ANY_TIME.

The JOBQUEUE.CFG file must contain strictly ASCII data. It should not be edited with a word processing type of editor (such as Microsoft WORD, WRITE, or WORD-PERFECT).

Drop Directory Users

Drop directory based jobs are processed for the FaxPress user that has been assigned to the drop directory by a JOBQUEUE.CFG USER directive. If the user assigned to a drop directory does not exist when the FaxPress starts up, then the user is automatically created by the FaxPress. User parameters in effect at the time the FaxPress starts up will be used as the default for all jobs originating through that particular user’s drop directories.

If a user is deleted, then job processing from that user’s drop directories will stop.

If a user is blocked, then processing of unstated jobs from that user's drop directories will be suspended until the user is unblocked. If a user is blocked when the FaxPress starts up, then no jobs will be processed from the user's drop directories until the user is unblocked.

Job Control Files

After the FaxPress has been configured to query a drop directory, the third party application can put the job data and control files in the directory. The data files should be put into the directory before the control files. The names of these files must be DOS format (up to 8 characters long, followed by an extension of up to three characters). Jobs are copied into drop directory one at a time and FaxPress process the jobs one at a time.

The originators of drop directory jobs must ensure that names assigned to the control and data files are unique within their directory for at least the duration of the job's processing. The job control files in a drop directory are distinguished from the other types of files in this directory by their filename extension, which must be the same as the extension specified along with the drop directory pathname in JOBQUEUE.CFG. The first characters of a job control filename are also used for the name of the notice files generated for the jobs originating from the control file.

Each job control file consists of a series of ASCII lines (each terminated with an ASCII line feed character) that specify how the job is to be handled. Each line should contain a directive of the form:

##Directive [parameter 1] [parameter 2]

The directive must begin with a ## followed immediately by the directive keyword (in either upper or lower case). The keywords may include an embedded dash to enhance readability. If parameters are included in a directive line, the parameter text follows and is separated from the directive keyword by a space.

A job control file may contain multiple (possibly overlapping) job control streams. Each job control stream is concluded with a ##dial directive, and the most closely proceeding (##cover/##nocover, ##message, ##billback/##nobillback, etc.) parameter settings are applied to the job. Parameter directives do not need to be repeated between ##dial directives if the parameter selection is not changed.

All control files are expected to contain strictly ASCII data. They should not be edited with a word processing type of editor (such as Microsoft WORD, WRITE, or NOTEPAD, or WORD-PERFECT).

Job Control file directives are:

Available file types are:

Available resolutions are:

Available baud rates are:

##B4800

##B7200

##B9600

##Bl2000

##Bl4400

Available message lines are:

Example: Job Control File containing Fax Data

##DIAL 1 408 496 0502

Dear John,

This is a demonstration of the FaxPress drop directory. It allows you to send faxes without user intervention.

Regards,

Castelle

The above file will send out the text that starts with 'Dear John,' to the fax number specified with ##DIAL.

Example: The Fax Data separate from the Job Control File

##FILENAME demo.pcl

##NOCOVER

##FINE

##PRINTFAX

##ONLYLINE 1

##DIAL 1 (408) 654 4689

##ANYLINE

##DIAL 1 (555) 123 4567

This will send the file called: DEMO.PCL to two fax numbers. The first number will only be sent over FaxPress line 1. The second fax number can be dialed on any available FaxPress line. Note that the actual fax to both these numbers will appear exactly the same, since they both share the same settings parameters.

Job Data Files

After the FaxPress has been configured to query a drop directory, the application can put the job data and control files in the directory. The data files should be put into the directory before the control files. This sequence of the data files being deposited into the Drop Directory before the control files is crucial, and cannot be emphasized enough. The names of data files must be DOS format (up to 8 characters long, followed by an extension of up to three characters). The originators of drop directory jobs must ensure that names assigned to the control and data files are unique within their directory for at least the duration of the job's processing. The job data files in a drop directory are distinguished from the other types of files in this directory by their filename and extension.

Each job data file consists of one or more pages of fax image data. It must be in either ASCII, PCL5 (as defined for a HP LaserJet II or III), or DCX (as defined by the CAS specification).

Job Notice Files

During the processing of each drop directory job, a FaxPress provides status feedback to the originator through ASCII job notice files. Each job notice file uses the name of its job control file, and a three character decimal extension. These extensions are start with 001 and continue up to 999 in chronological order. Every status (Failed, Retry, OK and Active) is reported in a separate notice file. At the end of a notice sequence, the FaxPress will create a drop directory file with the control file name and the special extension: DAT. The .DAT file contains the serial number of the FaxPress that handled the job. The appearance of the .DAT file signals the conclusions of a notice file sequence. The originating application is responsible for cleaning up these notice files.

The format of a notice file is:

Queued at: <hh:mm, month day year>

Sent at: <hh:mm, month day year>

Pages: <number of pages>

Status: <ACTIVE/OK/RETRY/FAILED>

Fax_Number: <phone number>