ActFax Server User’s Manual 8th Extended Edition ActFax Communication-Software GmbH http://www.actfax.com office@actfax.
Remark Copyright © ActFax Communication-Software GmbH. All rights reserved. This product or parts of it are only allowed to be used or reproduced according to the terms of the license agreement. Every other use of the software is not permitted. No parts of this manual are allowed to be reproduced, transferred, translated or stored on other media without the written declaration of consent of ActFax Communication. Changes of the content of this manual are reserved.
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CLAIM OF WARRANTY: You have to inform the manufacturer at least 30 days after the end of the warranty period to report your claim of warranty. LIMITATIONS IN WARRANTY: There is no warranty that exceeds the above listed terms of warranty. There are no other agreements of any kind. The warranty period is limited to 6 months except otherwise defined by law.
Table of Contents 1. Introduction 10 1.1. ActFax vs. ActiveFax .................................................................................. 10 1.2. Using the Manual ...................................................................................... 10 1.2.1. Help System ........................................................................................................... 10 1.2.2. Information Symbols ............................................................................................
3.3.1. Configuring LPD/LPR Printers in UNIX.................................................................... 30 3.3.1.1. IBM RS/6000 (AIX) .............................................................................................................. 30 3.3.1.2. HP-9000 (HP/UX) ................................................................................................................ 30 3.3.1.3. Other UNIX Systems .......................................................................................
3.13.2. Manual Archive .................................................................................................... 51 3.13.3. Individual Archive Folders .................................................................................... 51 3.14. Use Multiple Fax Servers ......................................................................... 52 3.14.1. Configure Fax Clients ........................................................................................... 52 3.14.2.
4.4. Charge Optimization.................................................................................. 75 4.4.1. Delayed Transmissions ........................................................................................... 75 4.4.2. Time Limitation ...................................................................................................... 76 4.4.3. Least Cost Routing.................................................................................................. 77 4.5. Modem & ISDN....
5.6.1.1. Reference File for Data Fields ........................................................................................... 101 5.6.1.2. Split Print Jobs (Mail Merge Documents) ......................................................................... 102 5.6.1.3. Example in Programming Language C .............................................................................. 102 5.6.2. UNIX, Linux and other Operating Systems ........................................................... 102 5.6.2.1.
1. Introduction 1.1. ActFax vs. ActiveFax The terms “ActFax” and “ActiveFax” are used synonymously in this manual and also in the software itself. Both terms refer exactly to the same software. The reason why the software is known under ActFax and under ActiveFax is due to historical reasons. To preserve highest backward compatibility with existing installations, no adjustments to the names have been made in the software.
1.2.2. Information Symbols This manual uses graphical symbols to direct your attention to important text sections. These symbols are used to highlight cross references to additional information about specific topics, critical settings or other notes referring to a previously discussed topic. The “Information” symbol is used to direct your attention to additional information of the same topic. This symbol is also used to highlight useful tips simplifying daily work.
Intel® Pentium model with 300 MHz and 256 MB RAM. The display adapter should be configured to a resolution of at least 1024x768 and 64k colors. Keep in mind, that these values are just approximate values. ActiveFax can also be installed on hardware equipment that does not meet these requirements; however performance of the software decreases significantly then. 1.4.1.
the network. The fax services provided by ActiveFax can be subdivided into three main categories: Outgoing fax messages (sending), incoming fax messages (receiving) and fax-on-demand (fax polling). 1.5.1. Outgoing Faxes (Sending) Outgoing fax documents can be created in various ways with ActiveFax. The easiest way to create a new fax messages is printing a document from a Windows application (i.e. Microsoft® Word).
ble recipients (i.e. because of a busy line) will be automatically repeated periodically. The period between the redial attempts can be individually configured. If a fax message cannot be delivered within a pre-configured number of attempts, the message will be marked as “undeliverable”. Such fax messages are listed separately by ActiveFax.
documents (i.e. price lists, data sheets, ....) can be made accessible to a large number of people. A fax-on-demand document is either mapped to a specific fax modem (fax number) or when using an ISDN adapter to a direct dial number. The steps required to create fax-on-demand documents are exactly the same as for creating normal fax messages. Beside the function of using ActiveFax as a fax-on-demand server, the software can also be used to request documents from other fax-on-demand systems.
The Communication Window displays the status of all communication services controlled by ActiveFax. With a mouse double-click or with the Communication menu, the settings for the individual communication services can be configured. The Fax Window displays the fax message currently selected in the faxlist. The zoom factor of the fax message can be changed with the left and right mouse button or with the zoom field of the toolbar.
2. ActiveFax Installation 2.1. Program Overview ActiveFax mainly consists of two components, the fax server and the fax client program. The installation of the fax server needs to be done only once on a single computer; all other computers in the network have the fax client installed to automatically load fax documents directly from the fax server. The fax client needs to be installed on all computers in the network that should be able to create or access fax messages.
2.2. Running the Setup Before you start with the installation of ActiveFax, you should define which computers in the network should have the fax client software installed and which computer should be used for the installation of the fax server software. ActiveFax is available in a 32-bit and in a 64bit version. If the installation is done on a 64bit Windows system, it is recommended to use the 64-bit version of ActiveFax for the installation. If it is required to communicate with other 32-bit programs (i.e.
3) Choose the installation procedure now. You can select between a complete installation (server and client), a server-only installation or a client-only installation. Take care that the fax server is normally only installed on a single computer in the network. If the fax server has already been installed, you typically choose a client installation here. 4) Select the program components that should be installed.
fax messages. If you plan to also send emails with ActiveFax, you should also enter your email address. If there is a dial prefix needed for outgoing calls, specify the dial prefix in the next step. Especially when using phone systems (PBX), you normally have to specify a dial prefix to get an outside line. After the setup program has been finished, ActiveFax is completely installed and ready for a first test fax message. To create a test fax, just start any Windows application (i.e.
2.3. Customizing Program Settings Most settings and parameters of the fax server are already initialized by the setup program with default values. These default values reflect the most common settings that normally do not need to be changed. However if you need to change some settings of the fax server, this can be done with the relating menu options directly on the fax server.
The IP address of the fax server can also be set directly at the installation of the fax client when you run the setup with the command line parameter -IP:IP address. Example: actfax_setup_en.exe -Client -IP:192.168.0.
3. How to ... 3.1. Create a New Fax Message New fax messages can be created in various ways with ActiveFax. The easiest and most common way to create new fax messages is the printing function of a Windows application. As an alternative it would also be possible to create “Instant Fax Messages” with ActiveFax. Instant fax messages are used for short messages with just a few lines of text.
3.1.2. Instant Fax Messages Fax messages often only contain just a few lines of text. If you do not want to create a Word document for such small messages, it is also possible to create the fax as an instant fax messages directly within the fax client program. An instant fax message is built by an optional cover page and the text of the fax message. It is not recommended to use instant fax messages for faxes larger than a single page or for faxes that require complex formatting of the text.
3.1.3. File System Another powerful method of sending fax jobs to ActiveFax is the file system method. Using that method, the files to be faxed just need to be stored in a predefined directory. ActiveFax automatically scans this directory for new fax jobs and imports them for further processing. When using the file system method, it is also possible to use data fields directly as part of the file name, which makes it very simple to set the recipients fax number.
Data fields can be added the same way as printer commands; they are written directly to the document. Named Pipes can be used as an alternative when you do not want to work with the Windows graphic subsystem (GDI). Take care that Named Pipes are only available on fax servers running on Windows XP / 2003 / Vista / 2008 / 7 / 2012 / 8 / 10 systems. To use Named Pipes, just a few small modifications have to be done in your application.
} lstrcpy(szFax, "555-123-4567"); wsprintf(szText, "This is a testfax@F211 %s@", szFax); WriteFile(hFile, szText, lstrlen(szText), &dwWritten, NULL); CloseHandle(hFile); return 0; } ActFax User’s Manual 27
3.2. Access Fax Messages on other Computers The fax client can be used to display and access fax messages from other computers in the network. Through a network connection to the fax server, access to all fax messages is available from any computer in the network with the fax client program installed. 3.2.1. Fax Client Installation The fax client needs be installed on every computer that should be used to display, create or control fax messages.
Please note that the connection settings can be subsequently changed with the menu option Communication / Network Settings. The update of the data on the fax client is done automatically. Whenever the configuration of the fax server changes or when a fax message is created or modified, the data on the fax client is automatically refreshed on all client computers in the network. All clients have the same data set at any time that way.
3.3. Send Fax Messages from UNIX / Linux In addition to the capability of sending fax messages from Windows applications using the ActiveFax printer driver, it is also possible to create fax messages from other operating systems, like UNIX or Linux. Normally the connection between the UNIX / Linux server and ActiveFax is done through the LPD/LPR (Line Printer Daemon) protocol.
On some UNIX systems (i.e. SCO UNIX) it could also be required to activate the LPD/LPR protocol. For SCO UNIX this can be done with the command “mkdev rlp”. 3.3.2. Sending Fax Messages with LPD/LPR After the network printer has been created on the UNIX system, the “lp” command can be used to send print jobs to ActiveFax.
3.3.3.4. Printer Commands (HP-LaserJet PCL, Epson-LQ, Postscript, PDF) Fax jobs sent from UNIX systems can also contain printer commands of HP-LaserJet (PCL and HPGL), Epson-LQ and optionally Postscript and PDF. That way the printer output does not need to be modified and you can send exactly the same output to the fax server that is normally sent to physical printers. For direct processing of Postscript and PDF files it is required to have the add-on software Ghostscript installed on the fax server (www.
3.4. Enter valid Fax Numbers There is no special format required for fax numbers processed by ActiveFax. It is permitted to use special characters like spaces, slashes, dashes or dots to format a fax number. Such characters are ignored by the fax server and are automatically removed for dialing. In general, fax numbers can be entered in international format as well as in national format. Depending on the local area code of your location the fax server automatically adjusts the number dialed by the modem.
3.5. Adjust the Screen View Through the menu View / View Properties you can change the number of pages to be displayed on the screen. You can set the number of pages to be displayed horizontally and the number of pages to be displayed vertically.
3.6. Change the Faxlist Columns 3.6.1. Columns The columns displayed in the faxlist can be individually changed through the menu Faxlist / Faxlist Properties. You can configure the set of columns to be displayed in the faxlist as well as the position of each column within the faxlist. Please note that these settings can be individually configured for every fax client and for the fax server. 3.6.2.
Please note that these settings can be individually configured for every fax client and for the fax server.
3.7. Select an Entry in the Faxlist 3.7.1. Selecting Entries Entries in the faxlist can be selected either with the left mouse button or with the arrow keys on the keyboard. To execute a function (i.e. locking or deleting a fax) on more than one faxlist entry, it would be possible to select multiple entries at the same time. The Ctrl key and the Shift key are used to select more than one entry in that case.
Please note that you do not need to enter the exact phrase when searching for a specific entry. It is normally sufficient to just enter a small part of the term you are searching for. For example if you want to search for a fax message that was sent to “George Smith”, you can enter just “Smi” or “george smi”. The search function is not case sensitive. It is also possible to search for more than one search term. In that case you have to separate the different search terms with a pipe sign (|).
3.8. Automatically Redial failed Fax Transmissions 3.8.1. Automatic Redialing Failed fax transmissions are automatically redialed by the fax server. You can individually configure the number of attempts and the delay after each failed attempt through the menu Extras / Options / Redialing. If the number of transmission attempts should be set to less than the default number of 10 attempts, you need to configure a delay of 0 hours and 0 minutes for one of the attempts.
If a user should be informed about the status of a fax transmission by email, you can configure this through the menu Extras / User Administrator / Modify / Notification.
3.9. Automatically Print Fax Messages Automatic printing of fax messages can be done in various ways with ActiveFax. Fax messages can be printed either on a specific printer or in dependence of the owner of the fax to individual printers. 3.9.1. Sending Report The automatic printing function can be configured to either print the complete fax message in original format or as a sending report.
3.9.3. General Settings To activate automatic printing of inbound fax messages, follow these steps: Choose the menu Extras / Options. Choose the Printing tab. Enable the option Automatically print incoming fax messages after receipt and select the preferred printer. Optionally choose the Compression option to print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper. Optionally activate the Print Report parameter to print a sending report instead of the complete fax message.
Enable the option Use user-defined settings for automatic printing and select the preferred printer. Optionally choose the Compression option to print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper. Optionally activate the Print Report parameter to print a sending report instead of the complete fax message. Complete the configuration with OK. Routing of inbound fax messages to individual user entries can be done in various ways.
3.10. Protect Faxes against Unauthorized Access Since fax messages often contain confidential information that should not be read by unauthorized persons, ActiveFax supports security features to protect privacy of the documents. That way fax messages can be reliably protected against unauthorized access. 3.10.1. User Administrator The base of every reliable security concept should be a well-considered user structure.
Please note that security settings for the fax server and the fax client can be individually configured. To guarantee a high security level it is recommended to grant access to the fax server only to users with Administrator permission and access to the fax client only to known users. This ensures that the fax server configuration cannot be modified without having a valid Administrator password and access to the fax client is only possible with a valid user account.
3.11. Block Fax Numbers (Blacklist) To avoid that ActiveFax answers fax calls from certain fax numbers or that outgoing fax messages are sent to specific fax numbers, it would be possible to create a blacklist through the menu Communication / Modem / Blacklist. The blacklist contains all fax numbers that should be blocked by the fax server. 3.11.1.
Keep in mind that incoming fax calls can only be blocked when the sending fax machine also submits a fax number. Please note, that ActiveFax also supports wildcards (*) when you enter the fax number. When using wildcards, it would be possible to block a complete range of fax numbers with just a single entry. For example, to block all fax numbers starting with 555, enter 555* in the fax number field.
3.12. Use the Fax-On-Demand Server The fax-on-demand capabilities of ActiveFax can be used in two ways. It would be possible to receive documents from other fax-on-demand servers and to use ActiveFax as a fax-on-demand server to make fax documents available to others. 3.12.1. Fax Polling A fax polling request (this means to receive a fax document from a fax-on-demand server) can be done with the following steps: Choose the menu option Communication / Execute Polling (Fax-On-Demand).
Create the fax-on-demand document with a Windows application of your choice (i.e. Microsoft® Word). Choose the printing function of the application (i.e. the menu File / Print in Microsoft® Word). Select the ActiveFax printer to start the print job. Change to the More Settings tab in the fax dialog window and activate the Create Fax-OnDemand Document option there. Change to the Settings tab and select the modem to be used for the document.
3.13. Move Fax Messages to the Archive To avoid that the faxlist with the fax messages becomes too big and confusing over the years, old fax messages should be moved to the archive. ActiveFax supports an automatic archive method as well as manual archiving. The fax server automatically creates an archive folder for each month. Please note, that ActiveFax only allows fax messages with the status Sent or Read to be moved to the archive.
3.13.2. Manual Archive Using the menu Faxlist / Move to archive or with a right-click at the faxlist entry it is also possible to manually move fax messages to the archive. As an alternative it would also be possible to manually move fax messages to an archive folder using drag-and-drop when moving the faxlist entry over to an archive folder. 3.13.3.
3.14. Use Multiple Fax Servers When you have more than one fax server installed in the network (i.e. a separate fax server for each branch office), it would be possible to create multiple ActiveFax printers and to add multiple desktop icons for the fax client on the user’s workstations to connect directly to a specific fax server. The address of the fax server does not need to be changed manually to connect to a specific fax server in that case then. 3.14.1.
3.14.2. Add ActiveFax Printers To create new fax jobs directly on a specific fax server, it would be possible to add a separate ActiveFax printer for each fax server. The printer name should include the name or the location of the fax server (i.e. ActiveFax New York). The additional ActiveFax printers can be created directly through the ActiveFax Setup when you run the Setup with the command line parameter -AddPrinter Printername.
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3.15. Create a Cover Page or Overlay 3.15.1. What is a Cover Page / Overlay? In general, cover pages and overlays are created exactly the same way with ActiveFax. A cover page is a separate page added as the first page of a fax message. Cover pages normally contain information about the sender, recipient, subject and additional information like date, time and the number of pages of the document. Compared to cover pages, overlays are not added as a separate page at the beginning of a fax message.
3.15.3. Using Cover Pages / Overlays Cover pages and overlays can be added to fax messages in various ways. One method is to choose the cover page or overlay in the fax dialog window of the ActiveFax printer. With the menu Extras / Predefined Settings or Extras / User Administrator / Modify / Predefined Settings it would be possible to configure default cover pages and overlays that are automatically added for new fax messages.
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4. Configuration 4.1. User Administrator The User Administrator of ActiveFax is used to manage the accounts for the users and to grant individual permissions to different users. Users can also be part of a group; each user can also be a member of multiple groups. There are two predefined users in the User Administrator, the Administrator and the Unknown user; these user accounts cannot be deleted. Each entry in the User Administrator is identified by a unique user name.
to all fax messages of the absent user. Permission settings are however not transferred when specifying absence substitutions. To clearly define responsibilities and to increase security, it is recommended to only grant those permissions to a user that are necessarily needed for daily work. 4.1.1. User Permissions Permission Description Administrator Permission Enables the user to modify important configuration settings of the fax server.
Administer Fax-On-Demand Documents Enables the user to create and manage fax-on-demand documents of the fax server. Access to Folder Manager Permission to create, rename and delete individual user folders. Create Private Fax Messages Permission to create a private fax message, only visible to the owner of the fax message. Permission to Change Owner of a Fax Permission to change the owner of a fax message. Delete Fax Messages Permission to delete fax messages. 4.1.2.
4.1.4. Automatic Printing The settings for automatic printing can be individually configured for each user. That way it is possible to automatically print fax messages or sending reports directly on the workplace printer of a user. Select if you want to use the default settings or the user-dependent settings for automatic printing. The default settings for automatic printing can be configured through the Printing tab of the menu Extras / Options.
4.1.5. E-Mail Notification Email notifications are used to notify a user about the status of outbound and inbound faxes. For notifications of outbound faxes, the notification for failed fax transmissions is sent after the last failed transmission attempt (when the status of the fax message changes to “Undeliverable”). As an optional parameter it would also be possible to attach the original fax message to the email as an attachment.
For a cost-saving forwarding of fax messages to other fax machines, it is possible to automatically set the priority of forwarded faxes to Low. In dependence of the charge optimization settings, fax messages are forwarded during night hours that way. 4.1.7. Archive (Export) The settings for the archive function (fax export) can be individually configured for each user. That way it is possible to use a different export directory for each user.
4.1.8. Group of Users For a better overview about the users stored in the User Administrator, users should be arranged in groups. Every user can be a members of an unlimited number of groups. The group membership of a user also controls access to the fax messages of other group members. By default, a user can only see fax messages of other users of the same group. A user only has access to fax messages of other group members when the permission setting “Access to users of the own group” is enabled.
When a user is a passive member of a group, the fax messages of that user are not visible to other group members. The user itself however has access to fax messages of all other (nonpassive) group members. A passive group membership is typically used for team leaders that should have access to the fax messages of all team members, but the team members should not have access to the fax messages of the team leader. 4.1.9.
only available with ISDN adapters or DID (Direct Inward Dialing) capable fax modems or fax boards. It is not possible to use direct dial numbers with normal fax modems. To use direct dial capabilities of an ISDN adapter, it is required that the ISDN line supports either the MSN (Multiple Subscriber Number) or DDI (Direct Dial In) service. Activation of these services is normally done directly by the phone network provider.
4.1.10.3. Routing using Modem When using this kind of inbound fax routing, a user is mapped directly to a modem (fax number). The limitation of that routing method is that it can only be used for a limited number of users, since a dedicated modem (fax line) is required for each user that should be routed. To configure modem based routing, follow these steps: Choose the menu Communication / Modem or double-click on the corresponding icon in the communication window.
4.1.10.5. Order of Routing Methods The user for inbound fax messages is identified according to the following order of routing methods: Check of direct dial numbers (if available). Check of sender identification (CSID) using the phone book. Check of default user mapped to the modem (default user is Administrator).
4.2. Phone Book Phone book entries in ActiveFax can be stored either in a global (central) or local phone book. The central phone book is shared by all users and can be accessed from any client computer in the network. The private phone book is stored directly with a user account and can only be accessed by the owner of the phone book.
4.2.1. Importing the Phone Book Phone book entries can be imported in two ways with ActiveFax. One method is to import the phone book entries from an external ASCII file (text file). The second method is to import the phone book entries from an external database using the ODBC standard. 4.2.1.1. Import from ASCII File To import phone book entries from an external ASCII file, follow these steps: Select the Options / Import from File button.
4.2.1.2. Import from ODBC Database Another method to import phone book entries is to bind the phone book to an ODBC data source. An external database is automatically checked for new and modified phone book entries in that case. More information about the import of phone book entries from an ODBC data source can be found in the chapter ODBC Database of this manual. 4.2.2. Exporting the Phone Book Phone book entries can be exported to an ASCII file (text file) with the Options / Export to File button.
4.3. Transmission Protocol The transmission protocol stores information about all outbound, inbound and fax-on-demand fax transmissions. This includes successful transmissions as well as status information for incomplete or failed transmission attempts. When using ISDN adapters with the ISDN service AOC (Advice of Charge) activated, the transmission protocol also includes charging information. That way it would be possible to calculate the total charges for a user or cost account code.
Print only Selected Entries Only selected entries of the transmission protocol list are printed. 4.3.1.1. Layout Through the Options tab the sort order and layout for the printout of the transmission protocol can be changed. You can change between single-line and double-line layout there. 4.3.1.2. Automatic Printing The transmission protocol can also be automatically printed. Use the Printing tab in the menu Extras / Options to configure automatic printing of the transmission protocol. 4.3.1.3.
Use ODBC data exchange to automatically export the transmission protocol entries to an external database. Use FTP to retrieve the transmission protocol from other computers in the network (i.e. UNIX or Linux). 4.3.3. Archiving the Transmission Protocol The entries of the transmission protocol can be automatically moved to an internal archive to avoid that the protocol becomes too large over the years. Automatic archiving can be configured with the Archive tab in the menu Extras / Options.
4.4. Charge Optimization 4.4.1. Delayed Transmissions Depending on the fax volume and the location of the recipients it would be possible to reduce phone charges by using delayed transmissions. When using automatic transmission delays, the best (cheapest) transmission time is automatically calculated based on the priority of a fax message and the phone rates of your phone network provider.
4.4.2. Time Limitation To avoid that fax messages are sent during specific times of the day or days of the week, it would be possible to configure a time frame for each priority level. Depending on the priority level of a fax, faxes are sent only during these times then. As an alternative it would also be possible to configure time limitations to be used to suspend fax transmissions for a specific time frame.
4.4.3. Least Cost Routing Another way to reduce phone charges is using least cost routing. Least cost routing can be used if you have more than one phone network provider; based on the area code of the fax number and the time of the day, ActiveFax automatically uses the best (cheapest) provider for the transmission. To activate least cost routing, follow these steps: Choose the menu Extras / Modem or double-click on the corresponding icon in the communication window.
4.5. Modem & ISDN ActiveFax supports fax modems of all fax class standards, ISDN adapters compatible with the CAPI 2.0 standard as well as dedicated fax boards from Brooktrout and Intel/Dialogic. See the summary below for an overview of all fax standards supported by ActiveFax. Modem Class Standard Description Fax Class 1 / 1.0 TIA/EIA 578 This fax standard is supported by virtually all modems. Fax Class 2 SP-2388, TR-29.
Availability of direct dial numbers (individual fax number for each user). Required ISDN service: MSN (Multiple Subscriber Number) or DDI (Direct Dial In). Recording of transmission charges. Required ISDN service: AOC (Advice of Charge). Simultaneous fax transmissions on multiple phone lines (channels). When using BRI (Basic Rate Interface) 2 channels are supported by default; when using PRI (Primary Rate Interface) up to 30 channels are available with a single ISDN controller. 4.5.3.
Complete the configuration with OK. When using an old phone system (PBX) or the modem is connected to an analog phone system, it could be required to use pulse dialing instead of tone dialing. Take care to choose the correct dialing method in that case, since outgoing calls cannot be successfully dialed otherwise. When using an ISDN adapter, you should take care to configure a valid MSN (direct dial number) either in the modem configuration or the User Administrator (at least for one user).
4.5.4. Modem Status To display the current status of a modem, click on the modem icon in the communication window (i.e. Modem on ISDN01). The status window shows the following information about the fax transmission: Current status (waiting, sending, receiving, error, etc.). Other party (fax number and name). Transmission parameters (transmission rate, resolution, compression). Additional modem information (direct dial code, charge). Transmission progress for the current page.
4.6. E-Mail As an alternative to fax transmissions, ActiveFax can also be used to send any document by email. Depending on the configuration of the fax server, ActiveFax tries to convert the document to text format whenever possible. If the conversion to text format cannot be done, the document is sent as an email attachment in PDF, TIFF or GIF format. 4.6.1. SMTP Server (Mail Server) Configuration Delivery of emails is done through an SMTP server (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
4.6.2. Mail Server Authentication Many mail servers require the user to login on the mail server to send emails to protect the mail server from unauthorized access by spam senders. If your mail server requires authentication, you can configure this through the Authentication button. If your mail server requires the email address used for authentication to be identical with the email address of the sender, you need to configure individual authentication settings for each user.
The option Send emails always immediately is used to configure whether an email should be delivered immediately (as soon as it is received by the fax server) or if the fax server should wait for a predefined number of emails to be in the transmission queue. Especially when using dialup connections for Internet access, this option can be very useful to reduce phone charges.
4.7. ODBC Database Using the ODBC data exchange standard, data can be exchanged between ActiveFax and external databases. Since Windows ODBC drivers are available for virtually all database products, ActiveFax can be easily integrated with such databases. ActiveFax supports the automatic import of the phone book as well as the automatic export of the transmission protocol through ODBC. 4.7.1. Selecting a Data Source To use ODBC data exchange with ActiveFax, a data source has to be selected first.
Some ODBC drivers (i.e. some version of INFORMIX CLI) fail to release allocated system resources after a database connection has been closed. To save system resources, it is recommended to disable the option Automatic Disconnect when Idle in that case. The ODBC drivers of some database products are not fully compatible with the ODBC data exchange standard. When using such drivers, it could happen that data exchange with ActiveFax does not work as expected.
4.7.3. Exporting the Transmission Protocol Transmission protocol entries are automatically exported right after a fax transmission completes. As soon as a new entry has been added to the transmission protocol, ActiveFax automatically connects to the database and exports the new entry. If the database connection should be unavailable, the transmission protocol entries are automatically stored in the background and are exported as soon as the database becomes available again.
An alternative way to export the transmission protocol is the export to an ASCII file (text file). More information about that method can be found in the chapter Transmission Protocol of this manual.
4.8. Cost Account Manager Use the Cost Account Manager to assign individual cost account codes to fax messages. Cost account codes are mainly used by the accounting department. 4.8.1. Create Cost Account Codes Through the menu Extras / Cost Account Manager the list of available cost account codes can be created or changed. It would also be possible to enable an option to force users to always enter a cost account code.
Please note that the entries displayed in the transmission protocol can also be selected based on cost account codes.
4.9. Network Scanners Documents on paper can be automatically transmitted using special network scanners. You can use any scanner with ActiveFax that is supported either by the HP Digital Sending Software or by the Xerox Network Fax Server Enablement Kit (i.e. HP Digital Sender 9250C or Xerox Workcentre). As an alternative it would also be possible to use any other type of scanner (i.e.
4.10. External Configuration File options.cfg Because ActiveFax offers a huge number of configuration parameters, rarely used parameters are configured through an external configuration file to avoid that the user interface of the fax server becomes overloaded with an unmanageable number of settings. The configuration file options.cfg is located in the fax server main directory (C:\Program Files\ActiveFax\Server\options.cfg by default).
5. Data Fields 5.1. Why do I need Data Fields? Each parameter of a fax message (i.e. fax number, priority, subject, ...) is stored by the fax server in data fields with unique field numbers. That way it is possible to set the value for such data fields (i.e. the recipients fax number) already from within an application. The user does not need to enter this information again when the fax is created. 5.2.
Please note that only fields containing data need to be integrated with your application. Data fields not specified by your application are automatically filled with default values by the fax server. The most important data field is the data field for the recipients fax number (field @F211), since this field is at least required to automatically deliver a fax message.
@F208 CC CC of the recipient @F209 Phone 1 Phone number 1 of the recipient @F210 Phone 2 Phone number 2 of the recipient @F211 Fax Number Fax number of the recipient @F212 E-Mail E-Mail address of the recipient @F213 Communication Service Communication service Fax or Email (F=Fax, E=Email). Only needed if the fields @F211 and @F212 are both set @F299 Next Recipient Delimiter for the next recipient 5.3.3.
@F360 Private Fax Message Mark fax message as private (0=public, 1=private) @F370 Fax-On-Demand Create a fax-on-demand document (0=normal Fax, 1=fax-on-demand document) @F500 Reference File This file will be evaluated for additional data fields and is deleted then. If you do not use this field, ActiveFax tries to search for data fields in the file Fields.
@F600 E-Mail Bitmap Format The email is always sent as an attachment. ActiveFax does not try to convert the message into text format @F601 E-Mail Line Break Number of characters after which ActiveFax forces an automatic line break when converting an email to text format (20-999). Normally this value is automatically calculated according to the width of a page @F602 E-Mail Attachment The email is always sent as an attachment, even when the original message is in text format.
@F703 Overlay on/off Turns an overlay on/off (0=off, 1=on). When using 0+ or 1+, the overlay is turned on/off on the following page rather than on the current page @F000 Import Image Embed a bitmap into the document 5.3.4. Special Data Fields Please note that not all of the above data fields are data fields in the literal sense. Special fields are for example @F299, @F500, @F501, @F599 and @F000. The special meaning of these fields is described on the following pages. 5.4.
@F101 @F201 @F201 @F201 @F307 @F301 Duncan Inc.@@F110 555-123-4567@ Miller Ltd.@@F211 444-110-2020@@F299@ Smith Inc.@@F211 333-220-3030@@F299@ Brown Corp.@@F212 office@browncorp.com@ Latest Pricelist@@F303 31.01.2015@@F304 20:15@ 99@ The data field @F299 has been used as a delimiter between the single recipients in that example. Since this data field is only used as a delimiter, no content is required for that field. 5.4.4.
5.5.1. Example 1 Bitmap with a default resolution of 300 dpi. Yours sincerely @F000 mike.bmp@ 5.5.2. Example 2 Bitmap located in the directory C:\SCAN with a width of 50 mm (height calculated automatically). Yours sincerely @F000 c:\scan\mike.bmp,50@ 5.5.3. Example 3 Bitmap with a width of 50 mm and a height of 30 mm at position 100 mm x 75 mm. Yours sincerely @F000 mike.bmp,50,30,X100,Y75@ When having a .jpg file with the same file name as the original .bmp file stored at the same location as the .
Example: Document Name .............. Purchase Order 12345 Recipient .......................... Duncan Inc. Fax Number ...................... 555-123-4567 Purchase Order 12345@F201 Duncan Inc.@@F211 555-123-4567@ As an alternative it would also be possible to embed data fields directly in the document. When using this method, it is important to format the data fields with the “ActiveFax” font.
reference file to avoid conflicts with other fax jobs. After the print job has been processed, the reference file is automatically deleted by the fax server to ensure it is not re-used for other print jobs. Example: Document Name .............. Purchase Order 12345 Reference File .................. c:\tmp\ref251173.dat Purchase Order 12345@F500 c:\tmp\ref251173.dat@ In that example the data fields are located in the file c:\tmp\ref251173.dat.
possible to use printer commands of HP-LaserJet (PCL), Epson-LQ and optionally Postscript and PDF to format fax messages. 5.6.2.1. Example in Programming Language C char char int char char szName[128]; szFax[128]; nPriority; szSubject[128]; szText[1024]; lstrcpy(szName, "Duncan Inc."); lstrcpy(szFax, "555-123-4567"); nPriority = 1; lstrcpy(szSubject, "Purchase Order 12345"); wsprintf(szText, "@F201 %s@@F211 %s@@F301 %d@@F307 %s@", szName, szFax, nPriority, szSubject); ..... 5.6.2.2.
6. Software Updates 6.1. Automatic Updates ActiveFax can notify you whenever a new software update is released. The automatic notification about new software releases can be configured with the menu Help / Check for Updates. By default, the update notification is already enabled. As soon as a new software update is released a notification message will be displayed on the fax server.
6.2. Manual Updates A manual check for new software updates can be done at any time through the menu Help / Check for Updates. As an alternative it is also possible to download the latest ActiveFax version from the ActiveFax website at www.actfax.com/en/download.html. 6.3. Fax Client Updates As soon as an update has been installed on the fax server, the update is also automatically made available to the fax clients.
7. Appendix 7.1. Glossary 16-bit: The term “16-bit” is used for applications that are designed for the operating system Windows 3.x. 16-bit applications can also be executed on newer Windows version, but they do not fully use the new features of these operating systems. 32-bit: The term “32-bit” is used for applications designed for Windows 95 and newer.
Client: A Client is a software program that is used to retrieve and process data from a so called Server. COM-Port: Other name for a serial interface (Communication Port) of a personal computer. CSID: The term “CSID” is used for the sender identification of a fax message. The CSID is transmitted with every fax messages and usually contains the fax numbers of the sender in international format. DCE: Abbreviation for “Data Communication Equipment”. The term “DCE” is usually used for modem devices.
MSN: Abbreviation for “Multiple Subscriber Number”. A MSN is used in ISDN and specifies different unique phone numbers for a single phone line. Named Pipe: Named Pipes are used in the NetBeui network protocol for data exchange. Named Pipes can be used in ActiveFax to directly send fax messages to the Fax Server. Named Pipes have to be specified using the format “\\server\pipe\pipename”. NetBeui: The NetBeui protocol, also called Windows Network, is used for the data exchange between two computers.
T.38: Standard for the transmission of fax data over IP networks. TCP/IP: The TCP/IP protocol is a network protocol which is mainly used on the UNIX operating system and on the Internet. Nowadays TCP/IP is also widely used on Windows systems. TFTP: Abbreviation for “Trivial File Transfer Protocol”. This protocol is mainly used on the UNIX operating system and its primary use is the transfer of files. Nowadays the TFTP protocol is only used for some special reasons.
7.2.
7.3. Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ This part of the manual answers the most frequent questions about ActiveFax. The answers to the questions are kept short, since detailed information about specific topics is also available in the corresponding chapters of this manual and in the online help of ActiveFax. Please note that additional FAQ are also available through the official ActiveFax website at www.actfax.com/en/faqs.html.
Answer: Fax messages are normally automatically archived by ActiveFax. Through the Archive tab of menu option Extras / Options, the settings for the archive function can be individually configured. Please note that it is also possible to manually move fax messages to the archive.
7.4. Problem Solutions Please note that additional problem solutions are also available through the Knowledge Base on the official ActiveFax website at www.actfax.com/en/kbase.html. Problem: Solution: The modem is dialing, but the connection cannot be established. Check whether tone or pulse dialing has to be used with the phone line. You should also make sure that you do not have to use a dial prefix for outgoing calls.
Problem: Solution: Received fax messages and fax messages from Windows applications are displayed incompletely. Choose the menu option Extras / Options and disable the option Enable Processing of Bitmaps above the 64K-Limit in the General tab. Problem: Solution: The system is very slow during transmission of fax messages. Choose the menu option Extras / Options and disable the option Enable Realtime Communication with the Modem Devices (Realtime-Priority) in the General tab.
7.5. Sample Applications Integration of ActiveFax in other applications is very simple. When using data fields, it is possible to specify the fax parameters (i.e. recipients fax number, subject, priority, etc.) already from within an application. Especially applications not running on Windows based operating systems (i.e. UNIX, Linux, DOS, etc.) can take advantage of the support of HP-LaserJet (PCL) and Epson-LQ printer commands for fax formatting.
Open the “ActiveFax” printer with CreateDC() Create a new document with StartDoc() and StartPage() Write the message text with DrawText() Close the document with EndPage() and EndDoc() Close the printer with DeleteDC() 7.5.1.2. Source Code #include #include "resource.
{ BYTE BYTE BYTE BYTE int BOOL RECT DOCINFO HDC HANDLE HANDLE szMessageText[1024]; szDocumentName[512]; szFaxNumber[128]; szSubject[128]; nPriority; bAuto; rRectText; DocInfo; hDC; hFontText; hFontOrig; // Retrieve the message text SendDlgItemMessage(hWnd, ID_MESSAGE_TEXT, WM_GETTEXT, sizeof(szMessageText), (LPARAM) szMessageText); // Retrieve the fax number SendDlgItemMessage(hWnd, ID_FAX_NUMBER, WM_GETTEXT, sizeof(szFaxNumber), (LPARAM) szFaxNumber); // Retrieve the subject SendDlgItemMessage(hWnd, ID_S
// Unselect and delete the font SelectObject(hDC, hFontOrig); DeleteObject(hFontText); // Finish the page EndPage(hDC); // Finish the document EndDoc(hDC); // Close the printer DeleteDC(hDC); return TRUE; } 7.5.2. Socket Application (Socket.exe) This sample application in programming language C demonstrates how data fields can be used in a program that uses TCP/IP Sockets to connect to the fax server.
7.5.2.1. Program Summary Program starts at main() Data input with gets() Creating the fax message text with sprintf() Initialization of the socket library WinSock with WSAStartup() Create a new socket with socket() Establish a connection to the fax server (IP address 89.1.0.1, port 3000) with connect() Send the fax message with send() Close the socket with shutdown() and closesocket() Release the socket library with WSACleanup() 7.5.2.2. Source Code #include #include
gets_s(szPort, 128); printf("\n"); // Create a string for the fax message wsprintf(szData, "\033(s5H" "\033&d0D" "%s\n\n" "\033(s10H" "\033&d@" "%s" "@F211 %s@@F307 %s@", szSubject, szMessageText, szFaxNumber, szSubject); // Send the fax message SendFax(szData, szIP, szPort); getchar(); return 0; } //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------// Send the fax message //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------int Se
7.6. Index A Access Verification ........................................ 44 Active Directory ............................................. 65 ActiveFax Installation .................................... 17 Alias Names ................................................... 60 Alternatives to LPD/LPR ................................ 31 Appendix ..................................................... 106 Archive........................................................... 50 Automatic Archive .......................
Sorting Entries.......................................... 37 Fax-On-Demand ...................................... 14, 48 Creating a Fax-On-Demand Document .... 48 Execute Polling ......................................... 48 File System .................................................... 25 File System (NFS, Samba) .............................. 31 Formatting Fax Messages.............................. 32 Frequently Asked Questions ....................... 111 FTP .............................................
Fax Server ................................................ 12 R RAS ................................................................ 82 RAW Sockets ................................................. 31 Recycle Bin .................................................... 15 Redialing ........................................................ 39 Remote Access Service (RAS) ........................ 82 Report............................................................ 41 Routing of Incoming Fax Messages ............
Notes ActFax User’s Manual 124
Notes ActFax User’s Manual 125
