directPRINT/Service

Hot Directory Service

directPRINT/Service monitors new or altered files in directories and starts predefined converting or printing routines. The Windows service application is useful in Unix-style printer queues on Windows servers as well as in automated application as e.g. document converter servers.

Hot directory service: If a file is written to or altered in a monitored directory, then directPRINT/Service examines the filetype, searches for a preconfigured application or script and executes it providing the filename.

Together with additonal software as file format converters and printing applications a full-scale universal file processing server for conversion and printing can be archived (see below).

Easier configuration: Configuration and testing of the Windows Service has been made easy. A number of directTOOLS converters and printing applications are preconfigured. Set up processing queues for conversion and printing of TIFF, JPEG, DOC, PPT, XLS or PDF documents in minutes.

Windows Service: directPRINT/Service integrates as a native 32 bit Windows Service. It is designed for automated usage on server systems, no user has to be logged on during service. For testing purposes the service can be executed in a users environment, too.

High performance: A fast event driven monitoring of NTFS formatted drives is been used, providing fastest performance at minimal overhead. Additonally, a background polling scheme is used providing safety. NTFS file events provides a much higher throughput compared with polling schemes. In case of lost file events e.g. during high CPU loads, pending files are been catched through polling just seconds later.

Monitoring network drives: Even directories on FAT formatted drives and remote network shares can be monitored. In cases where NTFS file events are not available polling mode is used automatically. The polling rate can be adjusted in order to limit additional network traffic created from polling.

Logging: A journal of events can be written to Windows Eventlog, Unix Syslog Servers or into plain logfiles. Events can be filtered by log - levels.

How to use

In order to set up a file processing server you will need additional software capable of processing the file formats happening in your queues. You may use any type of command line executables, however, the following list of software is preconfigurated and can be used instantly after installation:

Microsoft Office: directPRINT/Office is a collection of file format converters and printing software. Supported are Microsoft Word (DOC), Microsoft Excel sheets (XLS, XLT), Microsoft Visio projects (VSD), Microsoft PowerPoint presentations (PPT) and Adobe PDF documents.

Common raster files: directPRINT prints over 30 common raster file formats on Windows printers. Some supported formats are TIFF, GIF, PCX, DCX, BMP, EMF and JPEG.

PCL formatted print files: directPCL is a PCL ripping tool and prints PCL print files on all Windows printers through GDI.

ESC/P formatted print files: directESC is a ripping tool for spool files formatted in Epson ESC/P, Diablo 630, IBM ProPrinter and OKIData.

Postscript: The open source tool Ghostscript can be integrated handling Postscript files.

Conversion to TIFF: Installing a virtual printer driver as directCONVERT provides conversions to TIFF, JPEG, PCX, DCX, GIF and BMP for all tools named above.

Conversion to PDF: Use directMON 3.0 and Ghostscript (GPL open source) in order to provide a virtual printer driver with PDF output.

Features

• Monitors simultaneous multiple directories.
• Uses NTFS drive events in order to reduce CPU overhead.
• Provides high throughput.
• Safe recognition of new and altered files on NTFS, FAT and network drives.
• Configuration takes place in one setup file.
• Supports an arbitrary number of file types and converters.
• Executes as Windows Service (without user login) or as normal application.
• Configuration of process slices gives control over performance and resources.
• Global and directory related process slice control.
• Optionally deletes input files.
• Optionally checks read/write access on input files.
• Spooling-safe recognition of file states.
• Optional delay time before execution of input files.
• Start and stop single queues.
• Symbolic directory names for easier configuration.
• Convenient configuration dialog.
• Test environment for plugins.
• Use same configuration in multiple queues without retyping.
• Command line control.
• Support of Windows Eventlog, SysLog and logfiles.
• For Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows 7.

What's included?

• 32-bit Windows Service executable (runs in x64, too)
• Configuration dialog (English, German)
• Database with preconfigurated plugins
• Documentation (English, German)
• Installer