Hitachi DDP184 Reference Guide

RICOH Printing Systems DDP Server

DocXPLORER

Reference Guide

SOFHA GmbH

Version 2.1

N905304

Preface

Welcome to DocXPLORER! DocXPLORER is the monitoring and control application of the DDP Server

printing system. DocXPLORER is described in the following manuals:

• DDP Server User'’s Guide – describing the installation and giving

an overview of all DDP Server components

• DocXPLORER Reference Guide – this manual

The DocXPLORER reference guide is stored in machine readable form (PDF format) on the DDP Server CD-ROM. You may print it for use with your DDP Server.

The following conventions are used in this manual:

• Dialogs and functions to be selected by the user are referenced in

this style.

• Some user interface elements are denoted by a path. For example,

RIP » Details » Communication settings refers to the dialog panel obtained by selecting the menu RIP, the menu item Details, and, in the resulting dialog, the panel Communication settings.

• Functions available to the administrator only, and not to the normal

registered trademarks of SOFHA GmbH, Germany. Adobe, Acrobat and PostScript are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems

Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in

the U.S.A. and other countries. AppleTalk, Macintosh and MacOS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.,

registered in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other company and product names are (registered) trademarks of the

respective owners. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information

contained in this document, SOFHA GmbH shall not be held responsible for any inaccuracies it may contain.

All specifications are subject to change without notice.

Contents

Preface................................................................................................................................ ii

General 1

DocXPLORER Overview....................................................................................................1

Getting started – User..........................................................................................................2

Getting started – Admin.......................................................................................................2

User / administrator mode....................................................................................................2

User tasks.............................................................................................................................3

Administrator tasks..............................................................................................................3

Queue types .........................................................................................................................3

Job types..............................................................................................................................4

Job ownership......................................................................................................................4

Forms...................................................................................................................................5

User interface operations.....................................................................................................6

Tasks 7

Discovering DDP Servers....................................................................................................7

Naming a DDP Server.........................................................................................................7

Managing fonts....................................................................................................................8

Load Balancing....................................................................................................................9

Job Splitting.......................................................................................................................10

Accounting.........................................................................................................................11

Reboot / Shutdown ............................................................................................................12

Defining and managing queues..........................................................................................12

Printing jobs.......................................................................................................................13

Job Tracking......................................................................................................................13

Handling failed jobs...........................................................................................................14

Defining forms...................................................................................................................14

Applying forms..................................................................................................................15

Creating and handling archive jobs....................................................................................15

Functions 17

Tree view display...............................................................................................................17

RIP list display...................................................................................................................18

Queue list display ..............................................................................................................19

Job list display...................................................................................................................21

Job operations....................................................................................................................22

RIP details..........................................................................................................................24

RIP details – General.........................................................................................................24

RIP details – Communication............................................................................................26

RIP details – Engine Communication................................................................................27

RIP details – Media type/color mapping ...........................................................................28

RIP details – Accounting...................................................................................................28

RIP details – Event logging...............................................................................................29

Queue details .....................................................................................................................30

Job details ..........................................................................................................................32

Job details – Print settings ................................................................................................. 32

Job details – Page settings .................................................................................................39

Edit RIP list .......................................................................................................................39

DocXPLORER Reference Guide Contents • i

DHCP Server.................................................................................................................... 40

Preferences........................................................................................................................ 41

Admin login / logout......................................................................................................... 41

Color Management ........................................................................................................... 41

Font Management............................................................................................................. 43

Load Balancing................................................................................................................. 44

Accounting........................................................................................................................ 45

Event Logging...................................................................................................................46

Reboot / Shutdown............................................................................................................ 46

Download Job................................................................................................................... 47

Feedback and preview....................................................................................................... 47

Job merging ...................................................................................................................... 49

Export / import archive jobs ............................................................................................. 50

Glossary 51

ii • Contents DocXPLORER Reference Guide

General

DocXPLORER Overview

DocXPLORER allows users to monitor and control a cluster of DDP Servers in a network.

As a normal user, you can use DocXPLORER to submit and monitor jobs, edit the job ticket, and perform special functions like merging jobs, and feedback.

As an administrator, you can configure DDP Servers , especially for load balancing, setup queues to provide different printing profiles and collect accounting data to charge back users.

The DocXPLORER interface includes a cluster topology overview, showing jobs and queues lists and detailed views of jobs, queues and DDP Servers. The left panel of the main window shows a navigable tree overview of the network with DDP Servers and queue s. The right panels shows lists of DDP Servers, queues and jobs, depending on what is selected on the left panel. Detail dialogs allow users to view and edit details of selected DDP Servers, queues, or jobs, depending on their access rights.

DocXPLORER performs continuous monitoring of all viewed objects. The status of the DDP Servers, queues, and jobs in the main window is regularly updated to reflect their changes. This is performed without placing an extra burden on network traffic.

DocXPLORER Reference Guide General • 1

Getting started – User

To install DocXPLORER on Windows, run the setup application on the CDROM. On Macintosh, run the Installer from the CD-ROM.

On Windows, launch DocXPLORER from the Start menu. On Macintosh, launch DocXPLORER from the folder ch osen during installation.

If you are using DocXPLORER in a network without gateways, DocXPLORER shows you all available DDP Servers.

If your network contains gateways, and you want to access DDP Servers outside your own network segment, you have to set up a list of DDP Servers which DocXPLORER should look for. See Discovering DDP Servers.

Getting started – Admin

To make a DDP Server available in your network, you should perform the following tasks:

• Assign communication settings (name and IP address) to the DDP

Server.

See Naming a DDP Server.

• Define queues.

See Defining and managing queues.

• Configure load balancing, if you want several DDP Servers to

share the printing load.

See Load balancing.

• Install forms.

See Defining Forms.

User / administrator mode

DocXPLORER can be operated in user or in administrator mode. Several functions are available to administrators only. To obtain administrator status for a DDP Server, select the RIP » Admin login function and enter the administrator password. To return to the normal user status, select the RIP » Admin logout function.

Only one user can be administrator of a DDP Server at any time. You can acquire administrator rights via DocXPLORER or via the web browser. DocXPLORER has priority over the web browser. An administrator login by DocXPLORER cancels an existing web browser login.

The administrator can change the administrator password by the RIP » Change Password function. The administrator password is empty by factory default. It is reset to empty when the Factory defaults function is perf ormed.

Functions available only to the administrator are marked by the prefix “Administrator” for the corresponding section.

2 • General DocXPLORER Reference Guide

User tasks

The following functions are provided to all users:

Administrator tasks

The following functions are provided only to an administrator:

• View DDP Server settings

• View available fonts

• View the load balancing configuration

• View queue settings

• Submit / create jobs

• Change /copy / move / view / merge own jobs

• Copy / view jobs owned by other users (this may be restrict ed, see

RIP » Details » General » Others can see jobs)

• Create forms

• Change DDP Server settings

• Download / manage fonts

Queue types

• View and obtain accounting data

• Configure load balancing

• Reboot / Shutdown

• Create / change / delete queues

• Change / copy / view jobs owned by other users, including

assigning another owner to a job

DDP Server provides the user print queues and hold queues.

Print queue

Print queues are queues where jobs are submitted for execution. Jobs submitted to print queues are executed in FIFO (first in first out) order. The order of job execution may deviate from FIFO if queues have been set up with different priorities, e.g. high or low.

Print queues can have a printing profile associated with them. The print settings of a queue define how its jobs are printed and finishe d. Each attri b ut e of the queue’s print settings can be defined to take priority over the jobs’ settings. For example, in a queue with staple mode set to corner and queue priority, each job will be corner stapled, regardless of the job’s setting applied in the printer driver.

Hold queue

Hold queues are permanent containers for jobs. Jobs are not executed until moved from the hold queue to a print queue. Jobs in a hold queue can be submitted to a print queue at any time.

DocXPLORER Reference Guide General • 3

Job types

The administrator can define any number of print and h old queues. This can be used to provide different printing profiles according to the user group’s needs.

Both print and hold queues can be installed as Wi nd o ws or M aci nt osh prin t ers. This allows easy and direct access to a queue with specified settings.

Visibility of queues in the network can be restricted by the administrator. This can be used to enforce that jobs are printed to a hold queue and must be explicitly released by the administrator using DocXPLORER. See Queue » Details » Visible in the network.

DDP Server supports several different processing types for jobs:

Job ownership

•

printing to a hold queue. Jobs submitted to a hold queue are stored

for later submission to a print queue.

•

performed from the Workflow panel of the printer driver.

Rendered bitmaps can be retrieved from the Archive queue. See

Creating and Handling Archive Jobs.

•

the Workflow panel of the printer driver. Forms can be included

for overlay printing in other jobs in the Forms panel of the printer

driver. See Defining Forms and Applying Forms.

The owner of a job is the person or user account which printed the job.

Printing

Storing in a hold queue: this is performed by

Archiving as rendered bitmap: this can be

Establishing as form: this can be performed from

Owner’s (or administrator’s) view of a job

The owner of a job has the right to perform all possible operations on the job, i.e. change, delete, copy, and view the job.

4 • General DocXPLORER Reference Guide

Any other user’s view of a job

The access rights of other users are determined by the administrator. In the RIP » Details » General dialog, the administrator may allow or disallow that users

view other users’ job details. This means that all viewing operations are allowed or forbidden on other users’ jobs .

Forms

Viewing a job comprises seeing the job in a job list, viewing its details, viewing its rendered bitmap, viewing the job log, and copying (resubmitting) the job.

When a job is copied by a common user, this user becomes the owner of the job. This allows to account the job to the person who has made the copy. If a job is copied by the administrator, the owner is retained.

A form is a single-page job which can be used instead of preprinted paper (electronic stationery). For example, a form may contain a company letterhead or logo.

Printing a document with a form results in printing the document pages over the form pages (PS overlay) or merging the document page bitmaps with the form bitmaps (bitmap overlay). To print the final version of a job, you may select a tray with offset printed paper instead of the form.

Forms can be created from any software application, e.g. MS Word . Form s are created by printing the document with Destination = Form in the Workflow panel of the printer driver, or by selecting Destination = Form in the Job » Details dialog.

Forms are applied from the Forms panel of the printer driver, or by selecting Use PS overlay = … or Use bitmap overlay = … in the Job » Details dialog.

Applying a form can also be associated with a queue. Printing to the queue will then apply the form.

DocXPLORER Reference Guide General • 5

User interface operations

The graphical user interface with its explorer-like main window provides intuitive access to all operations. Selected objects (DDP Servers, queues, jobs, and pages) show applicable operations in context menus and through tool bar buttons.

The following keyboard operations are supported: Enter to confirm and leave a dialog, Escape to cancel a dialog, Tab to step through the input fields of a dialog.

Note: On Macintosh menus, the shortcut key is named “Meta”. “Meta” refers to the command key. “Backspace” refers to the key which, e.g., in the Finder is used to delete files.

Copying operations can be performed by drag and drop. Drag and drop can be used in the DocXPLORER to move jobs between queues or to submit jobs from Microsoft Windows Explorer or Macintosh Finder. Just drag a file with a supported type (PostScript, PDF, PCL, TIFF, ASCII) from the Windows Explorer or Finder to a queue.

All list displays in the main window of DocXPLORER can be sorted by each column simply by clicking on the column header. For print queues, the default sorting order for job lists, execution order, can be restored by the Job » Print order command.

6 • General DocXPLORER Reference Guide

Tasks

Discovering DDP Servers

DocXPLORER discovers DDP Servers in the current network segment automatically by regular broadcast calls. Broadcast is performed continuously, so newly found DDP Servers are displayed immediately with in your DocXPLORER tree without any further specific user action. If your network contains no gateways, DocXPLORER finds all DDP Servers by itself.

If you want DocXPLORER to find DDP Servers in another network segment, e.g. beyond a gateway, you have to establish a list of DDP Servers. Select the DocXPLORER » Edit RIP list dialog. This dialog allows you to enter DDP Servers by name or by IP number. You need to build the DDP Server list only once; it will be stored for future sessions.

Naming a DDP Server

Administrator: The default network protocol supported by a DDP Server is TCP/IP. However, a

new DDP Server added to the network with factory settings has no IP address. There are two ways to assign an IP address to a new DDP Server:

• Using an existing DHCP server in the network. The RIP looks for

• By simulating a DHCP server with the DocXPLORER.

You can change name and IP address of a RIP in the RIP details » Communication settings dialog tab sheet. This tab sheet allows you also to configure other

attributes: NetBIOS workgroup, AppleTalk zone and domain name server.

one after booting.

See DHCP Server.

DocXPLORER Reference Guide Tasks • 7

Managing fonts

If you relocate the RIP to another network, you can direct the RIP to use DHCP again by turning on the Use DHCP flag in the RIP details » Communications settings tab sheet.

If the DDP Server’s communication settings have been accidentally lost, you can restore them to DHCP by the Initialize Disk function. See DDP Server User’s Guide.

Administrator (users can view fonts): Font Management allows you to download fonts to the DDP Server and to view

the list of available fonts. Fonts can be downloaded temporarily to memory or permanently to disk.

Use the RIP » Font Management dialog to download or view the list of fonts.

8 • Tasks DocXPLORER Reference Guide

Load Balancing

On Windows systems, fonts are usually sent with the PostScript job. So downloading fonts makes sense if you configure your Windows printer not to send fonts. In this case, fonts downloaded on the RIP save download time for jobs.

On Macintosh, available printer fonts are queried before sending a job. So fonts downloaded on the RIP save download time for jobs.

In a hard disk based system like DDP Server, it is generally better to download fonts to disk. Fonts downloaded to memory will be lost after rebooting the DDP Server.

Font downloading on the Macintosh uses a direct channel which in the chooser appears as an additional print queue. You should, however, not use this for printing jobs, as some job ticket options are not available through the direct channel.

Note: Certain fonts, e.g. some Japanese Macintosh fonts, cannot be installed using DocXPLORER as they use proprietary protection mechanisms. Use the font installer supplied with the font instead.

Administrator (users can view the configuration): Load balancing means using two or more DDP Servers to share print load among

several printers. In a load balancing configuration one DDP Server is configured as master while a number of other DDP Servers are configured as clients. The master can then delegate jobs to the clients. Since all DDP Servers are able to be both master and client you can choose any of them to be master and you can change the configuration at any time. Although it is possible to define more than one master at a time it does not make sense and may be confusing.

To configure load balancing, select the RIP » Load Balancing dialog.

In a load balancing configuration print jobs are typically only sent to the master DDP Server. The jobs are delegated to the next available DDP Server in the cluster automatically where they are printed with exactly the same settings as if they would be printed at the master. All accounting and logging information is collected by the master DDP Server and can be found in it's accounting and finished jobs dialogs.

Job delegation is usually performed by round robin, i.e. for each job the next available client is determined and the job is sent to it. Delegation of many small jobs may be customized by “multiple job delegation”. With multiple job delegation enabled, the switch to the next available client will only be performed after a specified number of pages.

DocXPLORER Reference Guide Tasks • 9

Job Splitting

If your job has been split into smaller packets (see Job Splitting) then each packet may be delegated to another DDP Server in the cluster.

If you wish your job not to be delegated to a client but printed at the master then you can set the job feature “Delegation” to “Off”.

In a load balancing configuration it makes sense to hide all client queues by setting the queue feature “Visible in Network” to “No”.

If you have defined a number of print queues with special settings (like Layout is Booklet or Staple Mode is Corner) at the master then you don't need to define these queues at the clients as well. Typically, no additional queues are defined at the client DDP Servers.

To avoid malfunction make sure that the same fonts and forms are available on all DDP Servers in the cluster.

Delegation is not supported for jobs submitted via a direct port.

To optimize load balancing, jobs can be automatically split into packets. Splitting a job into several packets and delegating the packets to different DDP Servers yields a more even distribution of the overall load, and allows to shorten the time until the individual job is completely executed.

Job splitting can be applied independently of load b a lancing. Jobs can be split by pages or by copies: Page splitting is achieved by dividing a print job into subsets by pages, e.g. page

1-100 and 101-200 of a 200 page job. Copy splitting is achieved by duplicating a print job with reduced copy count,

e.g. duplicating a 500 copies job into 2 jobs with 250 copies each. Job splitting can be selected in the Workflow panel of the printer driver plugin,

or in the Job » Details » Workflow dialog panel. Together with the splitting mode, a splitting limit must be entered, which defines the maximum packet size.

Copy splitting packets will be sized (approximately) equally. E.g. with copy splitting limit = 100, a 210 copies job will be split into 3 packets of 70 copies.

10 • Tasks DocXPLORER Reference Guide

Accounting

Page splitting packets will be sized to the limit, except the last packet which is sized to the rest.

Page splitting can also be used to divide a booklet into portions which can be handled by the finisher. E.g. to print a 150 page document as booklet, select page splitting with a limit of 64 pages. This will create three booklets which fit into the booklet printing limit of 64 pages (= 16 sheets).

Job splitting is not supported for jobs submitted via a direct port.

Administrator (users can view own data): During processing, the DDP Server collects accounting data about each job. Call

the RIP » Accounting dialog to view accounting data for all jobs.

The accounting dialog shows you a list of finished jobs with details like download time, RIP and print duration, pages printed, and finishing options.

You can export the accounting records to your workstation for further processing, e.g. billing. Click Save to save the accounting data in tab separated values (.tsv) format, for easy import into spreadsheet applications.

Accounting data can be deleted by clicking Purge and Purge all (for selected or all jobs). This deletes the job entries completely from the DDP Server job database.

DocXPLORER Reference Guide Tasks • 11

Reboot / Shutdown

Administrator: You can reboot or shut down the DDP Server from the DocXPLORER using the

RIP » Reboot or the RIP » Shutdown command. This performs an operating system level restart or software controlled power off of the DDP Server.

You can also shut down the DDP Server by pressing the standby button at the DDP Server’s front panel. This function performs a software controlled power off which you can recognize by repeated beep tones from the RIP after a few seconds of waiting.

Avoid turning off the power of the DDP Server by the rear side power switch or by disconnecting the power cable, as this may cause data loss.

Defining and managing queues

Administrator: DDP Server provides print queues and hold queues. To create a queue, select the Queue » New queue command.

Select print queue or hold queue as queue type. This cannot be changed afterwards. Select the queue in the main window and select the Queue » Details dialog to set the queue attributes.

After its definition, the queue will be visible in the DocXPLORER. Visibility as Windows printer queue and as Macintosh printer can be switched on or off as a queue attribute.

12 • Tasks DocXPLORER Reference Guide

Printing jobs

To install a queue as a printer on a Windows workstation, run the DDP Server Printer Installer.

To delete a queue, select the Queue » Delete queue command. After a confirmation, this deletes the queue and all jobs contained in it. There is no recovery for deleted queues.

To manage a queue, select the queue in the main window and select the Queue » Details dialog. For a print queue, you can edit general settings like queue name, visibility or priority, as well as printing attributes like staple, duplex and form application.

Hold queues do not provide print settings. Print settings are activated only by submitting a job to a print queue. However, jobs submitted to a hold queue can have their own job settings and these can be edited by the user.

After creating, deleting, or renaming a queue or changing its visibility, you should reboot the DDP Server to make the changes effective for the printing protocols, i.e. NetBIOS, lpr, and EtherTalk.

See Queue list display.

There are several ways to submit a job for printing:

1. Call the Print dialog of your application. On Windows, job settings

can be edited in the properties dialog, and its DDP Server tab sheet. On Macintosh, job settings can be edited in the DDP Server extensions of the printer dialog. This creates a job ticket.

Job Tracking

The print target of the print dialog may be a print queue or a hold queue. Print queues are for execution in FIFO order . Hold queues are for storing print jobs permanently.

Job settings are stored with the job as a job ticket. They will be applied on execution of the job, unless the corresponding queue settings are set to override job settings.

2. Copy a job from a hold queue to a print queue. This can be done by

drag and drop.

3. Download a file with a supported type (PostScript, PDF, PCL,

TIFF, ASCII). To do so, select a queue, then select the Queue » Download Job function.

4. Copy a job from the Windows Explorer or Macintosh Finder. Files

of a supported type can be submitted by drag and drop directly from the Windows Explorer or Finder.

Tracking allows you to monitor the processing status and events of a job during its lifetime. After a job is submitted to a print queue, it stays there waiting for execution, then moves to the Active queue while it is processed, then moves to the Finished queue. At any time you can select the job and select the Job » Details dialog. The Logging tab sheet will show you all processing events occurred up to now. If there were errors, there will be an explanatory message.

The event log of a job can also be viewed from the RIP » Accounting dialog.

DocXPLORER Reference Guide Tasks • 13

Handling failed jobs

Jobs may fail, e.g. because the requested paper size is not available. Failed jobs are marked with an error status in the list of finished jobs.

Failed jobs can be copied to a print queue for resubmission. It may be necessary to edit the job ticket (e.g. change requested paper tray), or to change the DDP Server’s engine configuration (e.g. supply right paper size) before resubmission.

The job sources necessary for resubmission are automatically purged following criteria defined by the administrator, e.g. by available space. So resubmission may not be possible after a while, although the job is still visible in the list of finished jobs.

Defining forms

A form is a one page job which can be used instead of preprinted paper (electronic stationery). For example, a form may contain the company letterhead or logo.

Forms are created by printing the form document with appropriate settings. There are three ways:

1. In the Windows printer dialog, select Properties » DDP Server »

Workflow. Then set the attribute Destination = Form. Then submit

the job for printing.

2. In the Macintosh printer dialog, select DDP Server Workflow.

Then set the attribute Destination = Form. Then submit the job for

printing.

3. In the DocXPLORER, select the job, select the Job » Details

command and, in Workflow tabsheet, set the attribute Destination =

Form. Then submit the job to a print queue. In all of the three cases, after job execution its preview appears in the Forms

queue of DocXPLORER and in the Forms panel of the printer driver. For the creation of the form, job ticket attributes for tray selection and finishing

are ignored. Administrator: To define a queue with the new form, create a queue or select an existing queue,

select Queue » Details, then select the Forms tab sheet and set the attribute PS Overlay or Bitmap Overlay to the desired form.

Note: Forms cannot be created by downloading a PDF file, even to a queue which is setup to create forms. To create a form from a PDF file, open it in Adobe Acrobat and print it as described above.

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