More information at ...

http://www.atac.com.au/barr.htm

http://www.atac.com.au/emtex.htm

Email David Kirk (Australia/NZ)
or call +61 3 9521-8070

More information at ...

http://www.atac.com.au/barr.htm

http://www.atac.com.au/emtex.htm

Email David Kirk (Australia/NZ)
or call +61 3 9521-8070

Emtex - Offline Xerox Tape Data to Online Format

How can Emtex help to get rid of TAPE DATA completely?  Tapes are a very old medium, and their rarity and associated failures during production runs are a great concern to many print shops.  Tape drives are getting harder and more expensive to maintain, and spare parts are drying up.

Emtex can process the raw tape OFFLINE data as-is and convert it into ONLINE data which can be printed directly to online devices.  Emtex’s META-IN module can transform Metacode and LCDS OFFLINE data into Emtex’s VDD format, from which it can be transformed into Postscript, PCL, PDF, AFP, IPDS and even ONLINE Metacode/LCDS formats.

In order to be able to do this, Emtex must be able to reference resources which are normally resident on the printer.  These resources must be gathered and placed in Emtex libraries, which the META-IN module looks up as it encounters references to them within the OFFLINE data file.

Typically, Emtex inputs data from either TAPE, DISK, LPD or CONNECT client software.  The quickest way to import printer resources into Emtex is to back them up to TAPE at the printer, with the Xerox command “TAPE COPY WRITE LABEL filename”.  Emtex can read the Tape directly if a suitable drive is interfaced with the Emtex PC.  Alternatively, you can populate the Emtex libraries yourself prior to job submission.

Once you have the resources in place, Emtex can be told where to read the Xerox OFFLINE data from, typically a LAN directory somewhere, which can be monitored automatically by Emtex.  Once a job arrives, Emtex processes it into VDD (Emtex intermediate) format, simultaneously outputting ONLINE print data.

Contact David Kirk or Peter Wright at Atac today, to discuss this further.

Barr/Channel Solutions

More information at ...

http://www.atac.com.au/barr.htm

http://www.atac.com.au/emtex.htm

Email David Kirk (Australia/NZ)
or call +61 3 9521-8070

Barr's product range includes several solutions where Barr hardware actually connects directly to channel output from your HOST - this may be via an S/370 Bus & Tag or ESCON channel connection:

• Barr/Channel for HIS (Host Integration Server - previously SNA Server) is a hardware and software package that physically connects your HOST to your LAN.  This solution provides much of the functionality of a front-end processor, but at a greatly reduced cost.  This product can help to eliminate SNA traffic on the WAN/LAN and efficiently supports thousands of users with one gateway.  Barr's ESCON channel connection product can provide the FASTEST connection in the world between your HOST and the PC world (up to 17 MEGABYTES per second).

• Barr/Print Channel - Emulates one or more 3211 printers, and can receive data continuously at full channel speeds.  Print files are separated by FCB or Banner Detection routines, and can be simultaneously forwarded to remote BEPS units by TCP/IP.  If a remote BEPS unit has appropriate channel-out hardware, then this solution is a proven and valid replacement for expensive channel-extenders.

• Barr/Print Channel for IPDS - Your mainframe connects to BARR/PRINT CHANNEL for IPDS with a Bus & Tag or ESCON cable.  BARR/PRINT CHANNEL for IPDS then communicates with your IP-attached printers using TCP/IP.  Full two-way IPDS communications are maintained between your HOST and your IP-attached IPDS printers.  Use this solution to implement newer IP-attached IPDS printers with NO HOST changes.

• Barr/Channel to Channel - Available as a connection option for NJE, this option directly channel-attaches a Barr PC running NJE to your HOST.  Extremely high-speed file transfers, without VTAM/SNA, are the main features of this solution.

Emtex Indexed Reprint

More information at ...

http://www.atac.com.au/barr.htm

http://www.atac.com.au/emtex.htm

Email David Kirk (Australia/NZ)
or call +61 3 9521-8070

Any document sent through Emtex can be Indexed as it is converted, on a document by document basis.  A “document” may comprise several print impressions, or be a multi-page statement, invoice or similar.

The Emtex Viewer allows you to determine where each document starts, and what information is to be used to Index the document. Several criteria can be used to allow reprints to be generated by customer ID, invoice number or even page number within a print-run.  Once this has been determined, Emtex automatically prepares Index files as documents are processed.

Documents may be reprinted in their entirety by entering start and end ranges of reprint information manually, or loading lists of individual documents to be reprinted.  Emtex can even accept “spoils” information directly from mailing equipment and prepare reprint data automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

More information at ...

http://www.atac.com.au/barr.htm

http://www.atac.com.au/emtex.htm

Email David Kirk (Australia/NZ)
or call +61 3 9521-8070

More information at ...

http://www.atac.com.au/barr.htm

http://www.atac.com.au/emtex.htm

Email David Kirk (Australia/NZ)
or call +61 3 9521-8070

Q. What does Barr/Print AFP do?

A. Barr/Print AFP converts FULLY COMPOSED AFP files into the Windows GDI format, allowing you to print them to any Windows printer.  Print your AFP data files on your LAN-based laser printers!

Q. Where are my Barr SPOOL files, and what are all these directories I find in their place?  Under DOS I could see each SPOOL file, but each of these have now been replaced with a directory of various files, under Barr/NT (BEPS).

A. Each BEPS Spool file comprises a single directory containing:

• DsData0 which is the raw print data file only, with multi-dataset jobs being represented as DsData0,1,2 etc.

• DsInfo0 which contains attribute information about the first dataset, with multi-dataset jobs being represented as DsInfo0,1,2 etc.

• JobInfo which contains attribute information relevant to the entire job.

• IndexFile0 (& IndexLine0) which are only created if the relevant dataset is Viewed, for rapid retrieval later.

Q.  My DOS Barr system connects to our mainframe via a Token Ring card.  Can we move it to Ethernet, and how is this done?

A. The IBM SNA protocol is not tied to any physical topology, so will run over Ethernet or Token Ring.  The DOS Barr product range simply looks for the IBM Lan Support Package (LSP) in memory and attempts to connect via that stack.  As long as LSP is linked to an appropriate DOS NDIS driver, it can run over Ethernet.

Under Windows NT, 2000 and XP, simply ADD the MS-DLC protocol to your Barr PC's protocol stack to implement 802.2 LLC2 communications with your HOST.

Naturally, somewhere between the Barr machine and the HOST, there must be a router accepting the Ethernet packets and forwarding them to your HOST.

Q. Who is/are Atac?

A. Atac is the Barr and Emtex Distributor for Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia.  With over ten years experience in the market, we support systems running 24x7x365 from Christchurch to Tokyo and Perth to Mumbai, in most of the largest print shops in the region.

Our customers include banks, print bureaux, financial institutions and petro-chemical companies as well as printer and mainframe vendors.  Outsourcing organisations and facilities management companies make extensive use of Atac’s expertise.

Atac is privately owned, with an extensive technical background stretching back over thirty years of continuously profitable operation.

Feedback

More information at ...

http://www.atac.com.au/barr.htm

http://www.atac.com.au/emtex.htm

Email David Kirk (Australia/NZ)
or call +61 3 9521-8070

Your feedback is valuable to Atac and helps us provide the high standard of service which you have come to expect from us, and which we are proud to deliver.  Whether you have questions about our product range, a story to share regarding your experiences, or you would like to comment on our newsletter, just click here to send us an e-mail.

Catalogue

If you would like to receive a copy of the latest Emtex catalogue, click here to send Atac an e-mail.

To Subscribe

If you would like us to send a copy of this newsletter to additional people, click here to send us an e-mail containing their e-mail address(es).

To Unsubscribe

If you would prefer not to receive this newsletter, click here to send us an e-mail.