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

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

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

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

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 at Xplor 2003

Atlanta, GA - This year at Xplor there was a hive of activity surrounding Emtex, the company and its software.  New product innovations and market-led solutions, as well as the establishment and strengthening of partnerships, set the scene for a successful 2004 and beyond.

At Xplor Emtex released the latest version 8.4 of VIP (Virtual Intelligent Presentation), the most robust and highly flexible output management solution to date.  This latest incarnation of VIP encompasses the widest range of transforms available along with superior functionality including centralized control, resource management, automated reprints, an offline development station and remote GUI and job accounting.

Virtual Document Enhance (VDE), the advanced document re-engineering software from Emtex additionally takes on a new form with the launch of VDE Editor 1.1.  VDE enables print ready documents or applications to be enhanced and modified in real time, yet without the need to change the underlying business/legacy applications.  This new Editor version empowers users to quickly and easily create their own scripts which define the actual changes to the printstream.  VDE Editor provides many new features including a "WYSIWYG" (what you see is what you get) Graphical User Interface (GUI), and typical VDE enhancements can include document consolidation and colourisation, adding or deleting finishing and integrity marks, one to one marketing messages, virtual inserts and the automation of processes such as mailsort.

Scitex Digital Printing gave a joint demonstration of the Emtex VIP and VDE document workflow solutions integrated with their VersaMark® printing systems.  This live demonstration included Emtex VIP software driving the new VersaMark JetBlack™ monochrome printing system with IPDS from a legacy AFPDS document as well as the same document enhanced with full colour by Emtex VDE software.

Long-time partner and industry-giant Xerox Inc. demonstrated Emtex software, under their own EOMS V-services branding. Emtex VIP drove and managed the latest colour production printer with Emtex VDE adding barcodes to the documents for improved integrity.

Both the aforementioned relationships clearly illustrated Emtex software as the output management solutions of choice for the industry leaders in high volume production printing.

Barr/Channel - World's longest cable!

This article focuses on Barr’s CHANNEL-IN offerings, and details the ways in which this technology can be used.  Typically, there exist two types of channel-in gear; the traditional Bus and Tag or “parallel channel” connection, and the newer ESCON or fibre-optic link.  Bus & Tag can run up to 4.5 Megabits per second, whereas ESCON can run at up to 17 MEGABYTES per second.

Usually, the mainframe uses channel connections to directly attach either printers or other mainframes.

Barr’s offerings come under three headings, as detailed beneath:

Channel extension – traditionally used to locate printers remotely from the mainframe, and comprising channel-in gear at the HOST, a communications link, and channel-out gear at the remote site.  This gear makes the HOST think the attached devices are local, and as supplied by IBM is very expensive.

Barr’s alternative (Barr/Print Channel) involves Bus & Tag or Escon connection to the HOST, with Barr emulating the prior printer address(es).  The HOST continues printing as normal, unaware that anything has changed.  Barr can separate print data by banner pages, and forward the received data via TCP/IP to subsequent Barr unit(s), which may have channel-out hardware installed, completing the “channel-extension”.

Alternatively, the data may be printed on IP or local printers, as opposed to channel-attached devices.

Customers using this technology include AXA and CGU. 

Channel for IPDS – This offering enables transitioning from older channel-attached print hardware, to newer IP or SNA attached print hardware, within the IPDS environment.  Barr/Print Channel for IPDS over IP (or SNA) can be channel-attached to the mainframe, emulating prior printer address(es).  The HOST continues to print as usual, unaware of any changes.  Barr captures and forwards the print data to a remote IP or SNA attached IPDS printer, relaying any communications responses from the printer back to the HOST, in real-time.

IPDS is a real-time conversation between the HOST and print device, and Barr allows this to occur with data and information status flowing back and forth, with Barr acting as the intermediary.

Customers using this technology include the Hong Kong Government.

Channel for HIS – This connection from Barr allows connection of a Microsoft SNA Server, or HIS (Host Information Server) to a mainframe, via Bus & Tag or ESCON channel connection.  In this mode the HIS machine may act as a gateway for the entire organisation’s LAN interactions with the mainframe.  If the HIS machine is within the mainframe “glasshouse” then SNA is kept within this area, and only flows between the mainframe and HIS. Normal LAN protocols apply downstream between HIS and client PC’s.  Barr’s ESCON connection provides the FASTEST connection in the world between the mainframe and PC worlds.

Customers using this technology include BHP.

Barr Services, Rights and Permissions

Barr’s NT product utilises several portions of the Windows NT environment, including existing USERS and GROUPS.  Barr must be installed by a user with LOCAL ADMINISTRATOR rights, and typically, the Barr Services are assigned a LOCAL ADMIN logon ID and password.

It’s important to understand how this works, and why it was built this way.  Think of Barr as a client/server setup; the engine runs as a series of NT Services, which start when the machine powers on.  These services login automatically and route jobs from one location to another.  If power goes down in the middle of the night, as the machine restarts, the Barr Services restart and printing resumes, without anybody even logging in!

If files are polled from a LAN location, then it is the Barr Service account which requires permission to read from the LAN, and ultimately delete source files.  Typically the Barr Service Account requires FULL PERMISSIONS to any LAN directories it polls automatically.  Additionally, it is the Barr Service account which requires permissions to use LAN printers and directories etc for output as well.

The current logged-in user is granted permissions to access various Barr SPOOL window features, which trigger the engine to do the actual work.  By using Barr’s UserRightsConfig program to assign existing NT Users and Groups permission to use various Barr features, you have complete control over what various users are allowed to do.

However, keep in mind that it is the Service Account user doing the actual work, and accessing LAN resources.  This is the only user which requires Windows permissions to be assigned.

Did you know . . . ?

Auto-Printer

The Barr Enterprise Print Server (BEPS) now makes it easier for you to configure destinations for printing to a channel printer, printing to a TCP/IP print queue, printing to a Xerox EPS, routing to another BARR/SPOOL, writing to a TCP/IP socket, or writing to disk.  You just add the printer from the Configuration Utility’s Spool Printers tab, and we define your Windows printers and select the ports and drivers for you.

Backup and Restore Configuration Files

You can now use the Backup Configuration Utility to backup and restore Barr software configuration information and resources such as registry settings, physical printers, ports and drivers, overlays, banners, page layouts, FCBs, override tables, custom code pages, AFP resources, and Spool Window and Print Utility settings files.

The Backup Configuration Utility protects your configuration settings from accidental loss if your computer fails.  If your Barr software configuration settings and data are accidentally erased or overwritten, you can easily restore the data from the backup files.  You can also back up specific settings which can be used on a different computer.

Because the Backup Configuration Utility saves Barr registry entries, the Barr Registry Editor is no longer available.

Hiding Printers

BEPS now has the ability to create hidden printers within the Barr Spool Window.  These printers have all the functionality of a visible printer, without being in view.  This creates the opportunity to simplify the operation and view of the spool window without impeding operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.  How can I read files into BEPS from our LAN?

A.  Nominate and setup a unique LAN directory for each different type of input file.  Ensure you assign full permissions to this dir, to the Barr Service Account User.  Choose TOOLS | PRINT UTILITY – the front tab can be used to poll a file into BEPS on demand.  The rear tab can be used to setup and manage multiple automatically-polled directories.  You can set for each directory polled: polling interval, document attribute settings, document disposition (what to do with it after polling in / printing), file type etc.

Once set up, each dir will be polled at the interval period, and any files found will be polled in as the nominated file type.  Any document attribute settings are also applied as files are read in, such as (possibly) setting class “M” for Meta jobs etc.

Q.  I've run the Barr Diagnostic Bundler, but can't find the resulting file - where is it?

A.  Barr stores the BarrDiag.bct file wherever your TEMP environment setting is pointing.  You can determine this by opening a Command Prompt and typing SET.  Even easier, simply choose START | RUN (or press WIN+”R”), enter “%temp%” and press Enter (do not type the quotes).  This will open an Explorer window pointing directly at the correct dir.  Now you can easily copy the BarrDiag.bct file!

Note that the BarrDiag.bct file is highly compressed and ready for email transmission, and trying to zip it will usually only result in a LARGER file!

Q.  I have a print job which behaves strangely.  How can I send it to Barr for testing?

A.  Simply right-click the file in the Spool, and choose ADD TO DIAGNOSTICS.  Next run TOOLS | DIAGNOSTICS, and then send the resulting Diagnostic file to your Barr analyst with your request.

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.

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