how to simplify the it infrastructurehosteddocs.ittoolbox.com/eskerhowtosimplifyit101007.pdfgoal:...
TRANSCRIPT
How to simplify the IT infrastructure
with end-to-end automation of
document processes
white paper
www.esker.com
esker deliveryware
Overview ............................................................................................................................................................3
The Value of Esker DeliveryWare .........................................................................................................................4
The Esker DeliveryWare Solution .........................................................................................................................5
DeliveryWare Rules Engine ..................................................................................................................................6Recognition ...............................................................................................................................................................................6Formatting ..................................................................................................................................................................................7Conversion ................................................................................................................................................................................8Routing .......................................................................................................................................................................................9The Esker DeliveryWare Advantage .......................................................................................................................................9
Universal Output Connectors .............................................................................................................................10Print ...........................................................................................................................................................................................10Mail on Demand .....................................................................................................................................................................10Fax on Demand ......................................................................................................................................................................11Fax ............................................................................................................................................................................................12Email .........................................................................................................................................................................................12Web Publishing ........................................................................................................................................................................12Archive .....................................................................................................................................................................................13Integration with Third Party Applications .............................................................................................................................12Esker Document Manager .....................................................................................................................................................13
Universal Application Connectors ......................................................................................................................14Packaged Enterprise Applications .......................................................................................................................................14Custom and Legacy Applications ........................................................................................................................................14Desktop Applications .............................................................................................................................................................14Incoming Documents .............................................................................................................................................................14
Scalability and Performance .............................................................................................................................16Clustering .................................................................................................................................................................................16Load Balancing .......................................................................................................................................................................16Transport or Processing Servers .............................................................................................................................................16Telco Support ..........................................................................................................................................................................16
Esker DeliveryWare Administration ....................................................................................................................17Esker Administrator .................................................................................................................................................................17Queue Management .............................................................................................................................................................17User and Rights Management ...............................................................................................................................................17Esker DeliveryWare Performance Monitor ...........................................................................................................................18Esker DeliveryWare LDAP Database .....................................................................................................................................18Event Log Management .........................................................................................................................................................18
Esker Professional Services ..............................................................................................................................19
Esker DeliveryWare 4.0 Technical Specifications ...............................................................................................20
About Esker ......................................................................................................................................................21
Table of Contents
white paper
esker deliveryware
Businesses continue to face rising pressure to cut costs and increase profitability while also improving customer satisfaction and partner relations through efficient communication.
To accomplish this, leading companies are automating document-based business processes to improve communication with partners, customers and suppliers — and they’re looking to their CIOs to make it happen. The dilemma? Companies have accumulated a staggering amount of technology in recent decades. A mix of old and new applications, numerous point-to-point solutions and custom code modifications make managing existing systems difficult and expensive. Within this complicated infrastructure, many enterprise applications such as SAP® solutions are themselves complex, presenting another set of challenges.
With an already too-complex infrastructure, adding additional point solutions is just not practical. On top of that, making modifications to existing applications is often seen as a significant risk and a major undertaking. Today’s IT professionals have one main goal: simplify. They need to work within the existing IT framework without re-programming and without adding complexity. They also want a flexible solution that can grow with their organizations.
True to its reputation as an industry leader, Esker delivers with Esker DeliveryWare.
3
Overview
LEGACY
ERP
CRMCUSTOM
APPS
Fax
Fax
Fax
SUPPLIER 1
PARTNER 2
SUPPLIER 2
CUSTOMERS
PARTNER 1
point-to-pointCustom Solutions
point-to-pointDelivery Solutions
Years of accumulated technology and point-to-point communication solutions results in a complex infrastructure.
white paper
esker deliveryware
Esker DeliveryWare is a comprehensive document delivery server automating all document-based business processes and eliminating the need for multiple point-to-point solutions. Esker DeliveryWare enables the effective exchange of business information with customers, partners, employees, and the entire information supply chain — regardless of source application or destination.
With Esker DeliveryWare, organizations:
§ Rapidly set up a comprehensive document management solution without risk and without disrupting existing systems or current business processes
§ Automatically transform data from core business applications — SAP®, Oracle®, Baan®, PeopleSoft®, custom applications or other systems — and deliver documents immediately, in any electronic format
§ Expand delivery options with multiple, flexible connectors
§ Integrate data from incoming documents into enterprise applications
§ Deliver an achievable consolidation strategy to replace multiple point-to-point solutions
§ Establish an agile foundation — extensible throughout the enterprise for the long term
FaxMail on DemandprintArchive
EmailWirelesswebXMl
LEGACY
ERP
CRM
CUSTOMAPPS
SUPPLIER 1
PARTNER 2
SUPPLIER 2
CUSTOMERS
PARTNER 1
Esker DeliveryWare simplifies infrastructures and adds value to existing IT systems.
4
The Value of Esker DeliveryWare
white paper
esker deliveryware
Esker DeliveryWare is a business document server using powerful business rules to capture, recognize, route, format, convert and deliver documents from any application regardless of the data source — to any recipient or system, in any delivery format via the broadest range of delivery media. And Esker DeliveryWare does it all automatically, eliminating the need to modify application-level code and original print or data streams.
The advantage of Esker DeliveryWare lies in three key components:
1. Document capture with universal application connectors
2. DeliveryWare Rules Engine to intelligently read, route and format documents
3. Document transport with universal output connectors
Each of these components is detailed in the sections that follow.
5
The Esker DeliveryWare Solution
white paper
DO
CU
ME
NT
CA
PT
UR
E
1
Paper Documents(scan)
Faxes
E-documents(XML, IDocs,…)
Fax & Mailon Demand
Fax
Archive
XML
SMS
Web Publishing
DO
CU
ME
NT
TR
AN
SP
OR
T
3
Capture Read Route Format Transport
2 DELIVERYWARE RULES ENGINE
n Sales Ordersn Confirmationsn Proposals n Contracts n Accounts receivablen Purchase requisitionsn Invoicesn …
n Invoicesn Purchase Ordersn Remittance Advice n Confirmationsn Lettersn Quotesn Reportsn …
Capture Read Route Format Transport
UN
IVE
RSA
L APPLICATION CONN
EC
TO
RS
ERP, CRM
esker deliveryware
At the heart of Esker DeliveryWare is the DeliveryWare Rules Engine. This patented Esker technology automates every phase of the information delivery process — speeding implementation of enterprise communication strategies and providing powerful document customization and formatting. An intuitive design environment provides administrators a wizard-driven interface for creating DeliveryWare Rules governing how Esker DeliveryWare will transform and deliver documents.
DeliveryWare Rules Engine provides five core services:
1. recognition 2. Data extraction 3. Formatting and conversion 4. Workflow management 5. Document delivery
The relationship between these core services and the critical roles they play is shown below:
RecognitionUnique in the industry, DeliveryWare Rules Engine is a multi-format document and data stream processor. It recognizes specific content within print streams, data streams and messages, or recognizes files from a folder. Based on recognition, it automatically applies the appropriate DeliveryWare Rule.
First, a DeliveryWare Rule recognizes a data file’s or document’s basic structure. This includes the document type, breaks between multiple documents within a single file, page breaks within a document, section breaks and other parameters.
Beyond understanding these structural parameters, the power of DeliveryWare Rules lies in their ability to recognize any combination of constant or variable fields within a document. Recognized fields are used to extract the required data to create content for personalized e-documents, messages or data streams serving as input to other applications. Extracted data may include structured data, lists, sections, tables and more. All extracted data is converted into XML format.
6
DeliveryWare Rules Engine
white paper
CAPTURE TRANSPORT
UNIV
ERSA
L A
PPLI
CA
TIO
N C
ON
NEC
TORS UN
IVERSA
L OUTPUT C
ON
NEC
TORS
Document Document+ XML
representation
Document+ XML
representation+ format /
converting rule
Document+ XML
representation+ Validation
rule
Document+ XML
representation+ Delivery
routing rules
Notification
Print stream,file, fax, email
DELIVERYWARE RULES ENGINE
ROUTING
1. RECOGNIZE 2. READ 3. FORMAT /CONVERT 4. VALIDATE 5. ROUTE
esker deliveryware
OCRData can even be extracted from image files (faxes in TIFF format, scanned documents) using the optional Image Recognition Module. This module relies on OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology embedded in Esker DeliveryWare. It includes text, numeric, and alpha numeric recognition, OMR (mark recognition, such as checkmarks or bubble sheets), barcode recognition (1D and 2D barcode recognition), handwriting recognition, and more. For optimal accuracy, this module also includes a validation tool which allows users to validate the extracted data in a Web interface (DeliveryWare Document Manager).
Dynamic Document CaptureEsker DeliveryWare data capture capabilities go beyond OCR technology. As a solution for complete document process automation, Esker DeliveryWare enables analysis of captured data and allow users to check data before transfer to the target application. Dynamic Document Capture provides the capability to handle semi-structured documents such as sales orders and vendor invoices. What is particular about these documents is that each type contains common information but the layouts vary depending on the document origin. The challenge is to find the information no matter where it is located in a document. Dynamic Document Capture performs this task using keywords search, relative position and full text search. There is no need to create and maintain a rule for each variation of a document type. In addition, the system is strengthened by auto-learning functions which allow the solution to improve the recognition of new layouts on the fly.
While much content can be extracted directly from a document itself, a DeliveryWare Rule is not limited to readily visible data. Based on recognition of a constant or variable field within a document, it can access any LDAP or ODBC-compliant database to retrieve information. For example, a purchase order may contain a customer’s name, address and fax number, but the preferred delivery method is email. Recognizing the customer’s name within the document, the DeliveryWare Rule will use this data to prompt a database query to extract the associated email address required for delivery.
FormattingEsker DeliveryWare provides endless options for reformatting or repurposing data into personalized electronic documents. Within the DeliveryWare Rules Designer, formatting falls within two primary categories:
§ Style sheet § Forms and advanced forms
Style sheets are created and applied to modify documents’ display attributes — such as fonts, background images and page setup — while preserving the original document structure. To restructure an original document layout and use constant or variable information to create a newly-designed document, a form is created incorporating graphical elements for a forms overlay. Advanced formatting capabilities are provided by Crystal Reports® technology, which is built into Esker DeliveryWare. Using Crystal Reports, any incoming data can be formatted to include text lines, fonts, logos and bar codes. Charts, graphs and sub-calculations can be created directly within the document.
Not all documents need to be reformatted or composed. Many host-generated documents already have basic formatting elements in the form of line characters. Esker DeliveryWare can easily take pre-formatted host documents and convert them for delivery without requiring further reformatting.
7
white paper
VALIDATECAPTURE & READINBOUND DOCUMENT CONVERT & LOAD
PO Date
PO Num.
Price Qty
Total
Ref
100100110010110110100101100100110010110110100101100100110010110110100101
Esker DeliveryWare captures data from virtually any document source, extracts relevant document header, footer and line item information, checks validity of the extracted data against the original
document, and makes the information available to other applications.
esker deliveryware
Conversion
PDFFamiliar to users worldwide, PDF (Portable Document Format) provides a simple way to present and deliver professional-looking documents in electronic format. Esker DeliveryWare PDF drivers allow conversion from multiple input formats including text, XML, PCL, PostScript, TIFF or AFP with full color support.
Companies use PDF for:
§ Delivering email attachments with a manageable file size § Presenting documents on secure or public Web sites for viewing or download § Previewing or proofing documents as part of a company’s workflow or validation process § Storing documents in an archive for later search and retrieval
XMLXML (eXtensible Markup Language) enables companies to automate communication and exchange information among heterogeneous systems using an established set of standards for specific document types, industries or business applications. XML provides a structure for data exchange within specific market places, simplifies document archiving and gives organizations tremendous flexibility. Any Esker DeliveryWare job can be exposed as an XML file, making Esker DeliveryWare easy to integrate with any other XML-based application.
The DeliveryWare Rules Engine converts incoming documents from their native format to XML for processing. It natively uses an internal XML schema as the basis for routing, formatting and notification. Not only does Esker DeliveryWare accept XML input, but it also produces XML output in any user-defined format. Using a convenient XML editor tool, Esker DeliveryWare can generate both human-readable output as well as commonly used formats like comma-delimited, cXML, IDocs, etc.
Companies use XML for:
§ Business-to-business data exchange § Application data exchange § Web services § Cost-effective alternative to EDI
To maximize Esker DeliveryWare support for many flexible delivery methods, a many-to-many conversion structure is provided for converting input formats (text, XML, PCL, PostScript, PDF, TIFF and AFP) to today’s most common output formats (text, PDF, HTML, TIFF and XML). A summary of the numerous available conversion paths follows:
OUTPUT FORMATS
INPUT FORMATS tXt pdF htMl tiFF XMlsap
formats (IDoc)
Text n n n n n n
XMl n n n n n n
PCL/PostScript n n n n n n
pdF n n n n n n
htMl n n n n n n
image formats (TIFF, JPEG, BMP, etc.) n n n n n n
aFp n n n n n n
sap formats (XSF, RDI) n n n n n n
8
white paper
esker deliveryware
RoutingBased on company or recipient preference, Esker DeliveryWare is capable of delivering documents:
§ To multiple destinations (human recipient, archive, other applications, etc.)
§ Using a multiple delivery methods (fax, email, postal mail via Mail on Demand service, Web, archive, and others)
§ In a variety of formats (PDF, HTML, TIFF, text, XML)
The Esker DeliveryWare routing engine is the powerful decision-making tool to manage the multiple combinations and variables for all documents’ destinations, delivery methods, formats, notification requirements and exception handling.
The following example demonstrates a typical routing rule for a single document type:
The Esker DeliveryWare AdvantageThe easy-to-use DeliveryWare Rules Engine and DeliveryWare Rules Designer afford numerous benefits to any organization delivering high volumes of information from enterprise applications. Creating DeliveryWare Rules allows companies to:
§ Eliminate the need to modify legacy application code with embedded tags
§ Reduce development time, costs and risks
§ Accelerate ROI of existing enterprise applications such as SAP solutions
§ Create multiple document formats in a single operation
§ Cut IT support costs by consolidating automated, multi-format document delivery on a single platform
9
white paper
A company uses Esker DeliveryWare to distribute purchase orders to its suppliers. Email is used as the primary delivery method. If an email address exists in the database of suppliers, the purchase order is sent as a PDF attachment. If no email address is found or if the email fails, fax is used as the secondary delivery method. If the fax fails, Esker DeliveryWare attempts to re-fax the purchase order three more times. If all attempts fail, a failure notification is emailed to the purchasing agent. If neither an email nor fax number exist for the supplier, the purchase order is printed for delivery via traditional mail. Simultaneous to delivering the purchase order to the vendor, it is also posted to the corporate intranet for future access by purchasing agents.
PURCHASEORDER
eMail adress
FaX NUMBerSend PDF Email
Send Fax
Send failure notification
Publish on intranet with associated status
3 TIMES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
FAILED
FAILED 3 TIMES FAILED
esker deliveryware
With its flexible set of document transport options for any enterprise application, Esker DeliveryWare offers organizations new and more efficient ways to deliver business information to customers, employees, suppliers and other trading partners.
Esker DeliveryWare output capabilities do not end once the document is delivered by an output connector. True “delivery” completes the full communication loop with notification sent directly back to the originating application (such as an SAP solution). In addition, Esker DeliveryWare provides queue management and status look-up of any document delivery job from within the native application. Esker DeliveryWare will re-try delivery several times until successful, or send a warning to an administrator or designated contact in the event of failure. These additional output assurance capabilities set Esker DeliveryWare apart — providing companies delivery validation and confidence.
PrintEsker DeliveryWare supports on-demand and high volume printing. Text, PCL, PostScript, PDF and AFP (IBM’s Advance Function Presentation) are supported. Administrators can create as many Windows® or non-Windows virtual Esker printers as required, allowing end users to directly print documents to be processed by DeliveryWare Rules Engine. Print allows:
§ Printing documents from any application to any local or network printer
§ Creating multiple documents from a single data stream
§ Distributed printing to remote locations (warehouses, branch offices or other facilities)
Mail on DemandMail on Demand allows companies to completely eliminate costs associated with an internal mail processing center by directing print jobs to an external mail house service. Using Mail on Demand, an electronic document is produced from any business application. It is routed to Esker DeliveryWare for any rules-based processing and is delivered securely to an Esker mail production facility where it is printed, folded, inserted into an envelope and metered. Esker then delivers the document as usual with typical postal methods. Using a similar process, large enterprises directly distribute print to their own internal, high-speed mail production facilities.
Companies use Mail on Demand for:
§ Automating the most common delivery method without disrupting business processes
§ Real-time delivery of documents such as invoices and collection letters
§ Changing requirements for document recipients
§ Eliminating equipment maintenance, capital expenditures and manual mail processing costs
§ Total cost control — paying only for what is used
10
Universal Output Connectors
white paper
MobileMessage
Web Publishing
XML Email ArchivePrint Mail or Faxon Demand
Fax
Universal Output Connectors
esker deliveryware
Fax on DemandSimilar to Mail on Demand, Esker DeliveryWare can also securely route faxes from any business application to Esker production facilities located in the United States, France and Australia. Each of these secure and redundant facilities may act as backup to each other, guaranteeing 24 x 7 service availably.
Companies use Fax on Demand for:
§ Eliminating the need for expensive fax boards
§ Eliminating complex telephony infrastructure and ongoing maintenance and phone charges
§ Overflow processing during periods of peak traffic volume
§ Additional failover in case of local hardware or telephony breakdown
§ Page-level billing for cost control
11
white paper
ENTERPRISE ESkER DESTINATION
HTTPS
NOTIFICATION
enterprise Applications
DesktopApplications
Fax
postalService
esker deliveryware
FaxIntegrating Esker’s innovative production fax technology, Esker DeliveryWare automatically faxes documents directly from any business application without requiring an additional fax server acquisition. For enterprises that already have a fax solution, Esker DeliveryWare easily integrates with this existing solution, extending all the capabilities of its powerful DeliveryWare Rules Engine. Combined with intelligent fax boards, Esker DeliveryWare enables the receipt and routing of inbound faxes as well.
Esker DeliveryWare provides all the necessary features, such as:
§ Processing batch-driven production fax jobs for delivery via the least common denominator for business communications
§ Automatically receiving and distributing inbound faxes directly to individual users or mailboxes based on routing rules
§ Integrating with leading messaging solutions (Microsoft® Exchange, Lotus Notes®, SMTP and others) for desktop faxing as easy as emailing
EmailEmail provides a flexible medium for delivering formatted documents, notifications of Web-posted documents, messages and warnings. Email is also used by Esker DeliveryWare to send notifications regarding document delivery success, failure, or final delivery status. Esker DeliveryWare distributes email messages with or without attachments via SMTP, Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, Novell® GroupWise®, Lotus® cc:Mail or Microsoft Mail. Email may contain dynamic text variables extracted by DeliveryWare Rules Engine from a document or extracted through a database or directory query. Email with attachments supports PDF, HTML, TIFF or text formats. Transmissions can be secured with S/MIME (Secure Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions), a protocol requiring the sender to sign and encrypt the email content on client workstations. Similarly, Esker DeliveryWare can be integrated with an external secure email or secure document delivery solution.
Companies use Email for:
§ Both “push” and “pull” information delivery strategies– Delivering attachments in various formats based on recipient preference or technical requirements (“push”)– Web presentment notifications promoting self-service Web applications (“pull”)
§ Distributing important information instantly (urgent messages, warnings)
§ Securely transmitting information in compliance with government or industry security and privacy regulations
Web PublishingEsker DeliveryWare supports HTML generation for publishing documents to secure or public Web sites. Esker DeliveryWare email or wireless notification capabilities immediately notify recipients with a direct URL link to the posted information.
Companies use Web Publishing for:
§ Dynamically posting documents to the Web with no custom application development
§ Business-to-business data exchange by publishing XML files
§ Obtaining receipt notification that published document has been viewed or downloaded by recipient
12
white paper
esker deliveryware
ArchiveEsker DeliveryWare archiving functionality allows companies to store, query, retrieve and track all sent documents regardless of the delivery method. Esker DeliveryWare also supports various external archiving options. Esker partnerships with archiving solution vendors assure organizations they can easily integrate with well-known storage systems. Supported archiving formats depend on the capabilities of the archiving system.
Companies use Archive for:
§ Automatically capturing, indexing and storing documents at the same time they are processed for delivery
§ Making documents instantly available for searching and retrieval for improved customer service
§ Complying with government or industry archival regulations
§ Eliminating the cost of physically storing and maintaining paper documents
Integration with Third Party ApplicationsEsker DeliveryWare is modular in nature, making it extremely agile. Its flexible output options do not end with those packaged with the Esker DeliveryWare server. A powerful Command Line Connector allows integration of Esker DeliveryWare with a wide variety of other solutions for additional delivery options with third party applications — including archiving, fax automation, mail and fax outsourcing services, secure document delivery and more.
Using the Command Line Connector, Esker DeliveryWare creates an outbound command line file (a mix of variable and constant fields) capable of retrieving key words in a document, an XML stream or print output, and then relating these to commands. For example, a company can send an invoice in PDF format to an outsourced mail service provider and, at the same time, deliver a copy to a CRM application for archiving by using commands and key words from the PDF for indexing the document in the archive.
Esker Document ManagerEsker DeliveryWare comes with an easy-to-use Web application — the Document Manager — providing:
§ Easy-to-use administration interface for individual departments to monitor and manage their own document delivery queues and address books
§ Inbound fax routing to any Document Manager user
§ Assigning security policies for each user, group, or organization
§ Validation, proofing, and review processes for managing workflow
13
white paper
esker deliveryware
Esker DeliveryWare intelligent automation enables document delivery from almost any application regardless of platform — Unix, IBM mainframe, midrange, or Windows. The non-invasive nature of the DeliveryWare Rules Engine requires no code-level changes to source applications or the data and print streams they generate.
The agile Esker DeliveryWare platform readily accepts print and data streams from:
§ Leading packaged enterprise applications — ERP, CRM, enterprise asset management, and others
§ Custom-built or legacy applications
§ Desktop applications
§ incoming data and documents
Packaged Enterprise ApplicationsWith a set of specific connectors designed for SAP, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards and Baan solutions, Esker DeliveryWare is tightly integrated with today’s leading ERP applications. Or, other leading applications like Oracle can also take full advantage of Esker DeliveryWare intelligent recognition, formatting, conversion and delivery capabilities by connecting to any TCP/IP printer for access to the DeliveryWare Rules Engine.
Custom and Legacy ApplicationsIn addition to processing print streams from packaged solutions, documents from any custom or legacy application can be directed to Esker DeliveryWare through the use of standard device type emulation (such as a print destination), protocols (FTP, LPR/LPD, TCP/IP, SNA, etc.), Command Line Connector or published APIs. When acting as a printer destination, Esker DeliveryWare becomes a natural extension of the enterprise network for any application generating print streams in PCL, PostScript, PDF or AFP format.
Desktop ApplicationsIn addition to their email clients, users now have a new device to send documents to any recipient. Users of desktop applications like Microsoft Word or Excel see Esker DeliveryWare as another printer and can choose the delivery method. To them, using Esker DeliveryWare is as simple as printing.
Incoming Documents (faxes, email or scanned documents)With its ability to take virtually any input, convert it, extract specific information and automatically produce new documents, Esker DeliveryWare responds to challenges of IT infrastructure cost and complexity while offering all of the benefits of intelligent document process automation. DeliveryWare Rules Engine captures incoming electronic data and deposits it directly into a business application or formats it for another use. Data from inbound faxes, email (SMTP and POP3), and scanned documents can be used as input to Esker DeliveryWare for recognition and extraction.
14
Universal Application Connectors
white paper
Universal Application Connectors
ERP CRM
InboundDocuments
(fax, email, scan)Directories
& Databases
Custom/Legacy
Applications
esker deliveryware
Support for existing EDI processesFor those companies that have integrated Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) with their IT systems. Esker DeliveryWare supports existing processes by providing expanded capabilities to capture, validate and transform data from paper, email, fax and electronic documents to produce EDI files. As a universal platform to automate business information exchange, independent of source, format, or destination, Esker DeliveryWare eliminates the need to converge on a single EDI format with all customers and suppliers for application-to-application exchange of documents like invoices and purchase orders. Esker DeliveryWare lets an organization treat all of its customers, partners and suppliers the same — regardless of whether they are EDI-enabled or not.
For example:
AnyCompany, Inc. has several suppliers that deliver invoices electronically. Supplier A sends an EDI file while suppliers B and C prefer to send email with a PDF attachment and Supplier D emails a text file. To Esker DeliveryWare, data is data regardless of format. The DeliveryWare Rules Engine recognizes the relevant information within the invoice, converts it into XML, and delivers the data directly into AnyCompany’s ERP application. Esker DeliveryWare does it all automatically, eliminating the need for manual re-entry of information.
A partial list of solutions Esker DeliveryWare can easily interface with includes:
§ Adonix®
§ Baan§ Business Objects®
§ Cincom®
§ Generix§ iBM§ Indus International®
§ Informix®
§ JD Edwards®
§ Manugistics®
§ Microsoft® Excel, Access, Publisher, Word§ Oracle§ PeopleSoft§ Pivotal®
§ RightFax®
§ SAGE®
§ sap§ sas®
§ Selligent®
§ Siebel®
§ StreamServe®
§ iFs§ Great Plains
Esker DeliveryWare interfaces with ODBC-accessible databases and LDAP-based directories such as Microsoft Active Directory® Service, Novell Directory Services® and Netscape Directory Server®. This integration enables the automatic look-up of routing information such as email addresses, URLs, fax numbers, or mobile numbers, as well look-up of additional content or preferences for generating advanced delivery rules and output. Esker DeliveryWare also has its own LDAP database to store configuration and administration data or to provide the same features as an external address book.
15
white paper
esker deliveryware
Esker DeliveryWare easily scales up and out to meet the changing needs and growth of any organization with features such as Microsoft Clustering support, load balancing and transport or processing server implementations. These features add value by reducing unplanned downtime, improving total hours of service operation and providing fault tolerance.
ClusteringEsker DeliveryWare leverages Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) to deliver high levels of service and availability. By organizing two or more servers to work together as one, Esker DeliveryWare provides higher availability, reliability and scalability than can be achieved with a single system. Within a Microsoft Cluster, the various servers (nodes) are joined together so they appear as a single environment (a virtual server). Clustering Esker DeliveryWare servers ensures that if one node fails, operations can be automatically assumed by another node in the cluster. Clustering offers:
§ High availability with continual access to critical delivery services while greatly reducing unscheduled outages. Esker DeliveryWare meets scheduled uptime goals while reducing unplanned downtime and maximizing total hours of service operation.
§ High reliability to reduce the frequency of system failure, while providing fault tolerance in case of failure. This minimizes the number of single points of failure and reduces the risk that failure of a single component/system will result in the outage of the entire delivery service.
§ High availability as delivery needs change and grow. Esker DeliveryWare can be scaled to increase throughput capacity and performance by adding servers to clustered server farms.
Load BalancingFor fax delivery, load balancing ensures efficient and timely delivery by distributing fax workloads among a group of servers. When loads are balanced, no single server can overload. Load balancing improves overall conversion speed and fax transmission rate and ensures that highest priority faxes transmit first. With load balancing enabled on two or more Esker DeliveryWare servers, the servers automatically and transparently share information about loads and various phone and connection costs. When preparing to send a fax, each connected server queries its locally cached data tables for the most recent information and uses this information to determine routing and balancing priorities. Servers query one another to update information at regular specified intervals. Load balancing can be paired with Esker DeliveryWare least cost routing to reduce transmission costs by routing outbound faxes through the lowest-cost server. When both load balancing and least cost routing are enabled in more than one calling zone, organizations can send faxes at local or best available calling rates, instead of incurring long distance or international charges.
Transport or Processing ServersEsker DeliveryWare can work in a multi-server architecture, offering a high level of scalability. Additonal servers can be used to delegate particular processing such as DeliveryWare Rules or OCR, or for transports such as fax and print.
Telco SupportSupporting the telecommunications infrastructure for organizations’ evolving IP strategies, including migration to Voice over IP (VoIP) and T.38 real-time Fax over IP (FoIP), Esker DeliveryWare works with leading-edge fax technology such as Brooktrout® intelligent fax boards from Cantata Technology™ — for both circuit-switched and IP-based faxing.
16
Scalability and Performance
white paper
VIRTUAL SERVER
Node 2Node 1
SCSI disk(s)Shared folders
Cluster
Resource A Resource AFAILOVERFAILBACK
esker deliveryware
Esker DeliveryWare includes several tools for monitoring and controlling all available services.
Esker AdministratorMost Esker DeliveryWare management is performed through the Esker Administrator, a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. Using Esker Administrator, administrators control all core Esker DeliveryWare services and configurations alongside companion technologies like Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SNA Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), etc. within a familiar management environment. Esker Administrator also enables remote administration of Esker DeliveryWare servers. Administrators can securely control all Esker DeliveryWare servers from a single Windows workstation.
With Esker Administrator administrators can:
§ Configure necessary components for Esker DeliveryWare, such as services, connectors, converters and conversion paths, routing rules, etc.
§ Monitor delivery queues that documents pass through during transmission
§ Define and manage users and user rights
§ Generate statistical reports using Crystal Reports templates
Queue ManagementDocuments are queued upon completion of DeliveryWare Rules processing. Queues are managed and monitored from the Esker Administrator, which supports the following:
§ Queue views based on delivery method (email, fax, Web, etc.)
§ Queue views based on delivery status (sent, pending, failed)
§ Generation of notifications, when necessary
§ Actual view of any job (administrators can also create their own reports)
§ Corrective actions on jobs (retransmission, cancellation, transfer, etc.)
User and Rights ManagementEsker DeliveryWare supports any LDAP directory to view and access data for user lookups, including:
§ Microsoft Active Directory
§ Novell NDS Directory
§ Microsoft Exchange Directory (pre-ADS)
§ Netscape Directory Server
§ Lotus Notes Directory
§ Any other LDAP directory
LDAP-based directories can also be used to manage contacts in addition to any ODBC-compliant database.
17
Esker DeliveryWare Administration
white paper
esker deliveryware
Esker DeliveryWare Performance MonitorEsker DeliveryWare integrates with the Microsoft Performance Monitor tool to generate statistics, record event logs, and trigger alarms.
Esker DeliveryWare LDAP DatabaseEsker DeliveryWare uses its own LDAP database to store data related to its configuration and administration. Esker DeliveryWare features on which an action can be performed (configuration, modification, or simple display) are displayed as a tree-list in the Esker Administrator.
Event Log ManagementEsker DeliveryWare fully integrates with Microsoft Windows administration tools. Events can be stored in both the Microsoft Event Viewer and the Windows server event logs.
18
white paper
esker deliveryware
Esker offers a range of professional services to assist organizations with planning, implementing, configuring, training, and maintaining Esker DeliveryWare solutions. Esker Professional Services assists organizations in solving their most complex challenges of integrating information and document communication with existing enterprise applications and business processes.
With thorough up-front assessment and planning, Esker Professional Services help to ensure the highest level of implementation success and creates maximum value for the enterprise technology investment. Esker Professional Services also provide organizations with a well-planned foundation for future growth.
A diverse group of highly skilled professionals, the Esker Professional Services team specializes in designing and delivering solutions targeted to customers’ unique situations and business challenges. Esker Professional Services offers several specialized services, including:
§ Consulting– Business process analysis– Project definition
§ Installation and configuration
§ Upgrade and migration
§ Advanced integration
§ training
Services may also include solutions design, project management, and custom development.
19
Esker Professional Services
white paper
esker deliveryware
Minimum requirementsComputer hardware§ pentium® III 2 GHz CPU (3.2 GHz hyper-threading or dual-core
processor recommended to use the Image Recognition or DDC module)§ 2 GB RAM (4 GB if using the Image Recognition or DDC module)§ 600 MB hard disk space for program installation + 2 GB for
database, depending on expected volumes (20 GB recommended)§ NTFS file system§ TCP/IP protocol activated§ Network interface card§ Video card with 8 MB RAM minimum for optimal performance§ 19" monitor and minimum 1280 x 2024 resolution recommended
to view the document splitting and validation forms correctlyFax hardware (required when faxing from Esker DeliveryWare)§ Brooktrout® TruFax®, TR114, or TR1034 fax board, or§ eicon® Diva Server™ fax board (analog only in the United States) or§ Modem class 1, 2, 2.0, or 2.1Operating system§ windows® 2000 Server SP4*, or§ Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition SP1 or SP2,* or§ Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition SP1 or SP2, 32-bit, or§ Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition SP1§ Windows Server 2003 R2* With the latest Windows updates
Companion software§ Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0 or 7.0§ Microsoft Internet Information Service (IIS) 5.0 or higher (required
if using the Microsoft Exchange Connector, Lotus Notes Connector, Document Manager, LanFax clients, remote Esker servers, load balancing or least cost routing, or to benefit from the web dashboards in Esker Administrator)§ Microsoft Host Integration Server (required if using SNA Connector)§ lotus® domino® Server 6.0.X, 6.5.X, or 7.0.X (required if using Lotus
Notes Connector)Esker on Demand — fax, postal mail, SMS and email services§ Internet connection: https (required if using any Esker on
Demand Connector)
Options and capabilitiesConnectors§ Dynamic Document Capture § image recognition§ SAP Connectivity Suite (BC-XOM, BC-CON and BAPI interfaces)§ SNA Connector (3270, RJE or APPC)§ TCP/IP Connector (FTP and LPD)Delivery methods§ Email/messaging
- Microsoft Exchange 5.5, 2000, 2003- Domino/Lotus 6.0.X, 6.5.X, or 7.0.X- Internet Mail (SMTP, POP)- Novell GroupWise- Microsoft Mail- Lotus cc:Mail
§ Fax§ print§ Web publishing (HTML)§ File publishing§ Archive§ SQL§ Fax on Demand (outsourced fax)§ Mail on Demand (outsourced mail)§ SMS on Demand (outsourced SMS)Client applications§ LanFax Manager — desktop client for Windows XP and 2000§ LanFax Outlook client§ Document Manager — web-based .NET user interface (uses
Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1 SP1)File format support
Directory support § Novell DNS§ Microsoft Active Directory§ Microsoft Exchange Directory (pre-ADS)§ Netscape Directory§ Lotus Notes Directory§ Any LDAP directory§ Any ODBC databasePerformance management§ Microsoft clustering support§ Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in interface§ Remote Queue Manager§ Scheduled sending§ performance monitoring§ Disk space monitoring§ sNMp§ Notification
- Email notification of failed transmission and job status- Log upload (RJE, FTP, and LanCopy)
20
Esker DeliveryWare 4.0
OUTPUT FORMATS
Text* PDF HTML TIFF XMLSAP
Formats (IDoc)
INPU
T FO
RMAT
S
Text § § § § § §XML § § § § § §PCL/PostScript* § § § § § §PDF* § § § § § §HTML § § § § § §Image Formats (TIFF, JPEG, BMP, ...) § § § § § §Windows Applications ** (DOC, XLS, etc.) § § § § § §AFP § § § § § §SAP Formats (XSF, RDI) § § § § § §
* Excluding bitmap fonts ** All Windows applications that can print
white paper
esker deliveryware
Esker is a recognized leader in helping organizations eliminate manual document processes, increase process visibility and control, and reduce the use of paper by automating the flow of documents into, within and outside the organization. Customers gain significant and immediate operational efficiencies, cost savings and measurable ROI in as little as three to six months.
Esker solutions include an end-to-end platform that automates every phase and every type of document-based business information exchange, and online services enabling fax and postal mail from enterprise and desktop applications without the need for printers, mailroom equipment, fax machines and similar infrastructure.
Founded in 1985, Esker operates globally with more than 80 000 customers and millions of licensed users worldwide. Esker has global headquarters in Lyon, France and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin.
For more information about Esker or other Esker solutions, email [email protected] or visit: www.esker.com.
21
About Esker
white paper
Key operational areas of Esker expertise and Esker DeliveryWare technology include:
Order-to-Cash
§ Customer sales order processing
§ E-invoicing and cash collection
Procure-to-Pay
§ Purchase order delivery
§ Vendor invoice processing
white paper
WORLDWIDE ESkER LOCATIONS
asia § www.esker.com.sg
Australia § www.esker.com.au
France § www.esker.fr
Germany § www.esker.de
Italy § www.esker.it
spain § www.esker.es
United kingdom § www.esker.co.uk
MADISON, WISCONSIN § U.S. HEADQUARTERS
Esker Inc. 1212 Deming Way
suite 350 Madison, WI 53717
Tel : 608.828.6000 Fax : 608.828.6001
Email : [email protected]
www.esker.com
www.esker.com