The CopiaFacts system is implemented in a number of separate programs. The following is a guide to the principal programs of the system.
COPIAFACTS
The COPIAFACTS program and its DLLs form the 'server engine' at the heart of the CopiaFacts system. It controls the installed fax boards and IP ports used to send and receive faxes, the voice boards and IP ports used for IVR and voice messages, and also sends e-mail and SMS traffic from the system. The program is driven by file-based task queues and also answers incoming calls when configured to do so. Operations to be performed are defined by the various command files described in a separate topic, and individual transactions can be controlled by scripting files (IIF), although most common operations are built-in and require no scripting.
Larger CopiaFacts systems may have more than one machine running COPIAFACTS, each controlling a set of boards or IP ports. Multiple copies of COPIAFACTS can run on the same machine, using different CopiaFacts node names, but must not be configured for the same fax/voice interface type.
SMTP GATEWAY
The CopiaFacts E-Mail to Fax Gateway is the only other principal program besides COPIAFACTS which communicates with the 'outside world'. It is used to receive e-mails into the system. The received e-mails are then processed by other CopiaFacts programs, typically to provide an e-mail-to-fax service or to initiate fax or e-mail broadcasts.
FFEXTERN
The FFEXTERN program performs tasks on behalf of, and 'external to' the COPIAFACTS program. The principal task is the Document Converter task, which allows a variety of document formats (e.g. DOC, XLS, PDF) to be submitted for faxing and converted to faxable format. The program also handles printing of received faxes and a variety of other custom processing tasks which are better handled independently of the COPIAFACTS program. FFEXTERN processes its own task queues.
Because some document conversion operations can take longer than faxing the resulting document, especially when a customized document conversion is required for each broadcast recipient, larger CopiaFacts systems may have more than one machine (physical or virtual) running FFEXTERN. Only one instance of FFEXTERN can run on each machine.
FFCLIENT
The CopiaFacts Client program provides for sending faxes and e-mails from the desktop and receiving faxes to the desktop. The fax transmission and reception are actually performed by the COPIAFACTS server engine: the Client merely interfaces with this application from user seats and displays the status of each person's fax and e-mail operations.
FFVIEWER
FFVIEWER is a fax viewer program which can display all the faxable formats supported by CopiaFacts. In addition to just viewing faxes, it has the ability to submit the viewed images for faxing or e-mailing; and it can also access the folders into which incoming faxes are received, to review incoming faxes and forward them to the appropriate recipient. The viewer can also be configured on the desktop of an 'approver' to view and authorize faxes before they are transmitted.
The fax viewer is also used to create and maintain fax cover-sheet templates, specifying where variable data is to be inserted on a 'watermark' background image.
FFVIEWER also provides access to the CopiaFacts built-in document converter capability: it can convert any of the supported document formats to faxable TIF format and display the TIF as it will appear when faxed. This powerful feature allows optimization of the document conversion options, which can be adjusted from FFVIEWER's Image Options Editor for use in CopiaFacts document conversion.
FFBC
The FFBC program is used to launch 'broadcasts' to multiple recipients. It can process fax, e-mail and voice broadcasts, selecting a list of recipient phone numbers or e-mail addresses. This program is typically used for larger broadcasts than can conveniently handled in the CopiaFacts Client program, but it lacks the broadcast job management capability required for operating large-scale broadcasting services, which are the target of the Job Administration subsystem.
FFMERGE
FFMERGE, implemented as a special print driver, is a component used principally for 'automation' tasks, where output from a Windows application is to be faxed or e-mailed automatically. The destination fax or e-mail is embedded in the document using a special font, and no user interaction is required to send the fax or e-mail to the specified destination.
JOBADMIN and JOBMON
The JOBADMIN program is the principal means of controlling the CopiaFacts Broadcast Job Administration subsystem. It displays all the clients of a broadcasting service bureau together with all their active jobs, and can perform all administration tasks from setting up new clients to launching, monitoring and controlling jobs. The other essential job administration program is JOBMON: this program monitors active jobs, detects job completion, and initiates end-of-job reporting and accounting tasks.
CFHK and CFHKSERVICE
The CFHK 'housekeeping' program and the service it works with are used to clean up the small transaction files (FS and MCF), and other temporary filers, which can otherwise build up and slow down operations. It is important to understand and configure CFHK to keep your CopiaFacts system running smoothly. On a large system, you could otherwise find thousands of already-processed files left on your file system. These files can either be deleted or archived to ZIP files automatically by CFHKSERVICE.
CFHWL
The CFHWL program (FFHWL for CopiaFacts version 7) is the license and hardware configurator which controls the operations allowed by each CopiaFacts license and specifies the installed hardware.
COPIAEDIT
The COPIAEDIT program is a specialist editor for the CopiaFacts command files described in the next topic. You can also use Notepad or any text editor for these files, but the advantage of COPIAEDIT is that it provides syntax highlighting and direct access to this help file for individual CopiaFacts commands. It can also be used to edit and render HTML files for use as standard e-mail body files, and it includes a comparison feature to simplify updating of standard script files.
Other Programs
For descriptions of other CopiaFacts programs and utilities, please refer to the Programs topic.
