Input devices

Input devices receive input files, create jobs, and assign the jobs to workflows for processing.

RICOH ProcessDirector provides these types of input devices:

  • Hot folder input devices are directories that the system monitors. When a print job is copied or sent to a Hot folder, the system notices it and begins to process it.
  • Line printer daemon (LPD) input devices receive jobs that are submitted using the LPD protocol. LPD input devices specify a control file, receive_lpd_jobtype.cfg or receive_lpd_pdf_jobtype.cfg, to convert LPD control file parameters for the job to a text-based job property file.
  • REST web service input devices call a Representational State Transfer web service to retrieve XML or JSON files from a third-party application. The input device can create a job containing the entire XML or JSON file, or it can examine the file using an XPath or JSONPath expression. If the input device finds XML elements or JSON objects specified by the expression, it can create a single job containing the entire file. Alternatively, it can create one or more jobs, each containing a portion of the file. This device type is only available if the Web Services Enablement feature is installed.
  • SOAP web service input devices call a Simple Object Access Protocol web service to retrieve XML files from a third-party application. The input device can create a job containing the entire XML file, or it can examine the file using an XPath expression. If the input device finds XML elements specified by the expression, it can create a single job containing the entire file. Alternatively, it can create one or more jobs, each containing a portion of the file. This device type is only available if the Web Services Enablement feature is installed.

The AFP Support feature provides Download input devices. These input devices receive data sets from Download for z/OS or AFP Download Plus. For information about submitting jobs to Download input devices, see Print Services Facility for z/OS: Download for z/OS (S550-0429) or Print Services Facility for z/OS: AFP Download Plus (S550-0433).

In this section:

  1. Hot folder input devices
    Hot folder input devices are directories on a primary or secondary server that the system monitors for input files.
  2. LPD input devices
    LPD input devices receive jobs that are submitted using an LPR command. LPD input devices specify a control file, receive_lpd_jobtype.cfg or receive_lpd_pdf_jobtype.cfg, to convert LPD control file parameters for the job to a text-based job property file.
  3. Download input devices
    Download input devices receive jobs from Download for z/OS® or AFP Download Plus. Download input devices specify a control file to change JCL parameters for a job to a job properties file in RICOH ProcessDirector property name=value format that the workflow uses.
Parent topic: System objects