System objects

In this section:

1. Primary server
   The RICOH ProcessDirector base product is made up of the primary server, the user interface, and the information center. The primary server includes the RICOH ProcessDirector database, the PSF print driver, and other components. The primary server can interact with application servers and secondary servers. The number of application and secondary servers required depends on the needs of your environment. The primary computer is the computer that the primary server, along with the rest of the base product and most features, is installed on.
2. Secondary servers
   Secondary servers let you distribute processing, so that your RICOH ProcessDirector system runs more efficiently.
3. Application server
   An application server is a Windows system configured to communicate with RICOH ProcessDirector. If your workflows require processing by applications that run on Windows, you can access those applications by installing RICOH ProcessDirector application server code on a Windows computer.
4. Workflows
   A workflow defines a set of steps that a job follows through the system. A printing process can contain one or more workflows, depending on the type of processing required and the configuration of your system.
5. Step templates, steps, and step chains
   Step templates are the basic building blocks for processing on the RICOH ProcessDirector system. A step template contains the code that does a specific action, such as creating or removing a job. It can also define default job property values. When you add a step to a workflow, you select a step template to use as the basis for the step.
6. Input device types
   Input devices receive input files, create jobs, and submit them to the RICOH ProcessDirector system for processing.
7. Printers
   Printer objects represent the printers in your environment that receive print jobs from RICOH ProcessDirector.
8. Locations
   A location is an object that you create to represent a geographical or physical location, such as a name city or a room number in a building. You can also create locations to reflect limited-access spaces, such as a secure print area where sensitive jobs are produced. After you create locations, you can use them to restrict access to objects. Many objects have a Location property, including printers and jobs.
9. Media objects
   Media objects represent the paper, forms, or envelopes that jobs are printed on. RICOH ProcessDirector uses them to determine the media that jobs request and to schedule jobs to printers.
10. Notifications
    Notification objects define the events that cause the system to generate notifications. You can define any number of notification objects based on the needs of your shop.
11. Users and groups
    All RICOH ProcessDirector users must have a unique RICOH ProcessDirector user name and password and must belong to at least one RICOH ProcessDirector group.
12. System user and group
    When you install RICOH ProcessDirector on an UNIX-based system, the installation program creates a RICOH ProcessDirector system user as a member of the RICOH ProcessDirector group. You use the system user to log in to the system that RICOH ProcessDirector runs on.
13. Credentials
    A credential object specifies the user authentication information required to access an SFTP server or another application. You can use credentials with input devices, steps, and data transmitters that need access to other servers or applications.
14. Step resources
    A step resource identifies a file that is used by a workflow step for its processing. Some step templates allow you to specify a file for the step to use when processing jobs. Some of these files might be created on your workstation but need to be available to the workflow when it processes jobs. You can view, retrieve, and replace the file by editing the step resource object.
15. Custom job and document properties
    Custom properties are properties that are unique to your implementation of RICOH ProcessDirector. You create them when the standard job and document properties do not meet your needs.
16. Log
    You can use the system log to view messages and other information about the primary RICOH ProcessDirector system.
17. Barcode format objects
    Barcode format objects help RICOH ProcessDirector interpret barcodes that you scan while jobs are processing. When your barcode format objects are configured correctly, you can scan a barcode and use the information in it to find a document in RICOH ProcessDirector.
18. Barcode readers
    Barcode readers represent the cameras and barcode scanners in your Automated Verification installation that read barcodes on documents in a print job to verify that each document has been processed.
19. Data Collectors
    Data collector objects capture property values during job processing and store them in a PostgreSQL database created by the Reports feature. You can access that data and use it as input to your business intelligence software.
20. Data Transmitters
    Data transmitter objects let you configure what data in the PostgreSQL database created by the Reports feature to send to another application.
21. Documents
    A document is the smallest unit that can be tracked by a workflow. For example, a document can be a set of pages that make up one bill, one statement, or one mailpiece.
22. Inserter controller objects
    Inserter controller objects represent the inserter controllers in your installation. An inserter controller is software that runs on another computer (such as a Windows computer) and can manage several inserter devices that insert printed documents and additional inserts (such as marketing materials) into envelopes.
23. Repositories
    Repository objects hold job and document data that you want to store so you can retrieve it later. When you retrieve the job or document information, you can view the job, submit it again, or review detailed information about the job or document and its processing history. You can create multiple repositories, each with a unique retention period.
24. Service policies
    A service policy defines job checkpoints and the service level agreement (SLA) deadline. Checkpoints let you track the progress of jobs as they flow through the system; the SLA deadline represents the time that the job must complete a specific processing step to meet your commitments to your clients.
25. No-service periods
    A no-service period defines a period of time when an installation does not provide services (for example, a holiday). No-service periods work together with service policies but are not considered for deadlines set by the SetDeadline step or the Change Deadline action.
26. Expected work
    Expected work objects represent jobs that are scheduled to arrive at specific intervals. You can associate expected work objects with input devices so the input devices can monitor for those jobs to arrive. If they do not arrive when they are expected, the system alerts you.
27. Property mapping objects
    A property mapping object defines the relationship between the headings in a preferences file and the document properties defined in the system. The property mapping is used by the ApplyPreferences step in a workflow to add or change values in the document properties file (DPF) for the job.