Components

RICOH ProcessDirector primary server

The RICOH ProcessDirector primary server manages all job activities, including input devices that create the jobs and printers that print the jobs. The server also processes jobs through workflows, some of which include other programs. It controls both the flow of jobs and the database tables that store system information.

In addition, you can set up your installation to have a standby computer to use as a backup (or failover) computer. RICOH ProcessDirector is installed on both the active computer and the backup computer, but it can only run on one computer at a time. Both computers must have access to an NFS file server, where print jobs and systems objects are stored. In the event of an outage on the active computer, you can run scripts provided with RICOH ProcessDirector to move processing to the backup computer without losing objects or print jobs.

RICOH ProcessDirector stores system information and manages jobs as they flow through the system using a database. Two databases are supported: PostgreSQL and IBM DB2.

Existing customers can continue to use IBM DB2 or migrate their data to PostgreSQL. You can use the PostgreSQL database included with RICOH ProcessDirector or use a separate instance of the PostgreSQL database installed locally or on other computer. For details, see Upgrading, in Chapter 3.

RICOH ProcessDirector is supported on several varieties of Linux. Consult the table to find the operating system and database combination that suits your environment, including other software requirements. We recommend installing the latest service pack of all operating systems.

If you choose to use PostgreSQL as the main database for RICOH ProcessDirector, you can:

• Install the PostgreSQL database included in the RICOH ProcessDirector installation. The PostgreSQL database is installed in a Docker or Podman container. You must install Docker Engine or Podman on the primary computer before you install RICOH ProcessDirector.
• Install your own copy of PostgreSQL on the primary computer or on a different computer.

If you choose to use DB2 as the main database for RICOH ProcessDirector, you can:

• Install DB2 during the RICOH ProcessDirector installation. If you choose this option, you cannot use this DB2 installation for any other purpose.
• Install your own copy of DB2 on the computer that you plan to use for the RICOH ProcessDirector primary server.
• Install your own DB2 server on a different computer and a DB2 client on the primary computer.

You do not have to install the database or database-related software on computers where you install Secondary Server features; secondary servers share the database that is installed on the primary computer.

RICOH ProcessDirector user interface

The RICOH ProcessDirector user interface is a browser-based interface that lets you manage the printing process. Users can access the user interface from a supported web browser on a Windows or Linux workstation as long as they have a RICOH ProcessDirector user ID. The workstation must have the most recent version of one of these browsers installed:

• Mozilla Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge

The user interface also has a web-based file viewer that uses the Adobe Acrobat Reader (or similar PDF viewer plug-in) to display AFP or PDF files so you can select pages to reprint.

To access the user interface, enter this URL in the address bar of a browser, replacing hostname with the hostname or IP address of the computer that the primary server runs on: http://hostname:15080/pd

After you are authenticated, you can explore the user interface. Highlights of the user interface include:

• The Main page includes portlets that show system health, job status, and device status in graphical ways by using colors and graphics. Users can tell at a glance the overall status of their system and easily drill down for more detail as desired.
• On the Main page, you can move portlets by clicking the title bar, dragging the portlet to a different position, then releasing the mouse button to drop the portlet. You can also maximize any portlet, so that it fills the entire browser window. The Fit portlets to window action, lets you resize all the portlets at once so they fill the available window size.
• You can customize the columns available in all portlets and object tables, using the Manage columns action under the Settings () menu. If a table appears on both the Main and Administration pages, you can save different columns on each page.
• Both the Main and Administration pages are automatically updated to show property and status changes. You do not need to refresh the browser to see the most recent information.
  Note:
  • If there are more than 1500 jobs in the Jobs table, property and status changes for jobs are not updated automatically. Other portlets continue to update automatically.

• You can add, copy, and delete all types of devices from the Main page as well as from the Administration page. On both pages, Copy and Delete are available on the More actions menu. On the Administration page, the Add action is available at the top of the table on the right side. On the Main page, the Add action is on the Settings () menu.

• The Jobs table displays up to 1500 jobs without using pagination controls. You can scroll through the entire list of jobs in the same table, instead of advancing through them page by page.
• Most portlets and tables include a filter that you can use to find entries easily. Click the Filter icon () and type in the box. The portlet or table displays only rows that include the text you entered.
• The Jobs portlet includes an Advanced filter. Click the arrow to the left of the Advanced filter title to expand the filter and specify the conditions that you want to use to filter the Jobs table.
• You can manage access to objects on both the Main and Administration pages based on location properties. If you assign objects such as printers, input devices, and jobs to specific locations, you can use the Allowed locations property for each user to define which locations they can see in the user interface.

  The Locations to show property lets users select which of their allowed locations to display in the user interface. If a user chooses to show a subset of the allowed locations, a location icon () displays in the banner area.

• The help window that opens when you click the can be moved to a different position and resized to show more or less information. You can also highlight text in the window, so you can copy it.

The user interface is available in these languages:

• Brazilian Portuguese (pt_BR)
• English (en_US)
• French (fr_FR)
• German (de_DE)
• Italian (it_IT)
• Japanese (ja_JP)
• Spanish (es_ES)

RICOH ProcessDirector information center

The information center contains topics that help users learn about and use RICOH ProcessDirector.

Open the information center by clicking ? ⇒ Help in the banner of the user interface. In addition, you can bookmark the location of the information center in your browser and open it outside of RICOH ProcessDirector.