Server-side PDF
Moving beyond one at a time
Tim Sullivan
activePDF, Inc.
So why are you here today?
• You have nothing better to do at 8:30am
• You have to go back with something
interesting to your boss.
• You’re kind of interested in server PDF
technology
• You have a real need that you think server
PDF technology will fix
What’s going to be covered?
• This is not a product “shoot out”
• The how’s and why’s of going to serverbased PDF
• Server products for creating & re-using PDF
• Discovery of new and different ways to do
things
• Some things to watch out for when going to
a server-based solution
So…why server-based PDF?
• “I can do that with Acrobat”
• “That’s cool and all, but out of my
price range.”
• “I don’t own a server”
• “I have to do what to get it to run?
• “I hate Windows/Microsoft”
• “I just don’t get it”
Desktopaholics Anonymous
• Have a real need, know it, but insist on
using a desktop application anyways
• Afraid of “server technology”
• “Forest for the Trees”
• activePDF Marketing “Personas”
Desktopaholic #1
“George”
Play Interview
TMDPS
Too Much Damn Paper Syndrome
George’s Obstacles
• Disparate input document sources
• Statutory requirements for document
retention
• Legislative requirements for document
availability
• Current workflow is entirely paperbased
George’s Solution
•
•
•
•
Redesign workflow to be paperless
Require known input document sources
Retain documents electronically
Make documents available online for
retrieval purposes
How it will work
Attorney
Case Briefs
SD
PowerEdge
6100

Conversion
Server
Clerk
Case
Repository
Judge
Public
Procedural Changes
• Require attorneys to file with
“standard” formats (e.g. Word, RTF,
WordPerfect)
• New case “cover sheet” for judges
decision and signature
PDF Technologies Used
• Conversion Server
– activePDF DocConverter
– Adlib eXpress Server
• Document Markup
– Adobe Acrobat
• Stamping & Signing
– Appligent FDFMerge, StampPDF Pro &
SecureSign
– activePDF Toolkit
Desktopaholic #2
“Judy”
Play Interview
DSD
Data Storage Disorder
Judy’s Obstacles
•
•
•
•
•
Data is retrieved offsite
Manual re-entry is the rule
Cannot be 100% paperless
Data needs to be shared with lenders
No technology in-house to manage
information
Judy’s Solution
• Design PDF version of loan application
• Store data offsite using 3rd party
• Repurpose data into appropriate lender
forms
• Take advantage of technologies for
date/time non-repudiation
How it will work
Loan Officers
PowerEdge
6600
XEON
XEON
$
$
Data Storage Host
$
Applicant
PDF Technologies Used
• Form Design
– Adobe Acrobat
– Amgraf OneForm Designer
• Form Entry
– Adobe Reader
• 3rd Party Data Storage
– FormRouter.Net
• Repurposing Data via Form Fill
– activePDF Toolkit
– Appligent FDFMerge
– PDFLib Personalization Server
Desktopaholic #3
“Lisa”
Play Interview
DAH
Document Assembly Hysteria
Lisa’s Obstacles
• Multiple types of input documents
• PDF output required for different
media
• “Intelligent” PDF
• Dependence on her for conversion
• Order placement specific
• Distribution (& re-distribution)
Lisa’s Solution
• Centralized automated conversion with
bookmark, hyperlink, etc. support
• Automated document assembly
• Repurpose PDF documents
automatically
• Send via email distribution list
How it will work
SD
PowerEdge
6100

Department Heads
Web Ready
Lisa
Printer
Print Ready PDF
Prepress
PDF Technologies Used
• Form Design & Entry
– Adobe Acrobat
• Conversion Server
– activePDF DocConverter
– Adlib eXpress Server
– Adobe Elements Server
• Document Assembly
– activePDF Toolkit
– Appligent AppendPDF Pro
• Automated Repurposing
– PDF Sages/Apago PDF Enhancer
– Enfocus PitStop Server
Desktopaholic #4
“Paul”
Play Interview
FGC
Form God Complex
Paul’s Obstacles
•
•
•
•
•
•
Too many to mention?
Local Save for intermediate storage
Obvious solution is Reader Extensions
Or is it?
No budget
OK, he can have $2,000
Paul’s Solution
“Round Tripping”
How it works
SD
PowerEdge
6100

End User
PDF Technologies Used
• Form Design
– Adobe Acrobat
• Form Entry
– Adobe Reader
• Form Fill for Round Tripping
– activePDF Toolkit
– Appligent FDFMerge
Getting it to work
1. Create a hidden form field called
“Template” and set the value to the
name of the PDF
2. Set the click action for the Submit
button to do an HTTP POST.
3. For activePDF Toolkit create the
following script:
Set TK = Server.CreateObject(“APToolkit.Object”)
R = TK.OpenOutputFile(“MEMORY”)
R = TK.OpenInputFile(Request.Form(“Template”)
For each FieldName in Request.Form
TK.SetFormFieldData FieldName,
Request(FieldName), 1
Next
TK.CloseOutputFile
Response.BinaryWrite(TK.OutputByteStream)
Desktopaholic #5
“Peter”
Play Interview
ADP
Acrobat Distribution Phobia
Peter’s Obstacles
•
•
•
•
Creation from the Desktop mandated
Standardized settings
“Intelligent” PDF
Ease of installation
Peter’s Solution
• Centralized PDF Creation
• Acts as a Printer Driver
• Seamless to the user
How it works
SD
PowerEdge
6100

End User
PDF Technologies Used
• Centralized PDF Server
– Adobe Distiller Server
– Global Graphics Jaws PDF Server
Desktopaholic #6
“Ted”
Play Interview
PCHS
PDF Creation Hostility Syndrome
Ted’s Solution
• Talk to Peter
• Createpdf.adobe.com
• www.primopdf.com
Common Underlying Threads
•
•
•
•
•
One “go to” person
Cost reduction
Standardization
Repetitive tasks
Data collection and repurposing
What about those $39
programs that run on a server
• You get what you pay for
• Is the vendor dedicated to PDF or are
they looking for a quick buck?
• Is it really designed to run on a server
5 Ways to tell that a program is
really just a desktop application
running on a server.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Requires that someone always be logged in.
Runs as a tray icon.
Benchmarks are based on 10 documents
Price list includes desktop and server
(excludes programming API’s )
5. Last week they only had a desktop
version…this week viola!
5 Ways to tell that it’s really a server
program.
1. It doesn’t care who’s logged in because it
installs as a service.
2. Benchmarks include thousands, if not tens
of or hundreds of thousands of documents.
3. The company’s webpage actually lists a
phone number.
4. Last year they only had a server
version…now they are just starting to
thinking about desktop.
5. It costs more than lunch (Open Source
excluded )
Desktop or Server
How do you choose?
• Decide if it’s what you really need or
want. With power comes headaches.
• If you don’t have the people resources
to implement a server solution, hire
them, learn it yourself or stick with the
desktop.
• You can always use our method…
Play...