After a FAX is received by a FAX_TO_DATA channel, the raw data comprising the FAX is passed to a DATA_TO_BITMAP channel. The DATA_TO_BITMAP channel then converts the FAX to one of several image format and "disposes" of the FAX by one of three methods: sends it via e-mail to a designated address or addresses, spools it for printing to a designated printer queue, or stores it on disk as a file in a designated directory. See Section 37.3.1 for a description of the supported image formats.
FAXes sent as e-mail will be sent using MIME headers to describe the
message content and encoding. If an entry exists in the
name_content.dat file which matches the filename extension
of the image format being used, then the image will be encoded as
specified by the name_content.dat file. If no entry exists
in the name_content.dat file, then, with the exception of
PostScript, the image will be processed in block mode and sent as
application/vms-rms. PostScript images are processed in text mode and
sent as application/postscript. Note that when DDIF files are delivered
to a local, l, or DECnet MAIL-11, d, channel and that channel is marked
foreign (with the foreign keyword), then two VMS MAIL
messages are delivered: one VMS MAIL message contains the DDIF encoding
of the FAX and the other message contains the header lines associated
with the original MIME message. The TO channel option is used to
designate the e-mail address to send FAXes to.
FAXes spooled to a printer queue are temporarily stored in a subdirectory of the DATA_TO_BITMAP channel's queue directory. The messages are spooled such that they will be deleted after printing. On OpenVMS systems, the BURST, FLAG, FORM, PAGINATE, P1, ..., P8, QUEUE, TRAILER, and USERNAME channel options may be used to control aspects of the printing of FAXes.
FAXes stored as files in a disk directory are stored one FAX per file. The names of the files are chosen so as to be unique across a cluster. Optionally, a notification message announcing each new received FAX may be sent to a designated e-mail address. The DIRECTORY_PATH and TO channel options are used to control where FAXes are stored and, if desired, where to send e-mail notifications.
Only one choice of disposition method (e-mail, printer queue, disk file) and image format may be used by a given DATA_TO_BITMAP channel. More than one FAX_TO_DATA channel may feed into a single DATA_TO_BITMAP channel. However, it is not possible to have one FAX_TO_DATA channel feed into multiple DATA_TO_BITMAP channels.
37.3.7.1 Option files
Option files are used to set run-time channel options on a per channel
basis. Option files are stored in the PMDF table directory and have
names of the form x_option, where
x is the name of the DATA_TO_BITMAP channel to
which the option file applies. Every DATA_TO_BITMAP channel must have
an associated option file. The only required options are the OUTPUT_AS,
OUTPUT_FORMAT, and any options required by the choices selected with
those two options.
See Section 37.2.15.3 for a description of the format of option files.
The available options are:
OUTPUT_AS (EMAIL, FILE, PRINTJOB)
The OUTPUT_AS option specifies how received FAXes are to be disposed of (the "disposition method"): delivered as e-mail to a designated address (OUTPUT_AS=EMAIL), stored on disk in a file (OUTPUT_AS=FILE), or spooled to a specified printer queue (OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB). Table 37-3 shows which additional options must be specified in conjunction with the different disposition methods.There is no default value for the OUTPUT_AS option; it must always be specified.
Table 37-3 Options required by disposition methods Disposition Method Required Option Optional Options TO none FILE DIRECTORY_PATH TO PRINTJOB QUEUE BURST, FLAG, FORM, PAGINATE, P1, ..., P8, TO, TRAILER, USERNAME OUTPUT_FORMAT (DDIF, GIF, LN03, PCL, PS, TIFF)
This option specifies the type of image format to use to store received FAXes. The avaliable choices are DDIF, GIF, LN03 (LN03 sixel), PCL, PS (PostScript), and TIFF. If GIF or PCL is selected, then the FORMAT_VERSION option should be used to select the version of GIF or PCL to use. Table 37-4 show which additional options may be used in conjunction with the different image formats.There is no default value for the OUTPUT_FORMAT option; it must always be specified.
Table 37-4 Options supported by the image formats Image format Options supported DDIF PAGE_MAGNIFICATION GIF FORMAT_VERSION LN03 PAGE_HEIGHT, PAGE_MAGNIFICATION, PAGE_MARGIN PCL PAGE_HEIGHT, PAGE_MAGNIFICATION, PAGE_MARGIN, FORMAT_VERSION PS PAGE_HEIGHT, PAGE_MAGNIFICATION, PAGE_MARGIN, FORMAT_VERSION TIFF none BURST (0 or 1; OpenVMS only)
The BURST option controls whether two file flag pages with a burst bar between them are printed preceding the mail message. BURST=0 requests that no burst pages be printed; BURST=1 requests that the burst pages be printed preceding the message. By default, no burst pages are requested (BURST=0). This option has no effect if OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is not specified in the option file.DIRECTORY_PATH (string <= 252 characters)
The DIRECTORY_PATH option must be specified when OUTPUT_AS=FILE is used. This option specifies the name of a directory in which to store received FAXes. The account under which PMDF jobs run must have write access to this directory and the directory name must be such that appending a filename to it results in a legal file specification (e.g., DIRECTORY_PATH=d1:[faxes]). This option is ignored when OUTPUT_AS=FILE is not specified.FLAG (0 or 1; OpenVMS only)
The FLAG option controls whether a flag page is printed preceding the mail message. FLAG=0 requests that no flag page be printed; FLAG=1 requests that a flag page be printed preceding the message. By default, no flag page is requested (FLAG=0). The setting of this option has no effect if either OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is not specified or if BURST=1 is specified in the option file.FORM (string <= 252 characters long; OpenVMS only)
Specifies the name or number of the print form to be associated with the message when it is submitted to the printer queue. By default, no print form is associated with messages when they are submitted for printing. This option has no effect if OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is not specified in the option file.FORMAT_VERSION (integer)
This option may be used to specify the format version to use when either the GIF, PCL, or PostScript image formats are selected. Use FORMAT_VERSION=87 to select GIF 87a, or 89 to select GIF 89a. Use FORMAT_VERSION=3 to select PCL 3, 4 for PCL 4, or 5 for PCL 5. Use FORMAT_VERSION=1 to select PostScript Level 1, or 2 to select PostScript Level 2. If no format version is selected then GIF 89a, PCL 5, or PostScript Level 1 will be used by default.PAGE_HEIGHT (real number > 0)
Specify, in inches, the physical page length (vertical length). This option may be used with the LN03, PCL, and PostScript image types. If not specified, then a default height of 11 inches is used.PAGE_MAGNIFICATION (real number)
Specify a rescaling to apply to the FAX. This option may be used with the DDIF, LN03, PCL, and PostScript image types. For the LN03 and PCL image types, the PAGE_MAGNIFICATION is only applied to the vertical page dimension and must exceed zero but may not exceed 1 (i.e., 0 < PAGE_MAGNIFICATION <= 1). For the PostScript (PS) image type, a PAGE_MAGNIFICATION of -1 will result in each FAX page exceeding a length of PAGE_HEIGHT being automatically vertically rescaled to fit on a single output page. If not specified, then PAGE_MAGNIFICATION=0.93 will be used for LN03, PCL and PostScript image formats, and 0.95 will be used for DDIF images. DDIF files are rescaled by 0.95 as the DEC CDA VIEWER will not, without some coaching, create a viewing window capable of being expanded to the size of a typical FAX page.PAGE_MARGIN (real number > 0)
Specify the top and bottom page margins, in inches, to use for FAX images. This option may be used with the LN03, PCL, and PostScript image types. If not specified, then a default margin of one-quarter inch will be used.PAGINATE (0 or 1; OpenVMS only)
Specify whether or not the printer symbiont should paginate the output by inserting a form feed whenever output reaches the bottom margin of the output form. PAGINATE=0 disables the insertion of form feeds; PAGINATE=1 enables the insertion of form feeds. By default, form feeds are inserted by the symbiont (PAGINATE=1). This option has no effect if OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is not specified in the option file.P1 --- P8 (strings <= 252 characters long each; OpenVMS only)
The options P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, and P8 may be used to specify one or more of the printer queue parameters P1, ..., P8. By default, no values are supplied for any of the eight parameters. This option has no effect if OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is not specified in the option file.QUEUE (string <= 252 characters)
The QUEUE option must be specified when OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is used. This option specifies the name of the printer queue to which to spool FAXes for printing. This option has no effect when OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is not specified.SAVE_INPUT (0 or 1)
By default, once the raw data for a received FAX is processed, it is deleted. If you wish to use the manual FAX routing capability of the PMDF MAIL utility, then specify SAVE_INPUT=1 so that the raw data will be retained for subsequent reprocessing.SINGLE_IMAGE (0 or 1)
By default, SINGLE_IMAGE=0, each page of a received FAX is stored in a single image file which is then output as an e-mail message, stored in a file on disk, or queued to a printer. However, many image viewers will only display the first image in an image file. This is commonplace with TIFF and GIF viewers despite the fact that both formats allow for the storage of multiple images in a single file. When SINGLE_IMAGE=1 is specified, PMDF-FAX will store each page of a received FAX in a separate image file. The resulting image files will then be output as a single multipart e-mail message, stored as separate files on disk, or printed as separate files in a single print job request.TO (string <= 252 characters)
The TO option must be specified when OUTPUT_AS=EMAIL is used. In this case, the option specifies the e-mail address to which to send received FAXes. More than one e-mail address may be specified by separating each address by a comma (e.g., TO=sue,karl). The TO option may also be used in conjunction with OUTPUT_AS=FILE and OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB. In these two cases, the TO address specifies one or more e-mail addresses to which to send FAX reception notifications. If not specified, then no reception notification is generated.TRAILER (0 or 1; OpenVMS only)
The TRAILER option controls whether a file trailer page is requested when the message is submitted to the printer queue. TRAILER=0 requests that no trailer page be printed; TRAILER=1 requests that a trailer page be printed. By default, no trailer page is requested (TRAILER=0). This option has no effect if OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is not specified in the option file.USERNAME (string <= 32 characters; OpenVMS only)
This option specifies the username to use when submitting FAX print jobs. This option has no effect when OUTPUT_AS=PRINTJOB is not specified.