Section Products/FaxWare/FaxWare 4
This concept guarantees not only a fantastic configurability and
a high reliability but also the unlimited scalability of the entire
system.
In addition, the Service Layer manages the FaxWare users and groups
as well as the logs for all sent and received faxes. Various databases
are also managed by the FaxWare NLM, e.g. the collection list,
the distribution list or the charges database. The layout of the
FaxWare NLM has firstly been designed in the typical »NetWare Look
& Feel«. Therefore, the system supervisor will have no
problems with the menu items.
Architecture and structure
FaxWare has a multi-layered architecture. Three different software
modules carry out totally different jobs.
It carries out the main work and provides the real fax service.
This layer is responsible for data transmission via the installed fax hardware
(modem or ISDN board).
The Frontend programs for DOS and Windows allow for access by the clients
on the local network to the FaxWare send and receive logs.
The Service Layer
The Service Layer is the real heart of FaxWare 4. It has firstly been
developed for Novell NetWare and currently runs as a »NetWare
Loadable Module« (NLM) directly on the Novell NetWare server.
The NLM receives the fax jobs from the Frontend Layer, carries
out conversions into fax format, prints fax files and is responsible
for the job administration for the Transport Layer.
The Transport Layer
As the name suggests, this is a medium for the transmission of
information. The Transport Layer Driver (TLD) runs also on the
server and connects the Service Layer with the fax hardware in
the server. Depending on the extension level of FaxWare, several TLDs can
be operated at the same time on the server. Special Transport
Layer Drivers work with analog modems (Class 2 and Class 2.0)
as well as with ISDN boards (CAPI 1.1, CAPI 2.0, and the CAPI Manager).
The Frontend Layer
The users work with the Frontend Layer on their workstations.
One program is available respectively for the operation under
DOS and Windows as the Frontend Layer. The Frontend is the
connection between
the Service Layer and the user. With the Frontend you can view
your personal send and receive logs as well as the phonebooks.
In addition, it provides further features like the creation of
a simple fax job by means of an integrated text editor. The fax
viewer for fax files is also directly called from the Frontend
program.
