|
 
|
 Q1: What components are required to run Domino Fax?
The key components are described here and shown in the graphic below:
- Domino Fax system
This is your System i server where the Domino Fax software runs as an application on a Domino server. The Domino Fax system must have a fax device installed, which the Domino Fax server uses to send faxes or receive them from fax machines at other locations. See Question 6 for the list of supported fax devices.
When a user specifies that a Notes memo should be sent to one or more recipients as a fax, the memo is routed to the Domino Fax server for processing.
- Fax Windows Services system
Before the Domino Fax server can send a memo as a fax, the memo must be converted to a faxable format. This is the job of the Fax Windows Services system. The Domino Fax server first routes the memo to the Fax Windows Services system, where the memo is converted to a faxable format and sent back to the Domino Fax server.
The Fax Windows Services system is normally a standalone Windows workstation or server. If you prefer, you can use an Integrated xSeries Server (IXS) instead.
- Administrator workstation
This is a client workstation that the administrator uses to install the Domino Fax software on the System i server, configure the Domino Fax server and manage the server.
Remember that once you configure these components, their existence is transparent to the end user. The Domino Fax application on the Domino server automatically communicates with the Fax Windows Services system for formatting documents and with the fax hardware for sending and receiving documents. The user simply makes a request to send a fax.
Q2: How do my end users send and receive faxes? What software must be installed on their workstation?
Domino Fax is intended primarily for users who have installed the Lotus Notes client. Once the environment is properly configured and the intended recipient’s fax number is stored in the Domino directory or the user’s personal name and address book, the user simply specifies the recipient’s name in the “Fax to” field that appears in their mail memo.
If the user does not have a Notes client, it is still possible to send faxes using web mail but the user must specify the fax number and the fax domain name.
It is also possible to download and install the Lotus Print-to-Fax driver which allows the user to send faxes from within most Windows applications using the File-Print menu.
Typically your users will receive faxes as e-mail. Depending on the capability of the fax device and how inbound routing is configured, faxes may be sent automatically to an individual user’s mailbox or it may be necessary for an administrator to manually forward faxes to the intended recipient.
Q3: How is Domino Fax V4R5 different from the previous release (V4R4)?
If you have been using Domino Fax V4R4, you will notice the following differences when you upgrade to V4R5:
- Domino Fax V4R5 fully integrates support for current levels of IBM Lotus Notes and Domino and incorporates the latest fixes.
- Upgrade, installation, fax device configuration, and documentation are improved and simplified.
- In order to make the product less dependent on the level of Lotus Domino, Domino Fax administration using the Domino directory (combined administration) is no longer supported. The Fax Administration database (separate administration) must be used instead.
- For Domino Fax V4R4 customers who have been using combined administration, all of the fax information in the Domino directory is copied to the Fax Administration database automatically as part of the upgrade process
- New tools in the Fax Administration database make it easier to create fax user profiles based on information in the Domino directory.
Support for Domino Fax V4R4 ended April 30, 2007. There is no charge for upgrading from V4R4 to V4R5.
Q4: I’ve heard about some other fax solutions that claim to run natively on i5/OS. What factors should I consider when evaluating these and comparing them to Domino Fax?
The majority of Domino Fax runs natively on the Domino for i5/OS server. Only a small portion of the product runs on a Windows workstation or server to convert memos and attachments to a faxable format.
Other “native” i5/OS solutions normally have one or more of the following disadvantages when compared to Domino Fax:
- Require a separate server entirely dedicated to fax
- not integrated with Domino and the Notes client
- cannot fax document attachments to mail memos
- require external fax hardware
Only Domino Fax and IBM Facsimile Support directly use the System i fax hardware. Other solutions usually act as a gateway to an external fax adapter. Some solutions are bundled with IBM’s Facsimile Support and use its APIs.
Q5: Do I need a Windows server to run Domino Fax? I have lots of Windows workstations but don’t want to administer a Windows server?
No, you do not need a Windows server. You can use either a Windows workstation or server for the Fax Windows Services system which to convert memos and attachments to a faxable format. This can be a standalone Windows system or an Integrated xSeries Server (IxS).
You just install a Notes client and a portion of the Domino Fax product (Fax Windows Services). No persistent customer data resides on the Windows workstation, so there’s nothing to back up. Also:
- If you install your most frequently used workstation applications on the Fax Windows Services system, Domino Fax can render and fax images of mail attachments that use those applications.
- Because CPU-intensive image conversions are offloaded, normal fax workloads have a relatively low impact on your Domino server.
- Multiple Domino Fax servers can share the same Fax Windows Services system.
Q6: What fax hardware is available for use with Domino Fax and what sort of capability does it have?
The list below provides an overview of the currently supported devices. For more detailed information about the fax device capabilities, see Facsimile Support for i (PDF, 26.6KB).
| Device |
Routing methods available |
Comments |
| IBM 7852 Model 400 Modem |
CSID, port and manual |
1 port
suitable for casual fax usage |
| Multi-Tech MT5600BA Modem |
CSID, port and manual |
1 port |
| IBM 2771/9771 Adapter Card with integrated 56Kbps modem |
CSID, port and manual |
1 port |
| IBM 2772/2773 or 4772/4773 Dual WAN/Modem IO Adapter |
CSID, port and manual |
2 ports |
| IBM 2805/2806 V.92 integrated modem PCI adapter |
DTMF, CSID, port and manual |
4 ports |
| IBM 6808/6809 V.92 integrated modem PCI adapter in IOP-less mode |
DTMF, CSID, port and manual |
4 ports |
| IBM 2793/2794/9793/9794 V.92 integrated modem PCI adapter |
DTMF, CSID, port and manual |
2 ports |
| IBM 6833/6834/9933/9934 V.92 integrated modem PCI adapter in IOP-less mode |
DTMF, CSID, port and manual |
2 ports |
| IBM 2893/2894/9693/9694 V.92 integrated modem PCIe adapter |
DTMF, CSID, port and manual |
2 ports
requires Domino Fax V4R5 and the latest server update (4.5 02 or later) |
| Multi-Tech MT5634ZBA-DID Direct Inward Dial external modem |
DID, DTMF, CSID, port and manual |
2 ports, can connect to either a DID line or an analog phone line. DTMF routing is only supported when connected to a DID line.
For ordering information, contact Multi-Tech Systems |
| IBM 2761 PCI Integrated Analog Modem |
DTMF, CSID, port and manual |
no longer supported; replacement is 2805/2806 |
Note: For Domino Fax V4R4, some of these devices require software updates. See Domino Fax V4R4 System Requirements for more information. For device configuration information, see the latest V4R4 Release Notes . Support for Domino Fax V4R4 ended April 30, 2007.
Q7: What kind of workload will Domino Fax add to my Domino server? Should I have a separate Domino server entirely dedicated to fax serving?
Our testing indicates that casual faxing does not generally add a significant burden to a Domino server. You might choose to implement a separate Domino server on your System i server for administrative reasons, but this is generally not necessary for performance reasons.
Q8: How do I decide whether to use Domino Fax or Facsimile Support for iSeries (5798FAX)?
For some customers, Domino Fax offers many advantages over Facsimile Support. Here are a few of them:
- Full integration with Domino mail functions and the Domino directory. Sending a fax is as easy as sending mail.
- Supports faxing directly to ad-hoc fax numbers which are not listed in your Domino directory or personal name and address book.
- Fully preserves appearance of documents during conversion to image format for faxing; full fidelity of fonts and graphics.
- Capability to easily fax mail memo attachments.
- The administrative interface is Notes based and, therefore, graphical.
- It is also possible to fax i5/OS spooled files documents using Domino Fax. See Send Domino Fax .
If you are already using Facsimile Support, consider the following:
- If you are now implementing a Domino solution, consider installing Domino Fax to complement and enhance your faxing capabilities.
- If Facsimile Support is integrated with your line-of-business applications, you will probably want to keep using it. Facsimile Support and Domino Fax can co-exist on the same System i server but they cannot share fax ports.
- If you do decide to replace Facsimile Support with Domino Fax, all of the devices that are currently supported for Facsimile Support are also supported for Domino Fax.
Q9: What do I need to know if I plan to use both Domino Fax and Facsimile Support?
You can run both Domino Fax and Facsimile Support on the same System i server, within the same LPAR. Also, both products support the same set of fax devices. The only restriction is that they cannot share fax ports. For example, if you have an 8 port fax device, you can configure Domino Fax to use some of the ports and assign any of the remaining ports to Facsimile Support.
Q10: Is it possible to send a fax through Domino Fax from an i5/OS application? (e.g., using a CL command?)
Yes. Sample code for Send Domino Fax command is available to fax spooled files directly from an i5/OS command line using Domino Fax.
|
