Section Products/FaxWare/FaxWare 4

Architecture and structure FaxWare has a multi-layered architecture. Three different software modules carry out totally different jobs. The Service Layer It carries out the main work and provides the real fax service. The Transport Layer This layer is responsible for data transmission via the installed fax hardware (modem or ISDN board). The Frontend Layer The Frontend programs for DOS and Windows allow for access by the clients on the local network to the FaxWare send and receive logs. This concept guarantees not only a fantastic configurability and a high reliability but also the unlimited scalability of the entire system. 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. 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. 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.