Barr EOM
Barr EOM is a complex software system, consisting of many components. Some of these components are required for base operations, while others are only required if the respective functionality is desired.
The Barr EOM Database is a central component of the Barr EOM software package. It can be installed on any edition of Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Microsoft SQL Server Express 2005, or later versions. The database performs the following functions:
Stores all configuration data for Barr EOM.
Includes information about and provides pointers to all active, retained, and archived documents in the system.
Logs all activity in Barr EOM.
Supports the Barr EOM Services in the regular operation of the system.
Only one Barr EOM Database can be used per Barr EOM installation. Depending on the scale of the system, we recommend hosting the database on a powerful hardware platform. Technologies such as clustering, replication, and mirroring can be used to ensure continuous operation of the database. Please see Microsoft’s documentation for SQL Server for details on how to build a fault tolerant setup.
Barr EOM is a Microsoft Windows based software system, designed in C# using modern .Net technology. Windows services therefore constitute the backbone of the system. They can be hosted on physical or virtual machines running Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista, or Windows 2008 Server. For large installs of Barr EOM, we recommended these services be installed on machines running server operating systems. Throughout this guide, any machine that has at least one EOM Service installed is called an EOM Server.
The following services available in Barr EOM: Barr EOM DBM Service, Barr EOM Input Service, Barr EOM Output Service, Barr EOM SNMP Service, and Barr EOM Rules Agent Service. Only one instance of each of these services can be installed on a single server. For example, all five services can be installed on a server, but only one instance of each service can be installed on that server. This is also true for the Barr EOM Windows Port Monitor.
The DBM (database manager) Service is the central point through which all other services and user interfaces communicate. Every action or request from another EOM Service or an EOM user interface goes through the DBM Service. The DBM Service is also the only service that communicates with the database. For large installations of Barr EOM, we recommended using multiple DBM Services, in order to distribute the load. In such cases, all DBM Services would connect to the same EOM Database.
The Input Service is responsible for receiving documents into Barr EOM. It includes support for all of the source types available in Barr EOM:
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Source Types |
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Print/Channel |
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Other EOMs |
RJE |
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FTP |
Socket |
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LPD |
Web upload |
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Network folders |
WebSphere MQ |
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NJE |
Windows queues |
Multiple Input Services can be used as part of a Barr EOM installation. Each machine where the Input Service is installed can receive documents.
The Output Service is responsible for sending documents from Barr EOM to destinations. It includes support for all of the destination types available in Barr EOM:
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Destination Types |
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NJE |
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Other EOMs |
Print390 |
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FTP |
RJE |
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IPDS |
Socket |
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IPP |
WebSphere MQ |
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LPR |
Windows queues |
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Network folders |
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Multiple Output Services can be used as part of a Barr EOM installation. Each machine where the Output Service is installed can send documents.
The SNMP Service performs the following two main functions:
Detection of printers on the network.
Continuous monitoring of printer status using SNMP.
Multiple SNMP Services can be used as part of a Barr EOM installation. Each machine where the SNMP Service is installed can monitor specified printers.
The Rules Agent Service acts as an agent for the rules engine that is integrated in the DBM Service. Certain Actions in Barr EOM can be configured to be executed on other machines. The Rules Agent Service has to be installed on the respective machine in order for the Action to be properly executed. Multiple Rules Agent Services can be used as part of a Barr EOM installation.
The Barr EOM Windows Port Monitor allows documents printed to Windows queues (also known as Windows printers) to be received into Barr EOM. As part of creating or configuring Windows queues, administrators choose the port associated with the respective queue. By using the Barr EOM Windows Port Monitor, documents printed to the queue arrive into Barr EOM instead of going directly to the printer. The Barr EOM Windows Port Monitor must be installed on any Windows machine that hosts local printers intended to be used as sources for Barr EOM.
There are several user interfaces that administrators, operators, and end users can use to interact with Barr EOM. These user interfaces vary in terms of platforms they can be run on, richness of features, and footprint.
The EOM Console is that main user interface for Barr EOM. Designed in C#, it can be installed on any machine running Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista, or Windows 2008 Server. Multiple EOM Consoles can connect to the same DBM Service simultaneously.
The EOM Console is the most feature rich Barr EOM user interface. It can be used by administrators to configure the product, operators to manage destinations and documents, and end users to access active, retained, and archived documents. Granular security controls allow for varied access to features, depending on the identity of the logged in user.
The EOM Web Interface can be accessed from any web browser, regardless of the operating system of the machine. This user interface is targeted towards operators and end users, so it lacks the administrative features of the EOM Console.
The functionality available in the EOM Web Interface includes:
Displaying the list of active and retained documents.
Downloading and viewing the contents of documents.
Routing documents to destinations.
Changing the state of documents.
Reprinting documents.
The EOM Desktop Client is designed for Windows workstations in typical office print environments. It is a small footprint software package that can be deployed using any desktop deployment application. Running as a tray application, the EOM Desktop Client allows end users to see the status of documents they submit, and perform tasks such as changing the state, reprinting, or rerouting documents. It also allows the downloading and viewing of documents.
The EOM Desktop Client includes functionality related to accounting and cost control. It can be configured to generate pop-ups that ask users to associate the proper billing accounts with the documents they are printing. The EOM Desktop Client can also monitor users’ local printing, such as documents going to USB and parallel port printers, as well as direct IP printing.
In addition to the user interfaces running on PC platforms, Barr EOM also supports user interfaces embedded in certain printer models. These embedded user interfaces allow users who walk up to the printers to see the list of their documents in Barr EOM. Documents can then be released for printing or reprinted from the printer.