uniflow and SAP Systems

Transcription

1 WP_uF_SAP_V1_1_EN.doc Canon Ref: uniwp-017 uniflow and SAP Systems Version no:1.1 Stand: November 17, 2004

2 WP_uF_SAP_V1_1_EN.doc Version: 1.01 Date: November 17, 2004 First Draw-up Date: November 9, 2004 Author: Dirk Tiemeyer Translation: Thomas Lemmer Revision history: Version: Revision date: 1.1 November 17, 2004 Technologies concerned: uniflow SAP Reviewer: Thomas Lemmer Marja Pals File name: WP_uF_SAP_V1_1_EN.doc Short Summary: - SAP print job accounting - Master data import - Export of Statistical data for further processing in an SAP system November 17,

3 WP_uF_SAP_V1_1_EN.doc uniflow and SAP-systems This White Paper describes the following fields - SAP print job accounting - Master data import - Export of statistic data for processing in SAP systems Please note, that this document only describes solution ideas. There is no standard solution because both uniflow as well as SAP systems are very often specially adjusted for individual customers. Therefore this paper only describes some example solutions which are already realised in projects. Accounting of SAP print jobs To account print jobs from SAP, uniflow has to be integrated into the SAP network. Because there is the possibility either in SAP or through an attached SAP print system (e.g. Xprint) to send print data through LPR to network printers, it is easiest to configure uniflow with TCP/IP printer services as LPR print server. In that case in SAP you only have to configure the IP-Address and the uniflow queue name. Printers in uniflow can then output their data on physical printers, for example via LPR data. It is often problematic to process print jobs from SAP systems in uniflow, because user information which uniflow needs to account for print jobs, is missing. To nevertheless get these user information, uniflow provides a lot of print processors to enable this. Identify user by for comment This processor assigns the print job to the user, which is recorded in most PostScript files under the name %%For Comment. Especially if only PostScript is used and the username can t be ascertained from the spooler, it is recommended to use this print processor. Identify user by Job Name In some cases the spool file contains the username or another particular feature to identify the user clearly. For this reason it is necessary to break down the spool file, to extract the identification attribute. For this purpose this printer processor uses regular expressions. As these regular expressions have to be individually configurable depending on the customer project, the printer processor is also individually configurable. Identify user by NT login This is probably the easiest way of accounting. However, to be able to use this printer processor, you have to ensure that print jobs in the spooler of the printer, which is monitored by the uniflow server, arrive with user information, which can be unambiguously assigned to a specific user. Identify user by PJL Comment This printer processor in similar to the print processor Identify user by for comment with the difference, that its designed for PCL spool files. Here the COMMENT will be evaluated. This processor can also be used in combination with other identify user print processors, because it only overwrites the username if it finds the sequence mentioned above in the spoolfile. November 17,

4 Identify user by SAP Name This print processor is able to extract the username out of the name of the SAP printer modules. For this purpose a regular expression is used, so that practical any separator or related issue can be used for evaluation. Just like the print processor Identify user by Job Name this processor is also configurable to perform project specific customizations.. Note: It is important that print data are really spooled via uniflow. If for example the print data are read out of the Canon imagerunner printlog via CPCA, analysis can t be that profound because no print processors can be used. Master data import Here uniflow also provides several possibilities to import user-, group- and cost center-data. In all cases there will be generated a special XML file, which will then be imported by uniflow. The right notation and description of that XML file can be found under Uploading of that XML file takes place via the web interface. Additionally there is the possibility to import the generated XML file through a JScript via the console in uniflow. This variant is especially used for large amounts of data, because here the risk exists, that after a certain time the browser runs into a time-out and the data import is terminated incomplete. Moreover the import of master data can be automated and started periodically via a scheduler. The possible sources from which master data can be imported will be discussed below. Windows user accounts This import is normally used very seldom, because in this case local user accounts of a configurable server are imported into uniflow. Especially with large installations and the existence of for example LDAP Servers this import ability plays a secondary role, so that it s not necessary to further discuss it here. Import out of excel tables or csv files Often master data exists in form of excel tables or csv files, system administrators are likely to use these files, because they are easy to handle. For excel tables there is a VB Script (Macro) integrated in Excel, which can be used to create the uniflow specific XML files. For this purpose specific columns in excel have to be created into which the data will then be copied. For CSV files there are two possibilities. One can open the CSV file in excel and convert the data via the above described VB Script into XML format. The other possibility is to read out the CSV file via an especially for CSV files developed JScript and create a XML file which then can be imported. Because the possibilities described above all concern scripts it is also possible to make changes, adaptations and enhancements. LDAP Import Here a connection is made to an LDAP server and user data are read out. Is is also possible to read out existing cost centers, pin-codes etc. and to import these into uniflow. There are two possible option here. In the first variant, which is provided via web interface, it is only possible to read out standard fields from the LDAP Server. In the second variant a connection to the LDAP Server is made using a JScript. Because this script can be adapted to your liking it is possible to import all kind of LDAP fields into uniflow. NT-ware 4

5 Database import The import of master data out of an existing database is especially of importance at larger installations, if the stored tables contain additional user oriented information as for example cost centers, SAP names, etc., which are required for further analysis. Similar to the second variant of the LDAP Import, a connection to the database is made via a JScript and the required data is exported via SQL-Query. Also in this case adjustments to the JScript are required. Imports out of the database systems Oracle, MSSQL-Server and MySQL are already implemented by NT-ware. Further implementations on other database systems are possible on request. Export of statistic-data for further processing in SAP-systems uniflow features standard statistics that can be generated via the server web. To generate its statistics, uniflow uses Crystal Reports. To show statistics, please select the main menu "Statistics" in the server web. If you want to generate statistics, you should begin by selecting a main category under Statistic. Depending on the selected category, different subcategories and available statistics are shown. After selecting a category, subcategory and statistic, you can enter a time range and click the display button to show the statistic of your choice. You can reduce your statistic overview by selecting for example only a specific user or printer for the particular statistic you have chosen under available statistics. Note: Please note that your refined selection under specific users/groups/cost centers/printers/print jobs should be consistent with the selected statistic, i.e. it only makes sense to select a specific printer, when you previously have selected the option "prints/copies per device" under "available statistics". The available statistic is shown in the chosen format. In the screenshot shown below this being Excel. Note that you should have the Acrobat Reader installed if you want to view the statistic as PDF. NT-ware 5

6 Note: The default standard statistics can be customized on a project base. NT-ware 6