IPP> IPP to IFAX - IPP MOD telecon

IPP> IPP to IFAX - IPP MOD telecon

Richard Shockey rshockey at ix.netcom.com
Wed Oct 14 21:30:36 EDT 1998


3  IFAX and IPP compatibility

Ron Bergman reviewed the results of Richard Shockley's document
examining the suitability of using IPP for IFAX.

Q: Ron clarified that what IFAX means by re-direction is quite different
from what HTTP means by re-direction.  For IFAX re-direction means
either (1) that the phone number can be included in the URL explicitly,
or (2) that a URL can represent a phone number or a set of phone numbers
implicitly.  In either case the IPP Printer object would dial the
appropriate phone numbers to make the connection, after receiving the
print job.

REPLY: Yes... this is what we mean by redirection. I will need to study
further what is permissible in URL's and how the server accepts that
data..but this is essentially correct.
A practical example would be that I access my enterprise IPP server located
in NYC from London and instruct it to "output" the print job to 14153334545
in California etc.  The IPP server in essence relays the transaction over
the GSTN to its intended destination. The methodology and or syntax for
inclusion of E.164 numbering in IPP URL's should be a action item.

But there might be another context as well .. say I have a IPP address
printed on my business card.  I then instruct my IPP server to convert all
transactions to SMTP IFAX since I happen to be on the road from Monday
through Thursday and I want to see my faxes in my mail box.. 


Q: One of the attractions of using IPP for IFAX, is that the client can
query the IPP Printer for the supported document-formats and other
capabilities.  With IFAX over e-mail, the sender has to assume TIFF/F.

REPLY: Yes exactly ..as I posted in a earlier message all IFAX transactions
must support Profile F of TIFF as the minimum subset. Anything else is
"send and pray".

Q: Only if the sender knows that the recipient supports TIFF/FX, can it
send TIFF/FX.  Supporting query with e-mail is very problematic.

REPLY: Problematic is a polite way of putting it. This is a area where
there is a lot of work underway, re previous posting.

ACTION ITEM (Ron):  Find out more about what IFAX means by "Job
Ticket".  Richard's document mentions "Job Ticket" and "VCARD" which is
virtual (business) card.

REPLY: Job Ticket is a IPP term...perhaps I have misunderstood its use. I
could use some help here understanding its IPP context . I believe it is a
vendor implementation issue???? I was using it to look at as a "de facto"
cover page or as an alternative to IPP client cover page generation.  This
may be incorrect. If IPP is used in a "facsimile service" context then IPP
clients SHOULD be able to generate a cover page into the stream to satisfy
appropriate legal requirements etc.

VCARD is a standard which is essentially a MIME attachment to EMail that is
used to provide extended sender identification to the recipient (business
card data).  VCARD is a potentially useful tool to permit senders and
recipients more detailed information if such a desire exists. It is
currently implemented in the Netscape Mail client and I believe MS Outlook
as well.  

In my next revision I will try to distinguish the difference between IPP as
a "facsimile service" which essentially means conformity to the legal
requirements of FAX as is currently customary and inter operability with
the GSTN/IFAX environment which would mean at minimum supporting the
RFC2306 TIFF/F profile in driver implementations.

Is any of this helpful?



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Richard Shockey
Shockey Consulting LLC                  
8045 Big Bend Blvd. Suite 110    
St. Louis, MO 63119
Voice 314.918.9020
Fax   314.918.9015
INTERNET Mail & IFAX : rshockey at ix.netcom.com  
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