RPM Archive Portal

History

The RPM archive action started as an unadvertised option on the RPM 4.5 filter queue type. If you specified a working directory but not a program to run, then RPM would silently write the print job to the working directory and go about its business.

We added it because of the numerous requests for exactly that function. Now, starting with RPM 5.0, its a full fledged "feature" with its own list of benefits.

Folder

RPM will write to any folder accessible to the Local System account.

You can also write to any shared or network folder by supplying domain credentials. RPM follows the Microsoft security guidelines by not running as a user account, but allowing you to use user credentials to use shared resources.

File naming

RPM can use any and all of the job metadata to construct a filename, including: job name, title, source name, banner, class, user, and host. It can use the job ID (a unique integer assigned by RPM) or the queue name. It can also use the date and time.

By default RPM checks for name collisions and constructs a unique filename. Let's say you send 3 jobs called "filename.txt". RPM will create these files in the archive folder:

1. filename.txt
2. filename-1.txt
3. filename-2.txt

RPM can also overwrite an existing file, or append to an existing file.

Finally, RPM can strip off a file extension. For instance, you could send "filename.txt". Then, in the archive action, you could strip the extension and add "PDF" so you end up with "filename.PDF".

Hot folder

RPM does not include a hot folder feature but it is often used with hot folders. Typical uses include:

• translating SCS files from an iSeries to plain text, for secure printing operations
• stripping PCL from HP4 print files, for document management applications
• converting PCL to PDF, for document management applications