Starting with ILINX Capture v6, the Release configurations are stored within the ILINX database. In ILINX Capture v5x, the ILINX Release configurations were stored in XML files on a disk. ILINX Capture called ILINX Release using a SendAndReceivedReply IXM. The change to store the settings within the ILINX database is very useful for a number of reasons: Release settings are part of the batch profile allowing for simpler migrations between environments, Release is much easier to configure, all configurations are in the database, etc. However, this change can create some extra work when upgrading from ILINX Capture 5x to ILINX Capture 6x. Because of the different architecture, ILINX Release needs to be completely reconfigured for the existing batch profiles. In addition, the Release XML doesn’t change, but there is a shortcut that can be taken. After you have upgraded ILINX Capture to v6, you’ll notice a new IXM in the palette: 
The existing ILINX workflow will likely have a SendAndReceiveReply IXM on the map that the 5x version of ILINX Capture used to call ILINX Release. Most likely, it would look like this:
To configure ILINX Release for ILINX Capture 6x, the SendAndReceiveReply IXM will need to be removed from the map and a Release IXM must be dragged onto the workflow map in its place. Once the new Release IXM is on the map, it will need to be configured. This is where the shortcut can be taken. Instead of having to manually enter in the correct URLs, map the metadata values, and configure any other settings, do this:
Configure and save Release with some place holder settings: I normally leave the settings at default and enter in the bare minimum:
Once ILINX Release configuration is saved and the workflow map is published, there will be a new entry in the ILINX Capture database Capture WorkflowAppSettings table. The CaptureWorkflowAppSettings.SettingsXML column is where the Release configuration is stored. Now it’s time to update the SettingsXML column with the XML from the ILINX Release 5x job settings file. The Release job should be on the ILINX Release 5.x server at c:ProgramDataImageSourceILINXReleaseSettingsJobs. The only caveat here is to be sure to place single quotes around the XML content. Here is what the SQL update statement would look like:
update [ILINX CAPTURE DATABASE].[dbo]. [CaptureWorkflowAppSettings]
set SettingsXml = ‘COPY AND PASTE ALL TEXT FROM 5.4 OR PRIOR RELEASE JOB SETTINGS FILE HERE’
where settingsID = ‘APPROIATE ID HERE’
Following this procedure can save some time if upgrading an ILINX Capture 5x system that has a lot of batch profiles. A lot of the time spent on the upgrade could be in the ILINX Release configuration. If I was upgrading a system with only a few batch profiles, I would probably just reconfigure them. If I was upgrading a system with a lot of batch profiles, I would go through the above steps to save some time.
John Linehan
Sr. Systems Engineer
ImageSource, Inc.
We recently had a customer who needed to migrate off of an aging and highly customized Capture/indexing/workflow one-off solution. At the center of many of their form types in this system was a repeatable field collection object that functioned much like how you would expect a .NET DataTable control to function – values could be added horizontally to the current “row”, and at the end of it you could hit enter and a new “row” would be added. As you moved through, you also had the ability to validate the line item as a whole. In other words, nothing too out-of-the-ordinary.
Unfortunately, this stood out as a red flag for both myself and my coworker when we first saw it, since we were migrating the client to Kofax Capture. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Kofax’s flagship product, in fact it is an excellent tool for getting content where it needs to be, often in record time. One thing it doesn’t do well out-of-the-box, however, is table fields. Defining one looks normal enough, but when you actually get the chance to index them, each column ends up being a standard index field. Needless to say, turning the table 90 degrees counter-clockwise and forcing keyers to manually delimit values is not an ideal experience, especially when 99% of your form is tables that need to be indexed.Continue reading
I was working on a project recently for a customer that was upgrading their Kofax versions and making some enhancements to a custom Kofax panel that we had written for them some time ago. Like any good developer, I migrated the code for the custom panel to the latest version of Visual Studio I had, (in this case, Visual Studio 2012). I had finished development and was discussing installation when the customer requested an MSI package to install the custom panel. Unbeknownst to me, Visual Studio 2012 had dropped their support for the easy, drag and drop, built in set up and deployment project to create MSI’s.
In doing some research, I found many developers had migrated to using the open source WiX product to create MSI packages, (http://wix.codeplex.com/). One can download WiX and integrate it directly into Visual Studio. Everything was fairly straight forward on following their tutorials except for one snag: in order to get the custom Kofax panel to install correctly, I had to register the custom DLLs as COM Components, not in the GAC. After a lot of head scratching, I finally figured out that I could use Heat (one of the WiX tools) to create a registry file of the DLLs to include in my WiX set up project. You can find out more about Heat here: http://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/overview/heat.html. After the file was generated I was able to take the output of the Heat generated file and include it in my WiX install project to register the necessary DLLs. To do this, I followed these steps:Continue reading
ILINX 6.X is an easy to configure and easy to use software package to scan, index, and provide workflow. The workflow steps are based on IXM (ILINX eXtension Modules) that are very similar to a programming language. There are several different types of IXM’s available out of the box. The following is a quick listing by name of the out of the box IXM’s:
By using the IXM’s, the designer of a workflow can have a batch move through single or multiple steps to perform any required task.
In addition to the IXM’s there can be actual code executed through a Client Side Extension or through a Server Side Extension. So there is little that cannot be accomplished using the ILINX Capture workflow IXM’s.
This week I would like to concentrate the discussion on a single IXM Database Lookup. The Database Lookup IXM is one of the most powerful when it comes to interacting with entities outside of ILINX. It not only allows ILINX to perform a database lookup and return column values to the Batch Profile or Document fields, but it also allows for the update of a database table’s columns.Continue reading
There is a not so hidden gem that may become your new best friend. This newfound friend’s name is “Steps Recorder”, aka “Problems Steps Recorder”. This handy application was introduced in Windows 7 and is present in all versions of Windows 8. It allows the user to activate its recording function, at which point all clicks of the mouse are now recorded with proper documentation and screenshots. Not only is this tool great to use for showing someone how you discovered a problem, it’s a great way to provide a user instructions to resolve the issue on their own. For a better understanding of the application and to see it in action check out the video below:
http://http://youtu.be/1eZ5uYxFfgE
Jason Downer
Support Engineer
ImageSource, Inc.
