HELIOS Script Server Setup Example

HELIOS Script Server is a powerful yet easy to use hot folder and script automation feature. Scripted workflows are easily automated using HELIOS Admin, and job status can be visually monitored or changed, in the same manner as print jobs. Script Server is a feature of HELIOS ImageServer, and integrates well with all HELIOS products, and other server solutions. HELIOS EtherShare, PCShare, and WebShare allow easy access to hot folders from Mac, Windows, and Web clients.
 

Key features
 

• Script Server is a server-based solution that utilizes the HELIOS event notification service, which is much faster and efficient than polling
• Only events containing the folder path are processed by the Script Server
• Easy local or remote setup and monitoring via HELIOS Admin
• Or, monitor current jobs and configurations on telnet port 2024
• General purpose scripts can be re-used for different purposes by specifying environment variables in HELIOS Admin
• New script environment variables:
  • Event type, event user, registrations for multiple files or new directories 
• Support for multiple file types or suffixes
• Less traffic for wildcard registrations
• Process auditing and tracing compatibility
   

Setting up a new script queue is merely a snap. It just takes 3 small steps
 

The script queue window shows 3 script queues that are already set up.

Add a new queue by specifying general settings like the desired script and a hot folder, defining file types or a complete folder, and finally specifying environment variables.

And voilá, the new script queue (red frame) is ready to be used! In this example, we utilize a PDF preflighting script which verifies PDF documents according to certain compatibility criteria.

As soon as the PDF document has been dropped into the hot folder, the script starts running.

The script queue window shows that the script has completed its task (red arrow).

The examined PDF and the log file are saved into the subfolder “DONE” within the hot folder window.
 

More information
 

The Script Server functionality is part of the HELIOS ImageServer product. It enables the easy setup of hot folders for automated workflows, image conversion, PDF preflighting, etc. File or directory events are triggered by EtherShare for Mac clients, by PCShare for Windows clients, and by WebShare for web clients. ImageServer also includes OPI image replacement for local and remote workflows, performs high quality image conversion and ICC color matching, creates QuarkXPress and InDesign document previews, and more.
 

Links
 

HELIOS Script Server scripts

HELIOS WebShare scripts

HELIOS Script Server

HELIOS ImageServer