What is Connect Send?

Connect Send is an application with two components. The first is a Windows printer driver (2.1) and the second includes a set of Workflow plugins (2023.1). These two components work together – they cannot be used on their own.

Connect Send allows for PostScript files to be received over the internet from any Windows Desktop application. It can be used in unlicensed mode and licensed mode.

The Unlicensed mode (default) allows users to push documents to Connect Send. They will receive a pop-up message in the Notification Area confirming whether the job was received or not. No web interaction is possible.

The Licensed mode causes the Connect Send printer driver to request a web page which will be displayed in the user’s browser in order to allow them to enter job specific information. The information from this web page can be used to tell Connect Workflow what to do next.

Connect Send, in licensed mode, can be used to create custom interactive workflows from a centralized location, yet has the ability to be deployed and installed very easily.

Features List

OL Connect Send:

  • Allows free of charge non-interactive printing over the internet.
  • Can be licensed in User mode so that specific users (domains/workstations) can print and receive an interactive web page during the job submission process. The number of jobs that can be printed is unlimited.
  • Can be licensed in Click Charge mode so that any user can print from anywhere and receive an interactive web page during the job submission process. In this mode, Connect Send requires credits which are reduced after each job received by the server.
  • General
    • Compresses PostScript files during transmission to minimize bandwidth.
    • Allows the printer driver to include an API key in its HTTP headers to authorize itself for printing.
  • Unlicensed mode
    • Non-interactive job submission.
    • Free to use.
    • Confirms job transmission with a message in the Notification Area.
  • Licensed mode
    • Interactive job submission possible.
    • Launches the user’s default browser to display web content produced by a Connect server.
    • Database containing domain, workstation ID, document information and page count information.

Main steps in OL Connect Send

The main steps in the functioning of OL Connect Send are:

  1. A user prints a document to a printer using the OL Connect Send Printer Driver.
  2. The resulting print job is captured by the printer driver code, zipped up, and, if applicable, split into multiple chunks.
  3. The chunks are transferred to the Workflow process and received by the Job Processor plugin (see Job Processor plugin).
  4. The plugin communicates with the printer driver to ensure that all data has been received correctly.
  5. The plugin combines all the chunks into a .7z file and then unpacks it to the original print job. This is a Postscript file.
  6. The plugin stores the print job at a specified location with a specified name.
  7. The plugin creates a Workflow metadata file for the print job, containing basic job information (See License Modes – Basic Mode, below).
  8. The plugin (if licensed) stores all job related info in a database.
  9. The plugin returns a status message to the client, indicating a successful or failed job transfer.
  10. The plugin sends the license status to the Printer Driver.
  11. The Printer Driver (if licensed and interactive) will launch a browser window and send an HTTP request to Workflow. The result of the receiving interactive process (see Get Job Data plugin) will be displayed in the browser. If the plugin is not licensed, or the license is exceeded, this HTTP request is suppressed and the Printer Driver will not launch a browser window.
  12. The Printer Driver will display status information using the Notification Area (also called "system tray").