Articles tagged with ‘server’
Based on feedback and system logs we have compiled another PamFax update to address some issues found since the last update.
The new server build version is: .8 (In the PamFax application you will see the version as: 2.0.8.15). Note that we did release a new application version which fixes a scanner issue in Windows but we are not pushing the version to the existing customers. You can update easily by just downloading the installer package from www.pamfax.biz.
One major workflow change we made is that when you install PamFax for the first time you are asked to define a password for direct PamFax portal access. In the past we’ve learned that asking for then when users access the portal creates confusion so we added this to this release. This way PamFax users will always have a password to access the portal. Users that did not have a password will be asked for at next start of PamFax.
The changes we made today are:
Feature: A fax to multiple recipients can be canceled/deleted in the PamFax Portal
Feature: Define PamFax password on first start
Bugfix Mac: Skype language detection in PamFax Mac could hang PamFax
Bugfix Windows: When sending a document via “Send To”, via printer driver or Office toolbar the upload could fail
Bugfix: Added improved support for right to left languages on cover page
Bugfix: Minor IE8 issue fixed when cancelling/deleting faxes from the PamFax Portal
Bugfix: Upload button broken in IE7 and IE8 when clicking “back” on number entry page
Bugfix: In PamFax for Facebook clicking on “Send Fax” triggers “Launch Application” dialog instead of sending the fax
We also added the usual minor fixes and improvements. As we have more and more users submitting multiple recipient faxes we added a function to the portal which allows you to cancel these faxes at once. Till now you had to delete each individual number which could be a very tiresome task.
Written by Dick on 18. June 2009 in category PamConsult
Last night we released a server and application update for PamFax 2.0 (bringing the version number to 2.0.7.15) with the following changes.
Server
Bugfix: Faxes paid for later were sometimes not sent
Bugfix: Resending faxes from portal
Bugfix: Rmoving numbers from list of updated pricing numbers
Bugfix: Improved sending faxes to high volume of recipients
Bugfix: Fax inbox now also shows name of sender instead on “unknown” and the number
Bugfix: Fixed issue when multiple recipient list contained a blocked number
Change: Multiple recipient sending increased from 400 to 2.000 numbers
Change: Upgraded document conversion servers for improved quality of fax documents
Language: Improved Arabic language support in converter systems
Language Italian, Spanish, Polish and Japanese translations updated
Application (Windows)
Bugfix: Proxy connection is now recognized correctly
Bugfix: Updated scanner driver as not all scanners were recognized correctly
Bugfix: Reset of cached web files on setup
Bugfix: Updated setup translations (Spanish, Italian, Polish and Japanese)
Bugfix: Fixed issue with Skype toolbars
Application (Mac OSX)
Bugfix: Fixed issue with folder naming
Note that if you have the issue with the scanner driver not recognizing your scanner, you will need to download the PamFax application manually and run the installer. We are not pushing an automatic application update with this new version.
Written by Dick on 6. June 2009 in category PamConsult
To ensure performance levels we have completed a server update this morning. PamFax is now operating on a much more powerful platform which will ensure faster application start and better overal performance.
Apologies for any inconveniences this may have caused, we have tried to keep the downtime as limited as technically possible. The server upgrade was done in the lowest traffic time to minimize impact.
Written by Dick on 26. May 2009 in category PamFax
We’ve just pushed out the second server and first user application update out to the live systems. Since the launch on April 27, we’ve had a lot of good but also some critical feedback. We’re analyzed the feedback carefully and prepared the two updates. By the way, you can always see the server and local application version in the bottom left corner of the PamFax application window. The second digit from the right is the server version number and the furtest right is the local PamFax application number. The server number may change without an application update which means we released an update to the server.
The changes we made in server version 2.0.2.x were mainly focussed on fixing some key backend issues like login problems, stability and performance.
The changes made in todays release (2.0.3.x) are:
- Local PamFax application: Improved printer driver (Windows)
- Local PamFax application: Installer shows real filenames (Windows)
- Local PamFax application: No more installer timeouts (Windows)
- Server: Improved “forgot password” function on Portal login page
- Server: Fixed IE7 compatibility (send faxes + buy credit from portal)
- Server: Portal login issues resolved
- Server: Added about box in client
- Server: Fixed handling of large files (> 10mb)
Windows users will be prompted for an automatic update when you start PamFax.
With this update we have addressed the most mentioned issues. However as we continue to strive for perfectionism, please keep the feedback coming via our helpdesk system.
We are currently collecting the feedback and checking the servers intensively for further improvements. The main points of focus, besides bugfixing, will be:
- Further increase PamFax application performance (startup and responsiveness)
- Roll out improved fax conversion systems
On the conversion servers we already have achieved remarkable results which I will share with you soon. We are coming closer and closer to our objective to make a fax come out as if it is a printed document.
Written by Dick on 6. May 2009 in category General News,PamFax
Today, on 1/22/09 around 2pm (German time, GMT+1) we will have to do some maintenance on the PamFax backend. Due to this, PamFax will be down for approximately 1 hour. We will try to keep the downtime as short as possible.
Thanks for your understanding.
Written by Christoph on 22. January 2009 in category PamFax
On our search for a good file server and centralized backup solution, I stumbled across Windows Home Server. The description sounds very good and seemed to be the perfect solution for our office: this server system automatically backs up Windows clients over night and has a unique data-storage system, which makes it possible to add and remove different harddrives to the storage, making it larger without the hassle of moving files from one drive to the other. It’s a kind of software raid (stripe).
It also comes with a handy administration console, which can be accessed from every client machine. This console can be extended easily with addins by third party software developers. As some TapiRex customers already asked about a Windows Home Server console addin for TapiRex, it was a good point to get started trying this new Windows Server operating system.
So I tried to find it in the MSDN Subscriber downloads, as we have several subscriptions to MSDN Universal, which theoretically includes all Microsoft operating systems and all other software. As I was unable to find a download there, I googled the web and found out that Microsoft decided not to make Windows Home Server available in MSDN Subscriber downloads. Urgh. So we pay lots of money to not be able to get access to a Windows operating system to develop new addons for it. What a decision…
So I just ordered a Windows Home Server license from eBay, which was delivered quickly and did only cost around 90 Euros.
Installation
When installing the Windows Home Server incl. Power Pack 1 (which is based on Windows 2003 Server) on one of our servers in our server rack, it stumbled upon our 3Ware RAID controller, which is installed with 2 x 160GB harddrives as system drives in a mirrored array to speed up the operating system. I was able to load additional drivers for that controller from an USB stick, but when the system rebooted after the first installation step, it has forgotten about the driver.
Googling for this issue, I had to find out that this is a bug in the Windows Home Server installation 
. As the text-based setup does not have access to a USB stick to reload the drivers, I had to go out to buy an external 3.5″ USB disk drive, as the setup only accepts additional drivers from the A: drive. Do you remember 3.5″ disks? It was not that easy to find a disk to store the driver to get past this installation step. These disks have gone so rare here in the office 
. Previous installations of Windows 2003 did not have this problem…
But after that, setup was pretty easy. I was able to install all hardware components and to setup the Drive Extender. After setup, you have to install a small client connector software on every client machine that should backup to that Windows Home Server, which was pretty easy as well.
In-day-usage
The good thing is that the backups worked pretty well. Also, some of the available plugins from third-party developers are very useful.
But there also were some problems:
Delays in accessing shared folders: we experienced some delays in accessing shared folders on the server. Every employee in the office has some drives mapped to shared folders on the file server. This includes a personal folder and some general folders for everyone. While browsing in these subfolders on these drives, there was sometimes a lag of several seconds that makes it impossible to work with it fluently. For example, we store our downloads company-wide in a folder on the file-server. But the “save file” dialog in the webbrowser sometimes hung up for up to 20 seconds before it was able to show the folder and save the file. Once the data transfer starts, it’s fast and reliable.
Bug in drive’s size-calculation: When you map shared folders on the Windows Home Server as local drives, Windows XP and Vista are unable to show the correct drive size. After searching the web and asking some experts in Windows Home Server forums, I found out that this a known bug in Windows Home Server and that you can’t do anything about it:
Popups on all client machines: when you have the client connector software installed, all warnings from the Windows Home Server or one of it’s clients is shown on every client machine. So every user gets popup messages like “Computer X does not have virus protection installed”, “Backup on machine Y was not sucessful”, and many more. I was not able to find a way to customize these popups so that there are not shown to our apprentices for example.
So, after nearly 2 weeks in production, I am currently installing Windows 2008 Datacenter on that server machine, as the problems shown above disturbed our daily workflow that much that it was not worth it. We will install Windows Home Server as a VMWare virtual machine instead to do some software development on it. A PamFax addon is also an idea for it. What do you think?
I will report back how this all worked with Windows 2008. Does anyone have a different suggestion for a solid and fast file server operating system + client backup possibilities?
Written by Christoph on 15. January 2009 in category General News
Due to the summer holiday season the blog has been a bit quiet, but don’t be fooled. We are working hard on major projects that will launch after the holiday season is over.
First of all we are currently finalizing a major PamFax overhaul. This is neccessary due to the many changes and new features added since lauch in August 2007. Those areas that were not yet using our latest platform architecture have been ported to that. The result is more flexibility for future enhancements and a slight increase in performance on the user side as well as improves server utilization.
Most importantly though we have sort of silently launched the new PamFax credit packs and the Pro Plan. These are available via the new store at www.pamfax.biz/shop. The packs provide you with a significant discount and the Pro Plan also makes faxing really attractive. The Pay As You Go prices have been lowered as we were able to negotiate better rates due to the increased volume. Keep faxing and we’ll try to keep pushing the prices down!
With the mentioned platform update we will also make available a new function for business users called the PamFax Business Control Panel. Very similar to the BCP you have at Skype, our BCP allows you to create a group and add Skypenames to the group to provide them with PamFax credit. We also provide the owner of the group with a set of tools to control the account, auto top up users, add/remove users and a lot more. This is a great function for companies using Skype with PamFax. And the good news, using the PamFax BCP is totally free!
We are working on a new Pamela for Skype release (4.5) which has two main new functions. One is a call scheduler which allows you to schedule Skype calls and Pamela will remind you of them automatically. Never miss a call anymore! The other function is automatic conference call manager. Ever needed to join or initiate a conference call and either the time zone or other commitments did not allow you to be at the PC? Well, now Pamela will help you with that. So, stay tuned for more news as the release date comes closer (yes, I wrote a post few months ago saying the same but we want to make sure the new release is as solid as possible).
Our Pamela Call Recorder product already has an update made public. Version 4.5 can be downloaded for free from www.pamcorder.com. Pamela Call Recorder is available in Skype under the tools menu and then Do More (just like PamFax). We’re going to release a minor update shortly with an automatic version check module facilitate an auto-update function. This is important as we want to inform people when there are new releases.
We at PamConsult wish everyone a relaxing holiday season and you will hear from us again shortly.
Written by Dick on 20. August 2008 in category PamFax
Due to the significant growth in PamFax revenue we are able to lower the standard “Pay As You Go” by 17%. This means the page price has dropped from €0,17 to €0,14 per page. The other zones where lowered accordingly. The new rates make PamFax the most attractive “no strings attached” fax sending platform.
Based on users feedback we have added two new fax plans. Next to “Pay As You Go” we intorduced “PamFax Professional Plan” and pre-paid packs.
The new plan “PamFax Professional Plan” provides a 35% discount on the standard rates for only €2,95 per month. Ideal for companies sending faxes regularly and who want to save significantly. The page price starts at €0,09 for zone1.
Packs are pre-paid and start at €30 up to €1.000. The discount on the standard page price starts with 5% when buying €30 credit and goes up to 40% when buying €1.000 credit. Ideal when you need to send a bulk fax or plan to send many faxes at once or in a short timeframe. Note that, unlike with our competitors, purchased packs do not expire within a month.
The plan and packs can be purchased at the new PamFax shop located at www.pamfax.biz/shop.
With the three fax sending options (Pay As You Go, PamFax Professional Plan and the packs), everyone can save substantially when using PamFax. Start with “Pay As You Go” and then you may consider to purchase the plan or a pack. In any case we want to offer the best and easiest faxing platform and the most attractive rates.
Please send in any feedback regarding above plans and how we can help you be more efficient and productive.
In the light of the above new offers we released a new server and client update. The big change in the new client is the improved startup speed. We had some complaints from users where the startup time of the PamFax application was very long, too long. So we changed that and the new .34 client build will startup a lot faster.
Until Skype release the new version in the extras gallery the update needs to be done manually by downloading and running the setup from www.pamfax.biz. Once Skype have published the new version the update will be automatic when you next start the PamFax application.
We hope you enjoy using our service and as always appreciate your feedback. Stay tuned for more cool stuff soon!
Written by Dick on 20. July 2008 in category PamFax
Our callerID-notification tool TapiRex was updated to version 1.7.1. This update improves the communication between the server and the clients and the reverse lookup for contacts.
Also available is now a free plugin for reverse lookup in your Google contacts. This plugin was built by Thomas Ardal using the free TapiRex SDK (see http://www.codeplex.com/trexgooglecontacts). We hope that more users and companies follow this example and add more functionalities to TapiRex. We are more then happy to help you with that if you want to.
The license keys from previous orders are still valid in this new version. To update TapiRex, just download the latest version from our website and run the setup without uninstalling any previous TapiRex first. Be sure to say “No” in the installation when it asks to replace the file “data.mdb” to keep your call-history. The call-history and all settings will then be available in the new TapiRex as well.
Visit TapiRex site or visit the download page to download TapiRex.
Written by Christoph on 9. July 2008 in category PamConsult
Yesterday we released a server update and this time the local PamFax application is updated too. The application is available as download from www.pamfax.biz and will be made automatic for all users as soon as Skype release the new build to the Extras Gallery.
Changelog of 1.0.51.33 (.51=Server, .33=Client)
- Client: Implemented workaround where on some systems PamFax registry settings where missing
- Client: Updated scanner driver
- Client: Scanned documents are now saved as PDF instead of TIFF
- Server: International numbers are corrected if PamFax notices that they are obviously wrong (i.e. a “0″ after +49 for German numbers is removed automatically)
- Server: Show warning if fax is higher priced because it is a slow number, mobile or a service number
- Server: Updated cover templates and added a blank one so you can also just send a written text as fax
- Server: PamFax shows “Recommend to a friend” page automatically
- Client+Server: Improved starting/connecting behaviour
If you want to update the PamFax client because you have regular connection timeouts on first start (Skype bug) or want better scanner support just download PamFax build 33 and run the installer which will update your PamFax to the latest version.
Stay tuned for more cool stuff enhancing your PamFax experience soon. We are super happy with PamFax performance and the feedback we receive from users is exceptionally good. So keep the feedback coming!
Written by Dick on 7. June 2008 in category PamFax
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