Summary of WIDE Internet FAX
WIDE Project and Tokyo Institute of Technology has participated in
FaxConnect 1 as free implementation producers.
Features of WIDE Internet FAX
The WIDE Internet FAX has functions that are specified in RFC 2305. It
sends and receives e-mail messages, prints received messages, and
plays the role of an Offramp Gateway. Since it works as a mail server
by itself, it can send email messages directly and pull out e-mails
from a mail server by POP. We developed the WIDE Internet FAX under
the policy of adopting existing hardware and software. Our work not
only cuts down the cost for development but also facilitates
installation and operation, which are factors that we believe will
help promote the wide use of Internet FAXes. The features of the WIDE
Internet FAX are as follows.
Stable and reliable.
A PICKLES information kiosk adopts PICKLES SYSTEM which is based on
BSD/OS. BSD/OS is widely used for Internet servers, and its stability
and reliability are highly valued. Also, the WIDE Internet FAX takes
advantage of qmail, ghostscript, HylaFax, etc. The stability and
reliability of these software has been proven by their wide spread
usage.
Flexible.
The WIDE Internet FAX works with many kinds of printers and fax
modems. It has a flexibility that allows it to perform with various
notebook type, desk top type, and other types of hardware. The most
smallest and lightest setup will be presented at the site of
FaxConnect 1. The WIDE Internet FAX running on a PICKLES information
kiosk works as a WWW server, a mail server, and/or an IP router. By
itself, it provides most of the services necessary within an
organization. So, its usage in a SOHO-like environment is economical
and will lessen the burden of server management.
Secure.
The WIDE Internet FAX provides strong security. It rejects faxes and
e-mails from specific addresses, limits the maximum number of pages
when receiving a message, controls action when sending. The strong
security of qmail which is an MTA of the WIDE Internet FAX is well
known. Even if it receives many messages at once, it guarantees secure
performance by a queueing mechanism
Extensible.
The WIDE Internet FAX has its own communication function with external
modules in order to easily include new functions. It is possible to
attach many interfaces for input/output, for instance, a client using
Java or CGI-bin, a client which forwards input from a PDA, etc. It is
possible to make the WIDE Internet FAXes directly communicate with
each other through these ports. This function can be used in the
future to easily extend to Full-mode Internet FAX.
Runs on a PICKLES information kiosk.
The WIDE Internet FAX runs on a PICKLES information kiosk, which has
been developed by us. A PICKLES information kiosk supports easy
maintenance by enhancing modularization of both hardware and
software. It is an information kiosk which can work with a very small
portable computer, and has the potential of to relay messages from the
WIDE Internet FAX to a very small portable computer.
To be distributed as an open source software.
We will distribute the WIDE Internet FAX as freeware. Anyone in the
world may obtain, install, and use it freely.
Components of the System
Hardware components
The WIDE Internet FAX is able to have any hardware component within
the range of specification for PICKLES information kiosk. The smallest
one which we use in the experiment of FaxConnect 1 consists of these.
- TOSHIBA Libretto 60
- Pentium100MHz
- 32MB RAM
- 2.1GB HDD
- PCMCIA Ethernet Card (10BASE-T) or Xircom Pocket Ether
- PCMCIA Fax/Modem Card
- Cannon BubbleJet Printer BJC50v
Software components
All messages are once stored in a spool of the hard disk and
sequentially processed even if many messages are sent
simultaneously. Because of this, the load on the system does not rise
extremely. Besides, descriptions about how to relay sent messages are
in a rule database. We can flexibly describe this rule for relaying,
for example, to change a destination according to the source address
of a message. See also details.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright (c) 1998 Ohno Laboratory in Tokyo Institute of Technology
and WIDE Project. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
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Last modified: Tue Mar 9 04:04:58 1999