Line utilization in integrated document delivery method and apparatus
View Patent ↗A document delivery network server having a set of integrated functions including sending, receiving, routing and filing of FAXes and e-mails to other users which achieves numerous advantages over the prior art. The document delivery system is based on a client/server model having both analog and digital Fax line capabilities. The server side provides very highly integrated systems functionality based on industry standard, commercially available hardware and a mix of industry standard and proprietary software components including integrated FAX/modem modules, an embedded OS, embedded plug-and-play driver sets, embedded e-mail gateways, an embedded FAX archive, embedded back-up/restore, proprietary high efficiency line utilization and highly efficient load balancing.
1. A method of utilizing communication channels in a document delivery system for receiving, converting and sending multiple types of documents, said system including one or more FAX/modem boards, comprising the steps of:
determining how many FAX communication channels are available on said one or more FAX/modem boards for transacting document delivery tasks;
setting a predetermined minimum number of said FAX communication channels for receiving documents;
tracking a current number of incoming and outgoing tasks to be processed by said document delivery system, and
assigning said current number of outgoing tasks across the total number of said FAX communication channels available such that said predetermined number of FAX communication channels for receiving documents remains available.
2. The method of claim 1 where the total available FAX communication channels is twenty-four and the predetermined minimum number of FAX channels for receiving is three.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of assigning assigns said current number of incoming and outgoing tasks across the total number of said FAX communication channels available such that, besides said predetermined number of FAX communication channels for receiving documents remaining available, in addition each of the remaining said one or more FAX/Modem boards processes approximately equal numbers of document delivery tasks.
4. A document delivery system for receiving, converting and sending multiple types of documents, and for utilizing a plurality of FAX communication channels, comprising:
one or more FAX/modem boards each capable of supporting a plurality of FAX communication channels;
means for determining bow many FAX communication channels are available on said one or more FAX/modem boards for transacting document delivery tasks;
means for setting a predetermined minimum number of said FAX communication channels for receiving documents;
means for tracking a current number of incoming and outgoing tasks to be processed by said document delivery system; and
means for assigning said current number of outgoing tasks across the total number of said FAX communication channels available such that said predetermined number of FAX communication channels for receiving documents remains available.
5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:
a server including a hardware portion and a software portion and having one or more connections to a network, and
wherein upon the application of power to said server, said software portion initializes said hardware portion to establish communications through said network connections and to perform document delivery tasks without the need for operator intervention.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein said hardware portion comprises:
a central processor unit;
a memory;
a plurality of input/output circuits; and
a network interface controller.
7. The system of claim 5 wherein said software portion comprises:
an embedded operating system;
a startup/persistence manager module;
a trace/error log module;
a security module;
a web server module;
an e-mail gateway module;
a document delivery printer module;
a FAX board scheduler module;
an administration module;
a queue manager module;
a document delivery database module;
a document converter module; and
an archiver module.
8. The system of claim 5 wherein said one or more network connections include a connection to the Internet and one or more connections to a public switched telephone network.
9. The system of claim 5 further comprising, coupled to said one or more network connections, a plurality of clients including:
a web browser thin client;
a custom application client;
a thick client;
an e-mail server client;
a print capable application client;
a drop directory client; and
a FAX client.
10. The system of claim 5 further comprising interconnected multiple instances of said server forming a cluster such that a designated one of said servers acts as a master and the others of said servers act as slaves, said master managing a task queue for all of said interconnected servers.
11. A load balancing method running on the master in the system of claim 10 , comprising the steps of:
determining the total number of servers in said cluster;
receiving pending task queue data from each slave within said cluster;
tracking requests for pending tasks from each of said slaves within said cluster, said slaves issuing said requests when idle, and;
delivering a group of said pending tasks to each of said slaves when said slaves issue said requests such that over time said slaves and said master each process substantially the same number of said pending tasks, and
wherein said means for assigning assigns said current number of incoming and outgoing tasks across the total number of said FAX communication channels available such that, besides said predetermined number of FAX communication channels for receiving documents remaining available, in addition each of the remaining said one or more FAX/Modem hoards processes approximately equal numbers of document delivery tasks.