Functional Overview
Basic Concepts
Many Zetafax Servers are installed with a fax board or IP fax device connected to a phone fax line. To send a fax, the Zetafax Server causes the fax board or fax device to dial the required number, then manages the call as the fax is transmitted. For incoming faxes, the Zetafax Server answers the incoming call and stores the fax as it is received. In each case, the phone line is installed at the customer premises – either a dedicated line for use by the Zetafax Server only, or additional phone lines on the company phone system (PBX).
Zetafax Online gives an alternative to local phone lines. Instead of using a local fax device, the Zetafax Server communicates with the Zetafax Online service via the Internet. The Zetafax Online service manages the phone lines, and the Zetafax Server only needs an Internet connection to send and receive faxes.
All communication with the Zetafax Online service is handled by the Zetafax Server, transparently to users. Users send and receive faxes in the same way as on systems configured to use fax boards, and the same client interfaces are supported including the Zetafax Client, Zetafax Email Gateway, Web Client, Fax Broadcast Client and Zetafax Automation Toolkit.
Sending Faxes
For sending faxes, the Zetafax Online service manages the process of dialing and sending the fax.
(1)The fax is submitted to the Zetafax Server, using the Zetafax Client, Email Gateway, FaxBroadcast client, Zetafax Web Client or any of the automation options supported by Zetafax.
(2)The Zetafax Server prepares the fax, adding a coversheet and standard attachments as specified. It then passes the fax to Zetafax Online via the Internet, using a secure HTTPS communication protocol.
(3)Zetafax Online dials the recipient phone number and sends the fax, retrying if required (e.g. if the phone number is busy).
(4)The Zetafax Server regularly checks the status of all outstanding faxes. When the fax has been sent, the Zetafax Server updates the fax status including transmission details, and the user is notified of completion. Where a fax cannot be sent, the fax status gives a reason for failure – e.g. no answer or invalid phone number – enabling the user to take corrective action.
Receiving Faxes
For receiving faxes, each Zetafax Online account is assigned a permanent phone number, with a wide choice of country and area codes available to select from. A company using Zetafax Online will either redirect calls from their existing fax number to their Zetafax Online number, or may choose to publish the Zetafax Online number directly.
(1)When a fax is sent to the assigned fax number, Zetafax Online answers the call and stores the received fax securely, ready to be retrieved by the Zetafax Server.
(2)The Zetafax Server checks regularly for received faxes – typically every minute. There is usually no need to change the settings for the corporate firewall to allow inbound faxes to be received.
(3)The Zetafax Server retrieves the fax from Zetafax Online. The fax is deleted from the Zetafax Online storage automatically after retrieval, for security and confidentiality purposes.
(4)The Zetafax Server forwards the fax to the recipient, using direct dial number routing and other automated routing methods. Faxes can be delivered to an email Inbox, the Zetafax Client Inbox or a file location for automated processing, just as with other fax devices.
Least Cost Routing (LCR)
Zetafax uses the Least Cost Routing (LCR) features in the Zetafax Server for connecting to Zetafax Online.
LCR can be used to connect two or more Zetafax systems together, so faxes are sent by the cheapest route. For example, a company with two Zetafax Servers located in New York and London might choose that all faxes to North American numbers are sent by the New York server. The server in London would then forward any faxes for North America to the New York server, using email or other connection options.
With Zetafax Online, the behavior of the Zetafax Server is similar to this. The Zetafax Server is configured to forward outgoing faxes to the Zetafax Online service for sending. Because most systems using Zetafax Online do not have any local fax device, the Zetafax Server will usually be configured to submit faxes for all destinations to Zetafax Online.
LCR links
To configure a Zetafax Server to use Least Cost Routing, you need to specify the other Zetafax Server computers which it will use for sending faxes. You do this by configuring an LCR link in Zetafax for each server, and these links are displayed on the Zetafax Server monitor screen alongside local fax devices.
To use Zetafax Online, you create an LCR link for the Zetafax Online service. Most systems will be configured with just one Zetafax Online link, though systems using multiple Zetafax Online accounts are configured with a separate link for each account.
Sending rules
LCR rules specify which faxes are to be sent using a given LCR link. These rules can be based on range of criteria, including the destination, priority, sender and number of pages.
Most systems using Zetafax Online will be configured with a single rule, specifying that all faxes should be sent using the Zetafax Online service. However, hybrid Zetafax systems which are configured with both Zetafax Online and a local fax device may be configured with more complex rules – for example, causing Zetafax to use the local device for all local fax numbers to reduce call costs.
Dialing properties
In most countries you can omit the area code when dialing a number in your local area code, and most users will enter numbers in their own country without including the international code. Where all Zetafax users are in the same location, Zetafax is often configured to dial numbers as entered by the user, relying on the user to know when they need to add the area or country code as they do when making a voice call.
Zetafax Online is an international service, so fax numbers must include the country and area code. To avoid users having to change behavior to accommodate this, the Zetafax Server edits the fax number before submission to Zetafax Online, converting into a standard international format.
To do this Zetafax needs to know how to interpret phone numbers entered by users, including the current country and area code, and how to tell when a number does not include these. This is specified using the Dialing Properties section of the Zetafax Configuration program, either by entering these details explicitly or by configuring Zetafax to use the settings stored in Windows for that computer.
Accounts and licensing
To use Zetafax Online, you need three separate items: an add-on license to enable the feature, a matching Zetafax Online user ID to access the service, and an account password for additional security.
Zetafax Online Add-on license
The Zetafax Online add-on license enables the feature within the Zetafax software. It has three sections, in the following format:
Uxxxxxxx – ONLINE – xxxxxx
As with other license add-ons, the Zetafax Online license add-on is installed using the Zetafax Configuration program. The first section of each license number (ie Uxxxxxxx) is unique, and may only be used and registered with one Zetafax starter system license number.
Zetafax Online user ID
The Zetafax Online user ID identifies the account which is being used for sending and receiving faxes with Zetafax Online. It has four sections, in the following format:
Uxxxxxxx – xxxxx – xxxx – xxxxxx
For added security, the first portion of the user ID (ie Uxxxxxxx) must match the first portion of the Zetafax Online add-on license installed on the Zetafax Server.
The user ID is used by the Zetafax Server when sending or retrieving faxes. For incoming faxes, the user ID identifies the phone number from which the faxes are being retrieved. For security and confidentiality the user ID should remain confidential, and should not be given to third parties.
Most systems using Zetafax Online will use a single Zetafax Online account (user ID), which will be supplied with the add-on license when subscribing to the service. However it is also possible to use multiple Zetafax Online accounts from a single Zetafax Server – for example, in systems used for multiple companies (multi-tenant systems) which require a high degree of segregation between inbound faxes to different numbers. This is described further in the section on link configuration below.
Zetafax Online password
Each Zetafax Online account is assigned a password, which is supplied along with the user ID after subscribing to the service. The password is entered on initial configuration, and is then stored by the Zetafax Server.
Because the password is not used directly by users or system administrators there is usually no need to change the supplied password in most systems. However the password can be changed on application to Equisys, if this required for additional security – for example in cases where the account credentials have been supplied via a reseller or other channel partner.
Network configuration
The Zetafax Server communicates with the Zetafax Online service over the public Internet, using the secure HTTPS communication protocol. Only outbound requests are used, with all data from the service being passed as responses to requests made by the Zetafax Server.
This means that there will usually be no need for changes to the network configuration or firewall settings in most companies to use Zetafax Online. Provided the Zetafax Server computer is configured to allow a web browser on that computer to view web pages from the Internet, then it should work correctly with Zetafax Online.
Security
Security and confidentiality for sent and received faxes are of prime importance within Zetafax, and have been designed into the Zetafax Online service from the start. Zetafax Online is fully compliant with worldwide security standards, including the US Health Industry HIPAA standard
Zetafax Online uses a range of industry standards and best practice to achieve robust security, including the following:
•All communication between the Zetafax Server and Zetafax Online is encrypted using SSL, and uses the HTTPS communication protocol.
•Inbound faxes are stored securely on the Zetafax Online servers initially, and are protected against unauthorized access by operations staff running the service. They are deleted from the Zetafax Online servers after retrieval by the Zetafax Server, so in normal operation they will only be stored on the Zetafax Online servers for a short period.
•Sent faxes are automatically deleted immediately after completion, whether successfully sent or not. If a user subsequently resends the fax, the Zetafax uses a local copy of the fax for the resubmission.
•Where Zetafax is configured to store archived copies of sent and received faxes, these copies are stored on a file server within the organization. File system security can be configured simply to protect the archive from unauthorized access, using the Zetafax Enhanced Security feature.
•Access to the Zetafax Online account uses an encrypted user ID and password, following industry best practice. The password can be reset where required for additional security – e.g. where account credentials have been supplied by a channel partner or other party.
Hybrid use with fax boards
Most Zetafax systems which use Zetafax Online are configured without local fax boards or other fax devices. All faxes are sent and received using the Zetafax Online service, and the Zetafax Server does not require any other access to phone lines or dedicated fax hardware within the organization.
In some cases it may be desirable to configure the Zetafax Server to use one or more local fax devices in addition to Zetafax Online. Examples where this may be used are:
•High availability systems, where Zetafax Online is used as a backup mechanism to enable fax transmission to continue if the local fax device or phone line fails, or to use the local fax capability as a backup in case of failure of the Internet connection to the business.
•Occasional high volume usage, where local fax capacity is sufficient for most fax traffic but the additional capacity available with Zetafax Online is needed intermittently, to save the cost of installing additional fax lines for infrequent use.
•Sites wishing to continue use of an existing fax line for incoming faxes, but needing additional capacity for outbound faxes.
•To optimize call costs, e.g. for companies sending a high volume of faxes to local or other numbers which can be dialled without charge from their company premises.
Zetafax can be configured for hybrid use, adding one or more fax devices (typically a fax board or Fax over IP Connector) as well as a Zetafax Online link. Please contact Equisys to discuss how best to meet specific requirements, if required.