Pcounter Solutions

• Solutions Overview
• - Client and Project Billing
• - Education
• - Library
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• - Secure Print
• - Wireless Print
• Products Overview
• - Pcounter
• - Software Terminals
• - Hardware Terminals
• - Pcounter WebPay
• - Pcounter Web Report
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• - Pcounter CDK
• - Pcounter CDK Connect

Pcounter CDK Connect

CDK Connect is a middleware solution that enables Pcounter to substitute the internal user account balance database with an external RDBMS like SQL Server or Oracle. When CDK Connect is linked to the External Accounting Database, Pcounter will use the Account balance (and optionally the free quota allowance) from the connected database.

In order to connect Pcounter to an External Accounting Database, the network username (i.e. the owner of the print job) must be related to the user’s balance record, either as a direct relation or as part of a secondary lookup. CDK Connect can also upload the Pcounter Log data to the External Accounting Database on a specified interval.

Download a 60 day fully functioning trial of Pcounter CDK Connect

Pcounter CDK Connect can also be used to integrate with third party payment systems, such as PayEx.

Technical Data

• CDK Connect is implemented as a Windows service running on Windows Server 2003\2008.
• CDK Connect interfaces with the External Accounting Database via ADO. A connection string is specified in the application settings. For SQL Server, both mixed mode and Windows Authentication login schemes are supported.
• In the event of a database connection or driver level failure with the External Accounting Database, CDK Connect can ensure continuity for network printing by allowing Pcounter to continue whilst caching all pending updates. Pending updates are committed when the connection fault is resolved. This feature can be toggled in the application settings.
• The following Pcounter tools support CDK Connect in external database operations:-
  • Pcounter PRO (PRO API DLL calls)
  • PPopup.exe
  • Balance.exe
  • WBalance.exe
• The following Pcounter tools do not support external database operations:
  • PAdmin
  • Account.exe
• Pcounter Windows supports both external accounting operations and Log upload. Pcounter for Netware supports Log upload only.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

• The HTTP communications between CDK Connect and Pcounter can be secured via SSL.

• It is possible to generate a self-signed certificate for securing the CDK Connect server in LAN environments. The application settings include an SSL Wizard for this purpose.

External Accounting Database

• CDK Connect can interface with any Ansi-92 SQL compliant database supporting ADO or ODBC drivers.

• CDK Connect comes with several pre-defined tables for SQL Server, the table creation scripts are provided as part of the default installation. Alternatively, customer specific tables may be used. The suitability and modeling of pre-existing tables can be assessed during the project requirements phase.

• Security, integrity, maintenance, and backup of the data in the External Accounting Database is the responsibility of the customer. CDK Connect keeps detailed log files of the commands issued to the RDBMS for support purposes.

Download a 60 day fully functioning trial of Pcounter CDK Connect