FAQs

Here's A Quick Q & A

• What are the operational and platform requirements for your software?

  While most of our customers operate in a Microsoft Windows environment, NearStar software also performs well on Linux, Sun Solaris, HP/UX and Mac OsX. Most hardware can be scaled to accommodate a variety of volumes and can be configured in a High Availability Cluster System.  The basic recommendations are as follows:

  Standard Platform
  Intel Xeon or compatible (2-4 processors) 
  8-16GB (4GB per CPU)
  25GB (Operating System only)
  500GB
  CD/CDRW
  100BaseT – Primary
  256 Color
  Windows 2008 Server 64 bit
  
  HA/FT Platform
  Intel Xeon or compatible (4-16 processors)
  16-32GB (4GB per CPU)
  25GB (Operating System only)
  1TB (Shared Array)
  CD/CDRW
  100BaseT – Primary
  100BaseT – Secondary
  256 Color
  Windows 2008 Server 64bit
  RAID Array Controllers
  External Dual Channel RAID Level-5

• Does the NearStar solution provide redundancy in the case of a hardware failure or disaster?

  NearStar solutions are compatible with High Availability/Fault Tolerant Cluster configurations as well as virtual servers. The HA/FT configuration provides redundancy on the hardware side in case there is a server crash.

  NearStar also had a Disaster Recovery solution for DataServer as all jobs can be replicated from a primary location to a secondary using data encryption. This allows for all jobs to be on the secondary system at the time of a Disaster, which allows the ability to continue working vs having to go re-queue all jobs at the mainframe back out to the 2nd location. NearStar also allows adding disk space to the configuration and has the DataServer manager 'glue' the disks together for spool allocation. As a Java based product, NearStar's solutions can run on different types of platforms, thus providing our customers with the best hardware choice for their environment.

• My company needs a Print & Mail tracking solution and the ability to measure Service Level efficiency. Can your software provide this functionality?

  As an end-to-end tracking solution, NearStar ATOM integrates Service Level (SLA) requirements based on a business driven rule set and provides a measurable event and time stamp for each tracking stage. Color-coded indicators provide an at-a-glance view of SLA metrics. Email alerts may be configured based on SLA parameters and displayed in the Tracking interface.

  ATOM is able to integrate with a variety of post-finishing and mail insertion equipment using barcode scanning technology. As a result, each step of the post-finishing and fulfillment process is tracked as the job moves toward completion. Scans may also trigger event notifications informing customers of the job status. In a similar manner, ATOM is able to integrate with the USPS Intelligent Mail Barcode notification services and track mail confirmation delivery.

• Can your software provide detailed accounting information and charge-back reports?

  Yes.

  Over the years, NearStar saw a need for a large print & mail production centers to track jobs and provide statistical analysis tools for charge backs and capacity planning. NearStar’s approach was to develop a fully web-based solution that contained the inherent ability to track jobs from their arrival to the final disposition, i.e., shipped and/or delivered.

  ATOM is fully integrated with DataServer to track jobs as they arrive into the production print center and is updated automatically until it is sent to a target printing system. If the target printer supports job accounting, then ATOM can be integrate to import printer accounting files and update the jobs being tracked.

  NearStar has been one of the few vendors outside of Xerox to fully integrate XSI XEAR Classic and XEAR/Flex to automate job accounting from Xerox DocuSP/FreeFlow Print Server based production printing system, which includes high-speed cut-sheet, continuous-feed, and full-color digital presses. With the inclusion of ATOM’s XEAR importer, jobs can be tracked up to the final printed product.