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1) Added the ability to retrieve the original source document, in addition to the interim and final signed documents. Specify the query string value "&ps_orig=1" on the http call to "GetDocument.asp" or "GetDocument2.asp". Retrieval of the original document is also available via the standard "Status" report. See the topic "Document retrieval using GetDocument" in the updated Developer's Guide for full information.

 

2) PDF documents only: Support for placement of all elements of the signature block on any PDF page is now supported. PRONTO™ Server supports the use of seven text values in the signature block in addition to the visual graphic of the signature. These seven text values are: signer name, signer email address, signer title, signer organization, and three text strings of your choice (called 'text1', 'text2', and 'text3'). In previous versions of PRONTO™ Server, all of these values could only be printed to the same PDF page as the signature. Now you may specify a different PDF page for any of these elements. These text values are only added after the signer "signs" the document. The APIs (<XDATA> XML element and 'AddSignerXData' COM function) have always contained values for the "page" number for each text value. They now work. If no value is specified for the page of any text value, then the signature page number is assumed.

 

3) First support for services oriented architectures. An initial "SOA Service" is offered in this version. We use the term "SOA Service" rather than "Web Service" as services in PRONTO™ Server have been implemented using Windows Communication Foundation, which supports more than Web-based (http-based) protocols. Out of the box, PRONTO™ Server is configured to support both the WSI-Basic Profile (also known as "classic" web services and also "basicHttp" in WCF), and a profile supporting WS-* services (known as "wsHttp" in WCF).

The initial service is called "RemoteSignedDocument". It is intended for a special use case where documents are signed without the use of any PRONTO™ Server user interface. All UI is handled by a remote system. The user never directly visits the server where PRONTO™ Server operates. This service essentially registers a PDF document as "signed" by a single signer. See the "SOA Services" topic in the updated Developers Guide for full details.

 

4) Your applications may now invoke the signing of documents programmatically. This is a separate function from the Web service described above and is implemented using a simple HTTP GET. Please see the new section "Signing Documents Programmatically using SignDocumentRemotely" in the updated Developers Guide.

 

5) PRONTO™ Server records the client IP address at the time of signing. There are special cases when using firewalls, load balancers, etc. where such intermediary devices will alter or remove the client IP address. In some cases the true client IP address will be added by such devices to a custom HTTP header value that is then passed on to the PRONTO™ Server. There is a new setting in the "PRONTO_MODE" section of "ProntoConfig.ini" called "ProntoClientIPHeaderName". This value is normally an empty string. If you have configured your intermediary device to add the true client IP address to a custom HTTP header, you must set that custom HTTP header value here. For example, if your custom HTTP header name is "Client-IP", then you would set:

 

 

ProntoClientIPHeaderName = "Client-IP"

in the "PRONTO_MODE" section of the "ProntoConfig.ini" file. PRONTO™ Server will then use the IP address passed in this custom header, rather than the IP address reported by IIS.

 

6) The Status Report has been enhanced to permit retrieval of the following documents and data:

• Current version of the document (for pending documents)

• Final version of the document (for completed documents)

• Original version of the document

• TIFF formatted version of the current or final document (PDF documents only)

• Form data in XML format (for PDF documents containing form data)

• Form data in CSV format (for PDF documents containing form data)

• Authentication XML - Raw XML returned by a third party authentication service (i.e. Experian), if such authentication was used.

 

7) Using "registered" user signature types has been updated to support setting font parameters. "registered" signature types are normally used to support signature images stored in a User table profile. If there is no signature image on file for a User, then the system would default to a "standard" signature type. Now you may set signature parameters just as you would with a "standard-image" signature type. You may specify the font, size, italic, bold, and color. If no signature image is present in the User profile, then the signature will be created using these parameters. If no parameters are present, the default "Script" parameters are used: "Script" font, 36 point, italic=true, bold=true, color=Blue.

 

8) A new setting has been added to the "ProntoConfig.ini" [PRONTO_DIR] section. This value is called:

ProntoAcctDataDir

This setting now allows you to specify the location of the "AcctData" directory, which contains header, footer, email, and PDF form templates for each "ProntoID" (or account) in PRONTO Server. By default these are located at: "\AlphaTrust\Pronto\Programs\AcctData\". In multiple server installations (Web farm) this is less than ideal as you must separately maintain each server's "AcctData" directory. You may now locate this directory on a common share, just as you can with the "DB" and "Images" directory.

 

9) Header, footer, and email templates now support a new text placeholder value:

PRONTOSERVER_URL

PRONTO™ Server will now substitute the server's URL for this value. See the "Defining and Using Email Templates, Email Signatures, and Header/Footer Templates" section of the "Developers Guide" for full information. This change makes deploying templates much easier across development, testing, staging and production environments.

 

 

PRONTO™ Server ERSS – v3.7 – August 2009 (Release Notes)
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