Input Sources

An input source is a submission point for documents.  There are three types: network port, folder/directory, and email.

A network port source is a network port that accepts raw print jobs.  This works the same way a network printer does, where raw print data is sent directly to the printer.  With CirrusPrint, raw print data is sent to a network port, which in turn spools and forwards the job to remote devices.  A port is configured to send its input to one or more output devices, specified as its targets.

A file path source is a file system path that is monitored, so that whenever files arrive, they are spooled and forwarded on to remote devices.  Files picked up from paths are removed from those paths.  The path monitor can watch for certain types of files through patterns, such as *.pdf for PDF files.  It can also forward file property information and user-defined information (via a .ini file) to the remote client.  A path is configured to send its input to one or more output devices, specified as its targets.

An email source is an IMAP mailbox that is monitored for incoming email attachments to process.  A number of security features are enabled to ensure that spam emails are discarded rather than processed.  Email addresses must be dedicated for CirrusPrint use, as all email is deleted once processed.

Both port and folder sources can be hosted by a system client, so it is possible to provide network printing and folder monitoring at any location where a system client is installed.  This enables one location to receive documents that are delivered to devices at a different location.

In addition to dedicated IMAP mailboxes, the CirrusPrint server can receive email directly with proper port and DNS configuration.  In those cases, no dedicated mailbox is required, and some of the email transport overhead is eliminated, resulting in higher email-to-print performance.

List Mode Buttons

•Add a record

•Edit the selected record (or double-click the record)

•Filter text to filter the records to those containing the text

•Enable selected records

•Disable selected records

•Download to download a CSV file of the records

•Resize columns to fit their longest content

•Reload the list of records

Edit Mode Buttons

•Save the record, return to list mode

•Delete the record, after validation

•Copy or rename the record

•Send deployment letter to guide a remote user though install and configuration of a system client

•Close without saving, and return to list mode

Fields

Source ID identifies this input source within the company.

Name is an information field.

Input source is inactive, if checked, disables this source to prevent jobs from being submitted through it.

Type is a selection of File Path, Network Port, or IMAP Email.  More details are found below.

Notes is an information field.

Targets is a selection of target devices to which jobs are forwarded when submitted to this input source.  A target is required for File Path and Network Port sources. If a target is selected for an IMAP Email source, then all email attachments go to that target or targets.  It is more common to let email data, such as the To address, determine the target, so in most cases, no target is selected for email sources.  All selected targets receive the job.

File Path Source Fields

Source is a file system path monitored for files to be added.

Location is the system where the path is located.  This can be on the server, or at a selected location.  If a location is selected, the system client at that location creates the path and monitors for new files, and uploads those files to the server for distribution to targets.

Wildcards is a semicolon delimited list of file name wildcards, such as *.pdf;*.txt.  Only files matching one of the wildcards will be picked up.  They must be separated by semicolons or commas.

Ensure that full permission, including delete permission, is available to the server user.  Otherwise, the server will be unable to remove the files picked up.

When files are picked up from a path source, if a second file exists matching the full name plus a ".ini" suffix, job properties will be read from that file as name=value pairs on each line.  For example, if a job file named "12345.pdf" is picked up, the file "12345.pdf.ini" could first be created with two lines "copies=3" and "duplex=2" to control the printing of the pdf.  This also means that files with at least two periods and a .ini extension are ignored.

In addition to wildcard patterns, the following tests are applied before picking up a file:

•If the file name starts with ".", it is ignored

•If the file has a size of 0 bytes, it is ignored

•If the file cannot be opened and locked, it is ignored

•Several file types support complete file detection: image files, PDF files, XML files, zip-based files (such as xlsx, docx)

Files not picked up will be removed from the path after a configured amount of time (default is 1 hour), based on the file's modification time stamp.  Note if you copy old files to the monitored path and they retain their time stamp, they may be removed sooner.

Jobs started from a file path source have the following automatically defined properties:

•basename - the name of the file without an extension

•ext - the extension, such as pdf or txt

•path - the monitored path

•filename - the name of the file

•srcid - the Source ID value

•title - the name of the file

Network Port Source Fields

Source is a network port number, which is listened on for print data.  This port accepts raw print data, similar to the port 9100 on a standard network printer.  Common port numbers are in the 9000-9999 range, but any port not in use by another task is valid, from 1024 to 65535.

Allow From is a list of addresses or CIDR ranges (such as 192.168.1.1/24), one per line, of machines or networks allowed to send data to this port.

When a network input source is open, operating system printers can be configured to print to the port on the CirrusPrint server the same way it would be configured to print to a network port on a printer.  This enables the CirrusPrint server to simulate a set of network printers on a local network.  It is not generally used for Internet-based printing, because there is no encryption on printing  ports.

Jobs started from a port source have the following automatically defined properties:

•addr - the remote IP address that connected to the port

•basename - the name of the work file without an extension, provided for consistency with other source types

•ext - the standard file extension of the data received

•filename - the name of the work file, provided for consistency with other source types

•port - the port number

•srcid - the Source ID value

•title - the source ID plus a date and time

IMAP Email Source Fields

Source is a mailbox on a mail server.  It is accessed via the IMAP protocol, and it must be a dedicated address for CirrusPrint's use, as all mail is handled or refused, and deleted from the server.  It is possible and common for there to be aliases or mail groups that forward their mail to this mailbox, so this address does not need to be dedicated to a single output device.  One address can therefore receive mail for any number of output devices.

IMAP Server is the mail server hostname or ip address, with optional prefixes and suffixes.  By default, the connection is made to port 143 and STARTTLS is performed to enable encryption.  Optionally specify a "ssl:" prefix to use IMAPS, which defaults to port 993, or a "notls:" prefix to use neither SSL nor STARTTLS to force encryption.  The notls: prefix can be used with private mail servers that don't require or enable encryption.  a ":port" suffix is used to specify a non-default port. To enable support for unverified SSL/STARTTLS certificates, such as self-signed certificates on the mail server, add a "!" prefix in front of the full server specification.

•ssl:imap.example.com - standard SSL/TLS connection

•!ssl:imap.example.com - standard SSL/TLS connection that supports self-signed certificates

•imap.example.com - standard open connection with STARTTLS

•notls:10.10.10.10:1443 - open connection, no encryption, custom port

Password is used for login/password authentication.  The Source email address is always used as the login.  Some mail services require an application password specific to IMAP access.

OAuth Token Request Data

If the mail server requires OAuth2 authentication instead of simple password authentication,  you can configure that with text values returned by the registration procedure at https://cirrusprint.com/support/oauthcode.html.  After registering an application with your mail provider, such as the App Registration pages at Microsoft 365's Azure Active Directory, you can visit the above web page to configure, authorize, and receive the tokens required for CirrusPrint to perform this type of authentication.  Instructions are found at that page.

Once the token request data is returned, copy and paste into this field.  If the mail server requests this type of authentication, these settings are used rather than a standard password-based login.

Be sure the Login value is the same one you authorized while on the above page.  The token request data should look something like this (lines here are truncated):

cid=2991095c-2b2a-4...

cs=Z2F8Q~5dZSM4v...

ep=https://login.microsoftonline.com/ab44...

tk=LCJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsIng1dCI6ImpT...

rf=0.ARIAlplEqxeM...

For Microsoft 365 users, here are more detailed instructions.

Minimum TLS Level sets the TLS level, from 1.0 through 1.3, that will be used to connect to the IMAP server.  The default is 1.2.

Use the Test IMAP Settings button to test the source mailbox and password/OAuth authentication.

Idle Wait Time and Poll Time define how CirrusPrint monitors for incoming emails.  Most IMAP servers support the IDLE option to wait passively for server notifications of new emails.  This wait time should be limited to avoid potential connection drops, typically to 30 or 60 seconds (30s or 60s).  If set to 0 seconds, or if the server does not support IDLE, polling will be used at the interval specified, which cannot be less than 5 seconds.  In some cases setting idle wait time to 0 and poll time to 5 or 10 seconds is more reliable even if the server supports IDLE.

IMAP Reconnect Time sets the time between reconnects to the IMAP server, typically 15 minutes.

Subject Auth is a list of text strings that email subjects must contain for an email to be accepted.  Enter one per line.  If no values match the subject, the email is refused.  If there are no values, no subject verification occurs.  The value is not case-sensitive, and can be simple text or a regular expression in the format "~regex".

Allow From is a list of email addresses or domains that are allowed to send email to this inbound source.  The From address is matched against values in this list.  If no match is found, the email is discarded.

Jobs started from an IMAP email source have the following automatically defined properties:

•basename - the name of the attachment without an extension

•ext - the attachment file extension

•filename - the attachment file name

•from - the email From address

•replyto - the email Reply-To address, if provided

•srcid - the Source ID value

•subject - the email subject

•title - the attachment file name

•to - the email To address

For more details about email sources, see Email Sources in the Additional Information chapter.