Introduction

Spindle Document Distribution has two mode of operation, Interactive Mode is the default mode and is used when Spindle Document Distribution is called by a user initiating a print using an application's File>Print (or equivalent) process. The Processor window is displayed giving feedback to the user and allowing interaction with it should it be required. In order for the Spindle Document Distribution processes to function, the user must be logged in to the Windows session (whether on a PC or logged in to a terminal server)

Unattended Mode on the other hand is used when there is no logged on user on a machine, the software runs as a service and is unable to present any dialog windows to the user. Typically this is required where a user interacts with an ERP over a browser client and documents are printed on a separate server, with a service on the print server that performs the print.

Versions Applicable

• Spindle Document Management v7.0 - v7.3
• Spindle Document Management v7.4 and later
• Spindle Document Management v8.x
• Spindle Document Management v9.x 
  
  • NOTE: For unattended mode operation in conjunction with any ERP except Sage 200, please use Spindle Document Distribution Standalone v8 / v9 (as appropriate). 
  • Sage 200 customers should only require unattended mode when using Spindle Report Scheduler
    

Requirements

• A fully installed and configured printing environment (e.g. Sage ERP X3, Realitex etc.)
• Spindle Document Management with a licence that allows Unattended Mode.
• Windows Server 2008R2 and above

Failure to meet these requirements can result in delays in the implementation and may necessitate calls to the Draycir Service Desk.

Pre-amble

The most important principle for correctly configuring Spindle Document Management in unattended mode is that the processes must run in the same user context, that is, running as the same Windows user and in the same session as the ERP print agent. 

Typically the print agent will run as a service on the print server, and so will be running in session 0. To ensure this is the case, you will need to add the Session ID column to the Task Manager:

Establish the Print Agent Process and Print Agent user account

We will refer to this as the Print Agent process the Print Agent user account will be visible in Task Manager:

In the example above, for Sage X3, the Print Agent is AdxSrvImp.exe, and the Print Agent user account is adonix.

Spindle Document Distribution Installation

1) Start with ERP (Sage X3, 200, Realitext etc.) installed and configured. 

2) Establish the ERP's print agent user account. This is the account that the Print Agent process is running under on the print server. In the image below it is "adonix" with a password of "adonix". The Spindle Document Distribution monitor process must run with this account in the same session otherwise processing will fail.

3) Install Spindle Document Management so that Spindle Document Management Client is on the print server, ideally installing the client as the print agent user account ([Shift]-Right-click>Run as different User in Windows Vista/2008 and later). Please ensure that this user has admin rights to install the software. Once installed, the User Setup Wizard will be shown. Complete the wizard, accepting all defaults, or selecting the options you require. This will set up the required information in the process user's HKCU hive of the registry.

4) After the installation is complete, the server must be rebooted before Spindle Document Distribution can be used.

5) Run a test print via control panel to ensure that Spindle Document Distribution is running correctly in interactive mode. This will happen in the current interactive user context rather than the service user, so you will get a second user setup wizard. You can cancel this.

6) Next remove the interactive logon features of Spindle Document Distribution from the Sage ERP X3 print server by ending the following processes: 

• dsplpagent.exe
• SpindleDocDistributionMonitor.exe

7) Open the Windows Services management console and change the Spindle Pro service Logon details to those of the print agent process noted above.

9) Run Spindle Document Distribution Tools as the service user and configure the output devices. 

10) Under User Settings>Unattended Mode, Set the options as required, typically we want to run the Processor minimised, and to close the processor on warnings and errors. 

NOTE: Do NOT tick "Allow server UI interaction". This option exists only for legacy compatibility and can cause Spindle Document Management to not function on Windows Server 2008 and later.

11) Ensure that the processor window will close after a successful run by opening Regedit as the service user and setting: 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Draycir\Spindle Document Distribution\Generic\Distribution]
"Auto Close Processor"=dword:00000001

12) Enable two additional parameters for the printer agents, depending on the version of SDM installed. If you are upgrading from 7.3 or earlier to 7.48.x or 9.x, please note that the path for the later version has an additional subkey):

Version 7.4 and later, version 8.x and 9.x

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Draycir\Spindle Professional\Printers\Spindle Pro Auto\Agent]
"Allow Domain Session"=dword:00000001
"Allow Self Session"=dword:00000001

Version 7.0 to 7.3

In earlier versions these registry keys were located in

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Draycir\Spindle Professional\Printers\Spindle Pro Auto]
"Allow domain session"=dword:00000001
"Allow self session"=dword:00000001