Redax® Enterprise Server 2.0 Readme
© 2008 Appligent, Inc.
| Product Version: | 2.0 |
| Release Date: | 5/30/2008 |
| User Guide Version: | 2.0 |
| Publication Date: | 5/30/2008 |
Introduction
Redax is a family of products that enable you to completely and permanently delete sensitive information from PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Redax Enterprise Server, the newest addition to the product set, performs the redaction on the server rather than on individual desktops like Redax and Redax Lite plug-in for Adobe Acrobat. Designed for use in high-volume settings, Redax Enterprise Server enables you to automate the markup and redaction process for large quantities of data.
Please refer to the following documentation for additional information:
- Installation guide located on the installation CD and in the default directory
- User guide located on the installation CD and in the default directory
New Features
Version 1.5
Streamlined definition of preferences
Define all of your preferences in an XML file using the ApConfig for Redax utility, and then specify the file following the -pref option when you run Redax Enterprise Server. The command-line options that were used in former versions to specify preferences are still functional but have been deprecated. If you specify a preferences file and one or more deprecated preference options on a command, the options in the preferences file overwrite the deprecated preferences. For information about using ApConfig for Redax, see the online help supplied with the utility. For information about specifying a preferences file in your command, see the Redax Enterprise Server User Guide.
Case-insensitive search option with list files
When searching for and applying Redax boxes to text based on the words and phrases in a list file, you can have Redax Enterprise Server perform a case-insensitive search by specifying the -ignorecase option. When the -ignorecase option is specified, Redax boxes are drawn around all words and phrases in the document that match the words and phrases in the list file, regardless of capitalization. For example, if the list file contains the word govern, but does not contain Govern or GOVERN, Redax boxes will be drawn around govern, Govern, and GOVERN. Without the -ignorecase option, Redax boxes would only be drawn around govern.
Redaction by category
Classify information that you mark up for redaction by category, and redact as many of the categories as needed.
You define each category in a separate preferences files using the ApConfig for Redax utility supplied with Redax Enterprise Server. For example, you might define the category Internal in one preferences file and the category External in another preferences file.
Then you run Redax Enterprise Server once for each markup category you want to include in the PDF document. For example, you might apply one list file and specify the preferences file containing the Internal category, and then apply another list file and specify the preferences file containing the External category:
redaxserver -o outfile.pdf -flist internal.txt -pref internal.xml input.pdf
and then . . .
redaxserver -o outfile.pdf -flist external.txt -pref external.xml input.pdf
When you redact the document, you specify whichever categories you want to include in the redaction, as in the following examples:
redaxserver -o outfile_redacted.pdf -redact -redaxcat Internal outfile.pdf
or . . .
redaxserver -o outfile_redacted.pdf -redact -redaxcat External outfile.pdf
or . . .
redaxserver -o outfile_redacted.pdf -redact -redaxcat Internal, External outfile.pdf
For information about defining a category in a preferences file, see the online help supplied with ApConfig for Redax. For information about applying categories during markup and redacting based on category, see the Redax Enterprise Server User Guide.
Appearance of redacted areas
Define the appearance of redacted areas in your preferences file. Select any printable character or a blank space to replace redacted text. Choose a color and transparency level for the interior of the redacted area (Fill) and for the border around it (Frame).
For information about using ApConfig for Redax to define preferences for the appearance of redacted areas, see the online help supplied with the utility. For information about specifying a preferences file in your command, see the Redax Enterprise Server User Guide.
Redaction of encrypted files
You can now mark up and redact an encrypted PDF document with Redax Enterprise Server. On your command line, supply the Owner password following the -d option. For more information about the -d option, see the Redax Enterprise Server User Guide.
Option to condense fully redacted pages
If you mark up and redact complete pages with the -markpages option, you can have Redax Enterprise Server condense all of the redacted pages in a range into one page. You check the option to condense fully redacted pages in a preferences file that you create using ApConfig for Redax, and then specify the preferences file on the command line following the -pref option.
For information about defining the option to condense fully redacted pages in a preferences file, see the online help supplied with ApConfig for Redax. For information about using the -pref option, see the Redax Enterprise Server User Guide.
Additional report detail
Redax reports now include more detail. Each report indicates the total number of Redax boxes and Full-page tags and contains the following information for each one:
- Page number
- Type of markup (Redax box or Full-page tag)
- Creation date and time
- Redaction category
- Box color
- Exemption code
- Author
- Note
- Top, left, bottom, and right coordinates, if the markup is a Redax box
Version 1.1.2
Full page redaction
Mark one or more full pages for redaction, using the command-line option -markpage <"pagelist">, where pagelist is a comma separated list of pages and/or page ranges.
For example:
redaxserver -o outfile.pdf -markpage "2,23-48,300" input.pdf
marks pages 2, 23 through 48, and 300 for redaction. By default, no exemption code is applied. Use -exemption, below, to assign an exemption code, or use -noexempt when redacting to allow redaction without exemption codes.
The command-line option -markpages is a synonym for -markpage.
Note: The -markpage option has been deprecated, effective with release 1.5. Use the -markpages option instead.
Assign exemption codes when finding text
Assign exemption codes when finding text using the command-line option -exemption <"code">, where code is the exemption code to assign. -exemption works with the following options:
- -markpage
- -markpages
- -fbracket
- -fimage
- -ftext
For example:
redaxserver -o outfile.pdf -markpage "2,23-48,300" -exemption "b3" input.pdfmarks pages 2, 23 through 48, and 300 for redaction, and assigns the exemption code b3 to the Redax boxes.
Note: The -exemption option has been deprecated, effective with release 1.5. Use ApConfig for Redax to create a preferences file that assigns an exemption code (Exemption on the Redax Box tab), and then specify the preferences file on your command following the -pref option.
Exemption code handling
Specify how exemption codes are handled with the command-line option -exemptioncode <"option">, where option can be:
- present (default)-exemption code is stamped over the redacted area.
- clip-exemption code is stamped over the redaction area, but is clipped so that the code does not run outside the redacted area and obscure unredacted text.
- wrap-exemption code iswrapped if it exceeds the length of the redacted area.
- atbottom-all exemption codes for the page are stamped on the bottom of the page.
- remove-no exemption codes are placed in the document.
Note: The -exemptioncode option has been deprecated, effective with release 1.5. Use ApConfig for Redax to create a preferences file that specifies how exemption codes are to be handled (Redactions tab), and then specify the preferences file on your command following the -pref option.
Detailed reporting
You can get more detailed reporting than -sumfile provides using the command-line option -detfile <filename.xml>. This option outputs an XML file containing a detailed report of the redaction. The following options are available with -detfile:
- -detpage <pagenumber>-restricts the output file to just one page specified by pagenumber.
- -detdtd-includes a DTD in the output XML file.
These options must be used with -detfile.
For example:
redaxserver -o outfile.pdf -detfile "log.xml" -detdtd input.pdf
redacts input.pdf, creates a detailed report, and includes the DTD in the XML file so that the information can be repurposed.
Note: The detailed reporting options have been deprecated, effective with release 1.5. The -sumfile option now generates a more detailed report, as described in the New Features section for version 2.0.
Preserving the Redax boxes
You can stamp a box around the redacted area using the command-line option -showrectangle. This option permanently stamps black boxes around the redacted area.
Note: The -showrectangle option has been deprecated, effective with release 1.5. Use ApConfig for Redax to apply a black fill and frame to the redacted area (Fill Color and Frame Color on the Redactions tab), and then specify the preferences file on your command following the -pref option.
Known Issues
Version 1.5
Bookmarks are not preserved with full-page redaction
The Preserve Bookmarks preference is not supported when you use the -markpages command-line option. Bookmarks may be copied to the redacted file, but they will not be active.
Exemption codes might not be clearly visible in converted markup
When you convert Acrobat markup to Redax markup (-cm, -ch, -cu, and -cs options), exemption codes might not be clearly visible in boxes.
Workaround
Change one or both of the following in your preferences file:
- Decrease the Font Size.
- Select an option other than Clip Exemption Code to Rectangle.
Note: These preference settings are defined on the Redactions tab in ApConfig for Redax.
Exemption codes are not always placed correctly on rotated pages
If your preferences file specifies an Exemption Code Position of Top Left, Center, or Bottom Left, the exemption might not be placed correctly on rotated pages.
Workaround
In your preferences, specify the Bottom of Page Exemption Code Position on the Redactions tab. Positioning and word wrapping of exemption codes do not always work together correctly
- If your preferences file specifies an Exemption Code Position of Center or Bottom Left and the Word Wrap Exemption Code option, the exemption code will be placed in the top left position.
- If your preferences file specifies an Exemption Code Position of Bottom of Page and the Word Wrap Exemption Code option, the exemption code will be placed at the bottom of the page but it will not wrap.
Note: These preference settings are defined on the Redactions tab in ApConfig for Redax.
Acrobat 7 might not print files containing Redax markup as expected
- The file might take a long time to process.
- At times, the boxes print but the page content does not.
Note: This is an issue with the Acrobat 7 product. It occurs with files that contain any type of annotation, not just with Redax markup.
Workaround
Try printing from Reader 7.
Redacted bitmap images are sometimes replaced with black space instead of white space
When bitmap images are redacted, the redacted portion of the image is replaced with white space. Occasionally in some files, black space is used instead.
Redax boxes drawn using Redax plug-in version 3.7 or earlier do not appear
When you open a PDF file that contain Redax boxes drawn in version 3.7 or earlier of the Redax plug-in product, the boxes do not appear, even though they are in the file.
Workaround
Click in the boxed area to make the box appear.
"FindUsingListFile preferences.xml cannot be opened for reading" error message appears
This is the error message that's reported when the wrong path to the preferences file is given on the command line.
Version 1.1.2
-fillrectangle option not yet supported
The -fillrectangle option that appears in the usage is not currently supported but is there for a future release.
Note: This option has been deprecated effective with release 1.5. Use ApConfig for Redax to set the fill color of redacted areas, and specify the preferences file on the command line following the -pref option.
Version 1.1.1
Type 3 fonts not supported
The current version of Redax Enterprise Server does not support Type 3 fonts. You can use Appligent's APGetInfo utility to find out whether a PDF file contains Type 3 fonts.
Some special characters cause problems importing XML templates (-impfile)
If a field in a Redax box contains the less than symbol (<), ampersand (&), double quotation mark ("), single quotation mark ('), or an ASCII character higher than 127, an XML template can be exported (created), but it cannot be imported (applied to another document).
Error message
For a double quote, the error message is as follows:
XML Parse error at line n
Error = 4
not well-formed (invalid token)
Workarounds
- Avoid using the problem characters in Redax boxes.
- Edit the XML template.
Operating system may cause problems with special redaction characters (-char)
- If you want to use a space or any of the following as the redaction character, you must enclose it in double quotes under Windows (for example, "*") or single quotes under Unix or Macintosh (for example, ‘*'):
@ ^ & * ' | < > / . " ?
- If you want to use a percent sign as the redaction character under Windows, enclose two percent signs in double quotes:
"%%" - Do not use any of the following as the redaction character. Errors may result.
- ( ) - Do not use the following character combination. The command will not be executed.
-/ - If a percent sign (%) or double quotation marks are specified ("") when the Redax box is created, the selected text is replaced by the default redaction character, a dash (-). This applies to Redax boxes created with the -char option, as well as Redax boxes created using other methods (for example, drawn using Redax plug-in).
Images redacted with black may result in invisible exemption codes (-blank)
If an image is redacted with black, exemption codes will not be visible.
Workaround
Avoid using the -blank command-line option.
Markup may not be completely removed (-cm, -rmarkup, -crem)
When -cm, -rmarkup, and -crem are used together, some markup might remain, although the areas underneath are redacted.
Workaround
Use -remall to remove all markup, including Redax boxes.
Invalid command-line option may be interpreted as file name
If a word on the command line begins with a hyphen, but is not a valid option, Redax Enterprise Server assumes that the word is file name.