Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Support for the Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 SP2 product ended on 05/21/11. The Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 Web pages will continue to be available until 05/21/12.

Kofax Transformation Modules 5.5.2 (5.5 with Service Pack 2) is the latest release of the Kofax Transformation Modules product.

Please note: Prior to applying any Service Pack, Fix Pack, or Fix to your Kofax Transformation Modules 5.5 product, please be sure you have installed Kofax Transformation Modules 5.5.0 R2 or later . KTM 5.5.0 initial release installations cannot be upgraded with the current 5.5.1 Service Pack, Fix Packs, or Fixes. Refer to the Kofax Transformation Modules 5.5.0 R2 Product Information and Installation Instructions document for details.

To access the following Web pages for this release, please click on the desired page's link.

Application Notes - Frequently Asked Questions - Revision Levels  - Supported Configurations

General Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 Questions

1. What are the system requirements for Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

2. What Operating Systems are supported by Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

3. What language localizations are available for Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

4. How does Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 integrate with Ascent Capture?

5. What technology does Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 utilize?

6. What does each Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 module do?

7. Does the Ascent Capture product have to be installed before Ascent Xtrata Pro is installed?

8. What kind of license is installed with Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

9. What custom Ascent Capture components/modules are installed by Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

10. If I need to register the custom Ascent Modules (or Release Script), what steps do I take?

If the FAQs below do not provide you with the information you need, please visit our Capture, Transformation & VRS Products Knowledge Base to search for the information.

General Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 Questions and Answers

1. What are the system requirements for Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

Kofax always recommends the use of VRS with Ascent Xtrata Pro.

Minimum Hardware Requirements
Processor	Pentium class 1.5 GHz processor
System Memory	2 GBytes
Disk space	1 GB for the installation and enough space (approximately 1 GB) for the image files used for classification (for client/server installations, on the corresponding drive of the server; for standalone installations, on the drive where Ascent Capture is installed)
Display	1600 x1200 with 24-bit color, small fonts; 24-bit color is recommended for the best viewing.

 

Recommended Hardware Requirements for Project Builder and Validation
Processor	Pentium class class 2.0 GHz processor (dual core)
System Memory	2 GBytes
Disk space	1 GB for the installation and enough space (approximately 10 GB or more) for the image files used for classification (for client/server installations, on the corresponding drive of the server; for standalone installations, on the drive where Ascent Capture is installed)
Display	1600 x1200 with 24-bit color, small fonts; 24-bit color is recommended for the best viewing.

 

Recommended Hardware Requirements for the Server
Processor	Pentium class 2.0 GHz processor, 2-4 CPUs (dual core)
System Memory	2 GBytes
Disk space	1 GB for the installation and enough space (approximately 10 GB or more) for the image files used for classification (for client/server installations, on the corresponding drive of the server; for standalone installations, on the drive where Ascent Capture is installed)
Display	1600 x1200 with 24-bit color, small fonts; 24-bit color is recommended for the best viewing.

NOTE: Disk space requirements will vary, depending on the number of projects set up with Ascent Xtrata Pro. It is recommended that you monitor free disk space on your Ascent Capture server (for client/server installations) and your stations where you perform Ascent Xtrata Pro processing.

2. What Operating Systems are supported by Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

Ascent Xtrata Pro is certified on the following operating systems:

• Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 (English/German)
• Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 4 (English/German)
• Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 4 (English/German)

3. What language localizations are available for Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

The basic Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 product is localized for English and German, but additional localizations can be added by developing language packs that install over the top. Currently language packs are being developed for French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese (Brazilian), Chinese (simplified) and Japanese. Currently these localizations are being made available uncertified but the intention is to certify them in the future. Additional language packs will be developed in the future but the list is yet to be determined.

4. How does Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 integrate with Ascent Capture?

Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 integrates with Ascent Capture as a suite of custom modules and set up components. The Ascent Xtrata Pro custom modules can be added to any Ascent Capture batch class. The Ascent Xtrata Pro Server and Validation modules typically replace the Ascent Capture Recognition Server and Validation modules in the workflow.

A Synchronization Tool is integrated into the Ascent Capture Administration module that allows you to synchronize Ascent Xtrata Pro projects with Ascent Capture classes and index fields. This is installed as a custom panel in Ascent Administrator.

5. What technology does Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 utilize?

Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 features revolutionary learn-by-example technology for both document classification and data extraction. The data is extracted using ‘locators’ that use rules defining the expected format of the required data and the keywords that may be present around it. For extraction the learning process results in the creation of a configuration file called a Knowledge Base that encapsulates the variations in document format and phraseology.

For version 3.1 the learn-by-example extraction technology is only available for invoices.

The Ascent Xtrata Pro installation program automatically registers the custom components with Ascent Capture, as long it detects a certified version of Ascent Capture on the system.

6. What does each Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 module do?

Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 is comprised of a suite of custom modules that seamlessly integrate into Ascent Capture. These are as follows:

Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1
Server	Processes batches in the Ascent Capture workflow, performing document classification and data extraction. The Server uses the stored project and executes the definitions therein during runtime for the selected batch class. Server is a custom module that you add to your batch classes to perform automatic classification and extraction of scanned documents. User – none (unattended module).
Validation	Provides enhanced validation functionality. It allows for validating and manually correcting documents that contain invalid classification and/or extraction results. Validation is a custom module that you can add to your batch classes for reviewing extraction results and where necessary making amendments to them. User – Data validation operators
Project Builder	Lets you set up, store and test Ascent Xtrata Pro projects that contain all information for processing documents. Project Builder is a standalone program used to configure classification and data extraction. User – Solution developers.
Knowledge Base Administrator	Lets you create, test and extend Knowledge Bases by training on new sample invoices. Knowledge Base administrator is a standalone program. User – Solution developers and system administrators (end-user).
Synchronization Tool	Is a setup component that is integrated as a custom panel into the Ascent Capture Administration module for linking Ascent Capture document classes and index fields to classes and fields in the Ascent Xtrata Pro project. A custom panel that is installed in Ascent Capture Administration module to synchronize Ascent Xtrata Pro projects with Ascent Capture classes and index fields. User – Solution developers
Statistics Viewer	For viewing of system performance statistics and development of reports. Statistics Viewer is a standalone program. User – Solution developers and system administrators (end-user).
Image Classifier	For testing of image classification schemes. Image Classifier is a standalone program. User – Solution developers.
XDoc Browser	For viewing the contents of Xtrata Pro’s internal XDoc files (image and text). XDocs Browser is a standalone program. User – Solution developers.

7. Does the Ascent Capture product have to be installed before Ascent Xtrata Pro is installed?

The Ascent Xtrata Pro installation installs and registers custom Ascent Capture components only if a certified version of Ascent Capture is detected on the computer. Therefore, to use the custom Ascent Capture components, you must install a certified version of Ascent Capture before you install Ascent Xtrata Pro.

Installing Ascent Xtrata Pro involves the following basic steps, which you should perform in the following order.

• Step 1 Install Ascent Capture 7.0 SP3, 7.5 or 7.5 SP3.
• Step 2 Install Ascent Xtrata Pro.
• Step 3 Activate the Ascent Xtrata Pro license.
• Step 4 Configure Ascent Xtrata Pro Server Services

For details regarding the Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 installation, please refer to the Installation Guide for Ascent Xtrata Pro or the Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 Installation Notes application note.

8. What kind of license is installed with Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

Ascent Xtrata Pro is initially installed with a demo license for Project Builder that is valid for three days. During this time, the Project Builder can be used without any restrictions. After the demo license expires, Project Builder will only present the Activate License dialog box.

License activation is a process that establishes a link between the Project Builder and the Ascent Capture hardware key, which must be present at the time of activation. License activation requires administrator rights on the computer where it is performed.

When activating the license, you must provide a user name and company name.

For more information regarding license activation, refer to the License Activation section beginning on page 18 of the Getting Started with Ascent Xtrata Pro Version 3.1 guide or the Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 License Activation application note.

9. What custom Ascent Capture components/modules are installed by Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1?

The Ascent Xtrata Pro installation program installs and registers several components/modules:

• Ascent Xtrata Pro Project Builder is a standalone program to set up and test classification and extraction projects, as well as invoice projects.
• Ascent Xtrata Pro Server is a custom module that you can add to your batch classes to perform classification and extraction.
• Ascent Xtrata Pro Synchronization tool is a custom panel added to the Ascent Capture Administration module that allows synchronizing projects with Ascent Capture batch classes. It is installed with the custom module Ascent Xtrata Pro Server.
• Ascent Xtrata Pro Validation is a custom module that you can add to your batch classes for correcting invalid classification and extraction results.
• Ascent Xtrata Pro Knowledge Base Administration is a standalone program that you can use to train an invoice project and to manage knowledge bases. It is installed with Ascent Xtrata Pro Project Builder.
• Ascent Xtrata Pro Statistical Viewer is a standalone program that you can use to get information about processed batches that the Ascent Xtrata Pro Server gathers during processing.

10. If I need to register the custom Ascent Modules (or Release Script), what steps do I take?

The Ascent Xtrata Pro 3.1 installation program automatically registers the Ascent modules and the release script with Ascent Capture. If for any reason the components need to be registered after installation, you can manually register them in the Ascent Capture Administration module.

Note: An error message is displayed if the installation program fails to register the Ascent Xtrata Pro custom components. The unregistered components will not be available for use with Ascent Capture. For example, if the Ascent Xtrata Pro Server is not registered, it will not be available as a queue for a batch class.

To register custom modules

• From the Administration module’s menu bar, select Tools | Custom Module Manager to display the Custom Module Manager dialog box.
• Click Add to display the Open dialog box.
• Choose the desired Ascent Xtrata Pro registration file (“Mailroom.aex”) from the file list and click Open to display the Custom Modules dialog box.
• Select the Ascent Xtrata Pro component(s) from the list and click Install.

To register release script

• From the Administration module’s menu bar, select Tools | Release Script Manager to display the Release Script Manager dialog box.
• Click Add to display the Open dialog box.
• Choose the desired Ascent Xtrata Pro registration file (“MailroomStatisticRelease.inf”) for the release script from the file list and click Open to display the Release Script Manager Dialog box.
• Select the Ascent Xtrata Pro release script ‘Xtrata Pro Statistics’ from the list and click Install.