Sentry File Product Information
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Scan, store, retrieve and manage
The document management process involves 4 steps:
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Digitize your paper using a scanner.
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Index and file document in Sentry File.
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Find and retrieve your documents.
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Manage access to your documents.
Digitizing your documents
Use a document scanner to "image" your documents into Sentry File. "Imaging" your documents is the process of converting the paper into an electronic computer image.
File your documents
Filing your documents is the process of organizing and indexing your documents with important information. This way you can search on your index information to find your documents later.
Finding your documents
Find your documents using one of Sentry File's four high-performance search methods. You can perform quick searches to locate documents, full-text searches to search the contents of your documents, or index searches to perform advanced queries. Once you've found your document you can perform a variety of actions on it including view, revise, email, print, and many more.
Manage access
Share certain documents with your co-workers while keeping other documents private. You can give individuals, or groups of users access to specific parts of your digital document library. You can even prevent specified features such as printing, scanning, emailing etc. Audit access to your documents using the integrated logging feature of Sentry File.
FEATURES
Deploy with Sentry File's Web-Based Interface
Sentry File's 100% Web-Based graphical user interface means that deployment across your organization is easy. This means fewer steps for your IT staff, and a smoother implementation.
Automate Your Business Processes Using Advanced Workflows
Sentry File Enterprise Edition features advanced Workflow capabilities that allow you to route documents throughout your organization while maintaining the ability to track their progress and subscribe to email notifications on their status.
Automated Document Capture with ZoneOCR, Barcode and Database Lookup Capabilities
Sentry File's AutoCapture feature allows completely automated document capture for your business documents. Utilize the highly accurate Barcode and ZoneOCR capabilities capture information from your documents automatically. Populate index fields by performing database lookups against existing data repositories.
Easy Management With Ultra Intuitive Graphical User Interface
You don't need to be an experienced system administrator to manage this software. Sentry File was designed to be managed by non-technical users. Our Graphical User Interface makes it easy to perform administrative tasks, and our extensive use of Wizards guide you through each step of the management process.
Leverage The Power of Microsoft IIS
Sentry File is built upon the enterprise class Microsoft Internet Information Server. IIS is a stable and proven platform for web-based applications. Sentry File is written in the Microsoft .Net platform, the preferred enterprise platform for web applications because of it's its flexibility and reliability.
Heavy Duty Full-Text Search Engine
Sentry File uses Microsoft Index Server as its full-text search engine. Sentry File implements advanced Fuzzy Logic search technologies to provide accurate search results across virtually all document types.
Advanced Full-Text and Zone OCR Technology
Locate highly relevant documents by searching on their contents. Sentry File can Full-Text OCR documents to create text searchable documents. Zone OCR can virtually eliminate the need to type index field information.
Convert Scanned Documents to PDF Format
Sentry File can convert your scanned documents to industry standard Acrobat PDF format. This offers peace of mind that your documents will be available to you in a non-proprietary industry recognized format.
Web Based
Familiar environment for most users, very little training required. Can be accessed/administered anywhere in the world or restricted to your local network.
Per Server Licensing:
No limitations on the number of users that can access the system. No limitations on the number of documents/cabinets.
Supports All File Types:
Files of any format can be uploaded and stored to the system. This includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Audio, Video – any format!
Personal Bookshelf:
Allows users to store frequently referenced documents quickly and easily from their homepage.
Advanced Query Interface:
Returns extremely relevant search results because concise searches can be formulated.
Saved Searches:
Allows the user to save frequently performed searches so that they can be quickly accessed in the future.
Full Text Search:
Search for documents based on the text contained within. Supported file types include Microsoft Office Documents, HTML, plain text and OCR’d PDF. Intelligent fuzzy logic search technology.
Cross Cabinet Searches:
Search for documents across any number of cabinets. Search your entire document library instantly.
Annotations:
Annotate any record within the system to contain up-to-the-minute information about a record which does not necessarily apply to the defined index fields.
Twain Support:
Supports Twain-compatible scanners. Currently the largest image acquisition standard.
Scan-To-Email Support:
Use your “Scan-To-Email” compatible devices to send document into SentryFile.
Scan-To-FTP Support:
Scan directly to user inboxes from your “Scan-To-FTP” compatible devices.
Scan-To-Folder Support:
Scan directly to user inboxes from your “Scan-To-Folder” compatible devices.
Despeckle:
Removes faint imperfections (dots) from scanned documents.
Deskew:
Straightens crooked scanned pages.
Page Rotation:
Allows scanned images to be rotated to correct for errors incurred in the scanning process.
Full-Text OCR:
Allows scanned documents to be OCR’d (Optical Character Recognition) so that they may be retrieved by searching on the words within the documents.
Zone OCR:
Build indexes by recognizing key information within your documents.
DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT
It is estimated that 80% of all business information is stored solely on paper. This part of the modern office has never changed. Paper documents are still filed away in traditional filing cabinets. Retrieving these documents can be an aggravating experience. Often documents are lost or misplaced. There is rarely a backup of this data. A disaster could easily destroy 80% of a business's proprietary data.
This is what document management is designed to improve. Document management is the process of digitizing your paper documents into a searchable online library of information.
The document management process integrates a number of technologies to create, store and manage your digital documents library. Computers are used to store and retrieve the documents and scanners are used to digitize your paper into electronic format. Computer networks allow access to your digital documents from remote locations, whether these locations are across the office, or across the world.
Once your data has been digitized, you can easily create backup copies to store off-site. This ensures that your business will survive any disaster.
The document management process also offers massive productivity improvements for your staff. Documents don't become lost since there is no need to re-file. Also, since the documents are now electronic, they can be viewed by many people at once. No more hunting for files in the office.
Staff that work from remote locations can gain instant access to the documentation that they require. Just bring up the documents securely over the Internet, or your corporate virtual private network (VPN).
SENTRY FILE IS UNIQUE
New generation of business software
Sentry File is pioneering a new generation of business software that offers unparalleled value by:
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Minimizing the complexity of the software to ensure that staff require only minimal training.
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Using only standards-based technologies to ensure that your data is always accessible no matter how future technologies change.
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Reducing the client workstation requirements to ensure that you extend the lifespan of your current technology investment.
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Simplified "server-based" licensing ensures that as your organizations grows you won't incur additional software costs.
These concepts will ensure that Sentry File offers the lowest total cost of ownership of any software package your organization uses.
Minimized complexity
Sentry File is designed to be "as easy as possible". This concept means each user, based on their rights profile, is only displayed interface items for features that they require. This keeps the interface clean from any items that are not required and can be customized on a user or group level.
Standards-based technologies
Sentry File is a completely non-proprietary system. This means that the application conforms to industry standards. This is crucial for businesses in the new economy. Information must be accessible no matter how future technologies change. With Sentry File, rest assured that your data is always YOUR data.
Reduced workstation requirements
Sentry File requires no additional software to be installed on your staff workstations. We use the existing software that you already have such as your Web Browser and your PDF Viewer. This lessens the stress on your existing technology and extends its lifespan.
Server-based licensing
Typically, software is licensed on a per-user or client basis. This means that each person that uses the software requires a separate license. Sentry File however is sold on a per-server basis. You can install Sentry File on one computer in your organization and allow virtually unlimited number of users to connect from their workstations. No additional licenses are required.
WORKFLOW
Sentry File Enterprise Edition features advanced Workflow capabilities that allow you to route documents throughout your organization while maintaining the ability to track their progress and subscribe to email notifications on their status. Each workflow consists of two components:
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One or more "triggers" to cause a document to be entered into a workflow
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One or more "steps" that the document is routed through to be processed
Triggers are actions that occur within the system, such as adding a document to a cabinet, modifying a document, adding pages, etc. These triggers can be further refined by specifying specific users that will cause the trigger to activate, and by specifying index field criteria to filter on documents meeting specific requirements.
Steps are the people who will perform one or more tasks on a document. Each step can include a series of instructions for the user that outlines the set of tasks they must complete. Once completed the user can either "Approve" or "Reject" the document. Approval moves the document to the next step in the workflow. Rejection sends the document back to a previous step in the workflow, or removes the document completely from the workflow. The rejection action is configured by the administrator when creating the workflow.
Highly customizable email notifications and system alerts allow your users to set their own preferences on how they are notified about documents being processed through the workflow. These settings can be assigned globally to all workflows, while still providing users the ability to set exceptions on specific workflows.
CAPTURE AUTOMATION
Capture Automation text
Sentry File has Automated Document Capture with ZoneOCR, Barcode and Database Lookup Capabilities built-in. Our AutoCapture feature allows completely automated document capture for your business documents. It utilizes the highly accurate Barcode and ZoneOCR capabilities capture information from your documents automatically. You can populate index fields by performing database lookups against existing data repositories.
TECHNICAL EXPLANATION
Software platform
Sentry File is a web-based document system written as a set of .Net Active Server Pages (ASP.net). The software runs on Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS). IIS is included with Windows. The Microsoft Index Server provides full-text searching capabilities. This software is also included with Windows.
Client computers access the system using Microsoft Internet Explorer. If your client PC's already have Internet Explorer installed, there is no requirement to install additional client software. Simply provide your staff with a URL that points to your Sentry File server. All client workstations can scan documents to the system directly through Internet Explorer with an ActiveX control. This control provides imaging and Twain capabilities that would normally not be available in a web application.
Users, Groups and Integration
Sentry File can authenticate users in numerous ways. The system allows for authentication against a Sentry File internal user list, Windows Active Directory, POP/IMAP mail servers, FTP Servers, or another Sentry File Server. The flexibility of our authentication module gives you the ability to ensure that "lost passwords" are a thing of the past.
Document Types / Data Storage
Documents that are uploaded to the system are stored in their native format as flat files within the file system. They are not encapsulated within a database. All index data entered is stored in a Microsoft SQL Server Database. If you don't own Microsoft SQL Server we include a copy of the Free SQL Server Express Edition. All data within the database is left in its natural state (no encoding of the data values).
Tiff documents that are uploaded to the system are auto-converted to PDF format. Scanned document can also be recognized by our integrated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine. This will allow you to full-text search for documents that have been scanned and OCR'd.
Full-Text Search
Microsoft Index Server provides full-text search. Index Server works in the background with little or no administrative interaction required. Essentially, Index Server "watches" all documents within Sentry File. When new documents arrive they are indexed for full-text searching. Natively supported formats are all Microsoft Office Formats such as Word (DOC/DOCX), Excel (XLS/XLSX), and PowerPoint (PPT/PPTX) etc. Other file types can be supported by installing appropriate IFilters. IFilters are typically provided by third parties free of charge. For instance, Adobe provides a free IFilter for indexing PDF documents with Index Server (We include the PDF iFilter with Sentry File). IFilters are available for a wide range of other products including Corel WordPerfect, XML, MP3 and more.
Backups
Sentry File can integrate within almost any backup system. Sentry File resides within a folder typically called "c:\inetpub\wwwroot\sentryfile" or similar. To backup the system simply includes the installation folder within your backup regimen. Many current customers use technologies such as Tape backups, DVD backups, Network Attached Storage (NAS) and removable hard disk technologies to achieve their backup requirements.
Internet Connectivity
Your Sentry File installation can be made available on the Internet if you choose. Many of our clients prefer to have their installation only available on their private LAN. Making your Sentry File installation available over the Internet requires a full-time dedicated Internet Connection. After this, it is necessary to ensure that the IP address is available through any firewalls or gateways installed within your organization. Sentry File supports secure 128-bit encrypted connections, commonly used in e-commerce and online banking applications. In order to achieve this it is necessary to install a digital certificate within IIS, they can be purchased through companies such as Verisign, or you can generate one yourself.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Sentry File is an ASP.net (Active Server Pages) application. It runs on a Microsoft Windows platform and uses the Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) and Microsoft Index Server. Both IIS and Index Server is included with Windows Server.
Server Requirements
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Microsoft Windows Server 2012 64bit or newer
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Microsoft Windows SQL Server 2017 or newer
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Microsoft SQL Server Express is usable
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Minimum 16GB RAM
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Minimum 7GB free drive space for Sentry File Software
(NOTE: Windows Home, Pro, or other operating systems primarily designed as client workstation operating systems strongly discouraged as a server platform, and definitely NOT recommended for a production "real world" environment.)
Client Requirements
Microsoft Windows 10 or later
Google Chrome browser (other browsers supported with limited functionality)
Browsers
We recommend Google Chrome for use with Sentry File. Other browsers, such as Firefox, Opera, Edge, and Safari will have limited functionality within the system.
Calculating Storage Space Required
To determine the hard disk storage space required for your implementation of Sentry File, we recommend the following formula:
Assumptions:
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Size of typical 8.5X11 page scanned at 300dpi: approximately 50 Kilobytes
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Typical number of pages in a 4-drawer letter size filing cabinet: approximately 12,000
Next, count the number of 4-drawer (or equivalent) filing cabinets in your operation. Then, use the formula below to determine the amount of hard drive space required:
50Kb X 12,000 X #Cabinet
1,000,000
= Storage required in Gigabytes.
Please ensure that you also include appropriate room for growth over the expected lifetime of the hard drive storage to accommodate future demand.
