Beehive and SendFile.NET - Frequently Asked Questions

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SendFile.NET is a combination of four components : 1) a URL link with your unique account code that you put on your website, 2) a Java file transfer applet, 2) a set of special web pages, and 3) a collection of Javascript control scripts. When the customer clicks on the special URL link that you put on your website, SendFile.NET is launched with your company's Name, Form and connection parameters loaded. The entire SendFile.NET client runs within your customer's browser.

Once the customer fills out the form and clicks "Send", the SendFile.NET Java ftp applet connects to "YOUR" ftp or https server and sends the jobs to you. The files are NEVER sent to SendFile.NET.

Does Beehive/SendFile.NET use its own ftp server?

No, the Beehive desktop clients and the SendFile.NET browser client are just clients - all files are sent to YOUR ftp server. Beehive maintains the SendFile.NET client at a central "launch pad" Internet site but NOT the FTP servers. FTP is a distributed service, i.e. we don't maintain one central server - it would be a bottleneck. It is almost always more efficient to move the files directly to the intended destination without an intermediate server.

In version 3.5 of Beehive, you have a whole new option - NO FTP SERVER AT ALL! Now Beehive gives you the option of using a special Apache web server (https) to handle the file transfers. There are several reasons why this is a GOOD thing, but the primary is security. The https server is SSL-secure versus the ftp server which is clear channel. Clear channel means that the login connections use text and can be "sniffed out" by hackers. The Beehive version 3.5 solution ensures that logins never get sniffed and your site can't get hacked.

What is the Getfile function and when is it used?

When you want to send a file to somebody that doesn't have an ftp site or a special ftp site on your server, Beehive offers a special function, called Getfile, that simplifies the transfer.

When the administrator (or anybody else with the Getfile privilege) opens SendFile.NET, they see a special recipient email field at the top of the form. The Sender enters an email address as the destination, attaches files and clicks Send. The "Sendfile" system creates a user ID (from the intended recipient email address) and a password and sends the recipient an email with this account information and a URL link to pick up the file(s) waiting for them. The recipient clicks on the link, which launches their browser and presents them with the login dialog. Once they are logged in, they can see the jobs in their "inbox". They may select a job and download the file(s) they choose from that job.

This "getfile" feature is typically used for sending proofs or completed jobs back to customers. Getfile may be turned on for individual clients by the admin enabling the Getfile checkbox for that user - otherwise the user may only send to the predefined encrypted site keys.

Getfile is simpler for these file courier tasks than standard ftp clients because:

the receiver didn't have to have an ftp account to receive the files,
Getfile is more secure than ftp,
Getfile requires no account administration,
and Getfile does not require the receiver to have ftp client software.

What is the BeeMail function?

Brief Description of BeeMail Operation:
In the Version 4.0 release of the Beehive client for Windows (BeeMail), users of Outlook for Windows are permitted to attach files of ANY SIZE to their email messages with the help of Beehive. Here is a brief description of how BeeMaill works in 6 steps:
1 - An Outlook email user sends standard email with large files attached. All Beehive operations are Completely Transparent to the Outlook user!
2 - If the attachment size exceeds a certain threshold set by the administrator (typically 5MB or more) then the Beehive 4.0 client (BeeMail) separates the attachments from the email body and substitutes a URL for the attachments. The message body is then handled by the standard mail server.
3 - The Beehive 4.0 client (BeeMail), resident in the Windows system tray, sends the files to the default https secure file transfer server and applies streaming compression "on the fly".
4 - When the email is received by the recipient, they notice that there is a URL and instructions for file retrieval appended to the message.
5 - The recipient clicks on the URL in the message and his browser is launched with the Beehive Java Applet loaded.
6- The User downloads the files to his computer by selecting them from the browser interface. The files are streaming decompressed "on the fly".

What is Beehive Https and why is it better than FTP?

FTP is becoming a very dangerous proposition. Over the last 3 years nearly two thirds of all ftp servers worldwide were hacked at least once - and once a server is hacked, it is likely to be targeted again and again. There are several reasons why FTP is hacked : 1) the password information is not encrypted (smart hackers can "sniff" the passwords from Internet packet traffic), 2) FTP offers a view into the operating system by providing listings and other potentially risky information exchange, and 3) some FTP servers have known security deficiencies and can be compromised by attacks.

If your operations are governed by HIPAA, DOD or other secure transfer mandates then you MUST consider Beehive Https because it cannot be compromised in the same way as FTP: 1) the user ID and passwrd exchange is encrypted so the packets cannot be sniffed; 2) the Beehive operating environment is a "Meta Layer" so the user is not interacting directly with the server OS and 3) the Beehive Https server cannot be compromised by attacks because it closes all non-secure ports and pre-sanitizes all URL access.

Beehive https also offers another significant advange in addition to incresed security - the users do not experience the frustration of having their ftp transmissions blocked by firewall/proxy servers. Because ftp has caused so many security problems, many network administrators block ftp (port 21) connections. Since https does not use port 21, it is proxy server tolerant.

How Does Beehive Streaming Compression Work?

Because Beehive owns all of its own transport code, we are able to implement compression on a block-by-block basis. As the file is being transmitted, the compression is applied in-line "On-the-Fly" and no temp file is created. No other competitive application can accomplish this - all other applications have to call 3rd party applications for off-line compression or create temp files while they are sending. For very large files this can be very time consuming and interrupts the automated workflow. Beehive compression is transparent and for all transmission environment below T1 speeds, the compression can occur without adding any overhead time to the file transmission. On the receiving end, Beehive decompresses files and jobs "On-the-Fly". Beehive restores all the structure and original files - Just as they were sent. The compression is 100% lossless. The files are identical to the original.

How does Beehive handle Macintosh Resources so the files don't get corrupted in transfer?

Beehive uses MacBinary encoding in the transmission process to ensure that the Macintosh resources are preserved in the transmission of the files through non-Macintosh servers. This operation is "On-the-Fly" and adds no overheads to the data stream. On the receiving end, Beehive decodes the files "On-the-Fly" and restores all the structure and original files - just as they were sent. If the final destination is a non-Mac machine, the operator can choose to leave the files MacBinary encoded until they will be moved to a Mac.

What is the Beehive file manager?

The Beehive/SendFile.NET system has two parts: 1) the Beehive desktop/SendFile.NET browser clients (which is used by the customer to "Send" files) and 2) the Beehive file manager which is used to "Process" received files. The Beehive file manager automatically moves the received Beehive files and forms to the destination location of the administrator's choice, prints the received form as a notification, sends email receipts to the sender, decompresses and decodes files and a large number of other optional "ala carte" file processing functions.

When the form and attachments are received at the ftp/https server (at your site or at an ISP), they are stored compressed on the directory path specified by the Beehive encrypted site key. The forms and files will stay on the ftp server until they are retrieved by the Beehive file manager which runs at the prepress site. Beehive ftp manager, is a polling, fetch-like product (i.e. the administrator can determine how often, the file manager will login to the ftp server to fetch received jobs). Typically the polling interval is set to every 20 - 30 minutes. When the Beehive file manager logs into the ftp server, it uses the machine, path, UserID, and password settings information, stored in the ftp site setup, to make the ftp/https server connection. Once it makes the connection, it creates a folder in the preselected download directory for each job and moves the message and files into that container folder. The file manager names the folders using a naming convention that uses the first 8 characters of the sender's company name followed by a unique 3 digit serial sequence, e.g. "Beehive.001". After it has processed the files, it will perform any other post-processing task the admin has selected in the Configuration window.

What is the difference between the Beehive desktop file transfer client site license and the SendFile.NET site subscription?

The Beehive ftp forms (Mac and Windows) clients before version 3.0 were licensed for an unlimited number of users and for an unlimited period of time for 1 ftp server. Newer versions with the automated service protocol, use a central portal server for upgrades and the Beehive license is sold as a yearly subscription. You may continue to operate the client without the subscription but the update service must be turned off.

SendFile.NET has always been a one year subscription (included with the standard Beehive site license).

Yes, Beehive and SendFile.NET both use standard html forms, so you can create your own forms with any web text editor such as PageMill, BBEdit, Netscape Communicator. The custom forms created by Beehive Software may also be opened and reedited by the customer. The same form may be used in the Desktop Clients and the SendFile.NET browser client. Forms are administrated by the central Beehive/Sendfile administration account (a browser-based network administration program that you get with your Beehive license). Just upload your forms into the forms location and they will automatically propagate throughout all of the clients in your network.

Yes - but only in the Beehive Desktop clients for Mac or Windows. SendFile.NET only supports one form per account. The Beehive Desktop clients allow you to have as many forms as you want. For most Drag'n Drop operations you will want to define a default form which opens up, however if you are in an environment where the customer needs to select the form on the fly - Beehive has an "Ask User" mode which prompts the user to select a form from a popup menu prior to opening the form.

Just login to the central Beehive/Sendfile administration account (a browser-based network administration program that you get with your Beehive license). Just upload your icon into the icon location and it will automatically propogate throughout all of the clients in your network. You can even establish a rotating banner.

How do I distribute the Beehive desktop clients or SendFile.NET from my website?

Beehive Software makes an installer file for your Windows customers and another file for your Mac customers. We add these URLs to a web page that we create for you called "How to send us Files". Just link this page to your website and the installer files can be downloaded and automatically installed by Netscape or Explorer when your customer clicks on the links. The customer is then ready to drag and drop files to you.We also create a SendFile.NET account for you - you will receive a unique SendFile.NET URL that when clicked on by your customer, will automatically load the SendFile Java applet along with your custom form and the encrypted ftp site key for your ftp server. The Sendfile link is also found on the "How to Send us Files" page.

Beehive may either piggyback a website hosted at an ISP or it may run on an ftp server that you host yourself. To host your own ftp site you must buy a dedicated Internet account from an ISP (usually DSL or T1, with a router). Often it is easier and cheaper to just rent web hosting services from an ISP for $20-$50/month. If you don't know how to do this, Beehive will show you how. Alternatively, you may rent ftp space from Beehive.

Many sites want to capture their job ticket information and import it to Excel or FileMaker or some other database or Media Asset Management system. Beehive allows for this using our external handler calling convention in the ftp manager. After the ftp manager is done with its other processing tasks, it can call an external handler to read the forms contents and write them to an external program. This usually involves a little custom scripting.

Can the Beehive file manager handle Windows jobs differently than Macintosh jobs?

Yes, the file manager can be set up to route differently designated jobs to different physical disk locations, even if they are being sent to the identical server location. For instance you could move "Windows" jobs to one directory, "Mac" jobs to another and "Postscript" to another.

Beehive file manager automatically prints the job form which is how most people are notified. The file manager may also be set up to beep and flash the screen. You can also have the file manager send an e-mail to the administrator as an additional notification.

The Beehive file manager can generate a return e-mail receipt, informing the customer that the job has been received successfully by the Beehive file manager.

What happens if a file transfer is "cut off" half way, does Beehive have to completely resend it?

The Beehive clients support ftp "resume transmission on error - REST" if the server being used supports it. The user just resends the job from the ftp outbox and the Beehive ftp forms client software reestablishes the connection and automatically picks up where it left off in the transfer.

Yes, the Beehive file manager has an option called "Postscript dump". When a postscript file is sent to a "postscript dump" destination name, the file manager will load the job into the print queue and execute the event to activate it.

There are really two separate AOL network access types - proprietary and PPP. AOL publishes different local access phone numbers for these two different access types. Beehive supports PPP and any AOL account that wants to use Beehive should have PPP enabled and should be calling an AOL PPP access number.

Yes, just open the outbox in the client, select a previously sent job and then select "copy". This will open a new job with the contents of an old job.

Yes, if you do not already have the web services you need, Beehive can provide you a quote for a turnkey installation. We offer ftp space for our Turnkey Hosted Service and we offer complete managed Appliances for Secure Https operation.

Yes, Beehive can provide these services on a quoted basis. However Beehive has engineered an architecture that allows installations and support to be executed remotely. Beehive sites rarely require onsite services.