Still on K4 Version 5.X? DPCI Lists the Reasons Why You Should Take a Look at K4 Version 6.X

by

Ivan Mironchuk

It may be a testament to the rock-solid nature of the K4 version 5 platform that many publishers have opted stick with V5, or it could simply be a case of “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Regardless of the reason, as K4 Version 5 begins to grow long in the tooth and K4 Version 6 continues to add more features it becomes harder for publishers to continue putting off an upgrade.

We’ve written the article below to introduce both the core features of K4 Version 6, the newest features of version 6.3 and to discuss concerns about migrating from version 5. Core Features of Version 6 Let’s start with the basics. For those of you who have not been following along with the new direction vjoon has taken with K4 V6, here’s a quick rundown core features of the version 6 platform: Task-Driven Workflow A workflow defined in K4 Version 5 consisted of a number of different article and layout statuses that were configured in a linear sequence. These statuses served as milestones that ushered documents from a starting point to the final stage. K4 Version 6 allows for greater flexibility in defining workflows with more control and granularity. In addition to defining milestone statuses, K4 V6 allows for status-based tasks. A number of different tasks can be linked to a particular status, requiring that each task be completed or purposefully skipped before a layout or article advances to the next status. K4 Version 6 workflows can also incorporate linked relationships between article and layout workflows in the form of dependencies. For example, by using dependencies a production manager can ensure that a layout will not reach final proof status until all article tasks have been completed. Database Options One of the major complaints about K4 Version 5 is the dependency on PrimeBase as the database backend for K4. While PrimeBase is a fairly stable database platform, we have heard numerous complaints on its ability to scale. Database administrators have expressed frustration in having to learn a specific PrimeBase scripting language for automation and feel helpless when it comes to backups and troubleshooting. With K4 Version 6 you have the option of using MySQL Advanced, Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle as the database backend. Over the past year and a half DPCI has performed a number of K4 Version 6 implementations using all three database options at various client sites. Sticky Notes The communication between Editorial users and Designers in K4 became a whole lot easier with the introduction of K4 Sticky notes. K4 Sticky Notes are just like Sticky Notes placed by a user in Acrobat. Sticky Notes can be placed anywhere on a spread, even over graphics. Sticky notes can be sent and updated in the K4 system independently from the story. Custom Terminology For those publishers that felt confined and restricted by K4 Version 5’s Publication | Issue | Section structure, you will be happy to know that you can now change the terminology within K4 to more accurately represent the structure of the publications or projects that you are working on. Adobe CS5 Compatibility If you are looking to upgrade to Adobe Creative Suite 5, you will need to upgrade to K4 Version 6 as vjoon will not be releasing an updated set of K4 Version 5 plugins for CS5. New Features in K4 6.3R3 Active Director / LDAP Integration Finally! K4 Version 6.3R3 includes support for LDAP/Active Directory used for user authentication. User access and account management can be achieved through active directory, while defining K4-specific permissions within K4 Admin. You can also import users from a Directory Server. Distributed Enterprise System/Local Data Storage (K4DES/K4LDS) The new Digital Enterprise Server (DES) gives publishers that work with remote offices additional options for optimizing their workflows. By adding in a DES/LDS server to a remote office, K4 users will be able to check-out files at local network speeds while all content and metadata is synced to a master K4 server. Each LDS has its own database that synchronizes with the main K4 Server supplying and updating the required data on a real-time basis. LDS eliminates the issue of long check-out times for large documents across the network to remote offices. Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (Formerly known as Digital Magazine Solution) Adobe’s iPad tools are automatically built into K4, giving publishers the ability to automate the production and bundling of content for the Apple iPad (and additional tablet devices in the future). Using the K4 publication structure, K4 metadata and layout variants for iPad horizontal and vertical views publishers can produce iPad content simultaneously while layouts are created for Print. Upgrading from Version 5 Vjoon has made it easy for version 5 customers to bring over their publication settings and data. When creating a new publication in version 6, administrators can enter in details of their version 5 server and K4 V6 will bring over all users, publication settings, workflows, and all publication data. After import some publication settings may need to be adjusted and the workflows will need to be updated to the task-oriented workflows used in version 6, but overall this option will save publishers a lot of time in upgrading to version 6. K4 6.3R3 also includes a number of familiar version 5 features that were previously unavailable in version 6 such as: – Mail Notification: Users can now be notified when a task is assigned to them. – Content panel: You can now search, archive, and delete from within the K4 Admin.> – Active User Display: You now have the ability to display a list of which users are logged into the K4 system. You also have the ability to log-out users to free up needed licenses. K4 User Features: – Simple/Advanced Article: Editorial and Production staff alike can now choose to Accept the task for the whole article, and essentially turn off the ability to check out individual story parts. This will mimic the behavior of articles in 5.9. When you add a new text object to an article the workflow will be started automatically with no additional dialog box. – Control Tasks: This feature allows users to the ability to change the current task and status of a document without having to open the document. This is similar to “Editing Metadata” in Version 5 – History for Articles: You can now review version history on a whole article instead of just on individual stories. – Accepting Tasks Simultaneously: You can now accept the article task at the same time you accept the task for the layout.

DPCI (http://www.databasepublish.com) is an interactive technology agency that delivers integrated content management solutions for organizations that need to publish content to Web, print, mobile and e-reader devices.

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Still on K4 Version 5.X? DPCI Lists the Reasons Why You Should Take a Look at K4 Version 6.X}