[Flex] FastLane update

[Claire Reid]

Message from FastLane below...
    Somehow, I think, that if we have got the PDF conversion working, we
should stick with it.  "Better the devil you know...  "  However, the
choice, evidently, is now yours.

Good luck,
Claire

FastLane Users,

FastLane is now accepting file uploads in a variety of formats including

Word, WordPerfect, PostScript, plain text, RTF, EPS, PowerPoint, DVI and
TeX
(MiKTeX 1.20e) within FastLane Proposal Preparation sections.   Over
1000
files were converted by users this weekend.

Most of these were converted to PDF (for NSF use) without errors.
However,
given the large numbers of files uploaded to FastLane in a given year
(over
200,000/year at our present rate), we anticipate that there will be
various
possible combinations that will not work properly.  As problems are
identified, we will correct them or let users know how to avoid them.
It is
recommended that PIs continue to use standard fonts to avoid font
substitutions when their files are converted to Acrobat 3 PDF format.
Users
will be shown the PDF file resulting from their original file and they
will
need to accept the results before the file is stored in FastLane.

A few viruses were uploaded with Word files on Friday evening and, while

detected by our software, they required manual intervention to clear the

system.  This is no longer necessary.   Another incident occurred this
weekend when a PI uploaded a file that produced a 30,000 page PostScript

file.  This also required manual intervention, at present.

PDF files will continue to be accepted if properly created (e.g. the
file is
in Acrobat 3 format (PDF Version 1.2), PDFWriter was not used to create
the
file and that all fonts are embedded).  The restriction against
PDFWriter
files is active and necessary since these files do not combine properly
with
other PDF files.    FastLane is evaluating software that may reduce the
known problems of combining together Acrobat 3 and Acrobat 4 files.  If
successful, this may allow the PDF version restriction to be eliminated.

FastLane is still exploring options for robust checking, in batch mode,
for
font embedding in uploaded PDF files.

--Craig Robinson, NSF