i‑net PDFC

1 Introduction

In the digital world, PDF files are a standard format for exchanging documents in companies, government agencies, and private life. They are used for contracts, reports, invoices, and much more. However, it can be challenging to identify changes between different versions of PDF files, especially when they need to be compared not only in terms of binary data but also in terms of content. This is where i‑net PDFC comes in - a powerful software solution from i‑net software GmbH that has been specially developed to detect differences in documents accurately and efficiently. Below, we provide a comprehensive overview of i‑net PDFC, its features, advantages, and integration options.

1.1 About i‑net PDFC

i‑net PDFC is an application for the context-sensitive comparison of different documents. The great strength of i‑net PDFC lies in its analysis of document structure and its high flexibility in configuring the comparison to relevant content only. Common scenarios in which such a reliable comparison is needed include, for example:

• Version control in document management.
  
• Quality control in the printing and publishing industry.
  
• Legal reviews, e.g., for contracts or patents.
  
• Auditing and compliance in regulated industries such as finance or pharmaceuticals.

i‑net PDFC can not only compare text, but also offers the option of comparing visual elements such as shapes or images.

i‑net PDFC presents the results of comparisons either in a comprehensive web application or in various export formats, such as PDF, JSON, or XML.

i‑net PDFC can be integrated as a web application on any server, as a desktop application, command line tool, or directly into existing applications. The application is plugin-based and can therefore be adapted or reduced to suit different scenarios.

1.2 About Us

Based in Berlin, i‑net software GmbH is a reliable provider of Java-based software solutions with over 25 years of experience in the industry. Our product portfolio includes tools for reporting, helpdesk, data integration, document comparison, and GDPR-compliant team communication, which are used worldwide.

At the heart of our company is a commitment to technical excellence, long-term product quality, and customer satisfaction. Our experienced team of developers, designers, and consultants is passionate about ensuring that our software remains robust, user-friendly, and relevant to today’s business challenges.

2 Features

2.1 Content-Aware Comparison - Intelligent content comparison

The PDF format is characterized by high flexibility and broad support and is the standard for document transmission. However, PDF was originally designed for printing and, unlike DOCX, for example, often does not contain any information about the structure of the content, which makes automated comparisons of PDFs very error-prone.

i‑net PDFC goes far beyond simple text comparisons and performs a content-aware comparison. The software compares not only text, but also lines, shapes, images, and other visual elements. i‑net PDFC does not perform simple text conversion or pixel-by-pixel comparisons, both of which would result in information loss. Instead, the software performs an in-depth structural comparison that takes styles, shapes, and much more into account.

i‑net PDFC is able to recognize a wide variety of content formatting and thus place it in the correct context for comparison. This minimizes false positives and makes the display of differences much more precise compared to conventional text-based comparisons.

The visual representation of the differences is as elegant as holding two sheets of paper up to the light - an intuitive and professional way to recognize and understand differences.

2.2 Controlled Sensitivity

i‑net PDFC offers Controlled Sensitivity for the most important comparison options. There are not too many options, just the ones that really matter. You still have fine-grained control over every aspect of the comparison. And if you need even more control, the API has you covered.

2.3 Filter and Analysis Plugins

Additional, optional filters allow you to customize the comparison to your individual needs. For example, there is automatic detection or the option of manual settings to avoid too many differences in headers or footers. In addition, there are filters to detect multi-column layouts and compare them accordingly.

i‑net PDFC can be expanded with additional filters and OCR plug-ins to tailor the comparison specifically to your requirements. With these filters, you can exclude certain areas from the comparison or improve the recognition of structures such as tables.

2.4 Visual representation of differences

As a desktop or web application, i‑net PDFC offers an interactive display of the comparison results. The display includes the original documents with a comparison and highlighting of all differences, an optional textual list of these differences, and extensive configuration options for the display.

2.5 Export and Report

With i‑net PDFC, you can create summary reports on the differences in the documents. You can also print or export your PDFs with highlighted differences as new PDFs. All detected file differences are inserted into the PDF as annotations.

i‑net PDFC offers extensive export options for documenting and sharing comparison results:

• Summary reports: Detailed overview of all differences found
• Annotated PDFs: Newly created document with highlighted differences
• Various formats: PDF, JSON, and XML for further processing
• Visual highlighting: Differences are displayed clearly and concisely

3 Areas of application

3.1 Supported file formats

i‑net PDFC supports a wide range of file formats for comparison. The main formats that i‑net PDFC supports natively are:

• PDF files: Full support for all PDF versions
• Microsoft Word: DOCX files with full formatting
• Image formats: PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and other common image formats
• Text files: Plain text in various encodings

Additional functions for special use cases are:

• OCR functionality: Text recognition in images with a resolution of at least 300 DPI
• Multilingual text recognition: Support for various languages
• Combined comparisons: Any combination of file formats in a comparison

3.2 Detectable changes

i‑net PDFC detects a wide range of changes, such as detailed changes in text content and formatting. These include:

• Text modifications: Added, deleted, or changed text
• Font and style changes: Changes in font, font size, font color, and font style
• Formatting changes: Bold, italics, underlined, and other text formatting

Visual and structural changes are also recognized with precision:

• Object placement: Position and size of graphics, tables, and other objects
• Object styles: Changes in line thickness, color, and other visual properties
• Intelligent column handling: Detection and comparison of data in tables and columns

Document structures and organization are also monitored:

• Page layout: Changes in page structure and layout
• Headers and footers: Modifications to document headers and footers
• Page numbering: Changes in page numbering and structure

3.3 Use cases by target group

• For individual users:
  • Version control: Tracking changes in personal documents
  • Quality control: Reviewing documents before sharing them
  • Legal reviews: Comparing contracts and legal documents
• For teams and companies:
  • Auditing and compliance: Monitoring changes in regulated industries
  • Change management: Tracking changes in technical documentation
  • Workflow integration: Automated document comparisons in existing processes
• For developers:
  • CI/CD integration: Automated document comparisons in build pipelines
  • Unit testing: Integration into JUnit (Java) and NUnit (.NET) test frameworks
  • API integration: Seamless integration into existing applications

4 Product variants

4.1 Desktop application

The desktop application from i‑net PDFC is ideal for single users on a single device. It offers full comparison functionality without the administrative overhead of the server application. All files are stored on the user’s local computer.

The desktop application offers several key advantages for single users:

• Full functionality
• Local data storage - all data remains on your computer
• Easy installation and immediate use
• No network dependency for comparison
• Ideal for occasional comparisons and single workstations

4.2 Server application

The i‑net PDFC Server allows multiple users to create comparisons with their own user accounts. You can save files and comparison results, use the Task Planner, or access the Web API. The data is stored on-premises without being sent to third parties.

The i‑net PDFC Server offers extensive functions for professional document comparisons in corporate environments:

• Remote document comparison: Browser-based document comparison functions with drag & drop upload
• Sharing comparison profiles and results with groups or via link
• Configuration Manager: Central management of all server settings
• User and group management: Centralized management of users and groups with complete accounts
• Document drive for secure storage of files for comparison with permission management
• Task scheduling for planning time-controlled and event-controlled comparisons
• Comparison profiles with predefined and customizable settings
• Quota system for users with storage space management
• RESTful Web API interface for non-interactive and automated use or website integration
• JUnit library for comparing and checking documents with an i‑net PDFC server on the network, e.g., for CI-integrated testing
• Statistics and diagnostics application for monitoring server status and managing executed comparison jobs
• Plugin Store: Search for updates and install new features

The remote interface is secured by an authorization system that allows individual functions to be enabled or disabled on a user basis. This ensures precise control over access rights and allows different user groups to be assigned different ranges of functions.

The applications work independently of each other, but their collaboration enables powerful functionalities. Almost all applications on the server support extensive search functions to find exactly what you are looking for. Access is via http://<hostname>:<port> or, for application servers, via http://<hostname>:<port>/<servletcontext>.

5 Advanced Features

5.1 Document Drive

The Document Drive is a central storage location on the server where users can directly store and manage documents for comparisons. Together with system and document permissions, the Drive application provides an easy way to manage visibility and access to documents for users and groups.

The Document Drive offers comprehensive features for centralized document management:

• Centralized storage: Documents are stored securely on the server
• Permission management: Granular control over access rights for users and groups
• Web-based management: Elegant interface for searching, loading, modifying, and saving documents
• Drag & drop upload: Easy document upload via drag & drop
• Search functions: Extensive search options for quick document retrieval
• Folder structure: Organized storage in user-defined directories
• Versioning: Tracking of document versions and changes
• Mounts: External directories and services, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, can be integrated via mount

Drive is seamlessly integrated into the comparison functionalities of i‑net PDFC and forms the heart of collaborative document comparison workflows. This integration allows users to switch seamlessly between document management and comparison processes without the need for external tools or complex file transfers.

• Direct comparison: Documents can be selected directly from Drive for individual comparisons
• Comparison profiles: Storage and reuse of comparison profiles
• Result storage: Comparison results can be archived in Drive
• Task scheduling: Batch comparisons are executed via task scheduling, not directly from Drive

Drive enables teams to work efficiently with documents and use them for comparisons without having to store files locally.

5.2 Automation with task scheduling

Task scheduling allows you to run document comparisons on a time-controlled or event-driven basis. It is available as a plugin and can be used in the Plus version after installation.

• Time-controlled comparisons: Regular document comparisons at specified times
• Event-driven comparisons: Automatic execution when files are changed or API calls are made
• Batch comparisons: Comparison of entire directory structures with identical file names
• Flexible distribution: Comparison results can be distributed via email, FTP, file system, or Drive
• Various output formats: PDF, PNG, Excel, RTF, and other export formats
• System tasks: Automation of backups and maintenance tasks

Typical use cases are:

• Regular document checks: Daily or weekly comparisons of document versions
• CI/CD integration: Automatic document comparisons in build pipelines
• Compliance checks: Regular monitoring of document changes
• Workflow automation: Integration into existing business processes

Thanks to its modular structure, task planning can be easily expanded with plugins, allowing you to implement your own goals in the host application and your own actions.

5.3 Integration, Interfaces, and APIs

i‑net PDFC can be flexibly integrated into existing systems and workflows. In addition to its use as a desktop or server application, various interfaces and APIs are available that enable seamless integration into company-specific processes.

• REST API: Web-based interface for automated comparisons and external applications
• Command Line Interface: Batch comparisons for scripts and build pipelines
• Java/.NET APIs: Direct integration into existing applications
• JUnit/NUnit libraries: Automated testing in continuous integration environments

5.3.1 Command Line Interface

The command line interface enables automated batch comparisons with extensive configuration options:

• Batch comparisons: Automatic comparison of entire directories with identical file names
• Flexible export formats: PDF, PNG, Excel (XLS/XLSX), OpenDocument (ODS), RTF
• Configurable output: Difference images, XOR differences, page views
• Advanced options: Password-protected PDFs, page filters, scaling, landscape format

Typical use cases:

• CI/CD integration: Automated document comparisons in build pipelines
• Batch processing: Mass comparisons of document versions
• Script integration: Integration into automated workflows
• Debugging: Detailed analysis with page views and logging
• Unit testing: Integration into JUnit (Java) and NUnit (.NET) test frameworks

5.3.2 Test Integration

i‑net PDFC offers special libraries for integration into unit tests, enabling developers to incorporate document comparisons directly into their test suites.

• JUnit (Java): Integration via the pdfcjunit library for Java-based projects
• NUnit (.NET): Integration via the PDFCNUnit library for .NET-based projects

The advantages of test integration are:

• Automated document verification: PDFs can be checked for changes in unit tests
• CI/CD integration: Tests run automatically in continuous integration environments
• Developer-friendly: Easy integration into existing test workflows
• Configurable: Different comparison profiles can be used for tests

The test libraries make it possible to use document comparisons as part of automated quality assurance without the need for manual checks. For more details, see the JUnit Testing Documentation and NUnit Testing Documentation.

5.4 Advanced Comparison Features

The web GUI offers advanced features for professional document comparison. These features enable users to analyze complex documents accurately and manage and share the results efficiently.

The comparison view was developed specifically for the efficient analysis of document differences. The synchronized display allows users to quickly identify and understand changes without having to switch between different views.

• Synchronized scroll view: Documents are synchronized on a virtual line so that text and differences can be viewed side by side
• Interactive difference marking: Differences are visually marked and connected with lines
• Tooltip details: Detailed difference information is displayed when hovering over the marked areas
• Detailed difference list: Clear listing of all changes found with direct navigation
• Queue management: Automatic execution when the server is not busy, with the option to interrupt

The flexibility of the comparison profiles allows i‑net PDFC to be adapted to different document types and use cases. Administrators can provide predefined profiles, while users can customize them for their specific needs.

• Predefined profiles: Optimized settings for different document types
• Customizable settings: Duplication and customization of profiles for special requirements
• Administrator profiles: Publication of user-defined profiles by administrators
• Import/export: Portable profiles between GUI, API, and server installations
• Comparison modes: Standard mode for continuous text flow vs. strict mode for exact positioning
• Specialized filters: Table optimization, multi-column layout, header/footer recognition, OCR integration

Collaboration features enable teams to work together efficiently on document comparisons. Users can share comparisons with specific colleagues while retaining control over permissions and visibility.

• Group sharing: Share comparisons with selected users and groups
• Link sharing: Generate share links for easy distribution
• Permission management: Control visibility and editing rights
• Title management: Describe comparisons for better organization
• Real-time collaboration: Display active users with avatars and usernames
• Temporary comparisons: Automatic deletion without a title, permanent storage with a title

The export functions allow comparison results to be documented and shared in various formats. The configurable options ensure that the output exactly meets the requirements of the respective use case.

• PDF export: Export comparison results with configurable settings
• Page filter: Export only pages with differences
• Password protection: Secure the exported PDF files
• Paper format adjustment: Flexible adjustment of output formats
• Visibility control: Configurable display of differences and filters
• Color adjustment: Individual color representation for different types of changes

5.5 Advanced comparison options

i‑net PDFC offers extensive configuration options for precise document comparisons:

• Standard mode: Focus on continuous text flow, tolerates shifts caused by inserted elements

• Strict mode: Exact positioning required, all elements must be in identical positions

• Specialized filters:

  • Table optimization: Automatic recognition and cell-based comparison of tables with visible borders
  • Multi-column layout: Optimized text recognition for newspaper and magazine layouts
  • Header/footer filter: Automatic or manual detection and exclusion of headers and footers
  • OCR integration: Text recognition with language support and error correction
  • Area filter: Pixel-precise definition of comparison areas across all pages

• Text comparison:

  • Tolerance settings: Configurable deviations for text position and size
  • Style comparison: Font, size, color, and style can be checked separately
  • Language support: Automatic language recognition or manual language selection
  • Character normalization: Decomposition of complex characters and ligatures

• Image and object comparison:

  • Color tolerance: Configurable tolerance for color differences in images
  • Line and shape comparison: Comparison of vector graphics with tolerance settings
  • Annotation comparison: Optional comparison of PDF annotations
  • Metadata comparison: Comparison of image metadata (DPI, format, color model)

6 Technical aspects

6.1 Processing large documents

i‑net PDFC is specially designed to work efficiently even with large and complex documents. The application uses an intelligent queue system and advanced optimization techniques to reliably process even large PDF files with several hundred pages or high resolution content.

i‑net PDFC only starts comparisons without queuing if at least 15% of the maximum process memory is available and a free executor thread is available. In addition, the predicted heap requirement of the documents to be compared is taken into account to avoid out-of-memory situations. Larger documents require correspondingly more free memory.

For optimal performance with large documents, i‑net PDFC recommends 2 CPU cores and approximately 1 GB of heap memory per parallel comparison. These values may vary depending on the complexity of the documents - large documents with many images require significantly more performance and memory than simple text documents.

To optimize the processing of large documents, the number of available job executors can be increased in the server configuration. This enables better parallel processing and reduces waiting times for multiple simultaneous comparison jobs.

6.2 OCR and missing character mapping

A common problem with PDF documents is missing character mapping. This problem occurs when PDF files are displayed correctly but the internal character mapping is missing or damaged. As a result, the text appears corrupt in the comparison result or becomes illegible when copied and pasted. In detail, this means:

• Visually correct display: The PDF is displayed correctly in the viewer
• Corrupt text processing: The text appears as illegible characters in the comparison result
• Copy-paste problems: When copying and pasting, the text is also displayed corruptly
• Comparison errors: Differences are not recognized correctly because the text is not machine-readable

The reason for this is that PDF files require a character mapping table to translate visual characters into machine-readable text. If this mapping is missing, the software cannot interpret the text correctly, even though it is displayed correctly.

The solution to this is a special filter that solves this problem using OCR-based text recovery. This filter:

• Automatically detects missing character mappings
• Uses OCR technology to reconstruct the correct character mapping
• Restores the machine-readable text representation
• Improves accuracy as the amount of text increases - more text leads to higher OCR accuracy

This technique can be used, for example, for:

• Scanned documents with missing text layers
• Converted PDFs with defective character mappings
• Older PDF files with outdated encoding standards
• Documents from different sources with inconsistent character mappings

Through the automatic detection and correction of character mapping problems, i‑net PDFC enables reliable comparisons even with problematic PDF files that other tools cannot process correctly.

6.3 Performance optimization

Stable server processing is achieved when the available memory is used in a targeted manner. The JVM heap can be adjusted and optimally tuned to the available RAM using the -Xmx parameter. This ensures that the application has sufficient reserves without overloading the system.

i‑net PDFC processes documents efficiently by designing comparisons to use already optimized algorithms. This means that only the computing power that is actually needed is used, while the memory is used specifically for rendering and document caching.

Further optimizations are achieved by setting cache limits or by dividing large documents into smaller segments. This keeps memory requirements manageable and allows even extensive document comparisons to be created reliably and with high performance.

7 Administration

7.1 User and group management

i‑net PDFC has a Users and Groups Manager that enables central management of users and groups. The management system offers complete user accounts with comprehensive management options.

7.1.1 Central user management

• Full user accounts: Users have full accounts with multiple means of authentication
• Multiple authentication: A user can use multiple login providers for the same account, e.g., Windows AD and GitHub
• User-defined groups: Creation of custom groups independent of external authentication systems
• Group assignments: Users can be assigned to multiple groups
• Permission management: Configuration of permissions for applications and functions
• Effective permissions: Review of a user’s cumulative, effective permissions

7.1.2 GDPR compliance

• User data access: Users can view information stored about them
• Data protection control: Transparency regarding collected and processed data
• Account control: Users have control over their own accounts

7.1.3 Quota System

The integrated quota system enables efficient resource management:

• User quotas: Individual storage space limits for each user
• Usage monitoring: Real-time display of quota usage in the toolbar
• Flexible management: Administrators can adjust and manage quotas
• Automatic cleanup: Old comparisons can be deleted to free up storage space
• Upload restrictions: Protection against excessive storage usage through document size limits

7.2 Authentication

Security plays a central role, which is why a built-in authentication option is available. However, this does not have to be used if the host application handles authentication itself. The main focus is on a seamless single sign-on (SSO) experience for the user. Therefore, additional plugins offer support for a variety of identity management systems such as OAuth, LDAP, Windows, and PAM. SCIM may also be of interest to cloud users.

If no central authentication system is available, users can be stored directly with a password. Of course, passwords are only stored with salted hashing. The rules for password complexity are also adjustable.

For even greater security, two-factor authentication or passkeys can be used. By optionally enforcing two-factor authentication, each user is required to provide a second factor the next time they log in. Depending on the server configuration, token-based authentication via app, email, or hardware key, among other options, is available for this purpose.

7.3 System Monitoring and Diagnostics

Administrators have access to important server statistics via special applications while the server is in operation. Among other things, the following is displayed here:

• Session statistics: How many sessions there were and currently are
• Comparison statistics: Which documents were compared and how often
• Log file access: Direct access to log files with search function

The diagnostics application allows administrators to access log files directly and find specific entries via a search. This is particularly valuable for error diagnosis and performance optimization.

7.4 Security and data protection

i‑net PDFC attaches great importance to the security of your documents and the protection of your data:

• Local processing: All documents are processed locally on your system

• No external transfer: Documents never leave your control

• Secure storage: Temporary files are managed securely and deleted automatically

• Session-based security: Each comparison session is treated in isolation

• Automatic cleanup: Temporary files are deleted after the comparison is complete

• Secure identifiers: Session IDs are complex and cannot be guessed

• Time-based deletion: Inactive sessions are automatically cleaned up

• Data minimization: Only necessary data is processed

• Transparency: Complete control over all processed data

• Deletion: Automatic and manual deletion of comparison data

• Access control: Granular permissions for different user groups

8 Licensing

8.1 Standard

The Standard license allows direct document comparison in the desktop application. All application data remains on the computer. This license is ideal for individuals who want to perform occasional comparisons locally.

8.2 Plus

The Plus license allows documents to be compared using the command line tool. This is particularly suitable for batch comparison of documents located on the computer.

Developers with the Plus license also have access to the i‑net PDFC API for integration into customer-specific products.

8.3 Server License

The server license allows documents to be compared on the licensed server. All documents and comparison data remain on your server. The documents and comparisons are accessed via a browser and, depending on user permissions, this is possible for an unlimited number of users.

In addition, the server allows document comparisons to be performed via the web API and automated via task scheduling.

This license is ideal for teams with multiple users, companies with remote working models, organizations with high automation requirements, and/or companies with sensitive data.

8.4 Private cloud license

The server can be deployed on a server within a private cloud network and must be accessible via a preconfigured URL.

This license is ideal for companies with distributed locations but with access to the private cloud via VPN.

8.5 Public Cloud License

The server can be publicly accessible from the internet via ports 80 or 443 (standard HTTP/s ports). This license is ideal for companies with distributed locations without VPN.

8.6 Site License

The server can be used as often as desired at one location within the company network. A site is determined by means of a reverse DNS lookup, e.g., through the company’s internet connection.

This license is ideal for companies that want to use i‑net PDFC multiple times within a company location.

8.7 Technical requirements for license types

8.7.1 Standard, Plus, and Server licenses

• The server must be physical
• The server must not be hosted in the cloud (AWS/EC2, Azure)
• The server must have a static, physically connected IP address
• The server must have a static IP address that is physically connected and not provided via a Wi-Fi adapter.
• The software must not run in a containerized environment (Docker, Kubernetes)
• The server’s network connection may not be established via a WiFi adapter.

These conditions apply both to the computer running the server license and to the computer running the Standard or Plus license variant.

8.7.2 Site License

• Server must have a hostname that can be verified via DNS (no internet required)
  • Example: Licensed domain is internal.my-company.com
  • Hostnames can be: testing.internal.my-company.com, production.internal.my-company.com, or similar
• OR the server must have a verifiable external FQDN internet address (Reverse DNS Lookup)

8.7.3 Public Cloud License

• Server must be accessible from the internet via port 80 or 443 (standard HTTP/s ports)
• Server must have a verifiable external FQDN internet address (DNS Lookup)

8.7.4 Private cloud license

• Server must be accessible via a preconfigured URL
• URL must be set in the configuration under “Web server” → “Externally visible URL”
• Server license must match the FQDN part of the configured URL

9 System Requirements

The system requirements for the i‑net PDFC server depend on the expected usage and workload. Here are some recommendations for a typical system. These values should support the comparison of approximately 100 standard PDF documents per hour without restrictions:

• At least a dual-core CPU or quad-core CPU
• At least 6 to 8 GB of RAM
• The temporary directory partition should have at least 2 GB of free space. If the partition has less than 256 MB free, the server will not start to prevent data loss.
• The application data directory partition requires approximately five times the size of the PDF files per user.
• Hard disk size = [number of users] x [File size] x 5
  • Example: 100 users, 100 MB PDF files per user => 100 x 100 MB x 5 = 50 GB required hard disk space
• A solid-state drive (SSD) can improve performance if you want to upload and compare a large number of PDF documents.

9.1 Platform independence and integration

i‑net PDFC runs on any operating system that supports the required Java versions, e.g., Windows, Unix, Solaris, macOS 10.11+, AIX. The Java VM is usually integrated into i‑net PDFC. A GUI for the server is not required.

9.1.1 Installation and Deployment

9.1.1.1 Easy Installation

i‑net PDFC offers a user-friendly installation that can be completed in just a few steps. The installation process is designed so that even users without in-depth technical knowledge can quickly get the platform up and running.

• Installer available for Windows, Linux, macOS, and as a Docker container
• Setup supports installation via dialog as well as text setup for headless Linux/Unix systems
• Automatic configuration of default settings
• Integration with existing authentication systems (Active Directory, OAuth, LDAP)

9.1.1.2 Docker installation

For modern container environments, i‑net PDFC offers an optimized Docker installation that enables fast deployment and easy scaling. The container-based installation is ideal for DevOps environments and cloud deployments.

• Docker container available from Docker Hub
• Quick start with: docker run -d -p 9000:9000 -e CONF_listener__port=9000 --name pdfc inetsoftware/i-net-pdfc-server
• Configurable ports and environment variables
• Optimized for container orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker Swarm)

9.2 Technical Requirements

9.2.1 Java Runtime

i‑net PDFC requires Java as a runtime environment. This means it runs on any operating system that has a Java VM. That includes virtually every modern platform and architecture.

9.2.2 Storage Space

Approximately 1.5 GB of hard disk space is required for installation and runtime.

9.3 Detailed Server Requirements

9.3.1 Server Installation

• At least dual-core CPU or quad-core CPU recommended
• At least 6 to 8 GB RAM for optimal performance
• At least 5 GB free hard disk space for installation and data
• SSL/HTTPS recommended for secure communication

9.3.2 Client Requirements

• Modern web browsers for accessing the server application
• Stable internet connection for server access

9.3.3 Further Information

The exact system requirements for the current version can be found in detail in the online documentation. An overview of supported Java versions and operating systems can be found on our version support page.

9.4 Documentation and support

i‑net PDFC offers comprehensive documentation and long-term support for developers and administrators:

9.4.1 Developer Documentation

• Getting Started Guide: First steps with i‑net PDFC
• Security Information: Security features and permissions
• Docker Container Guide: Deployment in Docker environments
• Command Line Access: Batch comparisons via the command line
• Server Integration: RESTful web interface for remote comparisons
• FAQ: Frequently asked questions and solutions

9.4.2 API Documentation

• Java API: Complete API reference for Java integration
• .NET API: .NET integration via DLL files from the SDK
• REST API: Swagger-based web API documentation for server integrations
• Command Line Interface: Batch comparisons and CI/CD integration
• JUnit Testing: Integration into Java unit tests
• NUnit Testing: Integration into .NET unit tests

9.4.3 Version Support and Maintenance

i‑net PDFC is continuously improved with two major versions per year (.4 and .10). However, we also release minor versions and updates quickly so that our customers receive even small improvements to the comparison engine as soon as possible. Since we rely on customer feedback, please contact us and send us the PDF files if you are not getting the expected results for certain PDF files.

The x.10 versions are long-term support (LTS) and receive:

• General support: Up to 5 years
• Critical bug fixes: Up to 4 years
  
• Regular bug fixes: Up to 3 years
• New features: Only in the latest version

Currently supported versions: A detailed overview of the currently supported versions, Java versions, and support cycles can be found on our version support page.

9.4.4 Support and Contact

We offer excellent, lightning-fast support, which is already included in your license. We respond within 24 hours on business days, often even faster.

• Email support: pdfc@inetsoftware.de
• Documentation: docs.inetsoftware.de
• API Reference: apidoc.inetsoftware.de

10 Definitions

• Active Directory: Microsoft directory service for the central management of network resources
• ADFS: Active Directory Federation Services - Microsoft solution for single sign-on
• API: Application Programming Interface - programming interface for communication between applications
• Cache: Temporary memory for accelerating data access
• Cloud: Provision of IT resources via the internet as a service
• DDoS: Distributed Denial of Service - attack method for overloading servers
• Docker: Container technology for platform-independent provision of applications
• Docker Hub: Cloud-based registry for Docker containers
• Document: Document refers to any file format supported by i‑net PDFC, such as PDF, DOCX, images, image archives, or text
• Element: In the context of a comparison, an element can be a word, a character element such as a line or curve, an image, or a comment
• Filter: Filters are optional components, usually plugins, that can exclude or modify elements from the comparison, or recognize the grouping of elements and thus improve the result
• FQDN: Fully Qualified Domain Name - complete domain name with hostname and domain
• GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation - EU-wide legal regulation for the protection of personal data
• Jakarta EE: Enterprise Edition - Java platform for enterprise applications (successor to Java EE)
• JVM: Java Virtual Machine - runtime environment for Java applications
• JSON: JavaScript Object Notation - lightweight data format for data exchange
• Kubernetes: container orchestration platform for managing container applications
• LDAP: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol - protocol for accessing directory services
• Maintenance: Maintenance and backup applications for system administration
• OAuth: Open standard for secure authorization between applications
• On-Premises: Installation and operation of software on the company’s own hardware
• OpenAPI/Swagger: Standards for the documentation and specification of REST APIs
• Passkey: Modern authentication method without a password, based on cryptographic keys
• Plugin: A functional extension of the i‑net PDFC platform for additional features and integrations
• Plugin Store: Central point of contact for updates and installation of new functions
• Private Cloud: Dedicated cloud infrastructure for a single company
• Public Cloud: Publicly available cloud services from external providers
• REST: Representational State Transfer - architecture style for web services and APIs
• Sideload: Manual installation of plugins outside the official store
• SSL/HTTPS: Secure Sockets Layer / HTTP Secure - encryption protocols for secure data transmission
• SSO: Single Sign-On - authentication procedure for one-time login to multiple systems
• Tomcat: Apache Tomcat - Java-based web and application server
• Two-factor authentication: A user’s access authorization is based on a combination of two different, independent identification components.
• VPC: Virtual Private Cloud - private cloud environment in public cloud providers