Help trying to get the F_ApiWinConnectSession initialized and running in the background.

Question

Fellow FM Developers,
I have the FDK8 and have been using framemaker as a processor of templates. We have successfully written a program that uses the framemaker in a user account currently logged in. In other words, USER A logs in with their account on Computer A and processes files just fine.  Now, we would like to set up a system where jobs are submitted by USER A and runs on a remote Computer B which processes the document and saves it as a PDF.
We want to make it so users can submit a job through a web service using the .NET framework. We have tried to do this, however we are failing on one crucial part of our development. I am trying to use the single most important (asynchronis) connectivity line:
F_ApiWinConnectSession( NULL, NULL, &ClassID );
This is because we want to have framemaker start in the background with this execution of this service.  Unfortunately, without the GUI available this command fails.  We have obviously created a Progid and it has been registered in the registry. We did this by runnning :
FrameMaker.exe /progid:FrameMaker.Automation.2 /auto
Can anyone help me with trying to get framemaker to run in a background.  Is there a way to process the documents without have the GUI up and loaded and then have it process the document.
Your help is greatly appreciated,
Adam

Answer 1

Adam,
The server license is more tuned to the type of output that you are creating, regardless of the number of users. If you are creating content from external sources and generating a PDF in an automated way via FM, then you need a server license (period).
Read your FM EULA carefully.
2.2.  Limitations on Server and Network Use.  You may install one copy of  the Software on your Computer file server for the sole purpose of downloading  and installing the Software onto other Computers within your internal network up  to the Permitted Number, provided that the total number of users that are  permitted to download and install the Software from such Computer file server,  does not exceed the Permitted Number.  Except as explicitly described above, no  other network or server use is permitted under this license, including but not  limited to, using the Software either directly or through commands, data or  instructions from or to any other Computer, for internet or web hosting services  or by any user not licensed to Use this copy of the Software through a valid  license from Adobe.  For the avoidance of doubt, this Agreement does not permit  the Software to be Used in any batch-oriented environment where such Use of the  software is to produce Postscript or PDF output from data originating from any  other application, unless such Use is merely incidental to a Use clearly  permitted by the license.To obtain rights for additional server, batch oriented  or network licensing uses, you may purchase a license(s) for the FrameMaker®  Server product. The FrameMaker Server product license is available for review  at, http://www.adobe.com/products/eulas/main.html.
This has greatly impacted the database publishing side of things. If all of  your content is completely created in FrameMaker, then you should be ok.  However, if you create or get any content outside of FrameMaker and pass it  through FM to make your documentation sets, then according to Adobe, you need to  be using the FrameServer product (for creating the PDFs).