Nutrient Document Automation Server 6.0 is here!

Nutrient Document Automation Server (formerly Autobahn) has been a cornerstone of the large volume optical character recognition (OCR) market for 15 years, and it’s a no-code/low-code solution that provides a set of steps that can be combined into jobs that can be scheduled or run manually. With an extensive range of step types, Document Automation Server jobs can handle a wide range of document workflows. The documents can originate from and be saved back to:

• The file system
• Azure blob storage
• Microsoft SharePoint
• Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft OneDrive
• Email

This release of Nutrient Document Automation Server 6.0 now features job steps that make use of our GdPicture engine(opens in a new tab), further enhancing the flexibility and power of the product.

GdPicture engine

The GdPicture engine provides Nutrient Document Automation Server with highly sophisticated steps using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, machine learning, and fuzzy logic algorithms. One of the key improvements is that the GdPicture engine can remove the requirement for expensive Microsoft Office licenses for jobs involving the conversion of Office documents to PDFs. Nutrient Document Automation Server 6 begins the roll out of job steps using the GdPicture engine, a process that will continue as new features are added. To learn more, check out the release notes.

New steps

The release of Nutrient Document Automation Server 6.0 brings a powerful set of new job steps designed to improve document processing flexibility, speed, and efficiency. From validating PDF/A compliance and linearizing PDFs for web optimization, to converting, combining, and transforming files without requiring Microsoft Office, these steps provide robust solutions for a wide range of workflows.

Validate pdfa

This step ensures that files in a directory fit all the requirements of the selected PDF/A version:

• If a file is in valid PDF/A format for the selected version, it’ll be copied to the output folder.
• If the file doesn’t fit the selected format, the file will go the selected error folder for the job.

Linearize PDF

This step optimizes PDFs by enabling Fast Web View mode for web viewing, allowing the document to be rendered one page at a time. This enhances the user experience when viewing larger PDFs on the web.

Convert any file to PDF (GdPicture)

This step allows users to convert a large variety of file types to PDF. This step doesn’t require an Office installation to process Office files.

Combine any file to PDF

This step merges a batch of files into an output PDF file. The input files can be a variety of file types and are first converted to PDF format before the merge. This step doesn’t require an Office installation to process Office files.

Combine PDFs

This step merges a batch of PDF files together to create a single output PDF file.

PDF to JPEG and PDF to PNG

These two steps convert an input PDF page by page into a set of JPEG/PNG files.

PDF to TIFF (GdPicture)

This step converts an input PDF page by page into a multipage TIFF file.

PDF to text

This step extracts the searchable text from all or a subset of pages from a PDF file and creates an output text file.

PDF to searchable PDF (GdPicture)

This step carries out OCR on the input PDF using the GdPicture toolkit, creating an invisible searchable text layer over the document.

Create PDF portfolio

This step takes a batch of various file types and assembles them into an integrated PDF unit. Each document can be opened and edited independently of other documents in the PDF.

Detect signatures

Any step that alters a digitally signed PDF will invalidate that PDF’s signature. This step allows signed files to be identified, and either copied or moved to a specified folder so the signature can be preserved.

If the option to copy a file is selected, the original signed file can also be attached to the copy that’s processed.

Steps in development

We’re continuously evolving Nutrient Document Automation Server to meet modern document processing needs. Upcoming features in development are focused on enhancing automation, security, and data handling capabilities — starting with smart redaction. These experimental steps offer a glimpse into the future of intelligent, low-code document workflows, with more powerful and production-ready features arriving in upcoming releases.

Smart redaction

Manual redaction is time-consuming and error prone. With the help of Document Automation Server, the process can be automated and sped up. The new smart redaction step redacts the following information from all supported document formats:

• Credit card numbers
• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• VAT IDs
• IBANs
• URIs

This step is in the current release but is intended more as a proof of concept than for use in production. Additional information types are being added with each release. Refer to the release notes for the most up-to-date information.

Watch the recording

To learn how this release helps you automate a wide range of document processing workflows, you can watch our webinar recording.

How to upgrade

If you have a current subscription license for Nutrient Document Automation Server or have a current Support and Maintenance Contract (SMC), you can upgrade to version 6.0 by downloading it from our website. If you don’t have SMC, contact Sales to find out the cost for you to upgrade. The new version of Nutrient Document Automation Server will require a new license key, so contact Support to get your new key. As our license keys are machine-bound, we’ll need the NetBIOS name of the server running Document Automation Server. If the server name remains unchanged, we’ll have it on record.

Upgrade process

Upgrading Document Automation Server involves uninstalling your current installation, downloading the new version from our website, and installing the new version. This process should only take a few minutes.

It's always good practice to make a copy of the jobdef and jobstatus folders as well. When upgrading, Document Automation Server will keep your job definitions (jobdef) folder with all its job definition XML files. When Document Automation Server starts, it checks the version number of each of the step types, and it'll make required updates to any step. Additionally, a status bar will show the progress of this process. This only happens the first time the job definition is checked by Document Automation Server. Once completed, your previous job list will appear in the new version as it was previously. Updating from older versions (before 5.0) may require either manual opening, editing and saving of the job, or recreating the job from scratch. On the install server, Document Automation Server will require .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher. The installer will check this requirement before installation. It's important that the Nutrient Document Automation Server Windows Service is configured correctly. Refer to our Windows Service configuration blog for more information.

Step properties search bar

Some of the available steps in Document Automation Server have many properties, particularly the Any File to PDF steps, which have settings for multiple file types. We’ve now added a search bar above the properties which can be used to jump to a specific property without scrolling.

Conclusion

Ready to take your document workflows to the next level? Nutrient Document Automation Server 6.0 delivers smarter, faster, and more flexible processing with its powerful new steps and GdPicture integration. Whether you’re upgrading from a previous version or trying it for the first time, now is the perfect time to explore what version 6.0 can do for your team. Download the latest version, or contact Sales to get started today.