Printer Queues


Setting up a non-PostScript printer takes three steps. First, the printer is characterized by defining its capabilities (e.g., it could have an RS-232 connection, a parallel port, or a network connection). Other characteristics are also defined with the SET PRINTER command for a line printer and SET TERMINAL for a character printer. In general terms:

  • The line printer, called an LPA0, is connected via the computer's parallel port.

  • The spooling information is provided with the SET DEVICE command, specifically defining the spooling file's location, its name, and how it is linked to the physical device.

  • The queue's characteristics are defined with the INITIALIZE command.

The following example shows how a locally connected printer (LPA0:) is defined, how it is to be spooled, and how to set up its queue (LPA0, with no colon). Incidentally, when a user prints a file, only its name and version number is recorded in the queue's database. The file is not copied; it is printed from the user's file space.

      $ SET PRINTER/TAB/PAGE=66/WIDTH=132/LOWER/FF/NOCR -      _$ /FALLBACK/NOWRAP/NOTAB LPA0:      $ SET DEVICE/SPOOLED=(LPA0,SYS$SYSDEVICE) LPA0:      $ INITIALIZE/QUEUE/START -      _$ /DEFAULT=(NOBURST,FLAG=ALL,TRAILER=ONE) -      _$ /AUTOSTART_ON=(NODE1::LPA0:,NODE2::LPA0:)  LPA0 

As with execution queues, subsequent boots do not require redefinition of the device or the queue. The ENABLE AUTOSTART command, which was previously described, activates the queue and makes it available for use.

The following example shows how a networked LAT [3] protocol printer is created. This process is similar to the previous example except that the connection to the print server must be defined first.

  • The printer is connected to some sort of server that is serviced by LAT. Notice that a LAT Control Program (LATCP) is used first to create the "service" and then to connect to a known LAT node (HS229).

  • The terminal (not the printer) is characterized with SET TERMINAL, similar to the SET PRINTER statement in the previous example.

  • The queue (called LN03_1) is assigned a spooling device.

  • The queue is defined.

SET TERMINAL (not SET PRINTER) is used here because the LN03 is considered a Compaq/HP terminal device.

     $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:LATCP     LATCP> CREATE PORT LTA3331:     LATCP> MODIFY PORT LTA3331:/NODE=HS229     $ SET TERMINAL/PAGE=100/WIDTH=200 -     _$ /DEVICE=LN03/NOBROADCAST -     _$/NOECHO/HARDCOPY/NOTYPE_AHEAD/NOFORM -     _$/NOWRAP/PASTHRU/PERMANENT LTA3331:     $ SET DEVICE/SPOOLED=(LN03_1,SYS$SYSDEVICE) LTA3331:     $ INITIALIZE /QUEUE /DEVICE=TERMINAL/ -     _$ /AUTOSTART_ON=(NODE1::LTA3331:,NODE2::LTA555:) -     _$ /RECORD_BLOCKING/BLOCK_LIMIT=600/CHARACTERISTICS=(EAST)-     _$ /SEPARATE=(NOBURST,NOTRAILER,NOFLAG,RESET=ANSI$RESET) -     _$ /DEFAULT=(NOFEED,NOBURST,FLAG=ONE,NOTRAILER,FORM=MEMO) -     _$ /LIBRARY=LN03LIBRARY /PROCESSOR=LATSYM      LN03_1 

Usually, LAT printers are connected to either terminal or print servers. If so, the server must be configured as well. Different servers have different command structures so that detail is not included in this example. I assume LAT has been started when the system is booted. LAT's startup command is found in the SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM template supplied with OpenVMS.

Instead of LAT, TCP/IP can be used to communicate with the print or terminal server. This third example shows how to use TCP/IP to connect to a terminal server using TELNETSYM. First, the symbiot must be started, as illustrated. Normally, this line is included in SYSTARTUP_VMS. A single symbiot can manage up to 16 devices. If necessary, more symbiots can be started.

      $ @SYS$STARTUP:TCPIP$TELNETSYM_STARTUP 

To set up the queue itself, first the SET TERMINAL and SET DEVICE commands are issued, as in the previous examples, and then the INITIALIZE command is run, as follows. Notice that the addition of the /PROCESSOR and /ON qualifiers is required to define the symbiot's name and the server's TCP/IP name and port.

      $ INITIALIZE /QUEUE /START /DEVICE=TERMINAL -      _$ /PROCESS=TCPIP$TELNETSYM -      _$ /ON="printserver1:4242" XYZ_QUE 

As with LAT, the printer or terminal port on the server must also be configured—a detail that is not included in this discussion.

[3]LAT is an acronym for Local Area Transport, a proprietary protocol invented by DEC engineers. LAT is discussed more fully in Chapter 9.




Getting Started with OpenVMS System Management
Getting Started with OpenVMS System Management (HP Technologies)
ISBN: 1555582818
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 130
Authors: David Miller

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