Major Printing and Programming Solutions

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Here is a brief piece I use to discuss printing off the AS400 / iSeries

There are differences when printing with Ethernet attachment versus Twinax on an AS/400 / iSeries . The main difference is that the host data stream is different. With Twinax the data stream is SCS (SNA Character Stream) with the Ethernet attachment the data stream is TCP/IP - ASCII. The AS/400 Host Print Transform can be configured to handle to transform from SCS to ASCII. As with most ASCII environments, there is no intelligence in the data stream. So, the operator of other software must be used to operate the printer in an ASCII environment.

Improved Options to support TCP/IP ASCII printing are:
1. Use SNMP communications instead of TCP/IP.
2. Use TN3270 / TN5250 support - SNA over Ethernet.
3. Use IPDS - AFP

1. SNMP - Allows the ASCII printer to be defined as a device rather than a Remote OUTQ. This does give some management over the device but not much management capability over the print jobs i.e.. backspace, restart etc..
2. TN5250 - Allows for support of SNA over Ethernet. Gives the printer operator the same basic capabilities as direct Twinax attachment.
3. IPDS / AFP - Allows for a more advanced data stream. Full error recovery down to the last printed page; forward and backspace capability; advanced functions like barcode, graphics, overlays, logos etc...

If what the customer is printing is critical, do they need to guarantee that it printed?

A consistent problem I have discussed with customers who use ASCII printers from their AS400 is the ability to manage the print and make sure it prints.

Host Print Transform which is standard in the OS of the iSeries offers the SCS to ASCII transform, but a couple of the limitations I know about are:

1) Limitations include no page range printing.
2) Controlling the output can also be a problem because of the lack of control over the sending of spool files. Once a spooled file has started sending, a user may have a tough time stopping the printing from the operating system side. Putting the spool file on hold or deleting it may not be successful.
3) No Guarantee that what you are printing actually prints.
4) No Error Recovery between the printer and AS400
5) IPDS is the only way to accomplish this completely
6) Ethernet/TelNet capabilities on the 6500 from the iSeries emulates the Twinax better than any other options.

If you need assistance in configuring any print device to your AS400, please let me know Read More......

Here is an example of how to configure a standard printer on a AS400.

The objective of this information is to help with the capabilities and limitations of *LAN 3812 printer device descriptions, including those that use the PJL print driver (*HPPJLDRV and *IBMPJLDRV), the SNMP print driver (*IBMSNMPDRV), the IPP print driver (*IBMIPPDRV), and the unsupported LPR Print Driver Exit Program (TSPLPRD) utility.

Most of the information in this document applies equally to *LAN 3812 PJL device descriptions, *LAN 3812 SNMP device descriptions, and *LAN 3812 IPP device descriptions, and *LAN 3812 device descriptions that use the unsupported LPR Print Driver Exit Program (TSPLPRD) utility.

Capabilities of Printing through a *LAN 3812 Device Description

The following is a list of the capabilities of using a *LAN 3812 device description to print to a LAN-attached printer:

1) It can be used with virtually any printer attached to an external print server, provided that the printer and print server both support PJL, SNMP or Internet Print Protocol (IPP) printing. An IEEE 1284 (or bidirectional) printer cable might be required between the printer and the print server specifically if the *LAN 3812 PJL device description is used. The main exception is for host-based or Microsoft Windows-only printers that are attached to the LAN or attached to a Windows server.

Note: If the printer and print server support LPR/LPD but do not support PJL, SNMP or IPP (or even if LPR/LPD is preferred), the unsupported LPR Print Driver Exit Program (TSPLPRD) utility can be used to configure a *LAN 3812 device description that uses LPR/LPD from within a printer writer. This option has the benefits of using a *LAN 3812 device description even though it is using the same LPR/LPD protocol that is used for a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ).

2) It can be used with virtually any printer with an internal print server that supports PJL, SNMP, or Internet Print Protocol (IPP) printing. The main exception is for host-based or Windows-only printers that are attached to the LAN using an internal print server.

3) It can be used over a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN) if the necessary ports are open on all routers and firewalls between the system and the printer or print server.

4) It can be used to print *SCS, *AFPDS (to laser printers), and *USERASCII spooled files, all of which can be converted to an ASCII printer data stream using Host Print Transform (HPT).

Note: *AFPDS spooled files can be converted only to an HP PCL or IBM PPDS printer data stream that is intended for an ASCII laser printer. No conversion to an ASCII printer data stream is done for *USERASCII spooled files. Therefore, they are sent to the printer as is .

5) It is recommended that the SPOOL pool have a minimum of 6250K.

6) *LAN 3812 device descriptions run under a printer writer. Therefore, they automatically have support for page range printing.

7) *LAN 3812 device descriptions run under a printer writer. Therefore, they automatically have support for message CPA3394 - Load form type '&4' device &5 writer &1 .

8) *LAN 3812 device descriptions run under a printer writer. Therefore, *LAN 3812 device descriptions that are configured with the LAN attachment (LANATTACH) parameter set to *IP automatically have support for message CPA4002 - Verify alignment on printer &3 when the Form feed (FORMFEED) parameter in the printer device description is set to *CONT. However, *LAN 3812 device description that are configured with the LAN attachment (LANATTACH) parameter set to *USRDFN, such as when using the LPR Print Driver (TSPLPRD) utility, do not have support for message CPA4002.

9) Additionally, *LAN 3812 SNMP device descriptions will print a single line before message CPA4002 is issued, as is done for twinax printers attached to a local or remote workstation controller, that can be used to verify the alignment prior to answering message CPA4002 and printing the remainder of the spooled file.

10) *LAN 3812 device descriptions run under a printer writer. Therefore, they automatically have support for printing file separators or job separators. File separators can be set up by specifying the File separators (FILESEP) parameter in the spooled file attributes or by specifying the File separators (FILESEP) parameter in the Start Print Writer (STRPRTWTR ) command. Job separators can be set up by specifying the Job separators (JOBSEP) parameter in the output queue description associated with the *LAN 3812 device description (the output queue of the same name is in the QUSRSYS library).

11) The settings in the printer device description have an effect on how the printer writer communicates with the printer and on how the operating system formats spooled files for the printer. This includes, but is not limited to, the settings for the Online at IPL (ONLINE), Attached controller (CTL), Font identifier (FONT), Message queue (MSGQ), and Host print transform (TRANSFORM) parameters.

For example, changing the Message Queue (MSGQ) parameter in the printer device description controls which message queue is used for all writer messages because the Queue for writer messages (MSGQ) parameter in the Start Print Writer (STRPRTWTR ) command defaults to *DEVD.

12) *LAN 3812 device descriptions run under a printer writer. Therefore, the Work with Writers (WRKWTR ) command shows that the writer is started even when the WTR (Writer) parameter is set to the default value of *PRT.
Limitations of Printing through a *LAN 3812 Device Description

The following is a list of the limitations of using a *LAN 3812 device description to print to a LAN-attached printer:

1) The source system must be at V4R1M0 (R410) operating system or later for a *LAN 3812 PJL device description (or at V3R7M0 with certain PTFs), at the V4R3M0 (R430) operating system or later for a *LAN 3812 SNMP device description, or at the V5R2M0 (R520) operating system or later for a *LAN 3812 IPP device description.

2) It does not support message CPA5335 - End of forms on printer &3 .

3) It cannot be used to send *IPDS spooled files because they are not supported by Host Print Transform (HPT).

4) Large spooled files take a long time to go to a held (HLD) status when held on the queue.

5) Large spooled files take a long time to delete after selecting to delete them from the queue.

6) Spooled files can sit in PND (Pending) status or in MSGW (Message Waiting) status with message CPD337F - Remote device rejected an attempt by the writer to open a connection for extended periods of time, depending on the status of the printer and the network. Always check the writer job log, the control panel on the printer, or the printer web access when a spooled file is in PND or MSGW status for an extended period of time.

7) *LAN 3812 device descriptions do not support printing with the Spool the data (SPOOL) parameter set to *NO. LAN attached printing of all sorts (including RMTOUTQs, *LAN 3812 device descriptions, and PC5250 printer sessions) require generating a spooled file by printing with the SPOOL parameter set to *YES. SPOOL(*NO) is allowed only with printers that are twinax attached through either a local or remote workstation controller.

8) *LAN 3812 device descriptions that are configured with the LAN attachment (LANATTACH) parameter set to *USRDFN, such as when using the LPR Print Driver (TSPLPRD) utility, do not have support for message CPA4002 - Verify alignment on printer &3 when the Form feed (FORMFEED) parameter in the printer device description is set to *CONT.

9) Although *LAN 3812 printer device descriptions that are configured with the LAN attachment (LANATTACH) parameter set to *IP automatically have support for issuing message CPA4002 - Verify alignment on printer &3 when the Form feed (FORMFEED) parameter in the printer device description is set to *CONT, *LAN 3812 printer device descriptions that use the PJL, IPP, LEXLINK or Network Station print driver do not support printing the first line of the spooled file so a user can verify that the printer is truly aligned prior to answering message CPA4002 and printing the remainder of the spooled file. This is only supported with *LAN 3812 SNMP device descriptions. Read More......

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