DECprint Supervisor (DCPStm) for OpenVMS
System Manager's Guide


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Chapter 8
Creating and Maintaining Form Definitions

You can create form definitions, which users can include in their PRINT command to modify the appearance of a file. A form definition can specify several attributes for a print job, including the type of paper stock on which it is to be printed; the width, length, and margins associated with the paper; whether long text lines are to be truncated or wrapped onto another line; and setup modules to be implicitly sent to the printer.

When users specify an unknown form name in their PRINT command, DECprint Supervisor informs them immediately. In contrast, if they specify an unknown setup module in their PRINT command, DECprint Supervisor does not inform them of the problem until it starts printing the job and needs to access the setup module.

The commands for creating, maintaining, and deleting forms require that you have operator privileges.

8.1 Associating Setup Modules with Forms

To associate a setup module with a form, use the DEFINE/FORM command with the /SETUP qualifier.

Example 8-1 defines a form called CONFIDENTIAL that uses a setup module called PRIVATE.

Example 8-1 Sample Form Definition, CONFIDENTIAL

$  DEFINE/FORM CONFIDENTIAL 101-       /DESCRIPTION="prints the word CONFIDENTIAL on each page"-       /STOCK=DEFAULT-       /SETUP=PRIVATE

When you define a form, you supply the following qualifiers and information:

Note

The existence of the setup module(s) is not checked until the form is used.

8.2 Associating a Form with a Print Queue

If users invoke a setup module frequently, you can associate the setup module with a form, then associate the form with a queue. This method ensures that print jobs submitted to the queue automatically use the setup module. Use the following procedure to associate a form with a queue:

  1. Associate the setup module with the form, as described in Section 8.1.
  2. Associate the form with the execution queue, by editing parameter 5 (p5) in DCPS$STARTUP.COM as follows:
    The following example associates the form called CONFIDENTIAL with an execution queue called XLR8:


    $ @SYS$STARTUP:EXECUTION_QUEUE.COM - 
      XLR8-                    !P1 - Execution queue name 
      "DECNET/XLR8" -          !P2 - Device name 
      DCPS_LIB -               !P3 - Logical name for /LIBRARY 
      "" -                     !P4 - Not used 
      "/FORM_MOUNTED=CONFIDENTIAL/DEFAULT=(FORM=CONFIDENTIAL,NOFEED)" 
                               !P5 - Queue default qualifiers 
    

8.3 Creating Form Definitions for ANSI Files

When you define forms for ANSI files, you can use various qualifiers that affect the page layout. For example, the following command defines the form CENTER to have a top margin of 6 and a left margin of 10:


$ DEFINE/FORM /MARGIN=(TOP=6,LEFT=10) CENTER 3

You can use the qualifiers in Table 8-1 with form defintions for ANSI files only:

Table 8-1 DEFINE / FORM Qualifiers for ANSI Files
This Qualifier ... Does the Following ...
/LENGTH= n Sets the length of each page, in lines.
/MARGIN= keyword= n Sets the margins.

You supply one or more of the following keywords:

  • TOP= n
  • BOTTOM= m
  • RIGHT= y
  • LEFT= z

To supply more than one margin keyword, enclose the list in parentheses, as in:

/MARGIN=(TOP=
n,BOTTOM=
m)

/PAGE_SETUP= module Applies a page setup module to each page in the job.
/[NO]TRUNCATE Truncates long lines that do not fit in the page width.
/WIDTH= n Sets the width of the page in columns or characters.
/[NO]WRAP Wraps lines wider than the page to the next line.

Notes:

8.4 Displaying Forms and Their Attributes

You can display the forms that already exist on your system with the following command:


$ SHOW QUEUE/FORM

The form definitions display as follows:


Form name                            Number   Description 
---------                            ------   ----------- 
A4_12 (stock=PLAIN_PAPER)              1129   A4 12-Pitch with margins 
A4_LPT_GRAY (stock=PLAIN_PAPER)        1118   A4 DP line printer with gray bars 
A4_LPT_PLAIN (stock=PLAIN_PAPER) 
                                       1119   A4 Plain DP line printer format 
BOOT_CHART (stock=DEFAULT)               37   BOOT_CHART 
BSS$LANDSCAPE (stock=DEFAULT)          3301   BSS Specific Landscape 
BSS$PORTRAIT (stock=DEFAULT)           3302   BSS Specific Portrait 

You can display the attributes of a form using the SHOW QUEUE/FORM/FULL command. For example, this command displays the attributes of DCPS$DEFAULT:


$ SHOW QUEUE/FORM/FULL DCPS$DEFAULT


Form name                            Number   Description 
---------                            ------   ----------- 
DCPS$DEFAULT (stock=DEFAULT)           1115   DCPS default 
    /LENGTH=66 /STOCK=DEFAULT /TRUNCATE /WIDTH=80 

8.5 Deleting a Form

Use the DELETE/FORM command to delete a form definition from the system's form table. The format of this command is as follows:


$ DELETE/FORM form-name

In the command line, you supply form-name, which is the name assigned to the form you are using.

Before you use the DELETE/FORM command, execute the SHOW QUEUE/FULL/ALL command. References to a form can exist as an attribute of an active print queue or as a qualifier to a print request. If you try to delete a form that has outstanding references, you are notified of the condition, and the form is not deleted. (Refer to Appendix A.)

8.6 Using the Default ANSI Form Definition

If users omit a form definition in their PRINT command, but supply one of the following qualifiers, DECprint Supervisor links the default form definition DCPS$DEFAULT with the ANSI file.


Chapter 9
Charging Users for Printer Resources

This chapter describes the accounting information that is supplied to the OpenVMS accounting files by the DECprint Supervisor software.

The OpenVMS Accounting Utility reads information about the use of system resources from the file SYS$MANAGER:ACCOUNTING.DAT. The DECprint Supervisor software records information in this file about printer usage. For information about the OpenVMS Accounting Utility, see the OpenVMS System Manager's Reference Manual.

9.1 Accounting Information Supplied by the DECprint Supervisor Software

The print symbiont supplies the following information in the accounting file for each print job:

When a print job has been completed successfully, the print symbiont sends a request to the job controller to insert certain accounting data fields into the accounting log file. For successful jobs and jobs terminated by the DELETE/ENTRY command, the accounting file also includes the following message:


%SYSTEM-S-NORMAL, normal successful completion

If the print job terminates abnormally, the information the print symbiont supplies in the accounting log may be incomplete. To filter out such jobs, count only the jobs that receive the successful completion status message. Any of the following may cause the job to terminate abnormally:

9.2 Accounting Information Supplied by the Job Controller

The job controller supplies the following information in the accounting file for print jobs:

9.2.1 Accounting Fields Left Blank by the Job Controller

The job controller fills the following fields with blanks in the accounting file for print jobs:

9.2.2 Accounting Fields Filled with Zeros by the Job Controller

The job controller fills the following fields with zeros in the accounting file for print jobs:

9.3 Compatibility with Mechanical Page Counters

The PrintServer printers have mechanical page counters.

The mechanical page counter is different from the counter accessible through the PostScript pagecount operator.

Under normal use, the totals of both counters increase at a similar rate, but there can be a significant difference between them. Print engine test pages, initiated with the test button on the printer, are recorded on the mechanical counter but not on the PostScript counter. Also, replacing components can affect the counters. For example, replacing the nonvolatile memory of the controller resets the PostScript counter, but it does not affect the mechanical counter.

Because the counters record different events, they should be used for different purposes:


Chapter 10
Printer-Specific Information

This chapter provides management information about using DCPS with specific printers. Printer-specific information that might be of interest to general users is in the User's GuideUser's Guide rather than in this manual. The Release NotesRelease Notes may also contain additional printer-specific information.

10.1 Apple LaserWriter Plus Printer

10.1.1 LPS$PERSISTENT_RESOURCES Not Supported

The DCPS feature to load the module LPS$PERSISTENT_RESOURCES outside the PostScript server loop for desktop printers is not supported for the LaserWriter Plus.

10.2 Compaq Laser Printer LN16 and GENICOM microLaser 170

10.2.1 Printer Configuration Setting

DCPS requires the printer's PERSONALITY be set to POSTSCRIPT. If the PERSONALITY is set to AUTO or PCL, DCPS jobs will remain in a Starting state and never print. This setting is in the printer console's CONFIG menu.

Setting the PERSONALITY to POSTSCRIPT will still allow PCL jobs coming from Windows PCs to print correctly.

10.2.2 Raw TCP/IP Port Number

When creating a DCPS queue for the LN16 or mL170 using a raw TCP/IP connection, specify port number 9100.

10.2.3 LAT and AppleTalk Configuration

To create a LAT device for use by a DCPS queue, you can use either of the following sets of values for LATCP qualifiers:

where nodename is the printer's NIC nodename and service is the name of a valid service on the printer. These values can be obtained from the printer NIC's status page or by logging in to the NIC via Telnet or LAT. For example, this command shows the printer NIC's nodename to be PRQ_00001F:


    Local_4> show server 
       NET16 Version V1.0/1(990126)           Uptime:                 23:17:07 
       Hardware Addr: 00-50-27-00-00-1f       Name/Nodenum:      PRQ_00001F/ 0 
       Ident String: NET16 

To create a DCPS queue using AppleTalk, you must use a service name. You can use one of the default services, modify a default service or create your own. The following is an example of a service that can be used by both LAT and AppleTalk. In this example, DCPS_LN16 is the AppleTalk name.


    Local_4> list service dcps_ln16 
 
    Service:  DCPS_LN16         Ident:  DCPS Compaq Laser Printer LN16 
      Rating: N/A               Ports:  1 
      Characteristics:          Queueing  Binary  Rtel  Connections  AppleTalk 
                                Lat 
      SOJ: <none>     EOJ: <none> 
      Enabled Groups: 0 

Create AppleTalk services with caution, as creating the same service name on more than one printer will result in multiple printers using the same AppleTalk name on your network.

Refer to the printer's Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) Reference Manual for more information about setting characteristics of printer services.

10.3 Compaq Laser Printer LN32 and LNM40; GENICOM LN21, LN28 and LNM40; GENICOM microLaser 210, 280, 320 and 401

10.3.1 Printer and Network Firmware Versions

Firmware versions are listed on the printed Summary Sheet and on the printer's internal Web page. Printer firmware is listed as Product Version and network firmware is listed as Network Version.

10.3.2 Printer Configuration Settings

10.3.2.1 Language-Sensing Mode

DCPS can print to these printers when the printer is in PostScript mode or automatic language-sensing mode. Make sure the INTERPRETER and FORMAT settings are set as described in Table 10-1. These values are set in the INTERFACE menu on the printer's console.

Table 10-1 Valid LN21, LN28, LN32, LNM40, mL210, mL280, mL320 and mL401 Language Sensing Configurations
  Printer Settings
Printer Mode Interpreter Format
PostScript/PCL sensing Auto Switch Raw
PostScript PostScript Normal

10.3.2.2 Printer Setting May Cause Stalled Queues

The factory default value for the printer's Delayed Output Close setting may cause DCPS queues to stall. The default value is OFF and is intended to improve performance by controlling how quickly the printer ends one job and starts another. However, if you also print from environments other than DCPS, this value may cause DCPS queues to stall. Therefore, if you also print from multiple environments, set the value to ON. If you print only from DCPS, you may leave the value of Delayed Output Close at OFF.

The setting for Delayed Output Close is found on the printer's console as DELAY OUT CLOSE in the NETWORK section of the INTERFACE menu. *

10.3.3 Raw TCP/IP Port Number

When creating a DCPS queue for these printers using a raw TCP/IP connection, specify port number 9100.

10.3.4 LAT and AppleTalk Configuration

Please see Section 10.2.3 for information about configuring LAT and AppleTalk queues.

10.3.5 Queue Aborts When Using TCPware

When using TCPware with these printers, it is possible to receive numerous userdata messages on the screen and have the queue fail with an OPCOM message similar to the following:


  %%%%%%%%%%%  OPCOM  21-APR-1999 15:09:53.22  %%%%%%%%%%% 
  Message from user SYSTEM on ZIPPY 
  Queue LN32_RAW: %DCPS-F-EXQUOTA, process quota exceeded 

This problem occurs when running TCPware V5.3-3 and network firmware V1.0/4 (990323). To avoid this problem, the system manager should perform one of the following steps:

Note

* This setting does not appear on LN32 and LNM40 printers with firmware earlier than version 3.03.

10.4 DIGITAL Colorwriter LSR 2000 Printer

10.4.1 NIC Does Not Work with Raw TCP/IP

DCPS cannot communicate with the Colorwriter LSR 2000 NIC via a raw
TCP/IP connection because the NIC does not support raw TCP/IP communication.

AppleTalk is the only network protocol that DCPS can use to communicate with the Colorwriter LSR 2000 printer.

10.5 DIGITAL DECcolorwriter 1000 Printer

10.5.1 Printer-Specific Setup Files

You can use the files listed in the table below to alter the persistent state of the printer, affecting all subsequent jobs that the printer receives from your system and from other systems in the network until the printer is turned off and back on. The files are located in the SYS$COMMON:[SYSHLP.EXAMPLES.DCPS] directory.
Setup File Description
DCW1000_CONFIG.PS Sets the printer timeouts
DCW1000_DEVPARAM.PS Changes configuration of the serial port
DCW1000_STARTPG.PS Enables the start page
DCW1000_NOSTRTPG.PS Disables the start page
DCW1000_PRNTCNFG.PS Enables a software-selected information page
DCW1000_PSCRIPT.PS Changes the port to PostScript and default on all ports

Notes:


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