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Capabilities and Limitations of *LAN 3812 Printer Device Descriptions

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document provides information on the capabilities and limitations of *LAN 3812 printer device descriptions including those that use the PJL print driver, the SNMP print driver, the IPP print driver, and the unsupported LPR Print Driver Exit Program (TSPLPRD) utility.

Resolving The Problem

This document provides information on 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.

This document was last updated on 4 April 2014.





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).

Note: File separators and job separators can also be printed when printing through a *LAN 3812 device description that uses the unsupported LPR Print Driver (TSPLPRD) utility, but only when the Printer device type (DEVTYPE) parameter is set to *SCS. However, the separators are not printed for *AFPDS or *USERASCII spooled files.
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.





For additional information on *LAN 3812 PJL device descriptions, please refer to the following documents:

N1010134: Configuring a *LAN 3812 PJL Device Description
N1019689: Recommended PJL Port Number Values for *LAN 3812 PJL Device Descriptions
N1019652: Configuration Settings and Error Messages for *LAN 3812 PJL Device Descriptions

For additional information on *LAN 3812 SNMP device descriptions, please refer to the following documents:

N1019572: Configuring a *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Description
N1019571: Recommended SNMP Port Number Values for *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Descriptions
N1019570: Configuration Settings and Error Messages for *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Descriptions

For additional information on *LAN 3812 IPP device descriptions, please refer to the following documents:

N1019375: Configuring a *LAN 3812 IPP Device Description
N1019376: Recommended Remote Location (RMTLOCNAME) Values for *LAN 3812 IPP Device Descriptions
N1019374: Configuration Settings and Error Messages for *LAN 3812 IPP Device Descriptions

For additional information on the LPR Print Driver Exit Program (TSPLPRD) utility, please refer to the following documents:

N1019586: Configuring a *LAN 3812 Device Description that Uses the LPR Print Driver (TSPLPRD) Exit Program

You can also access these documents from the following Web site:

http://www-912.ibm.com/s_dir/slkbase.nsf/slkbase

The following manuals contain additional information on TCP/IP Remote Output Queues:

IBM AS/400 Printing V Abstract, which is available at the following Web site:

http://publib-b.boulder.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/9445fa5b416f6e32852569ae006bb65f/cbecfe2bfe455c218525698200703a97?OpenDocument

IBM AS/400 Printing V, SG24-2160-01, which is available in PDF format at the following Web site:

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg242160.pdf

The IBM Redbooks Web site is:

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com

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Historical Number

412453666

Document Information

Modified date:
18 December 2019

UID

nas8N1019003