exploring the beneﬁts of dpserver - xerox · customers need sensible and cost-effective solutions...

DPServer data stream support 7File format requirements 8Supported platforms and job submission options 9

Minimizing printer idle time using workload balancing 19Mounting job tapes at the server while the printer is printing 25Printing lengthy applications in less time 27Reprinting jobs stored on the server 30Redirecting print jobs 31Controlling Xerox printer features automatically using X-PREP 32Managing your print environment from one location 36

Accounting Option functions 39

Configuring viewing and archiving with DPServer 43Making print jobs available to third-party products 43

Configuration overview 45Maintaining a secure resource environment 47Ensuring that resources are not used until a specific date and time 51Testing new resources without affecting production resources 51

System recovery considerations 53

Business benefits of data stream transformation 57Required modules to print Xerox data streams to PostScript and PCL printers 58Printing an LCDS/metacode job to a PostScript or PCL printer 59Considerations 60

DPServer Solutions Guide

Exploring the Benefits of DPServer

720P32661

Printing jobs from multiple clients

Streamlining your print operations

Improving accounting and performance

Using viewing and archiving products

Managing resources

Planning a system recovery strategy

Printing Xerox data streams to PostScript/PCL printers


Exploring the Benefits of DPServer

720P32661

a

Second Edition (March 1999)

Xerox CorporationXerox Centre DriveEl Segundo, California 90245

Copyright© 1999 by Xerox Corporation. All rights reserved.

Copyright protection claimed includes all forms and matters ofcopyrightable material and information now allowed by statutory orjudicial law or hereinafter granted, including without limitation,material generated from the software programs which are displayed onthe screen such as icons, screen displays, looks, etc.

Publication number: 720P32661

XEROX®, The Document Company®, the digital X® and all XEROXproducts mentioned in this publication are trademarks of XEROXCORPORATION.

IBM, AFP, MVS, and all IBM products mentioned in this publicationare trademarks or registered trademarks of International BusinessMachines Corporation.

All other product names and trade names used herein are trademarksof their respective owners.

Changes are periodically made to this document. Technical updateswill be included in subsequent editions. Product specifications subjectto change without notice.

Limitation of Liability: While every attempt has been made to preparethis document free from errors and omissions, the authors assume noresponsibility for such conditions, or the uses made of this manual, ordecisions that arise from such use. For the purposes of illustration,fictitious companies, logos, and names have been created.

b

Introduction

The DocuPrintServer (DPServer) is a suite of client- and server-residentsoftware modules designed to enable production printing andmanagement in network environments for a variety of client platforms.The goal of this document is to demonstrate the value of DPServer byillustrating the different business benefits it provides. Specifically, thisdocument shows how DPServer may be used to:

• improve printing productivity• improve print window management• reduce printing and printer maintenance costs• increase revenue through improved accounting procedures• redesign document processes for greater efficiency• easily migrate into the world of network production printing

without re-hosting applications

Document scope and organization

This document is designed for two types of readers – those who areconsidering DPServer as their enterprise-wide production print serverand want to understand how DPServer can immediately bring value totheir business, and those who already use DPServer (formally knownas XPSM) and want to learn new ways to simplify production printingand reduce overall printing costs. For this reason, some sections willbe of more interest to you than others. After reviewing the descriptionof each chapter below, we encourage you to browse the Table ofcontents so you can locate the sections that are most relevant to yourinterests.

Chapter 1, DPServer overview, discusses the business advantagesDPServer provides and describes all DPServer-related componentsand options.

Chapter 2, Printing jobs from multiple clients, describes the methodsused to send documents to a DPServer from a variety of clientplatforms and lists any special considerations.

Chapter 3, Streamlining your print operations, describes several waysthat DPServer can be implemented to achieve specific productivitybenefits, such as increasing your available print window, reducingprinter idle time, eliminating operator error, and more.

Chapter 4, Improving accounting and performance, provides a briefintroduction to the business benefits offered by the Accounting Optionand describes the events that can be recorded in your printenvironment.

Chapter 5, Using viewing and archiving products, describes howDPServer makes print jobs available to viewing and archiving products.

iDPServer Solutions Guide

ii DPServer Solutions Guide

Introduction

Chapter 6, Managing resources, provides an overview of how aresource environment may be configured, and discusses procedures tohelp control resource distribution and maintain a secure, consistent,printer resource environment.

Chapter 7, Planning a system recovery strategy, describes differentconfiguration and backup options that will help you recover fromdisasters and hardware failures.

Chapter 8, Printing Xerox data streams to PostScript and PCL printers,illustrates the steps involved to send Xerox-formatted data streams toPostScript- and PCL-compatible printers.

For additional information . . .

DPServer has a comprehensive library of user and pre-salesdocumentation. Listed below is a brief listing of DPServer-relateddocuments which are available from Xerox.

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Guide to the Reference Set (721P84990)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Update (721P85860)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Implementation Planning Guide (721P85000)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Communications Configuration Guide (721P85010)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Installation and Management Guide (721P85020)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Accounting Option (721P85040)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Resource Management Option (721P85050)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000XPRM Installation and Reference (721P85060)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000XPTM Installation and Reference (721P85070)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000XPRM for the IBM MVS NFSA Installation and Management Guide(721P85080)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Xerox Resource Transform Reference Card (721P86190)

iiiDPServer Solutions Guide

Introduction

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Datastream Transform Application Program Interface (API) Reference(721P85100)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Reference Card (721P85120)

Xerox DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000Xerox Print Readiness Execution Program (X-PREP) for DPServerUser Reference Guide (720P32281)

Xerox Print Services Client - MVSInstalling and Customizing XPSC-MVS (720P65240)

Xerox Windows to Xerox Metacode (XWXM) for DPServerInstallation and User Guide (720P32271)

The following publications are provided free of charge.

DPServer General Information Guide (720P62712)This document provides an overview of XPSM features, functions, andoperation. It is designed to introduce the benefits and planningrequirements of XPSM.

Xerox Customer Documentation CatalogThis publication contains the titles of Xerox product documentation.

Information on DPServer and other Xerox products is also availablefrom the Xerox web site at http://www.xerox.com.

You may directly visit the DPServer home page on the world wideweb at http://www.dpserver.com.

vDPServer Solutions Guide

Table of contents

DPServer overview 1

Production output trends and the benefits of DPServer 1DPServer design 3

Printing jobs from multiple clients 7

DPServer data stream support 7File format requirements 8Supported platforms and job submission options 9

Streamlining your print operations 19

Minimizing printer idle time using workload balancing 19Mounting job tapes at the server while the printer is printing 25Printing lengthy applications in less time 27Reprinting jobs stored on the server 30Redirecting print jobs 31Controlling Xerox printer features automatically using X-PREP 32Managing your print environment from one location 36

Improving accounting and performance 39

Accounting Option functions 39

Using viewing and archiving products 43

Configuring viewing and archiving with DPServer 43Making print jobs available to third-party products 43

Managing resources 45

Configuration overview 45Maintaining a secure Xerox resource environment 47Ensuring that resources are not used until a specific date and time 51Testing new resources without affecting production resources 51

Planning a system recovery strategy 53

System recovery considerations 53

Printing Xerox data streams to PostScript/PCL printers 57

Business benefits of data stream transformation 57Required modules to print Xerox data streams

to PostScript and PCL printers 58Printing an LCDS/metacode job to a PostScript or PCL printer 59Considerations 60

Glossary 63

Index 69

1


DPServer overview

This chapter provides an overview of DPServer business benefits,features, functions, and design. For a more detailed productoverview, please consult the DPServer General Information Guidewhich is available from Xerox at no cost, or which may bedownloaded in a PDF format from the DPServer home page(http://www.dpserver.com).

Production output trends and the benefits of DPServer

Many Xerox customers have enjoyed the benefits of a tightly-controlled production printing environment for many years. This isdue in no small part to common computing platforms, applicationsdesigned for specific printer technologies, and well-established sitepractices and conventions. However, production printing sites nowface challenges not seen before in traditional data centers and servicebureaus. For example:

• Applications are getting longer, print windows are getting shorter.

• Print jobs are being submitted from multiple and dissimilarcomputing platforms.

• Print jobs are being submitted in a variety of data stream formats.

• Network users are requiring access to production resources.

• Customers are concerned that migrating to a client/serverenvironment may require re-hosting applications.

Customers need sensible and cost-effective solutions that restorecontrol and predictability to enterprise printing operations. They alsoneed to increase their competitiveness, reduce overall cost to print,and improve operator and user productivity while taking the first stepto an "any to any" print environment. Solutions must work regardlessof information technology in place and without disruption to currentactivities.

That's where we come in. To address these business challenges, Xeroxoffers the DocuPrintServer (DPServer) – an intelligent enterprise printmanager that provides a variety of output and document managementservices that restore control and predictability to enterprise printingoperations.

Specifically, DPServer provides the following benefits and services:

• automated network production printing

• simultaneous print job submission from multiple platforms

• job control and queue management to increase overall printerthroughput, scheduling flexibility, and print window management

• printer management from a single location

• resource management for all LPS printers in your enterprise

• print job accounting for accurate billing and improved printoperations management

• data stream transformations (PostScript and PCL) that enableXerox data streams to print on network devices

• automated printer command insertion to automate startcommands and simplify document formatting

• job submission from tape at the server – spool multiple tapeswhile printers are actively printing

DPServer provides all these services so you can focus on usingdocuments to run your business and forget about limitations imposedby dissimilar information technologies. Additionally, DPServersupports your existing applications and hardware investment. Youhave all the benefits of a network production print environment,without having to re-host applications, invest in new computinghardware, or retrain your staff to operate and maintain a newenvironment.

2 DPServer Solutions Guide

DPServer overview

3DPServer Solutions Guide

DPServer overview

DPServer design

DPServer's design allows businesses to migrate to an open productionprinting environment without having to modify applications or investin a new computing environment. DPServer is composed of multipleclient- and server-resident software modules, providing the flexibilityto tailor a document output and distribution solution for a variety ofenvironments – you select only the modules and options needed toachieve your specific business goals and objectives.

The figure below maps out the available DPServer modules andillustrates supported clients and job submission options. (Please referto page 45 for an expanded discussion on XPRM configuration.) Abrief description of each module follows on the next two pages.

DPServer

ETHERNET

MVS CLIENT PRINTERS

XPSC-MVS

XPAF Client

JES

WINDOWS CLIENT OTHER CLIENTS

XWXM LPR, BDT, FTPTOKENRING

DP 180DP 4635

DP 4890

DPServer

RMOXPRMXPTM

AOX-PREP

TTP

FIGURE 1.

DPServer integration in a diverseenterprise environment


DPServer overview

DPServer client software

MVS client software options

Xerox Print Services Client for MVS Hosts (XPSC-MVS) is the clientsoftware for an MVS host. XPSC-MVS is a functional subsystem (FSS),and is primarily responsible for acquiring jobs from JES, sending jobsto the remote DPServer, and accepting SMF records from DPServer.

Xerox Print Resources Manager for the IBM MVS Native File SystemAccess (XPRM/NFSA) is part of the Resource Management Option.XPRM/NFSA is installed on an MVS host to enable resources stored inPDS libraries to be downloaded to XPRM at the server.

Also part of XPRM/NFSA is Xerox Tape Resource Manager (XTRM)which reads backup resource tapes created on Xerox centralizedprinters and writes the resources as members on an MVS PDS.

XPAF Client software is offered for customers who use the XeroxPrinter Access Facility (XPAF) to print AFP, IBM line mode, and Xerox-formatted data streams to Xerox laser printers. XPAF Client softwareextends XPAF benefits by providing customers with access to benefitsand features offered by DPServer.

Windows client software options

Xerox Windows to Xerox Metacode (XWXM) provides Windows 98,Windows 95, and Windows NT users with access to Xerox productionprinters (contact Xerox for NT availability). XWXM is a printer driverthat interprets print command sequences issued by a Windowsapplication and produces a Xerox-formatted data stream.

Xerox Resource Transform (XRT) is an optional utility that transformsXerox forms, fonts, logos, and images for printing on PostScript andPCL printers. XRT is available for Windows NT and Windows 95workstations.

5


DPServer overview

DPServer server software

DPServer server software options

DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000 (DPServer for the IBM RS/6000)

is the base module that provides print services to DPServer clients.DPServer for the IBM RS/6000 offers a variety of print services,described throughout this document.

Resource Management Option creates an automated and easilymanaged resource environment for Xerox DocuPrint LPS printercustomers. (This option is referenced as RMO in Figures 1 and 17.)Among its other benefits, the RMO maximizes printer up-time byautomatically determining job resource requirements, then ensuringthat all required resources are available at the printer

before printingbegins. The RMO also provides a variety of operator productivity toolsthrough the graphical user interface.

Xerox Print Resources Manager for the IBM RS/6000 (XPRM) is partof the Resource Management Option. XPRM is composed of acentralized resource database and performs the following keyfunctions:

• centrally stores Xerox, HP PCL, and PostScript printer resources• imports resources from multiple clients to the XPRM database• exports XPRM resources to local and remote IBM RS/6000s• downloads XPRM resources to DPServer logical printers• provides database management and maintenance tools

Xerox Print Transform Manager (XPTM) transforms data streams intomultiple device formats to extend the reach of your documents.Specifically, XPTM transforms Xerox LCDS data streams into PostScriptand PCL data streams.

The Accounting Option is an optional server software module thatprovides extensive accounting data collection capabilities. (Thisoption is referenced as AO in Figure 1.)

Xerox Print Readiness Execution Program (X-PREP) is an optionalserver-resident utility that automatically inserts document formattingand printer control statements into jobs destined for both Xerox server-attached and network-attached production printing systems.

Tape to Print Utility (TTP) enables customers to load tape jobsdirectly at the DPServer instead of the printer. This utility opens allDPServer job and queue management features to tape-basedproduction sites.

7



DPServer controls and manages printers and print jobs across yourenterprise. As a true enterprise-wide print manager, DPServer acceptsprint jobs from a variety of clients ranging from mainframes to PCs. Tohelp you determine how DPServer fits into your site, this chapterdescribes the data stream formats supported by DPServer, and the jobsubmission options available to each supported client.

DPServer data stream support

DPServer supports popular production and network data streams,either directly or through the use of DPServer options. The table belowlists data stream support and considerations for different types ofdestination devices. Please contact your Xerox representative for thelatest information in data stream support.

* Not a true data stream, the term "SYSOUT" is used by many customers to refer to EBCDIC line data streamsfrom JES2 or JES3, but may also refer to ASCII line data streams.

Data Stream

LCDSmetacodeASCIIEBCDICSYSOUT*

LCDSmetacodeASCIIEBCDICSYSOUT*

ASCIIEBCDICSYSOUT*

PostScriptPCLEBCDICSYSOUT*

AFPDS (MVS)

Any supporteddata stream

Destination Device

Xerox LCDS/metacode production printer

PCL-compatible printer

PostScript-compatible printer

Xerox Network Printing System (NPS)(PostScript/PCL)

Xerox LCDS/metacode production printer

viewing or archiving solution

Considerations and Required Server Options

No considerations or required options.

Source data must be converted into PCL.Required options: RMO, XPRM, XPTM. XRT may alsobe employed if pre-converting resources is required.(See detailed discussion beginning on page 57.)

Source data must be converted into PostScript.Required options: RMO, XPRM, XPTM. XRT may alsobe employed if pre-converting resources is required.(See detailed discussion beginning on page 57.)

DPServer passes PostScript and PCL source datawithout modification ("pass through") to network-attached printers via IP address. No required options.

AFPDS source data must be converted into metacodevia XPAF. Required options: XPAF Client.

(See discussion on page 43.)

File format requirements

Job data sent to DPServer must be in either of the two formatsdescribed below. For MVS sites, XPSC-MVS automatically formatsyour data for compatibility with DPServer. For non-MVS sites, pleaseensure that your data streams adhere to either of the following formats.

Option A. File format requirements

Job data may contain either ASCII or EBCDIC data, but must includeboth control bytes and data. The format is a two-byte length field, aPCC byte, and the printable data. The graphic below illustrates thisformat:

High Low PCC Printable data orByte Byte Byte DJDE statements

High Byte: The least significant byte of the two-byte length field. Thisfield will be 00 unless the record length exceeds 255 (hex FF).

Low Byte: The most significant byte of the two-byte length field. Forexample, if the data was seven bytes in length, the low-byte valuewould be eight (7 data bytes + 1 PCC byte).

PCC Byte: The PCC byte contains a value for the "printer carriagecontrol" operation (e.g., x'89' for "write and skip to channel 1").

Option B. File format requirements

Job data may simply be a flat ASCII file. A flat file does not containany control characters other than NL (new line), CR (carriage return),LF (line feed), and FF (form feed). A flat ASCII file has the followingformat:

Printable data or DJDE statements LF

Printable data or DJDE statements LF





Supported platforms and job submission options

Virtually any platform (client) can submit jobs to DPServer. Specializedclient software is available for MVS mainframes (JES clients) andWindows PCs to enable job submission. However, any client that canuse LPR, LP (HP-UX only), or perform bulk data transfers (BDTs) usingeither FTP or NFS can submit jobs to DPServer. The following jobsubmission options are described on the following pages:

• Submitting jobs from JES clients• Submitting jobs using network file transfers (FTP) and LPR• Submitting jobs using the LP command• Submitting jobs from Windows clients

Submitting jobs from JES clients

DPServer provides full client support for IBM MVS systems. Non-AFPsites will utilize the Xerox Print Services Client for MVS Hosts (XPSC-MVS) to enable job submission to DPServer. Sites who use AFPexclusively or in addition to other data stream formats may submitjobs utilizing XPAF Client software. Each software module resides onan MVS host and is responsible for:

• acquiring print jobs from JES• building a job ticket• sending job data to DPServer• maintaining communications integrity• accepting SMF accounting data from DPServer

XPSC-MVS and XPAF Client software communicates with DPServerover an LU 6.2 interface. The LU 6.2 interface enables clients to sendand receive multiple requests at the same time through a single LU.

FIGURE 2.

Job submission in an MVS environment

DPServer

Network Xerox Production PrintersNetwork PostScript PrintersNetwork PCL Printers

MVS CLIENT

XPSC-MVS

XPRM/NFSA

JES

PDS

MVS CLIENT

XPSC-MVS

XPAF Client

JES

LU6.2



How are jobs submitted from JES clients?

DPServer replaces the concept of physical printers with logicalprinters. Logical printers are actually print queues that control one ormore physical printers, enabling workload balancing (automated jobassignment) and other benefits as described beginning on page 19.Jobs may be assigned to a logical printer using one of the optionsdescribed below.

Option A. Sending a job to the default logical printer.Any job that does not specify a logical printer will automatically printto the default logical printer. The default logical printer is definedwhen DPServer is installed. This approach does not require anychanges to your current JCL.

Option B. Specifying the logical printer in the OUTPUT statement.DPServer provides an extended JCL command to specify the desiredlogical printer, which is included in the application's OUTPUTstatement. The XLDEVICE keyword (Xerox Laser Device) can be addedto your existing JCL statement to direct output to any logical printer inyour DPServer-controlled environment. The MVS client softwareprovides the facility to automatically insert a default XLDEVICEkeyword in the output job ticket. This facility eliminates the need tomodify your JCL. In the example below, the XLDEVICE keyword isused to send a print job to a logical printer named HIGH_SPEED.

//jobname JOB jobinformation

//*

//STEP1 EXEC IEBGENER

//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*//SYSIN DD DUMMY

//OUTDD OUTPUT XLDEVICE=HIGH_SPEED,PRTY=20

//SYSUT1 DD DSN=input.library.name, DISP=SHR,

DCB=(RECFM=VBA,LRECL=155)

//SYSUT2 DD SYSOUT=(F,AGNT),OUTPUT=*.OUTDD

//

extended JCL keyword DPServer logical printer name



Submitting jobs using network file transfers (FTP, BDT, NFS) and LPR

DPServer enables production printing for client/server environmentsby accepting jobs via network file transfer or the LPR command.DPServer simply requires that the jobs be composed of ASCIIcharacters, carriage returns, line feeds, and form feeds, and adhere tothe format as defined on page 8 of this document. Optional DPServermodules may also be employed to enhance the appearance of printjobs to include forms, fonts, graphics and more.

Please note that some flags (e.g., -l) normally available whensubmitting jobs over the network are ignored by DPServer. Xeroxprinter capabilities go far beyond what the simple flag interface caninvoke. While select flags are supported, you will obtain significantlyimproved quality and productivity by controlling printers anddocument formatting via logical printers and Dynamic Job DescriptorEntries (DJDEs).

For additional information on printing network file transfer and LPRjobs, please refer to the DPServer for the IBM RS/6000 Installation andManagement Guide.

FIGURE 3.Job submission via network file transfer

RS/6000RS/6000 HP/9000HP/9000AS/400AS/400 SPSPARCARCSUNSUN

UNISYUNISYSS DIGITDIGITALALBULLBULL IBMIBMSPERRSPERRYY

DPServer

Network Xerox Production PrintersNetwork PCL5 PrintersNetwork PostScript Printers

TOKEN RING10BaseT

100BaseT



How are jobs submitted via network file transfer?

Jobs may be submitted to DPServer using FTP, BDT, NFS, or othernetwork file transfer function. Specifically, two files must be sent to aDPServer-resident directory (/var/spool/xpsm/bdt) reserved specificallyfor network file transfers. DPServer scans this directory periodically (asdefined by you) and prints jobs when discovered.

To submit a print job via network file transfer, you must first send adata file containing print data, then a control file. The control fileidentifies the corresponding data file, describes job requirements, andlists any optional document formatting or printer control features.Once a control file is detected, DPServer builds a job ticket, retrievesthe data in the print file, and queues the job on the appropriate logicalprinter. For example, you may use the TCP/IP utility, rcp, to print anaccounts payable application from a UNIX workstation to DPServer asdescribed below.

>rcp actpay.dat actpay.cf xpsm:/var/spool/xpsm/bdt

Submitting jobs via network file transfer is recommended over usingLPR and LP as you have more flexibility and control. For example, thecontrol file associated with network file transfers allows you to:

• provide a password in cases where access to logical printers isrestricted

• require operator intervention before printing can begin(e.g., specific printer set up required)

• identify the user who submitted the job and the name of the roomfrom which the job was submitted

Note that the order in which these files are submitted is critical, as the.cf extension on the control file triggers DPServer processing.Hence, the data file must precede the control file.

For complete details on how to submit jobs using network filetransfers, please consult the DPServer for the IBM RS/6000 Installationand Management Guide.



How are jobs submitted via the LPR command?

DPServer supports jobs submitted from any platform via the LPRcommand. DPServer support for the LPR command adheres to the AIXdaemon interface.

Similar to the jobs submitted via BDT, LPR jobs must adhere to theASCII file format structure as defined on page 8 (Option B).Additionally, individual operating system vendors have implementedLPR differently. To ensure that you obtain expected results, use theLPR command exactly as describe below.

lpr [-C

job_type/form_name/job_name] [-P printer_name] [-# number] [-J job_name][-w number] [-r]

where:

-C specifies the job type and form name to apply when printingthe job. Valid job types are SYSOUT and ASCII. Form is optional,but if used, make sure that the form ID matches the form ID onthe printer. If form is omitted, the default form for the logicalprinter is used.

-P specifies the name of the logical printer. If the logical printername is omitted, the job is sent to the default LPR printer.

-# specifies the number of copies to produce.

-J specifies the job name to be printed on on banner page. Ifomitted, DPServer will print the file name on the banner page.

-w specifies the page width on the output.

-r deletes the file upon completion of spooling.

Note that all other flags are ignored by DPServer.

LPR client considerations

LPR is implemented on a variety of platforms and network operatingsystems. Provided below are considerations that may be specific to aparticular platform.

UNIX systems: DPServer supports standard UNIX LPR printing. Pleaseconsult your UNIX documentation to learn how to configure LPR foryour environment. Please note that DPServer does not support the LPprint utility provided in UNIX, but does support LP for HP-UX systems(see discussion on next page).

Unisys A-Series systems: Several products are available that provideLPD/LPR capability for Unisys A-Series systems, including UnisysDEPCON and other third-party products.



Unisys 2200 Series systems: Unisys 2200 Series using TCP/IP canaccess DPServer using SPIN-X LPR, developed by Georgia StateUniversity. SPIN-X products can enhance Unisys output for Xeroxprinters and may be obtained through The Xerox Connection.

Microsoft Windows: Microsoft Windows platforms using TCP/IP cansubmit jobs to DPServer using LPR. TCP/IP networking software isrequired. Typical text-based documents can be submitted usingproducts such as NetManage's Chameleon LPR. However, you maywish to consider printing formatted documents using Xerox Windowsto Xerox Metacode (XWXM). XWXM converts Windows documentsinto Metacode and transfers the resulting files to DPServer for printing.

AS/400 systems: The LPR command is supported in the OS/400operating system (OS version 3 release 2: V3R2M0). Jobs may besubmitted to DPServer using TCP/IP over a Token Ring network (theAS/400 must have a Token Ring card installed and running at thesame speed as the RS/6000 on which DPServer is installed). Pleasenote that if you plan to use the -C flag within the LPR command tospecify form ID, you will need to utilize Xerox XDPE/400 software.

Specifying formatting through logical printers

As an alternative to defining extended formatting (e.g., job type, formid) within a BDT control file or within the LPR and LP commands, youmay find it easier to create and set up several logical printers withunique formatting defaults. Jobs (files) sent to each printer wouldautomatically be formatted according to each printer's default. Forexample:

• LP_ACTG is the logical printer set up to print monthly AccountsReceivable/Payable applications on the Xerox 4635.

• LP_1099 is the logical printer set up to print 1099 tax documentson the Xerox 4090.

• LP_BILL is the logical printer set up to print monthly customerinvoices on the Xerox 4850 highlight color printer.

• LP_HP5 is the logical printer used for end-user printing on anHP5Si printer in the front office.

• LP_COLOR is the logical printer used to print on any of threecolor printers.



Submitting jobs using the LP command

The LP command may be used if LPR is not supported by youroperating system (e.g., HP-UX). If your system supports both LP andLPR, please use LPR.

DPServer actually invokes the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD)LPR interface upon receipt of appropriately-formatted LP commands(described in step 3 below). As some LP flags have different meaningsthan corresponding LPR flags (e.g., -w), we recommend that you avoidincluding additional LP flags in your print request. Otherwise,unexpected results may occur.

Before submitting jobs via the LP command, you need only set up theappropriate LP queue(s) for your users and configure DPServer toenable LP printing. You may then begin submitting jobs to DPServer.For example:

1. In your HP-UX environment, you must first set up the appropriateLP queue(s) (e.g., X4635).

2. Configure DPServer to enable LP printing using theCommunications Configuration display. (Again, LP printing isenabled through DPServer's LPR interface.)

3. Submit print job using the syntax below. Please note, no blankspaces follow the -o flag, and BSDC must appear in uppercase.

lp [-oBSDC_job_type/form/printer_name/job_name]

where:

-oBSD invokes the BSD LPR interface.

C is the job type and form name to apply when printing the job.Valid job types are SYSOUT and ASCII. Form is optional, but ifused, make sure that the form ID matches the form ID on theprinter. If form is omitted, the default form for the logical printer isused.

printer_name is the name of the logical printer. If the logicalprinter name is omitted from the command, the job is sent to thedefault LPR printer.

job_name is the name of the file to be printed.

An example would be:

lp -oBSDCascii/std/X4635/my_file

LP client considerations

Please ensure that your print requests use the -obsd flag as describedabove. Using the -d (print request destination) flag may result inunexpected results.



Submitting jobs from Windows clients

DPServer supports Windows clients through the Xerox Windows toXerox Metacode (XWXM) printer driver, or via LPR or network filetransfer if enabled by the platform. (The requirements for LPR andnetwork file transfer are described beginning on page 11.)

XWXM is an intelligent printer driver that allows any documentcreated in Windows to be printed on a Xerox production printer,including highlight color printers.

Windows clients now have free and full access to the benefits of Xeroxproduction printers. For example:

• Print on the printer that provides the best value – the cost to printon Xerox production printers is significantly less than desktop orworkgroup printers.

• Print lengthy documents significantly faster, which gives you extratime to meet critical deadlines.

• Print desktop publishing applications such as proposals andanalyses at a fraction of the cost.

• Print customer documents containing highlight color in-house.

• Take advantage of finishing devices attached to Xerox printers,such as booklet makers, stitchers, and shrinkwrapping devices.

• Utilize the multiple input trays of Xerox printing systems to createdocuments composed of different stocks.

PRODUCTIONPRINTING

WINDOWS 98CLIENT

WINDOWS NTCLIENT

WINDOWS 95CLIENT

DPServer

FIGURE 4.Job submission in a Windows environment



Printing through XWXM is similar to printing using any otherWindows-based printer driver. Users simply select the Xerox printer(logical printer) and any desired options such as duplex, stocks,highlight color, and so on. A sample dialog box is shown below.

FIGURE 5.XWXM printer setup

19



Likely the most popular benefit provided by DPServer is increasedproductivity. DPServer provides several ways to streamline your printoperations and improve the productivity of your printers, operators,network users, and total print operation. This chapter outlines severalways that you can use DPServer to streamline different aspects ofprinting documents and managing Xerox printers. Specifically, thischapter details the following benefits:

• minimizing printer idle time and automating job scheduling

• avoiding lost print time due to mounting and processing tapes

• significantly reducing the time to print lengthy applications

• reprinting an entire job or parts of a job without resending fromthe host

• controlling Xerox printer features automatically and eliminatingstart commands

• managing your enterprise print environment from one location

Minimizing printer idle time using workload balancing (logical printers)

Workload balancing is a printer productivity feature that minimizesthe time that printers are idle, giving you greater print windowflexibility and more pages printed each shift. This feature is availableto online environments, and to offline environments who utilize theTape to Print Utility (TTP) option described on page 25. Printerproductivity can be further enhanced using the Xerox Print ReadinessExecution Program (X-PREP) option described on page 32.

Workload balancing

Workload balancing is a method to receive and queue print jobswhile printers are actively printing. Workload balancing is based onthe concept of logical printers. A logical printer is a print queue thatcontrols one or more physical printers possessing the samecharacteristics (e.g., data stream and resource support). When jobs areassigned to a logical printer, DPServer can schedule the job to the firstavailable printer within that logical printer group. This approachensures that jobs can be printed as quickly as possible and minimizesprinter idle time.

Implementing workload balancing

Implementing workload balancing is automatic and is a function ofcreating a logical printer definition. When creating a logical printerdefinition, one of the required tasks is to enter the names of thephysical printers that are to be members of the logical printer group.DPServer uses this information to generate a "workload balancing list."A workload balancing list is generated for each logical printer and isused by DPServer to control job assignment and printer selection.Once a logical printer definition has been created, workloadbalancing is implemented automatically.

Understanding printer selection order

The order in which jobs submitted to a logical printer are assigned to aphysical printer is determined by their placement in the workloadbalancing list. The least-recently-used printer within a logical printergroup is placed at the top of the workload balancing list and will beassigned the first available job. Once this printer is assigned a job, it isplaced at the bottom of the list and all other printers move up oneposition. This scheme continues until the system is restarted (withinitialized files). At that point, the workload balancing list is reset tothe "reverse order" in which printers were added to the logical printerdefinition.

For example, if you added the following printers to a logical printerdefined in the following order:

PTR1, PTR2, PTR3, PTR4

the workload balancing list would be generated as:

PTR4, PTR3, PTR2, PTR1

meaning that the first job would be assigned to PTR4, the secondto PTR3, and so on.

Should you desire to always begin printing on certain printers, pleaseensure that you enter the physical printers in a logical printerdefinition in the appropriate order.



HIGH_SPEED COLOR

PRINTER 1DP 180

PRINTER 2DP 4635

PRINTER 3DP 4890

PRINTER 4DP 4850

FIGURE 6.Workload balancing



Workload balancing strategies

Establishing a workload balancing strategy may be as simple ascreating one logical printer and assigning all physical printers to thatlogical printer. However, customers who may be supporting multipleenvironments or who have printers with differing capabilities maywish to implement slightly more-sophisticated solutions.

Using only one logical printer

When installing DPServer at the IBM RS/6000, you are required todefine the default logical printer. The purpose of the default logicalprinter is to process any print jobs that do not reference a recognized(defined) logical printer. As none of your current print jobs reference alogical printer, all jobs will initially print to the default logical printer.This approach offers immediate access to workload balancing anddoes not require changes to JCL files or applications.

However, if you use this approach, you should make sure that allphysical printers associated with the logical printer can print the sametypes of jobs. For example:

Do any of your jobs require color, MICR, or large-format paper?Depending on your printers, you may need to create different logicalgroups to obtain correct printing results.

Do all your printers support the same data streams? If you have someprinters that support different data streams, you will need to createunique logical groups.

Are all your printers production printers? Mixing production andworkgroup printers in the same logical group could result in printing,for example, a 1000-page report to an HP5Si – not the most cost-effective way to use your output devices.

Are all printers in the same geographic area? Some customers processprint jobs through DPServer, then print to network printers. If yourprinters are in different geographic areas, you may want a logicalprinter for each area to easily control how your documents are printedand distributed.



Using several logical printers

Most customers will gain the largest performance benefit when usingseveral logical printers. This approach offers customers the ability togroup printers by common characteristics, ensuring that jobs will beprinted as intended. It also offers an intuitive approach for assigningapplications to printers, and greatly simplifies maintenance aschanging a physical printer has no impact on the application or JCL.

Creating logical printers is performed through DPServer's graphicaluser interface. The procedures are not repeated here as they are welldocumented in the DPServer for the IBM RS/6000 Installation andManagement Guide. Following are some suggestions andconsiderations to help you maximize the benefits offered by logicalprinters and workload balancing.

1. Create logical groups of physical printers that possess the samecapabilities, such as speed, paper sizes, and resolution. Ideally,we recommend that you group identical printers, especially forproduction jobs. This will ensure that jobs are printed with theexpected results and within the allotted time frames.

2. Group physical printers that can share the same types ofresources. Downloading resources to a logical printer results inthose resources being distributed to all physical printers within thelogical group.

3. Share a physical printer between multiple logical groups only withcare and planning. If a printer belongs to multiple logical groups,there is a possibility that the printer's resource configuration may,over time, become different than that of other printers within thesame logical group.

4. Choose a default printer that can support the majority of jobs atyour site.

5. Try to keep the physical printers relatively close together so thatjobs may be easily retrieved.

FIGURE 7.Workload balancing – using severallogical printers

HIGH_SPEED

PRINTER 1DP 180

PRINTER 2DP 4635

PRINTER 5DP 4635MX

COLOR

PRINTER 3DP 4890

PRINTER 4DP 4850

FINANCEPAYROLL

PRINTER 6DP 4090

PRINTER 7DP 4090



Using logical printers for secure applications

For tightly-controlled applications, you will likely want to ensure thatno jobs other than the secure application will print to a specificphysical printer. For example, a customer who uses the MICR featureof a Xerox 4635MX to print checks will not want other jobs sent to thisprinter, even though the physical printer may be a member of otherlogical printer groups. To ensure that only the desired job will attemptto access a physical printer, you have two options. Each option isdescribed below and takes less than one minute to complete.

A. If your site has unique form IDs for each application, simplymount the appropriate form on the physical printer. Only jobs thatreference that form ID will print on that physical printer. This isachieved as follows from the server graphical user interface:

Click the Physical Printer Management icon.

Click the Physical Printer Status/Control icon.

Click the desired printer.

Enter the form name in UPPERCASE.

Click OK.

B. If greater security is required, remove the physical printer fromany undesired logical printer group. Using the example as shownin Figure 8, you simply remove PRINTER 5 from the FINANCElogical printer group. To remove a physical printer from a logicalprinter group, perform the following steps from the servergraphical user interface:

Click the Job Management icon.

Click the Logical Printer Configuration.

From the SMIT interface, select View/Change a Logical Printer.

Click List to display all logical printers.

From this list, select the logical printer.

Click OK.

On Attached Physical Printers, click List and select the printer toremain on this logical printer.

Click OK.

Review, then click Done.



In addition to controlling printer access, many customers areconcerned with controlling access to sensitive resources such as fontsand signatures. To ensure that operator or user access to secureresources is minimized or prevented entirely, you may want to includeresources in the output data stream. Once printed, the sensitiveresources can be automatically and immediately deleted from theprinter. Your job is printed with the desired results and sensitiveresources are fully protected from unauthorized access.

Associating print jobs with logical printers

Associating print jobs with logical printers may be done in differentways, depending on the platform that is submitting the job. (Jobsubmission is discussed in the previous chapter.) A summary ofoptions is provided below.

For JES clients: Omit the logical printer reference so that jobsautomatically print on the default logical printer. Define the logicalprinter using extended JCL keyword (XLDEVICE).

For BDT clients: Omit the logical printer reference so that jobsautomatically print on the default logical printer. Specify the logicalprinter in the control file using the PrinterID parameter.

For LPR clients: Omit the logical printer reference so that jobsautomatically print on the default logical printer. Specify the logicalprinter in the LPR command using the

-P parameter.

For LP clients: Omit the logical printer reference so that jobsautomatically print on the default logical printer. Specify the logicalprinter in the /printer_name portion of the LP command.

For Windows clients: Submit jobs using the Print option under the Filemenu. Note that printer names must be defined in advance using theappropriate Windows operating system utilities (e.g., Print Manager,Add Printer Wizard). If submitting jobs via LPR, see above.

HIGH_SPEED

PRINTER 1DP 180

PRINTER 2DP 4635

PRINTER 5DP 4635MX

COLOR

PRINTER 3DP 4890

PRINTER 4DP 4850

FINANCEPAYROLL

PRINTER 6DP 4090

PRINTER 7DP 4090

FIGURE 8.Workload balancing – changing physicalprinter assignment



Mounting job tapes at the server while the printer is printing

While printing from tape offers many benefits to customers, it can alsointroduce loss in operator, printer, and overall site productivity. TheTape to Print Utility (TTP) is designed to give offline customersdramatic improvements in these areas. The TTP utility is a DPServeroption for MVS sites that enables jobs to be spooled to the DPServerfrom a local tape device, without interrupting incoming jobs fromother clients.

The TTP utility will be of interest to a variety of customers, both thosewho routinely print from tape and those who use tapes simply forresource distribution. Specifically, the TTP utility benefits those who:

• want to avoid printer down-time due to tape reads

• print from tape, but want the benefits of online printing(e.g., workload balancing, continuous printer operation)

• want greater flexibility in assigning jobs to printers

• want improved printer throughput and flexible print windowmanagement

• want to invest in only one tape drive instead of a tape drive forevery printer

• want a simplified method to distribute resources to printers fromtape

The figure below illustrates how site productivity may becompromised. For example, each incoming tape must be logged,scheduled, then assigned to the appropriate physical printer. Theprinter operator must then go to each physical printer, mount the tape(or tapes in the event of a multi-tape job), then enter a start command.

Without TTP utility

FIGURE 9.Tape processing without TTP utility



With the TTP utility, offline sites can enjoy significant productivitygains in addition to increased time to print. For example, the figurebelow illustrates how all tapes can be mounted on a server-residenttape drive and spooled to the server. Printers are no longer idle due totape mounting and processing. Once several jobs are spooled, youhave all the advantages DPServer has to offer, including workloadbalancing, printer management from a single location, job accounting,reduced operator error, and more. You can also redirect jobs afterthey've been spooled to the server, allowing you to quickly respond tonew scheduling priorities and printer availability.

Considerations: If you currently print jobs from tape using Xeroxprinters, please ensure that all DJDEs referenced in a print job are"online DJDEs." Some DJDEs are unique to offline environments andare not recognized by DPServer or the printer. Consult the user guidefor your Xerox Intelligent Laser Printing System for additionalinformation.

DPServer

With TTP utility

FIGURE 10.Tape processing with TTP utility



Printing lengthy applications in less time

DPServer supports job splitting, a major productivity enhancement forcustomers who have lengthy applications that run from one to severalhours. Without job splitting, lengthy applications monopolize a singleprinter for long periods of time, even though other printers may beidle. Additionally, applications that can only be printed on a printerthat is busy, may potentially have to wait for hours before they canprint. This jeopardizes meeting deadlines and provides little flexibilityin assigning jobs between multiple printers.

To solve this problem, DPServer can automatically "split" a print fileinto smaller, stand-alone segments, then assign each segment to thefirst available printer within a logical group. Depending on the speedand number of printers, overall time to print an application may bereduced to only a fraction of the original print time. Additionally, nochanges to applications are required.

As can be seen in the figure below, the advantages of job splitting areobvious – reduced overall time to print, improved printer utilization,greater print window flexibility, and improved reliability.

DP 4635

DP 4635

DP 4635

DP 4635

Pages Printed: 180,000Run Time: 2:14



TOTAL PRINT TIMEWITHOUT JOB SPLITTING

6:40


TOTAL PRINT TIMEWITH JOB SPLITTING

2:14

FIGURE 11.Job splitting – before and after



How job splitting works

Job splitting is designed to divide print files into smaller segments thatmay be distributed across several physical printers, resulting insignificantly faster time to print long jobs.

Job splitting is invoked by creating a "splitter configuration file" fromwithin the DPServer user interface. The purpose of this file is to definethe criteria used to split jobs into smaller segments, and associate thefile with a specific logical printer. The split criteria may be anysequence of characters or binary information that appears at sameposition throughout a document or job. The configuration file alsoincludes the number of times (count) that the split criteria is to beencountered before a job is split. Any job submitted to the logicalprinter referenced within the file will be processed for job splitting. Forsimplicity, most customers create a unique logical printer for each jobthat is to be split.

Each job segment is processed and formatted identically to the originaljob by using a DJDE setup packet. Job segments may be furtherprocessed by other DPServer functions, such as data streamtransformation or resource management. After a segment hascompleted all required processing, it is queued to the appropriatelogical printer for printing. If desired, the print file may be retained atthe DPServer in it's original (non-segmented) form. Accounting data ismaintained for each job segment, but is stored in individual SMFrecords (note that the Accounting Option time stamps the last segmentonly). If desired, pages may be added to the output to ensure properorder when re-assembling the multiple job sections.

Figure 12 depicts an example of a print job containing data forapproximately 100,000 customers. To split the job into smallersegments, a splitter configuration file is created that uses the customernumber (CUSTNUM) record as the split criteria, as it consistentlyappears at line 3, offset 8 (note that job splits can be based on specificpages, records, or fields within the data stream). Also, theconfiguration file has been set to create a new job segment aftercounting 10,000 occurrences of the split criteria. After a job segmenthas been created, it is immediately queued in the logical printer forprinting on the first available physical printer. Please note that jobsprocessed by X-PREP cannot be split.



Choosing applications for job splitting

Job splitting is designed for large, uniform print jobs. Jobs must beuniform in that the split criteria must be repeated in the same locationwithin a print file. Below are issues you should consider to ensure thatyour applications can take full advantage of the job splitting feature.

Ideal applications: Job splitting works best with lengthy applicationsthat contain the same types of documents, such as policy or statementruns.

Data stream support: Currently, LCDS, metacode, EBCDIC, andSYSOUT data streams are supported. Additional data stream supportwill be provided as they become available.

Resource support: Jobs splitting does not support for jobs that containin-line resources.

Split criteria: As stated earlier, the split criteria must appear in aconsistent location and position within a document.

Printer support: Job splitting is supported for all Xerox Intelligent LaserPrinting Systems that accept LCDS/metacode data streams. However,you need to ensure that all printers have the same available resources.

.....................

.....................

........CUSTNUM=.....

.....................

.....................

.....................

.....................

.....................

...............

.........

.. PRINT FILE

SPLIT CRITERIAe.g., CUSTNUM at line 3, offset 8, count=10,000

LOGICAL PRINTER

WORKLOADBALANCING

DPServer

JOBSPLITTER

JOB SEGMENTS

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

LOGICALLOGICALPRINTERPRINTER

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

.........

FIGURE 12.Job splitting implementation



Reprinting jobs stored on the server

If you choose, print jobs processed by DPServer can be retained at theserver for subsequent reprinting. Entire jobs or segments of jobs can bereprinted without having to re-send the data from the host. This featurecan be used as an effective short-term job-retention solution, and as aguard against operator error or problems encountered during printingand finishing.

Storing jobs on the server

DPServer allows you to define the SAVE LIMIT (time period for whicha job is retained) for all jobs processed by DPServer. The default is onehour, which is convenient when reprints are needed due to a printingor binding error. However, this value may be any number you choose.

The SAVE LIMIT criteria is accessed from SMIT (Systems ManagementInterface Tool), which appears upon selecting the SystemConfiguration icon in the Administration window. To define thedefault SAVE LIMIT for all jobs, simply select System Limits in the SMITwindow, then enter the desired SAVE LIMIT in the appropriate field.This value must be entered in seconds. When through, select OK.

Please note that you must shut down then restart DPServer before yourchanges will take place.

Reprinting entire jobs stored on the server

Jobs can easily be reprinted through DPServer's Job Status/Controlwindow. To reprint a job, you must fist locate the desired job in theJob Status/Control window. Once located, simply highlight the desiredjob (with DONE status) then select the Reprint button as shown below.The job will then be re-queued to the logical printer that originallyprinted the job. Please ensure that the original resources used to printthe job are still available on the printer.

FIGURE 13.Job Status/Control window



Reprinting ranges of pages within a job stored on the server

DPServer allows you to reprint a select range of pages within a printjob. As an alternative to reprinting the entire job, you can reprint onlythe specific pages of interest. DPServer customers now have a simple,fast, and highly cost-efficient method to reprint documents when theneed arises.

This feature operates based on counting carriage controls (skip tochannel 1). Each carriage control is interpreted as a new page.DPServer counts carriage controls from the beginning of the print fileuntil it reaches the desired page range. This is performed as abackground task and will not interfere with print operation.

This feature is accessed through the SMIT interface and only requiresthe user to enter the job name, start page, and end page. The selectedpages are then re-queued to the logical printer that originally printedthe job.

Please note that if your applications contain embedded DJDEstatements, any DJDEs that occur prior to the desired page range willnot be processed and unexpected results may occur.

Redirecting print jobs

DPServer improves job portability and output management flexibilityby enabling jobs to be redirected from one logical printer to another.This feature allows you to immediately respond to urgent printrequests without disrupting printing within the original logical printerqueue.

Redirecting jobs is easily performed within the DPServer JobManagement user interface by changing the logical printer group.



Controlling Xerox printer features automatically using X-PREP

The Xerox Print Readiness Execution Program (X-PREP) is a Xeroxsoftware solution that increases document portability, overallthroughput, further reduces operator intervention and error, and offerssimplified access to Xerox DocuPrint LPS and NPS series productionprinters.

X-PREP is an optional utility that automatically creates and insertsXerox printer commands into output print files submitted to DPServer.X-PREP allows customers to control formatting and printer featureselection without having to know Xerox- or PostScript-pagedescription languages. X-PREP can condition SYSOUT, ASCII, andDocuMerge print files, regardless of client platform, to provide accessto advanced features without changes to your software applications.Print files may be conditioned for printing on either Xerox DocuPrintLPS (LCDS/metacode) or Xerox DocuPrint NPS (PostScript) printers.

Streamlining client/server printing

X-PREP reduces network bandwidth demands by leveraging Xeroxprinter's capability to store job formatting description files andresources at the printer. Instead of transmitting a fully-formatted datastream with embedded resources, X-PREP simply adds text strings tothe output print file. This allows printer-resident job formattingdescription files and resources to be invoked without being includedin the print file.

This approach also streamlines printer operation and programmingrequirements. Because X-PREP references job formatting requirementsin the output print file, there is no need to stop the printer to issuesstart commands, or to manually program Xerox printer instructions inthe application.



Printing with X-PREP

You control which jobs are sent to X-PREP by using specific job typevalues. DPServer will recognize specific job type values andautomatically pass valid jobs to X-PREP for processing. Onceprocessed, the job is returned to DPServer for scheduling and delivery.

The key to X-PREP is the Configurator File, a text-based file thatcontains simple keywords and values that describe documentformatting and printer controls. X-PREP transforms this informationinto Xerox printer controls and inserts them into your application'soutput print file. Two Configurator Files are supplied with X-PREP –one to control jobs destined to Xerox LCDS/metacode printers and oneto control jobs destined to Xerox PostScript printers. X-PREPdetermines the appropriate Configurator file to apply based on the jobtype value.

The Configurator Files are divided into multiple sections, each sectionis composed of unique job formatting instructions. The defaultConfigurator Files have sections to print documents in portrait,landscape, 2-up portrait, 2-up landscape, and so on. When you installX-PREP, you need to create a mapping scheme between job attributesand Configurator File sections. For example, you may choose to useSYSOUT Class A to map to the 1-up portrait section of theConfigurator File. Similarly, you may use the logical printer name ofLAN2UP to map to the Configurator File section that results in 2-uplandscape printing. The way in which you implement X-PREP andselect the attributes to trigger print file conditioning can be fullycustomized to your specific needs. Examples are provided on thefollowing pages.

UNIX CLIENTUNIX CLIENT

MVS CLIENTMVS CLIENT

BULL CLIENTBULL CLIENT

OS/400 CLIENTOS/400 CLIENTDPServer X-PREP

Print FileConfigurator FileDP 4635MX

DP 4635NPS

FIGURE 14.X-PREP – customized job formattingfrom network clients



Using X-PREP

X-PREP is extremely flexible and can be implemented in a variety ofways. Provided below are only a few examples of how X-PREP may beused. Please note that you may add any X-PREP keywords or values tothe Configurator File to obtain the exact results you need.

X-PREP controls document formatting based on SYSOUT class.MVS sites may wish to consider using SYSOUT class to invokedocument formatting. X-PREP simply maps the SYSOUT class (whichis automatically recorded by DPServer in the job ticket) with thecorresponding section in the Configurator File. For example, an MVSsite may consider using SYSOUT class and X-PREP as follows:

X-PREP controls document formatting based on logical printer.You can invoke document formatting based on logical printer names.X-PREP maps the name of the logical printer referenced in the jobticket with the corresponding section in the Configurator File. Pleasenote that jobs submitted to DPServer can either reference a logicalprinter explicitly, or be printed to the default logical printer in theevent that no logical printer is defined.

Configurator File Section

Landscape printing withcustomized banner page

Portrait printing withcustomized banner page

2-up landscape printing withcustomized banner page

2-up portrait printing withcustomized banner page

Logical Printer Name

LAND

PORT

LAND2UP

PORT2UP

JCL Example

//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=A

//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=B

//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=E

//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=F

Configurator File Section

Landscape printing withcustomized banner page

Portrait printing withcustomized banner page

2-up landscape printing withcustomized banner page

2-up portrait printing withcustomized banner page

SYSOUTClassClass A

Class B

Class E

Class F



X-PREP controls document formatting based on form id.Many sites schedule printing based on form id. This approach requiresthat each job use a unique form id. While printing in this manner hasmany advantages, it also results in printer outages as the printer willstop when it detects a form id other than the one currently mounted.In most cases, the only action required by the operator is to mount theappropriate form. Otherwise, reconfiguring the printer is oftenunnecessary. X-PREP offers a way to print jobs with unique form idsbut with similar printer configuration requirements, resulting incontinuous operation and far fewer printer outages.

For example, you can map multiple form ids that have commonprinting characteristics to a specific section in the Configurator File asfollows:

Original Form ID Configurator File Section

H001 landscape printingH002 customized banner pageH003 change form id to STD0. . . H051 portrait printingH052 customized banner pageH053 change form id to STD1. . . H129 2-up landscape printingH130 customized banner pageH131 change form id to STD2. . . H387 2-up portrait printing H388 customized banner pageH389 change form id to STD3



Managing your print environment from one location

DPServer allows you to display one or several DPServer user interfaceson any workstation or PC that supports X-Windows. This X-Windowsterminal may be located anywhere in your network enterprise, andcan display the graphical user interface of a DPServer and/orcommand-line interface of any Xerox printer controlled by DPServer.

To display a DPServer user interface at a remote X-Windowsterminal, perform the following steps:

1. Login to DPServer over the network as "root."> login: root

> password: *****

2. Set the DISPLAY for the remote workstation, where mystationis the name of the remote X-Windows terminal.> typeset -x DISPLAY=mystation:0

3. Enter the address of the desired DPServer.> export display = PC address

4. Run the DPServer user interface program. (To run the userinterface as a background task, include the "&" character.)> gui [&]

5. To display additional server interfaces, use the "r logon" command.> r logon username

Considerations: Remote X-Windows terminals are "live" consoles andcan control any function that can be controlled at the physical server.When possible, you should restrict access to each physical server sothat control from the remote location will not be overridden from theserver or otherwise compromised. Additionally, accessing DPServersfrom a remote terminal requires that your PC or workstation has X-Windows installed and supports the OSF/Motif user interface.

DPServerBRUSSELS

DPServerCHICAGO

X-WINDOWS TERMINALSAN FRANCISCO

FIGURE 15.Remote X-Windows terminal – monitorand control your output environmentfrom any location in your enterprise



To display a physical printer's console at a remote X-Windowsterminal, perform the following steps:

1. From the Physical Printer Status/Control window shown below,select the desired printer.

2. Click the Terminal Window button. The printer's console(command-line interface) will display on the screen.

Considerations: To display the printer's console on either the server ora remote X-Windows terminal, you need to ensure that:

• the physical printer is attached to the DPServer via channelinterface

• the printer console must be connected to the server's RS232terminal slot

• if an A/B switch exists at the printer's console, it must be set to theB position

Do not change the position of the A/B switch while the printer isprinting. Doing so may result in the loss of information between theprinter and DPServer.

FIGURE 16.Physical Printer Status/Control window

39



Maintaining and controlling cost will always be a high priority for anybusiness. Recently however, more and more businesses are searchingfor improved methods to control costs and track expenses,

whileincreasing capability, profitability, and competitiveness. TheAccounting Option was designed to achieve these goals.

Accounting Option functions

The Accounting Option can be used to gain a variety of businessbenefits.

Manage end-to-end business processes: Critical applications such aschecks and statements can be better monitored when using theAccounting Option. For example, the Accounting Option returns theexact number of pages delivered to the output bin, while JES onlyprovides the number of "Skip to Channel 1" instructions.

Improve billing and charge-backs: The Accounting Option collectsjob statistics and printer events that pinpoint exact customer charges,time to print, special features used, and other billing-related data soyou can charge your customers for exactly what was delivered.

For example, MVS sites who use SMF Type 6 records may not becharging their customers accurately. SMF Type 6 records indicate thenumber of lines within a job, not the actual pages printed. If theCOPIES parameter is defined in the output JCL (or as an embeddedDJDE), the copies will not be reflected in the SMF record, and you willunder charge. If a job is printed in 2-up or 4-up mode, the decreasednumber pages will not be reflected in the SMF record, and you willover charge. The Accounting Option avoids these situations bycreating a variable-structured SMF record, similar to a Type 30 record,which contains additional information that may be used by your siteaccounting software.

Measure printer and operator performance: The Accounting Optiontracks down time for each printer. This allows you to determine printeroutages per shift or per operator, with an explanation of why theprinter was down, such as bin full, out of paper, OTEXT WAIT outputmessage, dry ink low, and many others. These results can then beused to modify job schedules, review operator performance, andotherwise evaluate overall printer productivity.

Monitor resource usage: The Accounting Option isolates all resourcesthat are used to print a document. This information can be used overtime to identify old or unused resources that may be wasting space onyour printers.

Using the Accounting Option

The Accounting Option automatically records statistics and eventsabout a client, server, and printer (if channel-attached) as related to aprint job. Once a job has completed printing, the accountinginformation is stored in a database on the local DPServer.

For MVS clients, an SMF Type 148 record is automatically generatedand returned to the host that submitted the job. An SMF Type 148record is similar to an SMF-like Type 30 record, but is tailored toinclude additional data about the client, server, and printer.

For LPR and BDT clients, accounting information stored in the server-resident database may be exported (FTP) to the remote client by theDPServer operator. This information may then be analyzed using toolsranging from spreadsheets and SQL databases to accounting and datavisualization packages.

The Accounting Option also generates reports from data stored in theserver-resident database. For example, reports may be generatedbased on completion date and time, the host that is sending the printjobs, printer down-time, and more. Below is only a small sample ofthe information that is collected for each print job.

MVS client information

Client data is recorded for jobs originating from MVS hosts. Below is asample of recorded data.

Job NameJES job numberSYSOUT classJES printer IDUser IDForm numberRead date/time

Server information

There are over 175 unique pieces of information that are recordedconcerning job processing at the server. Listed below are only a fewexamples.

Date/Time/Zone job was processedJob name and IDJob origin (e.g., LPR, BDT)Initial JDE and JDLTotal records received per jobResources used per jobServer CPU usageResources usedPhysical printer ID and model





Printer information

Printers that are channel-attached to DPServer are able to upload avariety of printer statistics and events related to a job. Examples arelisted below.

Physical printer ID/modelDowntime and reasonSimplex pages printedDuplex pages printedCopies printedPages delivered to bin/trayLogical pages formattedToner ID

Supported printers for the Accounting Option

The Accounting Option may be used with any Xerox productionprinting system that supports LCDS/metacode data streams. Theoperating system installed on the printer will affect the availablefunctions. Please consult the Accounting Option user documentationfor details.

43


Using viewing and archiving products

Electronic viewing and archiving of documents and data streams israpidly becoming a business necessity. The benefits are clear –improved end-user productivity, greatly reduced costs, and perhapsmost importantly, data is kept alive in a re-usable format. As a trueenterprise-wide document server, DPServer makes documentsavailable to third-party viewing and archiving products. If your currentviewing and archiving solution does not support DPServer, Xerox willwork with you or your viewing and archiving vendor to provideaccess to this feature. This approach also gives you flexibility inchoosing the viewing or archiving product that best suits your needsand budget.

Configuring viewing and archiving with DPServer

Any job processed by DPServer may be archived after printing,archived instead of printing, or simply printed without archiving.DPServer archiving is enabled by the archive interface. The archiveinterface is a DPServer utility that writes the print file and job ticketinformation to a server-resident directory. The archive interface can beenabled for any logical printer. Since archiving is enabled as a logicalprinter option, you do not have to change your application or modifythe way you submit jobs.

The archive interface actually creates two files of the print job – onefile containing the print data and one file containing job ticketinformation. The data file contains the original print file data and has a.dat extension. The attribute file contains job ticket information aboutthe job, logical printer, and physical printer that printed the job. Thisfile has a .att extension. These files are then stored in the DPServerarchive directory under the same spool file name as the original job,and can be accessed by your viewing or archiving solution.

Making print jobs available to third-party products

To make print jobs available to third-party products, you simply setthe ENABLE ARCHIVE MANAGEMENT parameter in a logical printerdefinition using the SMIT interface. This procedure is described indetail in the DPServer for the IBM RS/6000 Installation andManagement Guide (Configuring Logical Printers chapter and Archiveinterface appendix).

45


Managing resources

A key function in any production printing environment is managingprinter resources. The DPServer Resource Management Option (RMO)and the Xerox Print Resources Manager (XPRM) combine to providenew and easier ways to manage Xerox printer resources. This chapterdescribes how you can achieve a secure resource environment andsimplify the task of distributing resources to Xerox printers.

Configuration overview

The RMO and XPRM may be configured in different ways to best meetthe needs of your client/server environment. Below is a brief definitionof DPServer RMO and XPRM, followed by sample configurations.

DPServer Resource Management Option (RMO)

The RMO provides resource management functions, such asadd/update resources to a logical printer, query resources on logicaland physical printers, display resources required for queued jobs, andmore. Additionally, the RMO performs data stream conditioning in thatit parses LCDS/metacode data streams to establish all required resourcesfor a job (including resources nested within other resources), thenensures that the resources are available at the printer. Any resources notincluded in the data stream or resident on the printer are downloadedfrom the XPRM database. Note that the data stream conditioning featureis available only if XPRM is installed at the local DPServer.

Xerox Print Resources Manager (XPRM)

XPRM provides a resource database that may be accessed by local andremote DPServer clients, depending on your needs. XPRM alsoprovides a variety of management options to export, import, print,download, update, or delete resources, and more. XPRM may beinstalled in a stand-alone configuration or a client/server configuration.

In a stand-alone configuration, the XPRM database can only beaccessed by the DPServer, RMO, XPTM, or other application installedon the

local RS/6000.

In a client/server configuration, XPRM can be installed as either aclient or a server. XPRM Client provides the ability to make requests forresource services, and can be installed on any number of RS/6000systems in your enterprise. XPRM Server performs the services requestedby the XPRM Client, acting as a remote resource database. Thisclient/server configuration enables you to have a centrally-managedresource database to avoid duplicate resources and greatly reduce thetime and error in performing resource management activities.

Sample configurations

Below is an example of how XPRM may be implemented in bothstand-alone and client/server configurations.

The stand-alone XPRM database only supports resource requests madeby applications running on the local DPServer. Even though it isattached to a network, no other XPRM clients or applications maymake requests to this XPRM resource database.

The XPRM server opens resource database access to any client on thenetwork. This includes access by the Xerox Resource Transform sothat resources may be retrieved and uploaded as necessary.

The XPRM client enables sites to access the benefits of data streamconditioning, data stream transforms, resource distribution, and so on,but only maintain one resource database (or other small number). Forexample, resources not present in a data stream being processed at thelocal client may be automatically retrieved from a remote XPRMserver database.


Managing resources

RESOURCEDATABASES

RESOURCEDATABASES

CLIENT STAND-ALONE

SERVER

OPTIONAL DPServerON SERVER

XPTM

DPServerRMO

XPRMSTAND-ALONE

DPServerRMO

DPServerRMO

XRT

XPRMCLIENT

XPRMSERVER

FIGURE 17.Sample DPServer RMO and XPRMconfigurations


Managing resources

Maintaining a secure Xerox resource environment

The power and efficiency of Xerox production printing systems ispartially attributable to its ability to store resources locally at theprinter – resources need not be included in the data stream or printfile. Maintaining a secure resource environment only requires that youcontrol and distribute resources from your DPServer using XPRM.

A key concern for many customers is version control, that is, ensuringthat the correct version of a resource is stored locally at the printer. Ifall resources are controlled using DPServer and XPRM, you willalways be certain that only a single instance of that resource is presentin your production print environment.

For example, a Xerox customer who uses seven Xerox DocuPrint 4635printers to print billing statements that use the form NUCUST.FRM willwant to ensure that the exact same version of NUCUST.FRM is storedon each printer. Problems may occur when resources are updated butnot distributed according to a planned scenario for controllingresource versions. Depending on how the resources have beeninstalled on the printer, the customer may accidentally have olderversions of resources on one or more printers. DPServer and XPRMoffer tools that help you synchronize the distribution of resourceversions throughout your Xerox environment. The following scenariosillustrate some of they ways you can maintain current, consistentversions of all resources.


Managing resources

Scenario A: manually distributing resources to logical printers from the server

Use DPServer and XPRM to manually distribute resources to logicalprinters. Note that downloading a resource to a logical printer resultsin that resource being downloaded to every physical printer in thelogical printer group.

1. Update resources using current methods (e.g., Elixir, JetForm,HFDL, Lytrod, etc.).

2. Transfer the resources to a server-resident directory.

3. From DPServer, move older resource versions from the XPRMdatabase to a temporary directory. These files should be deletedonce you have fully verified the new resources.

4. Import the updated resources into the XPRM database.

5a. Immediately download each resource to the appropriate logicalprinters. Downloading resources automatically overwrites anyresource with the same name on the printer.

5b. Alternatively, use the DPServer resource UPDATE feature toautomatically distribute resources. DPServer maintains a catalogof all resources that have been downloaded to all physical andlogical printers. The UPDATE feature allows you to specify thename and location of the updated resource, then automaticallydownloads the updated resource to every printer with thatresource. The old resource versions on the printers areautomatically overwritten.


Managing resources

Scenario B: using DPServer and XPRM to dynamically download resources

As stated earlier, resources can be automatically download in the eventthat a required resource is not stored at the printer and is not present inthe data stream. This feature is called data stream conditioning and isused to avoid printer outages caused by missing resources. However,this feature can also be used as a method to control resourcedistribution. For example, DPServer can parse the print data stream todetermine all resources that are required to print a job. Any resourcenot available at the printer will be automatically downloaded from theXPRM database then stored on the printer. Successful use of thismethod to control resource distribution requires that no resources withmatching names be stored at the printer.

1. Update resources using current methods (e.g., Elixir, JetForm,HFDL, Lytrod, etc.).

2. Transfer the resources to a server-resident directory.

3. From DPServer, move older resource versions from the XPRMdatabase to a temporary directory. Theses files should be deletedonce you have fully verified the new resources.

4. Import the updated resources into the XPRM database.

5. Delete any old versions of the updated resource at the printerusing the DPServer interface. This will update the resource catalogand result in the updated resource being downloaded from theXPRM database the next time a job references that resource.


Managing resources

Scenario C: downloading resources via print data stream

Resources may be included in the data stream sent from a DPServerclient. Whenever a resource is contained within a print data stream, itis automatically used in favor of any printer-resident resource with amatching name. Additionally, a resource contained in the data streamcauses the printer-resident resource to be deleted.

Resources downloaded in this fashion are not recorded in DPServer'sresource catalog and may lead to multiple resource versions in yourprint environment. The resource catalog is used by DPServer as a"distribution map" of all resources that have been downloaded to allprinters controlled by DPServer. Embedding resources in the datastream essentially bypasses DPServer's resource tracking capabilityand results in an inaccurate picture of your resource environment.

However, there are cases where "in-line" resources are of majorbenefit to customers, such as printing secure applications withsensitive resources (signatures) and testing new applications andresources. In these cases, in-line resources may be used effectivelyand without worry if you follow routine procedures. For example:

• Use the auto-delete option when including the resource with theprint job. This will ensure that the new resource will be used onlyfor this specific job.

• After printing is completed, download the original resource fromthe XPRM database to the logical printer that printed the job. In-line resources are used only on the physical printer that printed thejob, not all printers within the logical printer group. Alternatively,you could manually upload the original resource at the physicalprinter, however, it is much more time consuming to do so.

General tips for managing resources

Following are a few general tips that should be followed whenpossible. These tips will allow you to better maintain a controlledresource environment.

• Keep only required resources at the printer. Resources that areroutinely used and do not change frequently over time are idealcandidates for long-term storage on a printer.

• Do not delete or add resources directly at the physical printer.Doing so will initially circumvent the DPServer resource catalog,creating an inaccurate picture of your resource environment.However, the resource catalog will be automatically updatedwhen the printer is stopped and restarted.

• Use in-line resources sparingly, as they are not recorded inDPServer's resource catalog and may lead to unexpected results.

• Analyze printer-resident resources before reassigning physicalprinters to new logical printer groups.


Managing resources

Ensuring that resources are not used until a specific date and time

While DPServer does not provide this capability, there are utilities thatwill allow you to schedule file downloads to occur at a specific dateand time. For example, the KRON utility may be used to scheduleresource downloading to the DPServer from a network client.However, the resources must be loaded into the XPRM databasemanually. Once a resource is in the database, it is immediatelyavailable for printing.

Testing new resources without affecting production resources

Unless you plan to rename the resource, you cannot avoid overwritingprinter-resident resources with test resources. However you canprotect resources stored in the XPRM database by including the testresource in the data stream. This will ensure that the XPRM databasewill not be affected.

In either case, you need to distribute the original production resourceafter you've completed testing. Following the steps below will help toavoid any problems caused by testing resources.

1. Copy the production resource from the printer to a DPServer-compatible media. This step is not necessary if XPRM is installedand the production resource is stored in the database.

2. Submit the application with the resource included in the datastream.

3. Verify your results, and re-test as necessary.

4. When testing has been completed, resubmit the job with theoriginal production resource. The production resource willreplace any instance of the old production resource. If XPRM isinstalled, simply download the database-resident resource to theappropriate logical printer.

53



Customers new to client/server environments often express concernsrelated to system failure. Specifically, customers want to understandhow quickly the server may be returned to an operational state in theevent of a hardware or power failure. As a production print server, it ispresumed that your goal is to recover DPServer as accurately andquickly as possible. This chapter suggests different approaches toconsider when developing your system recovery strategy.

Please note that this chapter offers only a few suggestions for ensuringprompt system recovery, however, these are the most-commonlyimplemented. These suggestions vary widely in terms of cost toimplement and the immediacy with which service may be restored.We recommend that you consider the solutions best suited to yourbudget and business needs.

System recovery considerations

In most cases, DPServer will fully recover automatically, as in the caseof power failure. However, there may be cases where you may not beable to recover immediately and fully. While any number of solutionsmay be implemented, we recommend that you focus your systemrecovery strategy on the areas most likely to fail or result in failure.Power surges, power failure, and disk failure are the areas on whichyou should concentrate. Additionally, accidental software corruption,i.e., unintentionally deleting or overwriting DPServer files, should alsobe guarded against.

Avoiding problems caused by power failure and surges

We recommend that you treat your DPServer as you do your othermission-critical hardware as related to power conditioning. Powershould be supplied from a dedicated, conditioned source to avoidsurges. Although DPServer will automatically recover from powerfailures, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is highly encouragedto ensure sufficient time to properly shut-down the server.

Backing up your server regularly

Regardless of any other system recovery solutions you may choose,you should regularly back up your DPServer as described in theDPServer for the IBM RS/6000 Installation and Management Guide.These backup tapes will be the source in rebuilding your DPServerenvironment should a major failure occur. The more current yourbackup tapes, the more fully you can recover.

For many customers, regular system backups is the only systemrecovery strategy necessary. However, depending on the extent andseverity of the failure (e.g., failed disk), the time to replace failed partsmay exceed your requirements for recovery time. Listed below areother methods that you may wish to consider to better meet yourrecovery time goals.

Adopting RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)

RAID is a storage solution that can offer both backup and performancebenefits. There are several levels of RAID, each providing differentlevels of data redundancy and performance increases. For mostcustomers, only RAID Level 0 is necessary. RAID Level 0, also calledstriping, writes portions of files across multiple drives. In addition todistributing data across drives, striping also improves disk read/writeperformance. However, customers who want a greater level ofredundancy, such as disk mirroring (RAID Level 1), should considerother levels of RAID.

Equipping your server with an additional channel card

Although channel cards are not a likely failure point, inserting anadditional channel card in your RS/6000 will allow fast and simplerecovery. The bus and tag connection is simply re-connected to thebackup card in the event of failure. Note that this action may only beperformed by an authorized Xerox Service Representative.





Implementing A/B switches

A/B switches are used to re-route data from one source to another. A/Bswitches may be used as part of your system recovery strategy in thefollowing ways:

Install an A/B switch between your mainframe and the first channel-attached printer. In the event of a catastrophic server failure, you mayprint jobs directly from the mainframe until the server is restored.

Install an A/B switch between multiple DPServers. If you use multipleDPServers, you may wish to install A/B switches to run the printersconnected to the failed RS/6000 from the operational DPServer. Whileyou may experience performance degradation, you will be able tokeep all printers running until the server is restored.

Keeping a backup server (hot system)

For sites with the most stringent recovery requirements, you may wishto implement a backup DPServer. In the event of failure, the failedsystem is simply replaced with the backup system. However, keepinga "hot system" implies that it is equipped with RAID Level 1 (diskmirroring) which causes all data to be written to the backup system, oris updated frequently with backup tapes created by the mainDPServer. While ideal, the cost associated with this approach mayprohibit its use for some customers.

DPServer

A/B SwitchMVS CLIENT

PRINTER 1 PRINTER 2 PRINTER 3

DPServer

PRINTER 4PRINTER 4 PRINTER 5PRINTER 5 PRINTER 6PRINTER 6

DPServer

PRINTER 1PRINTER 1 PRINTER 2PRINTER 2 PRINTER 3PRINTER 3

A/B Switch

A/B Switch

FIGURE 18.

A/B switch routing data from mainframedirectly to printers

FIGURE 19.A/B switch routing data from DPServersdirectly to printers

57


Printing Xerox data streams toPostScript and PCL printers

Some customers are considering new directions in printer technologyto better support a wider audience of users. While Xerox offersDocuPrint production printers that can accept any popular data streamincluding LCDS/metacode, PostScript, PCL, and IPDS, some customershave expressed the specific need to print Xerox-formatted data streamson PostScript and PCL printers. DPServer enables LCDS/metacodedata streams to be printed on PostScript and PCL printers. This chapteroutlines the procedures and considerations when using DPServer toprint Xerox-formatted data streams to these types of printers.

Business benefits of data stream transformation

Today's business climate requires efficient, intelligent solutions thatkeep you competitive while minimizing costs. DPServer enablesbusinesses who use applications that generate Xerox-formatted datastreams to print to new destinations. For example:

• A business who has recently consolidated multiple data centersmay suddenly have a mix of Xerox LCDS/metacode printers andthird-party PostScript- and PCL-compatible printers. DPServerenables you to print your Xerox-formatted application to any ofthese printing systems.

• While Xerox production printers offer outstanding quality and amultitude of features, not everyone has one next to their desk. Todistribute production documents to their point of need, useDPServer to print select applications to PostScript- and PCL-compatible printers. You can immediately and easily distributedocuments to the location where they are needed.

• When you need to reprint portions of a job but your printers arebusy working to meet other deadlines, use DPServer to reprintranges of pages to PostScript or PCL workgroup printers. Thisoffers a flexible solution without jeapordizing productionschedules and deadlines.

Required modules to print Xerox data streams to PostScript and PCL printers

The following components and options are required to print XeroxLCDS/metacode data streams to PostScript and PCL printers:

• DPServer for the IBM RS/6000• Xerox Print Transform Manager (XPTM)• Resource Management Option• Xerox Print Resources Manager (XPRM)• Xerox Resource Transform application

Listed below is a very brief description of each module's function as itrelates to transforming data streams.

DPServer for the IBM RS/6000 is the server software responsible foraccepting print jobs from multiple clients, passing jobs to XPTM forconversion, and scheduling the resulting PostScript or PCL job to theappropriate logical printer queue.

Xerox Print Transform Manager (XPTM) transforms Xerox-formatteddata streams and resources into data streams (with embeddedresources) that are compatible with HP4Si, HP5Si, and PostScriptLevel 2 printers. XPTM may either transform Xerox form and imageresources "on the fly" or extract the appropriate PCL or PostScriptversion from an XPRM database. Please note that Xerox font (.FNT)and logo (.LGO) resources are not supported by XPTM (see discussionon XRT below). XPTM also supports edge-to-edge forms, that is, .FRMresources that are designed to print at the edge of a page (full bleed).

Resource Management Option and Xerox Print Resources Managerfor the IBM RS/6000 (XPRM) are required to handle resourcetransformations and store PostScript and PCL resources in the XPRMdatabase.

The Xerox Resource Transform (XRT) application is a Windows-baseddevelopment tool used to convert Xerox forms (.FRM), images (.IMG),fonts (.FNT), and logos (.LGO) into PostScript Type 1 fonts, PostScriptLevel 2 forms and images, and PCL5 fonts, forms, and images. Theconverted resources can then be uploaded to an XPRM database sothat they are available to XPTM when composing the PostScript orPCL data stream. This approach increases overall XPTM performanceas it eliminates the need to convert resources "on-the-fly" during jobprocessing.

58


Printing Xerox data streams to PostScript and PCL printers


Printing an LCDS/metacode job to a PostScript or PCL printer

Before submitting Xerox-formatted jobs to a PostScript or PCL printercontrolled by DPServer, you must first perform several steps to ensurethat the job will print successfully.

Survey font and logo requirements for all candidate applications.XPTM does not transform font and logotype files from a Xerox formatto PostScript or PCL. Therefore, you will need to pre-convert any fontsor logos that may be printed through DPServer to a PostScript or PCLprinter. You should first survey all candidate Xerox-formattedapplications to identify all referenced fonts and logos. Graphics andforms may be transformed automatically.

Pre-convert fonts (.FNT) and logos (.LGO). These resources may beconverted into PostScript or PCL either by Xerox, or by using the XeroxResource Transform (XRT) application (described on the previouspage). Minimally, XRT may be used to convert unlicensed Xerox fonts(.FNT files) into PostScript and PCL formats, and logos (.LGO files) intoPostScript and PCL raster graphic images. Please note that if any ofyour fonts are licensed, you must first contact your font vendor forpermission to convert the existing fonts. For specific details, consult theXerox Resource Transform Reference. You may also purchasePostScript- and PCL-compatible fonts directly from Xerox.

Load your resources into XPRM. Any pre-converted resources must beloaded in the XPRM database so that they will be available whenpreparing the job. You may also wish to consider pre-converting formsand graphics as an alternative to in-line conversion. This will improveoverall performance. Depending on where your pre-convertedresources reside and how your PC is connected to the network, youmay load the resources into the XPRM database in one of severalways. The most direct and efficient way is through the DPServer userinterface.

Create logical printers and configuration files. Jobs that are to beconverted must be sent to a logical printer that has an associatedXPTM configuration file. (Creating logical printers is fully discussed inthe DPServer for the IBM RS/6000 Installation and ManagementGuide.) Once logical printers have been created, you create aconfiguration file that controls how print files sent to a logical printerare to be transformed and formatted, such as startup JDE and JDL,number of copies, paper tray mapping, on-the-fly form and imageconversion, and so on. A configuration file must be associated withthe logical printer in order to transform jobs into PostScript or PCL.

Submit jobs to logical printer. Your applications can now be printedto the logical printers that queue jobs for PostScript and PCL printers.Simply include the logical printer name in the JCL. This procedure willvary depending on the platform submitting the job.


PostScript

????????????

.FNT .LGOPostScriptPCLPCL

Forms Fonts Logos Images

Analyze applications.

Convert fonts and logos.

Import resources into XPRM.

Create logical printers.

Submit job to logical printer.

.FRM

.FNT

.LGO

.IMG

PCL/PostScriptraster imagesand fonts

XPRM

LOGICAL PRINTER

PRINTER 1 PRINTER 2



Considerations

While XPTM reliably transforms your Xerox-formatted applicationsinto PostScript and PCL, you should review the following list ofconsiderations to ensure that you obtain the expected results.

PostScript Level 1 is not supported.

LCDS/metacode data streams may contain instructions that are notsupported. Please ensure that your applications can print using thePostScript and PCL command sets. PDL and DJDE support is fullydiscussed in the XPTM Installation and Reference manual.

Some printers have a non-printable margin at each edge of a page. Ifany of your applications are designed to print in this non-printablearea and you plan to use a printer with a non-printable area, you needto change your application accordingly. The non-printable area istypically 1/5" to 1/4" from the edge of the page, however, this valuemay vary from printer to printer. Consult your printer manuals todetermine the maximum value you need to consider.

Forms that are designed for edge-to-edge printing should beconverted "on-the-fly" by XPTM. DPServer supports edge-to-edge (fullbleed) printing for devices that support that feature. When printingedge-to-edge forms to these devices, allow XPTM to transform theforms on the fly and do not pre-convert them using the XeroxResource Transform (XRT) utility. XRT will not create forms that printedge-to-edge.

XPTM does not currently support highlight color data streams.However, jobs that reference a highlight color JDE/JDL but prints inblack-only are supported.

XPTM does not support .RES images. Ensure that all in-line graphicswithin the original job are .IMG files. If XPTM encounters anunsupported graphic, it ignores all data until the occurrence of aDJDE. The result is either an incorrectly printed job or an aborted job.

Non-printable area

Glossary

Accounting Option

The server-resident component that compiles statistics related to host,server, and printer performance.

Advanced Function Presentation The data stream produced by Advanced Function Presentation (AFP)Data Stream (AFPDS) applications.

AIX Advanced Interactive Executive. The IBM UNIX operating systemfound on IBM RS/6000 workstations.

archiving A document and data storage technique typically used to transfer datato an off-line system.

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Standard codethat represents alphanumeric characters and several non-printingcharacters by assigning each a binary number covering 128 possiblecharacters. Also used in this document to refer to an "unformatted"data stream composed of ASCII data.

BDT Bulk Data Transfer. A network file transfer.

carriage control An instruction that controls the position of paper in a line printer.

centralized printer

see production printer

client A software component residing on one computer that makes requeststo server software running on another computer. Also used in thisdocument to refer to systems that make requests of a DPServer.

client/server architecture An architecture that distributes software functions and servicesbetween two computers.

Configurator File An X-PREP file that invokes specific printer and document formattingfunctions based on data in the job stream.

data stream The content of a job transmission (or stream of data) between thecomputer and printer. Data streams can be in various formats,including line mode, LCDS, PostScript, metacode, and PCL.

DocuPrintServer The collection of client-resident and server-resident software(DPServer) components that enable users to print and manage documents at a

remote site. Also used throughout this document to refer to anRS/6000 running DPServer for the IBM RS/6000.

DocuPrintServer The server-resident component of DPServer that communicates withfor the IBM RS/6000 DPServer clients to accept jobs for printing and provides extensive job

(DPServer for the IBM RS/6000) and printer control capabilities at the server.

DPServer see DocuPrintServer and DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000

63



Glossary

Dynamic Job Descriptor Entry A Xerox control statement within a document that dynamically(DJDE) overrides or changes existing control statements or parameters which

specify how a document should be printed on a Xerox printer. Thesespecifications include forms and image merging, font selection, binswitching, report offsetting, and file downloading.

EBCDIC Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code. A coded characterset consisting of up to 256 8-bit coded characters. Also used in thisdocument to refer to an "unformatted" data stream composed ofEBCDIC data.

font A type of resource. A set of printing characters that have commoncharacteristics such as style, width, height, and weight.

form A type of resource. An electronically composed arrangement ofpredefined lines, boxes, text, logos, and embedded text that may beprinted as is or merged with data during the printing process.

functional sub-system (FSS) An address space that communicates with JES to drive devicesunsupported by JES.

FTP File Transfer Protocol. The popular method used to transfer filesbetween computers and devices in a network environment.

graphic see image

IBM RISC System 6000 workstation The platform on which DPServer software operates.

image A type of resource. A file format for printing graphic images on Xeroxproduction printers.

JES Job Entry Subsystem. The job scheduling and print spoolingcomponent of IBM mainframes.

job splitting A DPServer feature that divides jobs in multiple segments so that theymay be printed on multiple printers in parallel.

logical group attribute A resource attribute that is used to group multiple printer resources bya single, common group identifier.

logical printer Named group of physical printers capable of processing the sametypes of jobs. DPServer uses logical printers to manage physicalprinters.

logo Logotype used to print large (up to two-inch square) regions with afixed pattern. Logos are often small illustrations or designs typicallyused to identify a company.

LP Line Printer. A newer printing interface found in UNIX environments.

LPR Line Printer Request. A printing interface used in UNIX environments.

LU 6.2 communications protocol A protocol used between DPServer client and server software toenable two-way, parallel communications over an SNA connection.


Glossary

metacode Control codes used by Xerox production printers to control theinternal functions of their imaging systems and provide all-points-addressability. Functions such as font selection, print orientationselection, and character positioning are controlled by metacodes.Metacodes may be created and inserted into the print data stream,either by the printer when formatting data for printing or byapplication programs when formatting the print data stream.

MICR Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. A printing technique that createsdocuments with machine-readable text. Specialized MICR toner or inkis required for this process.

NFS Network File System. A protocol suite that enables files to be sharedbetween dissimilar platforms and systems.

OUTPUT statement An MVS job control statement used to define options for SYSOUTprinting.

PCL Printer Control Language. A widely used printer control language.

physical printer An individual printer, as opposed to a logical printer.

PostScript A widely-used printer control language.

Print Description Language (PDL) Language used to describe printing jobs to a Xerox laser printer. PDLdescribes the input (type, format, characteristics), performs theprocessing functions, and describes the output (type, format, fontselection, and accounting options).

print server A network server that provides printing services to other members of anetwork environment, and allows job control at the server. DPServerrunning on an RS/6000 is an example of an intelligent print server.

printer resource A library member, a sequential data set, or a printer-resident file that isneeded to print a data stream on a printer. Forms, fonts, images, andlogos are examples of resources.

production printer A high-volume printer.

RAID Redundant Array of Independent Disks. A fault-tolerance solutionwhereby data is written across multiple independent hard disksinstead of a single hard disk.

resource see printer resource

resource catalog A server-resident file containing an inventory of all resources that areavailable on physical and logical printers attached to a DPServer.

resource database A centralized database containing electronic printer resources. XPRMcontains a centralized resource database that is controlled andmanaged from the server.


Glossary

Resource Management Option An option that enables server based control and storage of electronicprinter resources, automated resource checking and verificationcapabilities, and automated acquisition of resources stored on theserver, MVS host, or RS/6000 workstation. This option includesXPRM/NFSA and XPRM.

RS/6000 see IBM RISC System 6000 workstation

SDLC Synchronous Data Link Control. A data transmission protocol used inSNA environments.

server A network device that provides services to other members of anetwork. File servers, mail servers, and print servers are examples ofservers.

SMF System Management Facility. An MVS job tracking and accountingfacility used to monitor system access and billing.

SNA Systems Network Architecture. The network architecture found in IBMmainframe environments.

SYSOUT jobs Print jobs that do not require conditioning before printing. Commonlyreferred to as "SYSOUT data stream" although not truly a data stream.

Tape to Print Utility (TTP) A server-resident DPServer option that enables job tapes to bemounted directly at the server.

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. A widely-usedprotocol stack composed of multiple protocols that facilitate networkdata transmission and exchange.

TTP see Tape to Print Utility

viewing A document management technique that allows documents and datato be viewed electronically as an alternative or precursor to printing.

workload balancing A DPServer feature that automatically schedules queued jobs toserver-attached printers based on printer availability.

Xerox Print Readiness Execution A server-resident DPServer option that automatically inserts XeroxProgram (X-PREP) printer instructions into data streams to control document

formatting and printer actions.

Xerox Print Resources Manager The MVS host-resident component of DPServer that acquires printerfor the IBM MVS Native File System resources from host-resident PDS libraries.

Access (XPRM/NFSA)

Xerox Print Resources Manager The server-resident component of DPServer that contains a centralizedfor the IBM RS/6000 (XPRM) resource database and services for accessing database functions.

Xerox Print Services Client The MVS host-resident component of DPServer that acquires print jobsfor MVS Hosts (XPSC-MVS) from JES, accepts resources from XPRM/NFSA (if installed), and

accepts SMF records from the print server.

Xerox Print Transform Manager A server-resident DPServer option that transforms data streams into(XPTM) device-compatible formats.


Glossary

Xerox Resource Transform (XRT) A Windows 95 and Windows NT software application that convertsXerox-formatted fonts, forms, logos, and images into PostScript Type 1fonts, PostScript Level 2 forms and images, and PCL5 forms, fonts, andimages.

Xerox Tape Resource Manager An optional component of XPRM/NFSA that reads printer resource(XTRM) backup tapes mounted on an MVS host, and writes resources as

members on an MVS PDS.

Xerox Windows to Xerox Metacode A Windows printer driver that converts Windows print command(XWXM) sequences into a metacode data stream, enabling PC users to

submit jobs to Xerox metacode product ion pr inters via aDPServer.

XGF Xerox Generic Format. An intelligent multi-function data stream thatenables XGF-native and line-data applications to be printed onPostScript printers.

XPAF Client The MVS host-resident component of DPServer for customers whohave installed the Xerox Printer Access Facility.

X-PREP see Xerox Print Readiness Execution Program

XPRM see Xerox Print Resources Manager for the IBM RS/6000

XPRM/NFSA see Xerox Print Resources Manager for the IBM MVS Native FileSystem Access

XPSC-MVS see Xerox Print Services Client for MVS Hosts

XPTM see Xerox Print Transform Manager

XRT see Xerox Resource Transform

XTRM see Xerox Tape Resource Manager

XWXM see Xerox Windows to Xerox Metacode

69


Index

A

A/B switches, 55accounting, 39-41Accounting Option

collected information, 40-41description, 5functions, 39supported printers, 41

archiving products, 43

B

benefits of DPServer, 1-2

C

channel card, 54client software, 4Configurator File, 33controlling Xerox printer features, 32-35

D

data streamsupport, 7to PostScript/PCL printers, 55transformation business benefits, 57

data stream conditioning, 49design of DPServer, 3-5DocuPrintServer for the IBM RS/6000, 5, 58DPServer

and archiving, 43and viewing, 43benefits of, 1-2client software, 4data stream support, 7design, 3-5modules, 3, 4, 5, 58overview, 1-5server software, 5viewing and archiving, 43

DPServer for the IBM RS/6000, 5, 58

F

file format requirements, 8

I

improving accounting, 39-41improving performance, 39-41

J

job tapes, mounting while printing, 25-26job splitting, 27, 28, 29Job Status/Control window, 30jobs

submitting from JES clients, 9-10submitting from Windows clients, 16-17submitting using FTP, BDT, NFS, LPR, 11-14submitting using the LP command, 15

L

LCDS/metacode, to PostScript/PCL printers, 59logical printers, 10, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24LP command

client considerations, 15jobs submitted via, 15

LPR commandclient considerations, 13jobs submitted via LPR command, 13jobs submitted via network file transfer, 12

M

maintaining secure resource environment, 47-50managing print environment, 36-37managing resources, 45-51minimizing printer idle time, 19-24mounting job tapes while printing, 25-26

N

network file transfer, jobs submitted via, 11, 12

P

PCLconsiderations, 60printing an LCDS/metacode job, 59printing Xerox data streams, 58

performance, 39-41Physical Printer Status/Control window, 37planning a system recovery strategy, 53-55platforms, supported, 9PostScript

considerations, 60printing an LCDS/metacode job, 59printing Xerox data streams, 58

power failure and surges, 53print environment, managing, 36-37print jobs, redirecting, 31print operations, streamlining, 19-37printer features, controlling, 32-35printer idle time, minimizing, 19-24


Index

W

workload balancing, 19, 20strategies, 21-24

X

X-PREP, 5, 32-35X-Windows terminal, 36-37Xerox data streams, to PostScript/PCL printers, 58Xerox Print Readiness Execution Program, 5, 32-35Xerox Print Resources Manager for the IBM MVS

Native File System Access, 4Xerox Print Resources Manager for the IBM

RS/6000, 5, 45, 58Xerox Print Services Client for MVS Hosts, 4Xerox Print Transform Manager, 5, 58Xerox Resource Transform, 4, 58Xerox Tape Resource Manager, 4Xerox Windows to Xerox Metacode, 4XPAF Client, 4XPRM, 5, 45, 58XPRM/NFSA, 4XPSC-MVS, 4XPTM, 5, 58XRT, 4, 58XTRM, 4XWXM, 4XWXM printer setup window, 17

P

printingjobs from multiple clients, 7-17lengthy applications, 27-29to PostScript/PCL printers, 57-60

R

RAID, 54redirecting print jobs, 31reprinting jobs stored on the server, 30-31resource environment, maintaining, 47-50Resource Management Option, 5, 45, 58resources

configuration overview, 45-46downloading via print data stream, 50dynamically downloading, 49general tips for managing, 50managing, 45-51manually distributing to logical printers, 48testing, 51using at a specific date and time, 51

S

server back ups, 54, 55server software, 5streamlining print operations, 19-37striping, 54submitting jobs

from JES clients, 9-10from Windows clients, 16-17using network file transfers and LPR, 11-14using the LP command, 15

supported platforms, 9system recovery

considerations, 53-55strategy, 53-55

T

Tape to Print Utility, 5testing new resources, 51third-party viewing and archiving products, 43TTP utility, 5, 25-26

U

using resources at a specific date and time, 51using viewing and archiving products, 43

V

viewing and archiving products, 43

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