Question about TCP printer queues on a VMS cluster

[Verhaeghe Rene_1]

Hello.

We are creating a multi-site VMS cluster with 4 nodes, 2 nodes per sites. Ecah node will have its own system disk to allow rolling upgrade. There is a cluster-wide queue manager.

We use the TCP/Ip stack from HP. The software is installed on the system disk.

When we create a queue with LPRSETUP, it will create a directory in SYS$SPECIFIC:[TCPIP$LPD], an entry in th PRINTCAP file, an entry in the file TCPIP$SYSTARTUP, all on the local system. It will also create the printer queue in the clustered queue manager.

If the queue is run on another system than the one where it has been created, the directory will not be available on the new node.

The only solution I see now is to manually update all the files in each local TCP directories and files.

Is there a better solution?

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

I hope you have a common disk with the sysuaf etc.
You can place all the files on that disk and use logicals to guide the software to that location.

We have such a cluster too and have following logicals.
"TCPIP$BOOTP" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$BOOTP.DAT"
"TCPIP$CONFIGURATION" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$CONFIGURATION.DAT"
"TCPIP$EXPORT" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$EXPORT.DAT"
"TCPIP$HOST" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$HOST.DAT"
"TCPIP$LPD_PRINTCAP" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$PRINTCAP.DAT"
"TCPIP$NETWORK" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$NETWORK.DAT"
"TCPIP$PROXY" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$PROXY.DAT"
"TCPIP$ROUTE" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$ROUTE.DAT"
"TCPIP$SERVICE" = "CONFIG$ROOT:[TCPIP]TCPIP$SERVICE.DAT"

NOte that LPD needs to spool to the common disk too. Check the printcap file sd entries must point to a directory on the common disk.

We have sd=/tcpip$lpd_root/my_printer:

Also the spool of LAT printers must be to the common disk.

Wim

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Oh yes,

the spool directory must exist or the queue wont start (owner system).

Wim

[Verhaeghe Rene_1]

Thank for the answer.

There is already a common disk with UAF, queue manager, security files, etc. We ahve no LAT queues any more.

Where do I create those logical name? Should I do it before TCPIP$STARTUP is run or should I modify this program?

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

We simply do it in sylogicals.com. Before the start of tcpip.

Wim

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

If you use decnet, you need to do the same for decnet. And don't forget the form libraries (those are still on the system disk over here).

We also moved a lot of startup procedures of the system disk to keep them common. Some are still there because they are distributed and thus the same on all systems.

Wim

[Verhaeghe Rene_1]

Thanks. I will try it tomorrow