lpr / JetDirect Printers

[Jochen Grotepass]

I have no deep HP-UX knowlede but we have a customer running some of theses boxes. The administrator calls me and have problems in defining the remote printers to HP-UX 11.x.

They run JetDirect and Emulex-Netque-Pocket boxes. When defining the printers via SAM, they define the printers as "Remote Printer", giving the IP-Address and the Queue-Name. For the Jetdirect-Printers they use the JetAdmin interface which seems to work differently.

Now it happens that the printers attached via the Emulex boxes do not print... sometimes ...

My question here:
Can somebody tell me the differences in the implementation of "Remote"- and/or "Network"-Printers in HP-UX 11.
What kind of test functionality do I have to check the printers (lpstat parameters).

We do have AIX and Solaris and NT and Mainframe systems knowledge and inhouse. HP-UX manuals are not open in the Web which makes it difficult for me to help our customer. He is stucked by HP-Support because they do not understand the problem.
We provide a SNA Gateway and Printserver solution to this customer and get blamed by the organisation because of problems in "lp".

I appreciate any information on this matter, especially hints for the "lp"-commands -perhaps some screenshots.

Also I need to understand the implementation problems of lpr printers under HP-UX.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Jochen Grotepass

[Victor BERRIDGE]

Hi,
The main difference between declaring printer as remote printer vs. network printer is a network printer is added to the spooler meaning it has a model driver... where as a remote printer relies on the spooler of the remote host... so with remote printers, you will often see: printer down, waiting to come up etc messsages.
So to test the remote printer the best is to connect to the remote host and see whats going on,
You can always try to configure your emulex-Pocket boxes as network printer using the dumbplot driver, and see if this gives better results...

Good luck
Best regards
Victor

[Steve Post]

If they have a jetdirect print server instead of a jetdirect card, there is a little problem that always gets me (when setting up). Make sure the printer is plugged into the jetdirect box and turned on BEFORE the jetdirect box is turned on.
Now, the jetdirect card or box has an ip address. You should be albe to telnet into it. If not, that's your first problem.
IF the printer is a simple dot-matrix like printer (or you just want simple text), IF the printer is plugged into port one of the jetdirect box, THEN you can use the remote option. Most of the time this is the case. It's easy: printer name: myprinter
remote ? the ip address or hostname of the jetdirect box or card.
remote printer name: myprinter
Then get out of sam and run this to test:
echo "this is a test" | lp -dmyprinter

If you need postscript, or hplj options like using compression (17 char per inch), you need to use the hp remote jetdirect software.

You had a lot of questions on your submittal. I hope this helps a little.
steve ^_^