Network Printer issue on HP-UX 11i v1

[Rajesh Shah_4]

Hi,
I have installed around 170 network/windows based printers on new HP-UX 11iv1 server. These printers was working on HP-UX 11.00 and on that server we were using JetAdmin Utilities for UNIX (Version D.06.21 -/opt/hpnp) and on new servers we are using HP JetDirect Printer Installer for UNIX (Version E.10.18 /opt/hpnpl).
I had used SAM [save/restore] options to import all the printers on new servers.
Right now none of the printers is working in new HP-UX 11i.

Please advice.

Thanks,
Raj

[Tor-Arne Nostdal]

Hi Raj,
Some tip/hints that might help you.

How SAM handle it:
It saves the configuration from /etc/lp to /var/sam/lp by using lpmgr:
/usr/sam/lbin/lpmgr -S -xsavedir=/var/sam/lp
Then it could be restored like this:
/usr/sam/lbin/lpmgr -R -xsavedir=/var/sam/lp

I have been distributing printers, simply by doing an "rcp -pr prhost:/var/sam/lp newhost:/var/sam/", then using lpmgr to restore them on newhost.
-----------
On newhost you must have the print-software installed (it's not installed by default).
Example:
[root]: swlist | grep -i -e print -e jet -e hpnp
J2559C D.06.15 Hewlett-Packard JetAdmin for Unix Utility
J4189-11001B E.10.18 Hewlett-Packard JetDirect Printer Installer for Unix

Check also that your model files are available.
Standard checks like "rights" etc. are important if you have copied definitions manually and not with SAM/lpmgr.
--------
If you have a printer named: MYLP
Try vi /etc/lp/interface/MYLP
Check the HPNP variable, this would tell you where it expect to find the software installed.
Check also the destination, variable PERIPH
This points to the hostname/ip of the printer.
Make sure that this is resolved correctly and that you can reach it.
----------
On HP-UX 11.23 (ia64) the /opt/hpnp have changed to /opt/hpnpl
The jetadmin command have changed to: hppi
When I restored print config from HP-UX 11.11 to 11.23 I got the same problem as you.
I have done the following on our machines to make it transparent between them:
1) linked /opt/hpnpl to /opt/hpnp
2) created alias jetadmin=/usr/bin/hppi

Best regards,
Tor-Arne

[Rajesh Shah_4]

Thanks!!
I had solved this issue by copying /opt/hpnp from old server [11.000] to our new server. Now I have to directory /opt/hpnp & /opt/hpnpl.
This is going to create any issue in future ?

Rajesh

[Mic V.]

Raj,

I've copied /opt/hpnp (as you said) to 11i (11.11) systems with no issues.

Mic

(By the way, you could give Tor-Arne some points for the help -- that was a long reply. :-)

[Bill Hassell]

The two versions of JetDirect support software are VERY different, which is the most likely reason the save/restore did not work. NOTE: the D.06.21 software has been unsupported for more than 5 years and is known to have Y2K problems. I would suspect that you'll have problems in the future since the D.06.21 knows nothing about any printer manufactured in the last 5 years. And because you have simply copied /opt/hpnp from the old system, the software has not been installed so swlist, swverify, etc do not know anything about the old JetDirect software.

The correct solution is to make a list of all your network printers by queue name (lpstat -v) and the corresponding IP address for each printer. Then remove the /opt/hpnp software, delete all the printers using removequeue (/opt/hpnpl/bin/removequeue), then add them all back using addqueue (same location as removequeue). The addqueue command is really easy:

/opt/hpnpl/bin/addqueue -h 12.34.56.78 -q myprnqueue

Repeat as needed. Now you'll have a supportable configuration and hppi (not jetadmin) will know about LaserJet 4000 and 8000 series printers (as well as many others)

[Tor-Arne Nostdal]

I tend to agree with Bill.
You should not copy /opt/hpnp, but rather link the /opt/hpnpl to /opt/hpnp.
ln -s /opt/hpnpl /opt/hpnp
This should support both new printers added on this system as well as old printers copied from other systems.

If you do not have very standardised environment - you could redefine the printers as proposed by Bill, but we have not done this.

If the printers are defined again, they would loose modifications done to print model files (/etc/lp/interface/model.orig/MYLP).
We have approx. 8-900 printers defined and many of these have adapted model files.
It might also be that an old "standard" model file is working better than a new one.

The same applies if you're using print adapters like HP Jetdirect EX or Netport.
You might loose port numbers specified:
/etc/lp/interface/MYLP
xPORT="-p 9101"

If it's working - why fix it...