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Re: OpenVMS Emulator- problem sending OpenVMS file to a printer.txt file

 
Glenn Steinkamp
New Member

OpenVMS Emulator- problem sending OpenVMS file to a printer.txt file

Hello, We have just transitioned our production system at work from circa 80s VAX hardware to an Emulator running OpenVMS s/w on a PC (XP-Pro O/S). All our functions work fine but I have one nagging problem that I hope someone can lep me solve. The Emulator s/w is set up so that when we do $PRINT file.DAT - it is sent to a "printer.txt" file on the PC's C:drive. However not all of the file is sent to that "printer.txt" file, just only 90&% or so. The only way I can get it all there is by logging off the OpenVMS, at which point the size of the "printer.txt" file then increases by a few kb and then I can view the entire .DAT file I need to burn to CD. My question is: how can I get the $PRINT command to "flush" completely and send the entire "file.DAT" the "printer.txt" file w/o having to log off each time?
I am not a programmer, just the guy who knows how to get the production done on this system so please forgive my use of beginner langauge. Our lead programmer at work is the person who got the Emulator working to begin with but he is stumped too.
Any help would be really appreciated! Thanks!
6 REPLIES 6
Hoff
Honored Contributor

Re: OpenVMS Emulator- problem sending OpenVMS file to a printer.txt file

Ok, you're not going to like this answer.

Your emulator "hardware" is likely not working correctly.

Which emulator?

In general, and until proven otherwise, these sorts of errors are all considered emulator "hardware" bugs. This until and unless you can replicate this bug with VMS on real hardware.

Talk to whomever is supporting the emulator for you.

In the interim, I'd look to avoid this PRINT-based approach, and look at another way to transfer the file out to your Windows host. This using COPY /FTP (on VMS V6.2 and later), the ftp utility, or another IP-based network file transfer mechanism. (If it hurts, well, don't do it.)

(And as a general matter, why are you running something as old and problematic as Microsoft Windows XP here? Windows 7 is a vastly better platform, particularly as your emulator supports that version.)
Glenn Steinkamp
New Member

Re: OpenVMS Emulator- problem sending OpenVMS file to a printer.txt file

Hoff- Thanks for getting back to me so quick.

I have a 3 follow-up questions-

1) By "which emmulator" I suppose you are refering to the version of the emulation s/w we are using (?). I will find out tomorrow after I get to work.

2) I do not think COPY or FTP will work because this PC is not networked. Is there any other way to get the file.DAT sent to a folder somehwere in Windows so I can burn it to a CD?

3) What do you mean by real hardware? "replicate this bug with VMS on real hardware"

This was never a problen on our old VAX hardware (circa late 80s). The PRINT command sends the file.DAT strait to an ancient dot matrix printer. We did however encounter this problem when we first tested this at work, once again using a PC w/ XP Pro. I suppose the acquistion people provided us w/ XP Pro since thats what we intially used to get this production system working on a PC.

Once again, my understanding of OpenVMS is *very rudimentary*, all I know is the most basic commands such as DIR, SET DEF, COPY etc... I am signed up for a VMS class at HP in Denver end of July but so far Im the only person, so I am sure it will be canceled.

I will post back tomorrow after I find out what s/w version we are using for the emulator.

Thank you very much!


Hoff
Honored Contributor

Re: OpenVMS Emulator- problem sending OpenVMS file to a printer.txt file

>1) By "which emmulator" I suppose you are refering to the version of the emulation s/w we are using (?). I will find out tomorrow after I get to work.

There are a number of VAX emulators around, and the tools and interfaces and capabilities vary among them.

>2) I do not think COPY or FTP will work because this PC is not networked. Is there any other way to get the file.DAT sent to a folder somehwere in Windows so I can burn it to a CD?

I can't help you with Microsoft Windows questions (we don't utilize Windows here), nor with questions specific to this (currently unspecified) VAX emulator.

The networking mechanism you would be seeking here typically involves establishing networking within the Windows box (a virtual network), or getting a hardware controller or two going here, and configuring the emulation to use this physical network.

Or alternatively, a path within the particular VAX emulator that allows you to transfer files from VMS into the host Windows environment.

Different emulators work differently, here.

>3) What do you mean by real hardware? "replicate this bug with VMS on real hardware"

You're using emulated VAX hardware. To claim that this behavior is a VMS bug, the usual expectation is to reproduce the bug on non-emulated hardware. On real, physical, hardware. Where you've already confirmed (below) that this bug does not exist. Which points to the emulator.

>This was never a problen on our old VAX hardware (circa late 80s). The PRINT command sends the file.DAT strait to an ancient dot matrix printer.

Using what amounts to a process of elimination to approach this? This worked before. On real VAX hardware. Which would then imply that this error does not involve VMS, but rather lurks within the VAX emulation; within the emulated hardware. (While it is possible this bug does exist within VMS, the VMS printing system has seen widespread use over the years, and in a wide variety of cases. What makes this case special? The VAX emulator.)

>Once again, my understanding of OpenVMS is *very rudimentary*...

It can often be unnecessary to explicitly mention this, as this information can often be inferred from the context and from the question. And you've already stated this, for that matter.
Volker Halle
Honored Contributor

Re: OpenVMS Emulator- problem sending OpenVMS file to a printer.txt file

Glenn,

welcome to the OpenVMS ITRC forum. Please note that this forum will soon be transitioned to the new HP community site and will soon be write-locked !

As Hoff mentioned, you definitely need to tell us about the Emulator being used and the method implemented to get the print file to the Windows disk.

Your mentioning of the $ PRINT file.DAT implies, that the file is actually being print via a print-symbiont and a print queue on OpenVMS. Do you get a 'Job xxx submmited to queue yyy' output after issueing that command ? If so, the printing of that file happens in the context of the print-symbiont and and does NOT relate on you logging out of OpenVMS.

But maybe the PRINT command has been re-defined on your system, so please show us

$ SHOW SYMB PRINT
$ SHOW QUEUE SYS$PRINT/FULL

Volker.
Volker Halle
Honored Contributor

Re: OpenVMS Emulator- problem sending OpenVMS file to a printer.txt file

Glenn,

 

after the ITRC forum entries have now been migrated to the new HP Community site, we can continue discussing this problem...

 

Volker.

Ian Miller.
Honored Contributor

Re: OpenVMS Emulator- problem sending OpenVMS file to a printer.txt file

and we're back ....
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